Patents by Inventor François Coulmeau

François Coulmeau has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8565938
    Abstract: A method of optimizing a flight plan of an aircraft used in a flight management system of an aircraft is disclosed. This method makes it possible to constrain the real cost index of the mission executed to the optimal cost index CIopt predetermined by the aircraft operator, by acting on objectives ETAopt and EFOBopt of values of ETA and of EFOB to be achieved. Objectives are linked to this optimal cost index, in order to make the system return from a cost index CIm to the optimal cost index CIopt, while taking account of various constraints imposed by the ATC or the CTFM. Both constraints mext influence the cost index and constraints which limit the field of possible solutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: François Coulmeau, Guy Deker, Hervé Goutelard
  • Publication number: 20130245862
    Abstract: A method for assisting in the navigation of an aircraft comprises steps of calculating and displaying a linear deviation on a first linear section and an angular deviation on a second angular section. The method comprises a step of calculation of an anticipated deviation of the aircraft, expressed linearly or angularly, projected to a time DT, characteristic of a reaction time of the aircraft, and of a statistical error distribution associated with this anticipated deviation; and a step of calculation of a probability of exceeding a predetermined target deviation, by means of the anticipated deviation and of the statistical error distribution. The method also comprises a crew alert when the probability is above a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: THALES
    Inventors: Guilhem PUTZ, Christophe CAILLAUD, Francois COULMEAU
  • Publication number: 20130245861
    Abstract: A method for assisting in the navigation of an aircraft comprises steps of calculating and displaying a linear deviation on a first linear section and an angular deviation on a second angular section. The method comprises a calculation step for converting an angular deviation into an equivalent linear deviation, and, conversely, converting a linear deviation into an equivalent angular deviation. The method comprises a step of graphic representation, called unified monitoring, intended for the crew, of a deviation of the aircraft, on a lateral deviation axis and a vertical deviation axis; each of the deviations, lateral and vertical, being able to be represented on a linear scale, an angular scale or a mixed scale.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: THALES
    Inventors: Guilhem PUTZ, Christophe CAILLAUD, Francois COULMEAU
  • Publication number: 20130238174
    Abstract: In the field of the calculation of the approach trajectory of an aircraft, and relating to a method for determining a corrected lateral approach trajectory as a function of the energy to be reabsorbed before the landing, and also to a flight management system making it possible to determine the corrected lateral trajectory, a method comprises: determining an energy of the aircraft Eaero upon crossing the runway threshold on the basis of a predetermined approach trajectory and of a current state of the aircraft, said state comprising at least one current altitude, a current ground speed and a mass of the aircraft; comparing the energy Eaero with a predetermined maximum energy Emax, and when the energy Eaero is greater than the energy Emax, determining the corrected lateral approach trajectory as a function of the difference between the energy of the aircraft Eaero and the maximum energy Emax.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: THALES
    Inventors: Emmanuel DEWAS, Vincent SAVARIT, Francois COULMEAU
  • Patent number: 8521340
    Abstract: The invention relates to a flight management system for manned or unmanned aircraft having to face an emergency situation such as hijacking of the aircraft, medical emergencies, situations of failures affecting the propulsion, pressurization or communication functions for example. It provides for a device and process for automatically or semi-automatically generating a flight plan compatible with international regulations and their national or local adaptations with possibilities of optimization according to navigation parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventor: François Coulmeau
  • Patent number: 8515593
    Abstract: A flight management system of an unmanned aircraft linked to a control station by communication means includes: a first set of a number N of successive navigation functions (iND with i=1, . . . N) remotely situated within the control station, a control function on board the aircraft, generating, from guidance setpoints, commands intended to control the aircraft so that it observes the guidance setpoints, and a second set of a number N of successive navigation functions (iNE, with i=1, . . . , N) on board the aircraft, and configuration means, capable of performing a combination of a number N of successive functions, each of the successive functions being chosen from the first and second sets, said combination of successive functions generating the guidance setpoints transmitted to the onboard control function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Nicolas Marty, François Coulmeau, Xavier Boone
  • Patent number: 8509966
    Abstract: The subject of the present invention is a method of estimating, at any point of a path of an aircraft, characteristics of the wind making it possible to take very close account of the winds to construct predictions of the times of passage and of the consumption of the aircraft along its flight plan, and this method is characterized in that it consists in collecting, around the trajectory of the aircraft, a grid of parameter values of winds at a predetermined number of points in space, in comparing these values to those deriving from space-time wind trend models, in selecting, path section by section, the most likely model, and in interpolating, for each section, the local characteristics of the wind of all the points of interest of the trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Francois Coulmeau, Guilhem Putz, Olivier Friedmann
  • Patent number: 8498769
    Abstract: Method of formulating a lateral flight trajectory for the rejoining by an aircraft (200) of a trajectory of a flight plan (910) comprising a plurality of waypoints (911, 912, 913), the aircraft (200) flying outside of the flight plan (910) and according to a divergent track with respect to the trajectory of the flight plan (210), characterized in that the method: determines a waypoint (913) of the flight plan for the rejoining, defined as the first waypoint (913) of the flight plan included in a capture zone defined by the flight plan trajectory situated downstream of the point of intersection between the straight line defined by an angle (?) with the perpendicular to the track of the aircraft and the trajectory of the flight plan, formulates the optimal lateral flight trajectory for a rejoining by the aircraft (200) at the determined waypoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Jérôme Sacle, Stéphanie Fortier, François Coulmeau
  • Patent number: 8467966
    Abstract: A device for aiding the flight management of an aircraft includes a navigation display, a personalized database capable of storing navigation-aid data, each datum comprising a classification type representative of a family or of one or more categories of navigation-aid data, one or more periods of validity of the said datum, information relating to at least one geographic zone of the said datum, one graphic and/or textual representation of the said datum, selection means allowing an operator to choose one (or more) type(s) of classification, called selected type(s), extraction means capable of extracting from the personalized database the navigation-aid datum or data called extracted data of which the type is equal to at least one selected type, of which at least one geographic zone is situated at a distance, from the flight plan or from the aircraft, that is less than a predetermined maximum distance and of which at least one period of validity verifies a predefined display time criterion, the said extractio
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Bertrand Barnetche, François Coulmeau, Julien Klotz, Jérôme Sacle
  • Patent number: 8437957
    Abstract: A method and device checks the conformity of a trajectory calculated by a flight management system of an aircraft in relation to reference data comprising a reference map. The method includes: geo-referencing of a reference map; determination of a reference trajectory from the geo-referenced reference map; detection of nonconformity in the trajectory calculated by the flight management system by comparison of the trajectory calculated by the flight management system with the reference trajectory; and emission of a warning if a nonconformity is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: François Coulmeau, Nicolas Marty, Xavier Blanchon, Pierre Gamet
  • Patent number: 8386158
    Abstract: A method for providing for the optimized regulation of the relative spacing between aircraft is disclosed. This method can be implemented by a system whose physical architecture can rely mainly on existing computers on board most current aircraft. The method includes a main step of determining the changing trend of the relative spacing, in distance or in time, between a target aircraft (C) and a following aircraft (S).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Xavier Blanchon, François Coulmeau, Manuel Gutierrez-Castaneda
  • Patent number: 8386174
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for calculating a time window for a time constraint of arrival of an aircraft at a given point, the aircraft receiving wind predictions and including a sensor for measuring the wind. The method includes a calculation of a first time window, and the calculation of an overall confidence index having the determination of a first confidence index on the basis of a deviation between wind predictions and wind measurements performed by the aircraft, the calculation of a margin for the time constraint on the basis of the overall confidence index, and the calculation of a second window on the basis of the first time window and of the calculated margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: François Coulmeau, Antoine Lacombe, Xavier Blanchon, Fany Barailler
  • Patent number: 8352169
    Abstract: Method for assisting in the flight management of an aircraft aiming to reach a constraint point on a predetermined lateral trajectory that is assumed to have to be followed by the aircraft, at a required time of arrival RTA, said aircraft occupying a current position defined by a current altitude with a current horizontal speed. The method including, when it follows a rallying flight plan, calculating a new rallying flight plan following the lateral trajectory to be followed and including a new estimated speed profile different from the estimated speed profile over at least one update area, the new estimated speed profile including, over said update areas, either a value greater than that of the estimated speed profile, if the arrival time difference is positive, or a value less than that of the estimated speed profile, if the arrival time difference is negative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: François Coulmeau, Xavier Blanchon, Philippe Chaix
  • Patent number: 8340843
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the speed of an aircraft that is subject to a time constraint. The invention consists no longer in calculating a single CAS/MACH pair during climb/descent but in adapting the speed in a continuous manner to the bounds of curves of minimum Vmin and maximum Vmax speed defining a flight envelope of the aircraft. The calculation of these speeds is carried out on the basis of constant maximum and minimum speed setpoints and of a coefficient taking into account a deviation to the time constraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: François Coulmeau, Manuel Gutierrez-Castaneda, Nicolas Simi, Xavier Blanchon
  • Patent number: 8321072
    Abstract: A method for determining the quantity of fuel in an aircraft and an optimization criterion such as a cost index, notably used in an FMS, making it possible to maintain a time requirement of the RTA type, comprising a first step of computing the optimization criterion CIi as a function of the aircraft weight GWi-1 via a method of the RTA type and a second step of computing the weight of the aircraft GWi as a function of the optimization criterion Ci-1 computed in the first computation step and the aircraft weight GWi-1, executed by successive iterations, until the estimated flight time resulting from the computed parameters after the second computation step makes it possible to observe the time requirement to within a determined criterion ?t, a last step determining the pair of values of aircraft weight GWi and of performance criterion CIi-1 allowing an optimal fuel payload and the maintenance of the RTA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: François Coulmeau, Emmanuel Dewas, Philippe Chaix
  • Patent number: 8306677
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for automatic detection of turbulence by a second aircraft, by information exchange between the second aircraft and at least a first aircraft. The first aircraft has means for transmitting information and the second aircraft has means for receiving the information transmitted by the first aircraft. The method includes the identification of information about turbulence liable to be encountered by the second aircraft, by analyzing the information received from the first aircraft. An alarm is activated on the basis of the turbulence information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Inventors: Guy Deker, Jérôme Sacle, François Coulmeau
  • Patent number: 8275499
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for formulating a flight plan ensuring sufficient safety margins for a duration of a few minutes in relation to the set of flight constraints that could arise and comprising means for: detecting the surrounding moving objects (aircraft or meteorological phenomena), evaluating their type and the danger that they represent, formulating a reconfiguration flight plan ensuring a separation with these phenomena and taking best account of the constraints of the initially followed flight plan, avoiding prohibited or regulated airspaces and avoiding the surrounding relief with ad hoc operational margins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Francois Coulmeau, Manuel Gutierrez-Castaneda, Nicolas Marty
  • Patent number: 8265806
    Abstract: Described is a method of updating meteorological information for an aircraft, which includes automatically providing a request by an on board computer (FMS, flight management system) for the meteorological data so as to anticipate the updating of the latter as soon as an update is available. This automation allows the crew to have the data ready for display and use without waiting, to reduce and smooth the workload of the crew by anticipating the request and the processing of these data, and to limit the potential confusion associated with the receipt, hitherto verbal, of the ATIS (Air Traffic Information Service) information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: François Coulmeau, Guy Deker
  • Patent number: 8244453
    Abstract: A method of adjusting the trajectory of an aircraft flying a climb circuit, of substantially helical form corresponding to a succession of racetracks, denoted HOLD, the last HOLD, called the exit HOLD, having predefined geometric characteristics and comprising a lock-on point, allowing the aircraft to enter and to exit in the HOLD, the aircraft attaining the setpoint altitude of the climb circuit during the flight of the exit HOLD, comprises at least three steps, including: a step of computing the prediction of the position of the aircraft when the setpoint altitude will be attained; a step of computing the remaining distance to be traveled, between the position of the aircraft when the setpoint altitude will be attained and the lock-on point; and a step making it possible to carry out an adaptation of the form of the exit HOLD so as to minimize the remaining distance to be traveled DELTA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Antoine Lacombe, Xavier Blanchon, François Coulmeau
  • Patent number: 8190310
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of methods and systems for optimizing the locating of an aircraft in airports and, more particularly, in the take-off and landing phases, and notably in the air-ground and ground-air transition phases. The method of optimizing the locating of an aircraft during the take-off or landing phase comprising a transition step (21), the latter being defined between two events (A0, AS), the first event being a condition of contact between the aircraft and the runway and the second event being a threshold condition defining a stabilized flight phase, is wherein the transition step (21) comprises the determination of at least one “transition position” of the aircraft by a weighting between the “ground position” (LOC_SOL) determined by the ground locating system and the “flight position” (LOV_VOL) determined by the in-flight locating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: François Coulmeau, Nicolas Marty, Alain Cordonnier