Patent ID: 8396615

Claim:
A method performed by a Flight Management System of an aircraft for planning a path followed by the aircraft, the aircraft initially following a first path defined by a sequence of waypoints (AAA, BBB, CCC, DDD, EEE, FFF), the aircraft leaving the first path in order to follow a second path, the method allowing a subsequent return of the aircraft to the first path, comprising the steps of: one-to-one projecting the waypoints (AAA, BBB, CCC, DDD) of the first path onto the second path according to a projection function ensuring that the order of the sequence of the projected image points (ABAAA, ABBBB, ABCCC, ABDDD) complies with the order of the sequence of the original waypoints (AAA, BBB, CCC, DDD), the projection of a waypoint already reached by the aircraft also being considered as having been reached; wherein the projections of the waypoints (ABAAA, ABBBB, ABCCC, ABDDD) on the second path are considered reached by the aircraft progressively as the latter progresses along the second path; and planning the path to guide the aircraft subsequently rejoining the first path at the first waypoint in the order of the sequence of waypoints whose projection is not yet considered as reached on the second path.