Patents by Inventor Benoît Dacre-Wright

Benoît Dacre-Wright 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: 11536570
    Abstract: A method for determining an optimized trajectory to be followed by an aircraft, the method being implemented by a determining system of the aircraft and comprising: a first step for acquiring at least one constraint relative to at least one parameter of the trajectory to be followed, the constraint being determined by a control system of a remote station as a function of the air traffic and/or the aircraft mission; a step for calculating a desired trajectory as a function of the constraint; a step for transmitting the desired trajectory to the remote station; a second step for acquiring an instruction comprising an authorization to follow the desired trajectory or a refusal of the desired trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Nicolas Rossi, Benoît Dacre-Wright, Cédric D'Silva
  • Patent number: 10854094
    Abstract: A method is provided for adjusting a flight plan rejoining trajectory of an aircraft, the method being implemented in a flight management system of the aircraft. In a first step, the rejoining trajectory comprises a guidance setpoint holding point to be reached situated in the extension of a guidance setpoint, and set manually or automatically, the guidance setpoint no longer being necessarily maintained when this setpoint holding point is passed. This first step can be preceded by a step of rejoining a guidance setpoint or a step of searching for the intersection of the current guidance setpoint trajectory with a segment of the flight plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Benoit Dacre-Wright, Didier Poisson, Guy Deker, Vincent Savarit
  • Patent number: 10699582
    Abstract: Various methods for regulating and/or for integrating avionic systems with non-avionic systems are described. An avionic system is generally associated with a physical fault rate that is lower and a logic verification that is higher than those of a non-avionic system. Developments describe notably the use: of remote computing resources; of comparison, test, verification and authorization steps before injection of data of non-avionic origin into the avionics; of human-machine interaction methods; of various parameters (weather, air traffic, etc.) for the purpose of combinatorial optimization; and of electronic flight bags EFB and of flight management systems FMS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Benoît Dacre-Wright, Olivier Pineau, François Nefflier
  • Publication number: 20200200540
    Abstract: A method for determining an optimized trajectory to be followed by an aircraft, the method being implemented by a determining system of the aircraft and comprising: a first step for acquiring at least one constraint relative to at least one parameter of the trajectory to be followed, the constraint being determined by a control system of a remote station as a function of the air traffic and/or the aircraft mission; a step for calculating a desired trajectory as a function of the constraint; a step for transmitting the desired trajectory to the remote station; a second step for acquiring an instruction comprising an authorization to follow the desired trajectory or a refusal of the desired trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Nicolas ROSSI, Benoît DACRE-WRIGHT, Cédric D'SILVA
  • Patent number: 10424208
    Abstract: A navigational aid method of an aircraft, carried out by a flight management system, for comparing a reference trajectory of the aircraft subjected to a wind vector field with a new trajectory between the same starting and end points, respectively, the method comprises: determining the reference trajectory, determining the new trajectory, loading meteorological data, determining a directional surface, delimited by a directional closed curve, consisting of the new trajectory, from the starting point to the end point, closed by the opposite of the reference trajectory from the end point to the starting point, determining a wind curl on the basis of the wind vector field, determining a flow of the wind curl through the surface, a positive value of flow indicating that the new trajectory makes better use of the wind load, a negative value of flow indicating that the new trajectory makes less effective use of the wind load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Christophe Pierre, Rémy Auletto, Benoît Dacre-Wright
  • Publication number: 20180366008
    Abstract: Various methods for regulating and/or for integrating avionic systems with non-avionic systems are described. An avionic system is generally associated with a physical fault rate that is lower and a logic verification that is higher than those of a non-avionic system. Developments describe notably the use: of remote computing resources; of comparison, test, verification and authorization steps before injection of data of non-avionic origin into the avionics; of human-machine interaction methods; of various parameters (weather, air traffic, etc.) for the purpose of combinatorial optimization; and of electronic flight bags EFB and of flight management systems FMS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Benoît DACRE-WRIGHT, Olivier PINEAU, François NEFFLIER
  • Patent number: 10089893
    Abstract: A method for determining a minimum-thrust descent and rejoining profile in respect of a target point by an aircraft comprises a first step of computing an energy differential of the aircraft in the air ?Ea between a first initial state of the aircraft at an initial geodesic point Qi and a second final state of the aircraft at the final arrival target point Qf. The method comprises a second step of adjusting an adjustable modelled profile of altitude hm(t) and of air speed Vam(t) of the aircraft with the aid of parameters so the adjusted modelled profile of altitude h(t) and of air speed Va(t) of the aircraft ensures the consumption of the variation of energy of the aircraft in the air ?Ea in a fixed required timespan ?trequired and a fixed required altitude variation tf?ti in the required time timespan, the aircraft operating permanently in an engine regime with constant and minimum thrust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Benoît Dacre-Wright, Jérôme Sacle, Cédric D'Silva
  • Publication number: 20180276999
    Abstract: A method is provided for adjusting a flight plan rejoining trajectory of an aircraft, the method being implemented in a flight management system of the aircraft. In a first step, the rejoining trajectory comprises a guidance setpoint holding point to be reached situated in the extension of a guidance setpoint, and set manually or automatically, the guidance setpoint no longer being necessarily maintained when this setpoint holding point is passed. This first step can be preceded by a step of rejoining a guidance setpoint or a step of searching for the intersection of the current guidance setpoint trajectory with a segment of the flight plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: Benoit DACRE-WRIGHT, Didier POISSON, Guy DEKER, Vincent SAVARIT
  • Patent number: 9963247
    Abstract: A method of automatic determination of a descent and approach profile for an aircraft is based on a backward computation of propagation of a state of the aircraft along segments S(i) from a backward computation start point to the start point DECEL of onset of the deceleration of the aircraft. The method of automatic determination comprises for each segment S(i) a step of determining an optimal speed VOPT(i) of the aircraft over the range of speeds of the next aerodynamic configuration C(j+1) to be implemented as a function of a predetermined deceleration strategy and/or of predetermined constraints inherent in the flight procedure or introduced by the pilot in his flight plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Johan Boyer, Benoît Dacre-Wright
  • Publication number: 20180114452
    Abstract: A method for determining a minimum-thrust descent and rejoining profile in respect of a target point by an aircraft comprises a first step of computing an energy differential of the aircraft in the air ?Ea between a first initial state of the aircraft at an initial geodesic point Qi and a second final state of the aircraft at the final arrival target point Qf. The method comprises a second step of adjusting an adjustable modelled profile of altitude hm(t) and of air speed Vam(t) of the aircraft with the aid of parameters so the adjusted modelled profile of altitude h(t) and of air speed Va(t) of the aircraft ensures the consumption of the variation of energy of the aircraft in the air ?Ea in a fixed required timespan ?trequired and a fixed required altitude variation tf?ti in the required time timespan, the aircraft operating permanently in an engine regime with constant and minimum thrust.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Benoît DACRE-WRIGHT, Jérôme SACLE, Cédric D'SILVA
  • Patent number: 9945671
    Abstract: A method assisting in navigation of aircraft following a flight plan subject to time constraints comprises: determining a minimum speed profile, a maximum speed profile, and minimum and maximum times of passage; determining, for each constraint of index i, a restricted interval and a required interval; the determination made by a first iterative computation, i being decremented from n?1 to 1 and comprising: determining a required interval of index i enabling the aircraft to observe a restricted interval of index i+1 by flying at a speed profile between the minimum and maximum speed profiles, the restricted interval of index i+1 determined on the preceding iteration for an iteration of index between 1 and n?2, or from the time constraint of index n for the iteration of index n?1; and determining a restricted interval of index i from the intersection of the time constraint and the required interval of index i.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Benoit Dacre-Wright, Guy Deker, Xavier Blanchon
  • Patent number: 9875658
    Abstract: A method for computing a setpoint trajectory of an aircraft comprising at least two subsets comprises the formulation and the solving of an optimization problem for the trajectory, and the formulation of the problem comprises at least the formulation of a constraint related to a transition of legs on at least one first subset of the trajectory, and the formulation of a constraint related to a transition of vertical flight phases on at least one second subset of the trajectory. The invention also relates to a system and a computer program for the computation of a trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Mathieu Le Merrer, Benoit Dacre-Wright, François Coulmeau
  • Patent number: 9715832
    Abstract: A navigation aid method for an aircraft flying a reference trajectory between a point of departure and a point of arrival subject to a field of wind vectors comprises: decomposing the reference trajectory into a plurality of discrete waypoints Pi, loading meteorological data comprising the field of wind vectors, iterating the following steps N times, to generate an improved trajectory: for each waypoint Pi named current point, determining a reference plane, determining an orthonormal reference frame, determining a wind curl ((?W)Pi), determining a sign of the projection of the wind curl on axis zi ((?W)zi Pi), determining a direction of displacement from the current point Pi to a new current waypoint Pi?, determining a line of displacement, determining a displacement distance, determining the new current waypoint, determining a new trajectory, assigning the new waypoints Pi? determined in the preceding iteration to the waypoints Pi for the next iteration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Christophe Pierre, Rémy Auletto, Benoit Dacre-Wright
  • Publication number: 20160362194
    Abstract: A method of automatic determination of a descent and approach profile for an aircraft is based on a backward computation of propagation of a state of the aircraft along segments S(i) from a backward computation start point to the start point DECEL of onset of the deceleration of the aircraft. The method of automatic determination comprises for each segment S(i) a step of determining an optimal speed VOPT(i) of the aircraft over the range of speeds of the next aerodynamic configuration C(j+1) to be implemented as a function of a predetermined deceleration strategy and/or of predetermined constraints inherent in the flight procedure or introduced by the pilot in his flight plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventors: Johan BOYER, Benoît DACRE-WRIGHT
  • Publication number: 20160210866
    Abstract: A navigational aid method of an aircraft, carried out by a flight management system, for comparing a reference trajectory of the aircraft subjected to a wind vector field with a new trajectory between the same starting and end points, respectively, the method comprises: determining the reference trajectory, determining the new trajectory, loading meteorological data, determining a directional surface, delimited by a directional closed curve, consisting of the new trajectory, from the starting point to the end point, closed by the opposite of the reference trajectory from the end point to the starting point, determining a wind curl on the basis of the wind vector field, determining a flow of the wind curl through the surface, a positive value of flow indicating that the new trajectory makes better use of the wind load, a negative value of flow indicating that the new trajectory makes less effective use of the wind load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Christophe PIERRE, Rémy AULETTO, Benoît DACRE-WRIGHT
  • Publication number: 20160210867
    Abstract: A navigation aid method for an aircraft flying a reference trajectory between a point of departure and a point of arrival subject to a field of wind vectors comprises: decomposing the reference trajectory into a plurality of discrete waypoints Pi, loading meteorological data comprising the field of wind vectors, iterating the following steps N times, to generate an improved trajectory: for each waypoint Pi named current point, determining a reference plane, determining an orthonormal reference frame, determining a wind curl ((?W)Pi), determining a sign of the projection of the wind curl on axis zi ((?W)zi Pi), determining a direction of displacement from the current point Pi to a new current waypoint Pi?, determining a line of displacement, determining a displacement distance, determining the new current waypoint, determining a new trajectory, assigning the new waypoints Pi? determined in the preceding iteration to the waypoints Pi for the next iteration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Christophe PIERRE, Rémy AULETTO, Benoît DACRE-WRIGHT
  • Publication number: 20160163201
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for computing a setpoint trajectory of an aircraft comprising at least two subsets. It is characterized in that it comprises the formulation and the solving of an optimization problem for the trajectory, and that the formulation of the said problem comprises at least the formulation of a constraint related to a transition of legs on at least one first subset of the trajectory, and the formulation of a constraint related to a transition of vertical flight phases on at least one second subset of the trajectory. The invention also relates to a system and a computer program for the computation of a trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Mathieu LE MERRER, Benoit DACRE-WRIGHT, François COULMEAU
  • Publication number: 20150211859
    Abstract: A method assisting in navigation of aircraft following a flight plan subject to time constraints comprises: determining a minimum speed profile, a maximum speed profile, and minimum and maximum times of passage; determining, for each constraint of index i, a restricted interval and a required interval; the determination made by a first iterative computation, i being decremented from n?1 to 1 and comprising: determining a required interval of index i enabling the aircraft to observe a restricted interval of index i+1 by flying at a speed profile between the minimum and maximum speed profiles, the restricted interval of index i+1 determined on the preceding iteration for an iteration of index between 1 and n?2, or from the time constraint of index n for the iteration of index n?1; and determining a restricted interval of index i from the intersection of the time constraint and the required interval of index i.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Benoit DACRE-WRIGHT, Guy DEKER, Xavier BLANCHON
  • Patent number: 8862373
    Abstract: A method is provided for guaranteeing a temporal spacing between an aircraft and at least one reference moving object, said spacing needing to be guaranteed no later than at a point in the flight plan called the point of interception, with the aircraft following a current flight plan. The feasibility of guaranteeing the spacing at a date Tcour by regulating the speed of the aircraft while maintaining the current flight plan is verified in a first step. In a second step it is verified whether the date Tcour is contained within a feasibility range. In a third step the current flight plan is modified when the feasibility is not verified, a lateral trajectory between the current position Xcour of the aircraft and the point of interception being implemented in this case such that the spacing can be attained by regulating the speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Benoit Dacre-Wright, Guy Deker
  • Patent number: 8744768
    Abstract: A method and device establishes trajectory planning, predictions and guidance so as to obtain the satisfaction of a time constraint (RTA). This objective is achieved by undertaking a computation of a trajectory up to the point where the flypast time constraint applies, on the basis of a profile of altitude and speeds, and then by computing the profile of speeds and altitudes making it possible, throughout the computed trajectory, to comply with the RTA. The method is also a method for readapting the trajectory and the vertical profile when during a mission, the data outside the aeroplane have caused the time predictions to drift and the constraint is no longer complied with under the initial speeds and trajectory assumptions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Manuel Gutierez-Castaneda, Philippe Chaix, Benoît Dacre-Wright