Electronic device for generating a flight plan for an aircraft, associated generating method and computer program product

1 . An assembly comprising a Flight Management System (FMS) and an electronic generating device of a flight plan for an aircraft, the FMS including a current flight plan on which the aircraft is configured to fly,

the electronic generating device comprising:

a receiver/transceiver configured to transmit, to a processing unit:

the current flight plan included in the FMS, denoted first flight plan, and

a second flight plan proposed by a third party,

the processing unit comprising:

a display module configured for displaying the current flight plan included in the FMS, denoted a first flight plan, and a second flight plan simultaneously, each flight plan being associated with an ordered list of elements, the display module being further configured for displaying, for each flight plan, common elements and distinct elements between the first flight plan and the second flight plan, wherein the display module being configured to display the common elements and the distinct elements, differently;

an acquisition module configured for acquiring at least one copy command from a user;

a copying module configured for copying at least one of the distinct elements from one of the two flight plans called a source flight plan to another flight plan called a target flight plan, according to a copying order; wherein the copying of at least one of the distinct elements includes inserting an element from the source flight plan, wherein the copying an element being the element from the source flight plan is inserted into the ordered list of elements associated to the target flight plan;

a processing module configured for generating a new flight plan based on the target flight plan and a distinct element or elements which were copied; and

a communication module configured for sending the new flight plan to a control center that is external to the aircraft;

wherein the electronic generating device being configured to send the new flight plan to the FMS if the control center confirms the new flight plan, the new flight plan becoming the current flight plan according to which the aircraft flies.

2 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each flight plan is broken down into a plurality of predetermined flight phases, each flight phase comprising at least one of the elements associated with the flight plan, the copying module being configured for copying at least one of phases comprising at least one of the distinct elements of the flight plan.

3 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein each flight plan is broken down into a plurality of predetermined control zones, each control zone being associated with a flight control center external to the aircraft, each control zone comprising at least one of the elements associated with the flight plan, the copying module being configured for copying at least one of the plurality of predetermined control zones comprising at least one of the distinct elements of the flight plan.

4 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition module is further configured for receiving a cancellation command, the copying module being configured for canceling a copy, either permanently or temporarily, depending on the cancellation command.

5 . The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a touch screen, the acquisition module being configured for associating a movement of the user on the touch screen with an associated command.

6 . The assembly according to claim 1 , which further comprises a voice-user interface, the acquisition module being configured for associating a voice message from the user towards the voice-user interface, with an associated command.

7 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the display module is apt to display differently the common elements and the distinct elements.

8 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the display module is configured for displaying flight plans in a tree structure defining a plurality of levels, each level comprising a unique root formed by either the common elements or a branch for each flight plan, at least one branch among a plurality of branches of a same level comprising at least one of distinctive elements associated with a corresponding flight plan.

9 . A method for generating a flight plan for an aircraft flying according to a current flight plan included in a Flight Management System (FMS), the method comprising at least following steps:

simultaneous displaying the current flight plan included in the FMS, denoted a first flight plan, and a second flight plan, each flight plan being associated with an ordered list of elements;

displaying common elements and distinct elements between the first flight plan and the second flight plan, wherein the common elements and the distinct elements are displayed differently;

acquiring at least one copy command from a user;

copying at least one of the distinct elements from one of the two flight plans called a source flight plan to another flight plan called a target flight plan according to the copy command; wherein the copying of at least one of the distinct elements includes inserting an element from the source flight plan, and the copying an element being the element from the source flight plan is inserted into the ordered list of elements associated to the target flight plan;

generating a new flight plan from the target flight plan and the element or the distinct elements which were copied;

sending the new flight plan to an external control center, for validation; and

when the external control center confirms the new flight plan, sending the new flight plan to the FMS, the new flight plan becoming the current flight plan according to which the aircraft flies.

10 . A computer program product comprising software instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement the method according to claim 9 .