Patent ID: 7783394
Filing Date: 2010-08-24
Classification: G05D

Abstract:
1. A method for constructing a low-altitude flight trajectory to be followed by an aircraft, said flight trajectory including a lateral trajectory and a vertical trajectory, comprising: determining said vertical trajectory with aid of a terrain profile relating to a terrain to be overflown by the aircraft to allow said aircraft to follow said terrain, to be overflown; determining said vertical trajectory of the flight trajectory during a flight of the aircraft, in a successive manner in tandem with the flight, doing so stretch by stretch, and for each stretch of vertical trajectory: extracting a profile section which pertains to the terrain to be overflown according to the corresponding lateral trajectory from a terrain database including said terrain profile; and determining said stretch of vertical trajectory with the aid of said profile section thus extracted, as a function of climb and descent performance of the aircraft, wherein, to determine said vertical trajectory, a transition trajectory between, each time, two successive stretches of vertical trajectory is moreover determined, said transition trajectory making it possible to fly from one stretch to the other stretch, and wherein said transition trajectory is determined by extending the stretch, which is situated highest at a plane of transition of the two successive stretches of vertical trajectory, towards the other stretch, doing so until joining with the latter.