Patents by Inventor Lionel PIGNIER

Lionel PIGNIER 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).

  • Detecting that a rotorcraft is approaching a vortex domain, and signaling that detection
    Patent number: 10358232
    Abstract: A method and a device for detecting that a rotorcraft is approaching a vortex domain. After previously determining a limit advance speed threshold and a limit vertical speed threshold defining a limit for said rotorcraft entering into a vortex domain, a predictive advance speed and a predictive vertical speed for said rotorcraft are calculated, said predictive vertical speed being calculated differently depending on the value of said instantaneous advance speed. Thereafter, said predictive advance speed and said predictive vertical speed are compared with said thresholds, which may be thresholds with hysteresis, in order to determine whether said rotorcraft is approaching a vortex domain, and if so to signal this situation to a pilot of said rotorcraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
    Inventors: Nicolas Certain, Lionel Pignier
  • DETECTING THAT A ROTORCRAFT IS APPROACHING A VORTEX DOMAIN, AND SIGNALING THAT DETECTION
    Publication number: 20170369181
    Abstract: A method and a device for detecting that a rotorcraft is approaching a vortex domain. After previously determining a limit advance speed threshold and a limit vertical speed threshold defining a limit for said rotorcraft entering into a vortex domain, a predictive advance speed and a predictive vertical speed for said rotorcraft are calculated, said predictive vertical speed being calculated differently depending on the value of said instantaneous advance speed. Thereafter, said predictive advance speed and said predictive vertical speed are compared with said thresholds, which may be thresholds with hysteresis, in order to determine whether said rotorcraft is approaching a vortex domain, and if so to signal this situation to a pilot of said rotorcraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Applicant: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
    Inventors: Nicolas CERTAIN, Lionel PIGNIER