Patents by Inventor François COLONNA

François COLONNA 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: 11585842
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic test device for at least one avionic function to be tested, intended to be embedded in an aircraft, the aircraft comprising at least one avionic equipment item, the test device being intended to be connected to the at least one avionic equipment item and comprising: an acquisition module, configured to acquire flight data from the at least one avionic equipment item, and a computing module, configured to compute simulated output data, from acquired flight data and via an implementation of the avionic function to be tested, the avionic function to be tested being able, from the flight data, to deliver the output data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: François Colonna, André Cleroux, Marion Nicaud
  • Patent number: 11169543
    Abstract: A conversion device for converting a guidance setpoint signal from an aircraft guidance system for at least one control axis, for example, into a control signal for an avionics system such as an aircraft stabilization system. The device may include comprising an acquisition module designed to acquire the guidance setpoint signal. The device may further include a generation module designed to generate the control signal from the acquired guidance setpoint signal. The control signal may include at least two command pulses. The generation module may be designed to calculate the duration between two consecutive command pulses depending on a corresponding value of the acquired guidance setpoint signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Romain Lamour, Frédéric Berger, François Colonna, Marianne Cazes
  • Publication number: 20200348350
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic test device for at least one avionic function to be tested, intended to be embedded in an aircraft, the aircraft comprising at least one avionic equipment item, the test device being intended to be connected to the at least one avionic equipment item and comprising: an acquisition module, configured to acquire flight data from the at least one avionic equipment item, and a computing module, configured to compute simulated output data, from acquired flight data and via an implementation of the avionic function to be tested, the avionic function to be tested being able, from said flight data, to deliver said output data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: François COLONNA, André CLEROUX, Marion NICAUD
  • Patent number: 10793259
    Abstract: An automatic pilot device for a rotary wing aircraft and rotary wing aircraft comprising such device are disclosed. In one aspect, the automatic pilot device comprises at least one automatic pilot assembly including at least two primary actuators, at least one or each of the primary actuators incorporating an electronic computation unit. The computation unit is configured to: communicate with a measuring system configured to generate measuring signals and/or a cockpit configured to generate control signals as a function of the actions by a crew, and compute, as a function of the measuring signals and/or control signals, a piloting setpoint for the primary actuator incorporating the computation unit and/or a piloting setpoint for at least one or each other primary actuator of the automatic pilot assembly, for the piloting of the aircraft by the automatic pilot device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: François Colonna, Gilles Thouvenot, Alain Auger
  • Publication number: 20190384326
    Abstract: A conversion device for converting a guidance setpoint signal from an aircraft guidance system for at least one control axis, into a control signal for an avionics system such as an aircraft stabilization system, comprising an acquisition module designed to acquire the guidance setpoint signal, and a generation module designed to generate the control signal from the acquired guidance setpoint signal, the control signal comprising at least two command pulses, the generation module being designed to calculate the duration between two consecutive command pulses depending on a corresponding value of the acquired guidance setpoint signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Romain LAMOUR, Frédéric BERGER, François COLONNA, Marianne CAZES
  • Publication number: 20180257762
    Abstract: An automatic pilot device for a rotary wing aircraft and rotary wing aircraft comprising such device are disclosed. In one aspect, the automatic pilot device comprises at least one automatic pilot assembly including at least two primary actuators, at least one or each of the primary actuators incorporating an electronic computation unit. The computation unit is configured to: communicate with a measuring system configured to generate measuring signals and/or a cockpit configured to generate control signals as a function of the actions by a crew, and compute, as a function of the measuring signals and/or control signals, a piloting setpoint for the primary actuator incorporating the computation unit and/or a piloting setpoint for at least one or each other primary actuator of the automatic pilot assembly, for the piloting of the aircraft by the automatic pilot device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: François COLONNA, Gilles THOUVENOT, Alain AUGER
  • Patent number: 9978286
    Abstract: A system and method for the avoidance of one or more obstacles by an aircraft, and a related computer program product, electronic system and aircraft are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes a) generating an alert by a warning system on detection of an obstacle and b) if no manual avoidance maneuver is detected for a time period longer than a first determined time and if the alert is maintained during this first time period, automatically activating an automatic avoidance guide mode to determine an obstacle-avoidance guidance rule. The method further including c) if an autopilot device of the aircraft is coupled to the automatic avoidance guide mode, transmitting to the autopilot device the avoidance guidance rule determined in step b) for automatic performing of a maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Daniel Huber, François Colonna, Xavier Rueff
  • Patent number: 9418564
    Abstract: This method for determining an obstacle avoidance guidance law for an aircraft is implemented by a system for determining said guidance law. The aircraft comprises a collision avoidance system adapted to detect a collision risk with the obstacle and said determination system. This method comprises determining one or more set points from among flight path angle and speed set points, at least one set point depending on at least one vertical speed limit value, at least one set point comprising a vertical component in a vertical direction, each limit value being provided by the collision avoidance system following the detection of a collision risk with the obstacle; and computing the avoidance guidance law as a function of the determined set points. During the determination step, at least one determined set point comprises a longitudinal component in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Matthieu Claybrough, François Colonna, Marc Riedinger
  • Publication number: 20160217697
    Abstract: A system and method for the avoidance of one or more obstacles by an aircraft, and a related computer program product, electronic system and aircraft are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes a) generating an alert by a warning system on detection of an obstacle and b) if no manual avoidance maneuver is detected for a time period longer than a first determined time and if the alert is maintained during this first time period, automatically activating an automatic avoidance guide mode to determine an obstacle-avoidance guidance rule. The method further including c) if an autopilot device of the aircraft is coupled to the automatic avoidance guide mode, transmitting to the autopilot device the avoidance guidance rule determined in step b) for automatic performing of a maneuver to avoid the obstacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel HUBER, François COLONNA, Xavier RUEFF
  • Publication number: 20150254991
    Abstract: This method for determining an obstacle avoidance guidance law for an aircraft is implemented by a system for determining said guidance law. The aircraft comprises a collision avoidance system adapted to detect a collision risk with the obstacle and said determination system. This method comprises determining one or more set points from among flight path angle and speed set points, at least one set point depending on at least one vertical speed limit value, at least one set point comprising a vertical component in a vertical direction, each limit value being provided by the collision avoidance system following the detection of a collision risk with the obstacle; and computing the avoidance guidance law as a function of the determined set points. During the determination step, at least one determined set point comprises a longitudinal component in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: THALES
    Inventors: Matthieu CLAYBROUGH, François COLONNA, Marc RIEDINGER