Patent ID: 8032266

Claim:
A method of selecting an aircraft access point into a zone of free lateral deployment, comprising: a computer determining a minimum cost for a selection, by an aircraft, of an access point to a zone of free lateral deployment, using a criterion of minimum cost, wherein the criterion of minimum cost includes a cost of an initial turning maneuver at a start of a joining trajectory leading from a current position of the aircraft to the access point, the aircraft providing information on its current position and its current course, its angle, current roll acceleration and rate, and a location of the aircraft, with respect to its current position, of at least one of relief contours, of threatening on ground obstacles, and forbidden zones, wherein the determining a minimum cost includes: evaluating a situation of the aircraft in its environment, comprising: determining costs of initial maneuvers of turning to the right and to the left; sectioning a space surrounding the current position of the aircraft into three angular azimuthal spans based upon the current course of the aircraft, the three spans including: a front-right span; a front-left span; and a rear span, wherein sectioning the space into the front-right span includes assigning a cost of maneuvering of turning to the right, sectioning the space into the front-left span includes assigning a cost of maneuvering of turning to the left, and sectioning the space into the rear span includes assigning the larger of the values of the costs of maneuvering of turning to the right or to the left; and estimating curvilinear distances and shortest distances separating points of zones of free lateral deployment, from the current position of the aircraft, based upon a vertical flight profile for the aircraft and of zones not practicable to circumvent; and selecting at least one point of access to a zone of free lateral deployment, comprising: splitting a space surrounding the current position of the aircraft into permitted and non-permitted azmuthal angular sectors; selecting points of the zones of free lateral deployment that are situated in the permitted azimuthal angular sectors; analyzing trajectories for joining the selected points of the zone of free lateral deployment; and choosing as a joining point, one of the selected points of the zone of free lateral deployment, a starting course having a joining trajectory belonging to the front-right, front-left, or rear span assigned the lowest possible cost of initial maneuvering of turning; wherein one the determined costs of the initial maneuvers of turning to the right and to the left is the lag required in order for the aircraft to attain a permitted maximum roll angle, to the right for a turn to the right or to the left for a turn to the left.