Airplane, method and computer readable medium responsive to unstable approach

By monitoring and correcting flight parameters in real time through the approach monitoring system, the problem of unstable approach during the landing approach phase of the aircraft was solved, and stable approach and safe landing were achieved.

CN122176966APending Publication Date: 2026-06-09THE BOEING CO

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
THE BOEING CO
Filing Date
2025-11-14
Publication Date
2026-06-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In existing technologies, it is difficult to effectively monitor and correct unstable approaches during the landing approach phase of an aircraft, which may cause operators to initiate a go-around when the altitude is higher or lower than the predetermined altitude, increasing the flight risk.

Method used

An approach monitoring system is adopted, which monitors flight parameters in real time through multiple sensors and computing systems, determines the target path and the status of monitoring conditions, and provides notification signals to correct unstable approaches, including airspeed, path profile, attitude profile, and aircraft energy, and automatically initiates a go-around to ensure a stable approach.

Benefits of technology

Effective monitoring and correction of the aircraft's unstable state during the landing approach phase reduces the risk of unstable approaches and improves flight safety and operator responsiveness.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an aircraft, a method of responding to an unstable approach, and a computer readable medium. A method includes determining, during an initial approach for a landing approach phase, a state of each of a first set of monitored conditions and a region of the monitored condition including the state based on a target path and aircraft data. The method includes determining, during a final approach for the landing approach phase, a state of each of a second set of monitored conditions and a region of the monitored condition including the state based on the target path and the aircraft data. The method includes accessing a notification content for a region of a particular monitored condition, where the state of the particular monitored condition is outside of a target region of the particular monitored condition. The method further includes sending a notification signal based on the notification content from a computing system to one or more output systems.
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Description

[0001] Related applications This disclosure generally relates to monitoring systems for aircraft, and more specifically to approach monitoring systems for the landing approach phase of an aircraft flight. Background Technology

[0002] An aircraft may include a flight management system to provide information to the aircraft's operators (e.g., pilots) during the flight phases to perform a mission or both. Flight phases include flight planning, pre-flight, engine start, taxiing, takeoff or aborted takeoff, initial climb, en route climb, cruise, descent, landing approach or go-around, landing, taxiing, arrival and engine shutdown, and post-flight. Some flight phases are further subdivided. For example, the landing approach phase is further divided into initial approach and final approach, with the final approach including several additional subdivisions based on the aircraft's altitude.

[0003] The approach phase of an aircraft landing should be stable. A stable approach is one in which specific flight parameters are controlled within specified ranges before the aircraft reaches a predetermined altitude (e.g., 1000 feet, 500 feet, or other altitudes) above the runway threshold for landing, and the aircraft maintains these specific flight parameters within the specified ranges until landing. Specific flight parameters include: attitude, flight path trajectory, airspeed, rate of descent, engine thrust, and aircraft configuration. An unstable approach is not a stable approach. Above the predetermined altitude, the aircraft operator (e.g., the pilot) can use controls to alter one or more flight characteristics to establish or re-establish a stable approach. If the approach is unstable past the predetermined altitude, or if the approach becomes unstable below the predetermined altitude, the aircraft operator should initiate a go-around instead of landing if the approach cannot be quickly and easily adjusted to a stable approach. The operator can initiate a go-around at any time above or below the predetermined altitude until the aircraft lands and its speed is reduced to a level sufficient to support flight (e.g., until a thrust reverser is applied to reduce the aircraft's speed). Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, an aircraft includes a plurality of sensors. The aircraft also includes one or more computing systems configured to receive aircraft data and flight plan data from the plurality of sensors. The one or more computing systems are configured to execute instructions to determine a target path for a landing approach phase based on the flight plan data. During the initial approach phase for the landing approach phase, the computing systems are configured to execute instructions to determine the state of each monitoring condition in a first set of monitoring conditions and the area including that state of the monitoring condition based on the target path and the aircraft data. Each monitoring condition includes a target area. During the final approach phase for the landing approach phase, the computing systems are configured to execute instructions to determine the state of each monitoring condition in a second set of monitoring conditions and the area including that state of the monitoring condition based on the target path and the aircraft data. The second set of monitoring conditions includes one or more monitoring conditions from the first set of monitoring conditions and one or more additional monitoring conditions. Each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions includes a target area. The computing systems are configured to execute instructions to access notification content for the area of ​​a specific monitoring condition. The state for the specific monitoring condition is outside the target area for the specific monitoring condition. The computing systems are also configured to execute instructions to send one or more notification signals to one or more output systems based on the notification content.

[0005] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, the method includes: determining a target path for a landing approach phase based on flight plan data at a computing system of an aircraft. During the initial approach phase for the landing approach phase, the method includes determining, based on the target path and aircraft data, the status of each monitoring condition in a first set of monitoring conditions and the area including that status of the monitoring condition. Each monitoring condition includes a target area. During the final approach phase for the landing approach phase, the method includes: determining, based on the target path and aircraft data, the status of each monitoring condition in a second set of monitoring conditions and the area including that status of the monitoring condition. The second set of monitoring conditions includes one or more monitoring conditions from the first set of monitoring conditions and one or more additional monitoring conditions. Each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions includes a target area. The method includes: accessing notification content of the area of ​​a specific monitoring condition in the computing system. The status of the specific monitoring condition is outside the target area of ​​the monitoring condition. The method further includes: sending one or more notification signals based on the notification content from the computing system to one or more output systems.

[0006] According to another embodiment of the invention, a non-volatile computer-readable medium contains instructions executable by one or more processors. The instructions can be executed by one or more processors to determine a target path for the landing approach phase based on flight plan data. During the initial approach phase for the landing approach phase, the instructions can be executed by one or more processors to determine the status of each monitoring condition in a first set of monitoring conditions and the area including that status of the monitoring condition based on the target path and aircraft data. Each monitoring condition includes a target area. During the final approach phase for the landing approach phase, the instructions can be executed by one or more processors to determine the status of each monitoring condition in a second set of monitoring conditions and the area including that status of the monitoring condition based on the target path and aircraft data. The second set of monitoring conditions includes one or more monitoring conditions from the first set of monitoring conditions and one or more additional monitoring conditions. Each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions includes a target area. These instructions can be executed by one or more processors to access notification content for the area of ​​a specific monitoring condition. The status for the specific monitoring condition is outside the target area for the specific monitoring condition. The instructions can also be executed by one or more processors to send one or more notification signals to one or more output systems based on the notification content.

[0007] The features, functions, and advantages already described can be implemented independently or in combination in various embodiments, further details of which are disclosed with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings. The drawings are conceptual and not to scale. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 It is a block diagram of an aircraft that includes an approach monitoring system.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating the target path used during the landing approach phase.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the monitoring conditions for airspeed as a function of altitude and airspeed.

[0011] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The flowchart shows how to use the site access monitoring system.

[0012] Figure 5 It shows including Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating an example of the lifecycle of an aircraft using an approach monitoring system.

[0013] Figure 6 It includes Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating the approach monitoring system of the aircraft.

[0014] Figure 7 It includes Figure 1 A diagram illustrating the computational system of the on-site monitoring system. Detailed Implementation

[0015] An aircraft (e.g., a commercial aircraft) includes a flight management system that provides information, performs tasks, or both to the aircraft operator during the flight phase of flight. The aircraft operator may be on board the aircraft or remotely control the aircraft. In some embodiments, the flight management system includes an approach monitoring system, flight phase mode logic, or both. The approach monitoring system provides information to the aircraft operator, performs tasks, or both, during the aircraft's landing approach phase. The flight phase mode logic, which may be a component of the approach monitoring system, provides information to the approach monitoring system, identifying the phases and / or phase divisions of the aircraft's flight based on sensor input, operator input, or both.

[0016] The aircraft landing approach phase includes an initial approach and a final approach. During the initial approach, the aircraft acquires and tracks the runway centerline and changes altitude to the final approach positioning altitude. During the final approach, the aircraft descends from the final approach positioning altitude with the intention of landing on the runway. The final approach also includes several divisions. These divisions include a final approach above a predetermined altitude relative to a landing threshold (e.g., above 1000 feet, 500 feet, or some other predetermined altitude relative to the landing threshold), a final approach below a predetermined altitude and above a critical altitude relative to the landing threshold (e.g., 100 feet, 75 feet, 50 feet, or some other altitude relative to the landing threshold), a final approach below the critical altitude, and landing pull-up. The predetermined altitude may be based on visibility conditions during the approach. A critical altitude is an altitude below which, when the approach is unstable, a go-around can be automatically initiated for the safety of the people on board, for the safety of the cargo on board, for the safety of the aircraft, or a combination thereof. In other implementations, the landing approach phase method may include fewer phases and / or divisions, more phases and / or divisions, different phases and / or divisions, or a combination thereof.

[0017] The approach monitoring system determines, based on information from the flight phase mode logic, whether it should be in standby mode (e.g., when the aircraft is not in the landing approach phase) or when it should be active (e.g., during the landing approach phase). When the approach monitoring system is active, it also determines, based on information from the flight phase mode logic, which condition monitors are active. For example, if information from the flight phase mode logic indicates that the aircraft is in the landing approach phase, the airspeed monitor is active to use input data to determine whether the airspeed is inside or outside the target area. As another example, if information from the flight phase mode logic indicates that the aircraft is in the initial approach phase, the path profile monitor is inactive until the final approach begins.

[0018] The approach monitoring system provides notification signals (e.g., one or more alerts, one or more warnings, or one or more alarms; suggested corrections; or both) to the operator when one or more monitoring conditions associated with the landing approach phase are outside the target area during the landing approach. During the landing approach, other systems of the flight management system work in conjunction with the approach monitoring system to provide information about monitoring conditions not monitored by the approach monitoring system. For example, if an engine loses power during the landing approach, an alarm about the loss of power is provided to the operator from the aircraft's engine warning system, along with notification signals from the approach monitoring system regarding the status of any monitoring conditions (if any) associated with the landing approach phase that are not in the corresponding target area.

[0019] The monitoring conditions monitored by the approach monitoring system include airspeed profile, path profile, attitude profile, aircraft energy, aircraft configuration (e.g., throttle position, landing gear position, slat and flap positions, etc.), runway availability, plan rationality, other profiles, other conditions, or combinations thereof. The area used for each monitoring condition includes the target area and multiple areas outside the target area. The number of areas outside the target area for a specific approach phase corresponds to the number of entries in the approach database containing information used to generate notification signals for the monitoring conditions and specific approach phases or divisions.

[0020] One or more first thresholds define a target region. One or more second thresholds define one or more end regions. The first threshold and the second threshold of the monitoring condition can be the same value. When the second threshold differs from the most recent first threshold, an intermediate region is defined between the first and second thresholds. Furthermore, when the third threshold is between the second and first thresholds, two intermediate regions exist between the end region and the target region. An additional third threshold between the second and first thresholds creates additional intermediate regions.

[0021] Some thresholds are dynamic thresholds that allow the width of an associated region to change based on its height. For example, Figure 3 The target area 302 during landing approach is depicted as an area on each side. The threshold defining the area from the final approach positioning altitude 212 associated with the start of the final approach to the predetermined altitude 228 is a dynamic threshold that allows the width of areas 304C, 304D, 306C, 306D, 308C, and 308D to vary with altitude.

[0022] For some monitoring conditions, only a single area exists outside the target area. For example, the runway availability monitoring condition is a binary status indicating whether the runway is available or unavailable. The target area is available for runway use, and the existence of a single terminal area outside the target area corresponds to the runway being unavailable. The entries for runway availability monitoring conditions in the approach database can vary based on altitude and can vary within the range of triggering automatic go-around initiation below a critical altitude by the flight management system, starting from a notice of runway unavailability during the initial approach. Automatic initiation for both approaches involves considering additional factors to maintain separation distance between the aircraft and the second aircraft, compensating for the higher speed of the aircraft, the limited ability to change the heading of both aircraft, and the need for both aircraft to gain altitude.

[0023] The approach monitoring system receives flight plan data and constraint data. Flight plan data is set before flight and can be updated during flight. It specifies the runway for landing and enables the determination of the target path to the runway. Constraint data includes thresholds that define areas associated with monitoring conditions used for the approach phase and demarcation. Threshold values ​​are based on aircraft safety and performance limitations (e.g., stall speed, control speed, signage speed, etc.), historical flight data, simulated flight data, or a combination thereof.

[0024] The approach monitoring system receives real-time information from sensors on the aircraft, ground-based sensors, or both, and determines aircraft data based on this information. Aircraft data includes aircraft status data and other information. Aircraft status data includes warnings and malfunction indications for aircraft systems, alarms from external sources, position indicators for one or more adjustable aircraft components, or a combination thereof. Aircraft status data includes information indicating altitude, position, heading, attitude, airspeed, vertical speed, etc.

[0025] For each monitoring condition based on aircraft data, the approach monitoring system determines the state of the monitoring condition at the current altitude and identifies a specific area of ​​the monitoring condition that includes that state. This area (e.g., the target area, a first area adjacent to the target area, a second area adjacent to the first area, and an end area adjacent to the second area) is defined by a threshold and varies with the monitoring condition and altitude. A target path for landing approach is determined. For each monitoring condition, the approach monitoring system determines which area of ​​the monitoring condition includes the state of the monitoring condition.

[0026] When the aircraft's status for one or more monitoring conditions falls outside the corresponding target area for those conditions, the approach monitoring system provides a notification signal to the operator. When the approach monitoring system does not provide a notification signal, the operator knows that the landing approach phase is a stable phase; conversely, when the approach monitoring system provides one or more notification signals, the operator knows that the landing approach phase is unstable.

[0027] The approach monitoring system offers the following technical advantages: by monitoring conditions associated with the aircraft, it enables decision-making and emergency management; it notifies operators when the status of one or more monitoring conditions associated with the landing approach phase is outside the corresponding target area of ​​said one or more monitoring conditions, allowing operators to correct the approach to a more stable approach or perform a go-around; and it reduces or mitigates the risks associated with unstable landing approaches in response to unstable approaches below critical altitudes. Monitoring conditions include automatically detecting aircraft state deviations relative to the target path, automatically detecting divergent aircraft states independent of planned constraints relative to the aircraft, and predictive assessments based on the current aircraft state and its rate of change. For each monitoring condition, the aircraft state determined based on real-time data is included within a specific area of ​​the monitoring condition. This area is defined by one or more thresholds and altitudes.

[0028] Execution decision-making and emergency management include interference regulation and alert prioritization. Interference includes (1) providing operators with information that is not applicable to the current state of the aircraft or (2) providing operators with too much information that may overwhelm them and distract them from implementing the necessary commands to correct the unstable approach. Other interference includes providing information on the intermediate zone between the current area and the target area for high-priority monitoring conditions before the high-priority monitoring conditions return to the target area and remain high-priority; providing information on the intermediate zone for high-priority monitoring conditions when the rate of change of high-priority monitoring conditions indicates that the high-priority monitoring conditions are rapidly deviating from the target area and will not remain in the intermediate zone for a significant amount of time; and providing information on changes to high-priority monitoring conditions that are rapidly oscillating between the area adjacent to the target area and the target area.

[0029] The use of flight phase mode logic prohibits disruptive alerts related to information inapplicable to the aircraft's current condition. For example, if the operator initiates a go-around during the approach landing phase, the approach monitoring system will indicate that one or more monitored conditions are outside the target area, and if the flight phase mode logic does not provide information allowing the approach monitoring system to enter standby mode due to a go-around caused by a change from the landing approach phase, it will provide the operator with notification signals for one or more priority conditions. As another example, if the approach monitoring system activates all condition monitors at the start of the landing approach phase, the approach monitoring system may provide numerous disruptive notification signals associated with altitude changes during the initial approach due to the activation of the path profile monitor and detected deviations from the expected glide slope; however, such disruptive notification signals are avoided because the path profile monitor is selectively activated based on input from the flight phase mode logic when the final approach begins.

[0030] During the approach phase, the aircraft's state may be outside the target range for multiple monitoring conditions. Each state of the aircraft outside the corresponding target area of ​​a monitoring condition is considered an event. During approach landing, information regarding notification limits (e.g., one, two, or some other number) corresponding to monitoring conditions outside the corresponding target area is provided to the aircraft operator to avoid overwhelming the operator with information. In some embodiments, the approach monitoring system displays a marker indicating the number of additional monitoring conditions or the total number of monitoring conditions outside the corresponding target area above the notification limit. The provision of the marker notifies the operator of the existence of multiple events, and corrections to the events associated with the notification signals provided to the operator will not necessarily lead to a stable path.

[0031] When multiple monitoring conditions indicate that the aircraft's status is outside the target range, the approach monitoring system's prioritization logic uses priority rules to determine which monitoring condition(s) the operator should address. Prioritization rules order the monitored conditions whose status is outside the corresponding target range according to the order in which changing them to the corresponding target area would have the greatest impact on returning the aircraft to a stable approach. Factors in selecting a particular monitoring condition may include the fact that correcting that condition would also cause one or more other monitoring conditions outside the corresponding target range to change to or closer to the target area. For example, when the airspeed monitor indicates that the airspeed is in a region above the target area and the aircraft energy monitor indicates that the aircraft energy is greater than the target area, the priority rules could prioritize airspeed, as decreasing airspeed would also decrease aircraft energy. Another factor used for prioritizing events is that monitoring conditions with status in the terminal region are prioritized over any monitoring condition with status in the intermediate region. The approach monitoring system includes additional prioritization logic to handle multiple concurrent events at the same level, prioritizing them based on the risks associated with not correcting multiple concurrent events. Hazard identification is based on historical data, simulation data, safety analysis (e.g., functional hazard assessment), or a combination thereof.

[0032] The approach monitoring system includes rules to prevent interference caused by changes in monitoring conditions. For example, rules prevent operators from being notified of changes to areas outside the target area unless the monitoring conditions remain in that area for a period of time. As another example, if the rate of change of a monitoring condition indicates that the change will cross one or more low areas to reach a high area within a timeframe less than a threshold amount, the rules cause the notification provided to the operator to skip the notification associated with one or more low areas and instead provide the notification associated with the high area. As yet another example, rules cause the notification associated with a high area of ​​the highest priority monitoring condition to remain until the state associated with that monitoring condition returns to the target area, without changing the notification to another notification associated with a lower area on the way to the target area, as long as the monitoring condition remains the highest priority monitoring condition.

[0033] When one or more prioritized events are identified, the approach monitoring system sends one or more notification signals to the operator based on corresponding entries in the approach database associated with specific areas of the prioritized monitoring conditions. The prioritized monitoring conditions include the aircraft's status up to the notification limits of the monitoring conditions. The notification content of entries in the approach database may cause changes in visual displays; may cause playback of auditory messages (e.g., messages indicating the type of problem, corrective actions for the problem, or both); may cause the display of labels (e.g., wording) indicating the problem, corrective actions, or both; may cause tactile signals that shake the operator's controls or seat; may cause the flight management system to control the aircraft and provide notifications associated with the flight management system, which takes control from and returns control to the operator; other instructions; or combinations thereof.

[0034] When a single event occurs, the notification signal corresponding to the area of ​​the aircraft state is provided to the operator by the approach monitoring system. When two or more concurrent events occur, the approach monitoring system uses prioritization rules to order the two monitoring conditions associated with the two or more events and provides notification signals until a notification limit is reached, which corresponds to the aircraft state with the highest priority or highest priority monitoring condition.

[0035] Notification signals provided to the operator may include indicators (e.g., visual signals, tactile signals, audio signals, or combinations thereof) that indicate whether the notification is a warning, a caution (e.g., one or more monitoring conditions are outside the corresponding target area and the operator needs to take corrective action), or an alarm (e.g., one or more monitoring conditions are significantly outside the corresponding target area and corrective action or a go-around is required). The notification signal may also include suggested corrective actions to return the monitoring condition associated with the notification (e.g., visual markers, audio instructions, or both) to the corresponding target area.

[0036] When the altitude is at or below a critical altitude, some implementations enable the notification to provide warnings, alerts, automatic start-up allowing round trips, or a combination thereof. For a specific first area (e.g., one or more areas adjacent to the target area and not the terminal area), the notification signal does not cause the flight management system to control the aircraft, but instead provides indications of an unstable landing (visual signals, audio signals, tactile signals, or a combination thereof), corrective actions to be taken, or both.

[0037] When the altitude is at or below a critical altitude, notification signals for a specific second region (e.g., one or more terminal regions or other regions outside the target region) may include instructions for correcting monitoring conditions, and the flight management system automatically initiates a go-around if no significant change in monitoring conditions is indicated before the altitude associated with the next region of monitoring conditions. For example, if the region of an aircraft's state, including an airspeed monitor, an aircraft energy monitor, or both, is a second region between the terminal region and the first region, and the aircraft is below a critical altitude, the notification signal includes an alarm provided to the operator that includes instructions to initiate a go-around. If the operator chooses not to initiate a go-around and the rate of change of the state does not exceed a threshold before the flare altitude or when the operator initiates the flare, the region's notification signal causes the approach monitoring system to cause the flight management system to automatically initiate a go-around, provides the operator with notification that the flight management system is initiating a go-around, causes the flight management system to notify the operator when control of the aircraft returns to the operator, and provides a signal to the flight phase mode logic to change the approach monitoring system to standby mode.

[0038] When the altitude is at or below a critical altitude and the area encompassing the aircraft's status for one or more monitoring conditions is a terminal zone, the notification triggers an automatic go-around. After the go-around is initiated, the notification informs the operator that control of the aircraft has been returned to the operator.

[0039] When the approach monitoring system is capable of automatically initiating a go-around, it can receive operator input indicating that the landing approach phase is an emergency approach, or it can receive input from the flight management system indicating that the aircraft is in an emergency approach (e.g., the flight management system determines that a communication from the operator to the air traffic control system declares an approach and / or an emergency landing), or the flight management system determines that the approach is an emergency approach or that one or more engines are malfunctioning, etc., based on a determination of low fuel status. When the approach is an emergency approach, the approach monitoring system does not provide the operator with a notification signal that a go-around should be initiated, and does not automatically initiate a go-around; if the approach is not an emergency approach, the go-around will be initiated automatically. In some implementations, actions performed by the operator to make the landing approach phase less unstable can replace notifications informing the operator to move when the landing approach phase is an emergency approach.

[0040] Detailed descriptions herein are made with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the description, common features are indicated by common reference numerals. In some drawings, multiple examples of features of a particular type are used. Although these features are physically and / or logically different, the same reference numerals are used for each, and different examples are distinguished by the addition of letters to the reference numerals. When referring to features referred to herein as a group or type (e.g., when a specific feature among these features is not mentioned), reference numerals are used without distinguishing letters. However, when referring herein to a specific feature among multiple features of the same type, reference numerals are used with distinguishing letters. For example, Figure 3 This includes terminal regions 306A and 306B. When referring to a particular terminal region among these, a distinguishing letter is used to identify that particular terminal region (e.g., terminal region 306A). However, when referring to any one of these terminal regions or these terminal regions as a group, reference numeral 306 is used without a distinguishing letter.

[0041] As used herein, different terms are used only for the purpose of describing a particular implementation and are not intended to be limiting. For example, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to also include the plural forms. The terms “comprise,” “comprises,” and “comprising” are used interchangeably with “include,” “includes,” or “including.” Furthermore, the term “wherein” is used interchangeably with the term “where.” As used herein, “exemplary” indicates an example, implementation, and / or aspect and should not be construed as limiting or indicating a preference or preferred implementation. As used herein, ordinal terms for modifying elements (such as structures, components, operations, etc.) (e.g., “first,” “second,” “third,” etc.) do not in themselves indicate any priority, order, or arrangement of that element relative to another element, but merely distinguish that element from another element having the same name (but for the use of ordinal terms). As used herein, the term “set” refers to a grouping of one or more elements, and the term “multiple” refers to multiple elements.

[0042] As used herein, the terms “generate,” “calculate,” “use,” “select,” “access,” and “determine” are interchangeable unless the context otherwise indicates. For example, “generate,” “calculate,” or “determine” a parameter (or signal) can refer to actively generating, calculating, or determining the parameter (or signal) or can refer to using, selecting, or accessing a parameter (or signal) that has already been generated, such as through another component or device. As used herein, “coupled” can include “communication coupling,” “electrical coupling,” or “physical coupling,” and may also (or alternatively) include any combination thereof. Two devices (or components) may be directly or indirectly coupled (e.g., communicationally coupled, electrically coupled, or physically coupled) via one or more other devices, components, wires, buses, networks (e.g., wired networks, wireless networks, or combinations thereof). Electrically coupled devices (or components) may be in the same or different devices and may be connected via electronics, one or more connectors, or inductive coupling, as illustrative and non-limiting examples. In some implementations, two devices (or components) that are communicatively coupled (e.g., electrically coupled) may directly or indirectly send and receive electrical signals (digital or analog signals) via one or more wires, buses, networks, etc. As used herein, "directly coupled" is used to describe two devices coupled (e.g., communicatively coupled, electrically coupled, or physically coupled) without any intermediate components.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an aircraft 100 with an approach monitoring system 102 configured to respond to an unstable approach during the landing approach phase of the aircraft 100. The aircraft 100 includes one or more computing systems 104, communication systems 106, sensor systems 108, user input systems 110, output systems 112, other systems, or combinations thereof. For a remotely controllable aircraft 100, at least a portion of the user input system 110 and at least a portion of the output system 112 are external to the aircraft 100 and receive information from and provide input to the computing system 104 via the communication system 106.

[0044] A first portion of the communication system 106 is coupled to the computing system 104. The communication system 106 may also have a second portion independent of the computing system 104. The communication system 106 supports voice and data communication with an external source 114. The external source 114 may be an air traffic control service, a ground support communication device, a weather information service, an aircraft identification system (e.g., an Automatic Dependent Detection-Broadcast (ADS-B) system), a software, data, or both program update system of the computing system 104, a user input system 110 and an output system 112 of a remotely controllable aircraft 100, other services, or combinations thereof.

[0045] Sensor system 108 provides sensor data from sensors 116 of aircraft 100 to computing system 104, one or more instrument panels, or both. The sensor data provides information about aircraft conditions and the state of aircraft systems. Aircraft condition data includes data corresponding to altitude, attitude, airspeed, vertical speed (e.g., rate of climb or rate of descent), position, wind conditions, air temperature, etc. Information about the state of aircraft systems is information about the aircraft's condition (e.g., fuel level, engine temperature, throttle position, landing gear position, flap and slat positions, etc.).

[0046] User input system 110 enables the operator of aircraft 100 to provide input for controlling the operation of aircraft 100. User input system 110 includes steering controls, joysticks, buttons, dials, knobs, switches, one or more keyboards, one or more keypads, one or more touchscreens, one or more microphones, other input devices, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, aircraft 100 is a wired flight system, wherein some of the user input systems 110 provide input to computing system 104, and computing system 104 performs one or more actions based on the input via control system 118 of computing system 104. In other embodiments, or as a backup to a wired flight system, some of the user input systems 110 are directly coupled to control system 118 of aircraft 100 to control one or more aircraft systems based on user input. One or more sensors in sensor 116 provide data generated by changes in flight conditions, flight configuration, or both (attributable to user input to computing system 104, output system 112, or both).

[0047] Output system 112 provides information to the operator of aircraft 100. Output system 112 includes one or more displays 120 (e.g., a primary flight display and one or more secondary flight displays) to display text (e.g., information related to waypoints, alerts, warnings, etc.) and graphics associated with flight conditions (e.g., position information, altitude, attitude, speed, fuel, etc.), an audio system 122 (e.g., headphones or other auditory devices to provide sound to the operator), and a haptic system 124 (e.g., a seat vibrator, a joystick, etc.). Output system 112 may include additional output devices, such as instrument panels, gauges, status indicators, other devices, or combinations thereof.

[0048] Each of the computing systems 104 includes one or more processors 126 and one or more memory devices 128. The one or more memory devices 128 store instructions executable by the one or more processors 126 to perform operations. These instructions include a flight management system 130, a control system 118, and an alarm system 132. The flight management system 130 performs tasks to determine a target path for the aircraft 100 based on the flight plan, performs tasks to maintain the target path, or both, and provides information via an output system 112 to the operator of the aircraft 100 so that the operator can establish and maintain the target path or take appropriate action if the real-time path of the aircraft 100 deviates from the target path.

[0049] Flight management system 130 includes approach monitoring system 102 and flight phase mode logic 134. Approach monitoring system 102 is either integrated into flight management system 130 or is a separate program (e.g., a set of instructions) that interfaces with flight management system 130. Flight phase mode logic 134 is either integrated into approach monitoring system 102 and flight management system 130, or is a separate program that interfaces with both approach monitoring system 102 and flight management system 130.

[0050] The approach monitoring system 102 monitors conditions during the approach phase and the division between the approach and landing approaches. In response to the occurrence of one or more events, the approach monitoring system 102 provides notification signals 136 to the operator of aircraft 100, computer system 104, or both. An event occurs when the state 138 of a specific monitoring condition 140 based on aircraft data 142 is outside the target area of ​​monitoring condition 140, indicating that the landing approach phase has become unstable or instable. The notification signal 136 provided by the approach monitoring system 102 to the operator includes tiered notification indicating the amount of deviation from the target area of ​​monitoring condition 140, the reason for providing the notification signal 136, the action procedure taken by the operator, or a combination thereof. The action procedure may be a corrective action to return to the conditions associated with the target path used for the landing approach phase, or it may notify the operator to initiate a go-around. In some implementations, the approach monitoring system 102 automatically initiates a go-around during the landing approach phase when the aircraft 100 is below a critical altitude and the state 138 of one or more monitoring conditions 140 is in an area indicating that an undesirable landing (e.g., a rough landing or a damaging landing) may occur if the aircraft 100 is allowed to continue landing.

[0051] The approach monitoring system 102 receives input from the computing system 104. This input includes approach plans, aircraft status data, aircraft system status, outputs of flight phase mode logic 134, other data, or combinations thereof. Flight phase mode logic 134 includes instructions executable by one or more processors 126 to receive aircraft phase input data; analyze the aircraft phase input data to determine the phase of the aircraft, and, if applicable, determine one or more divisions of the phase; and provide phase, frequency division, or both as outputs. Aircraft phase input data includes aircraft status data, aircraft system status, operator input (e.g., control input and voice input) via user input system 110, other data, or combinations thereof.

[0052] Control system 118 includes control commands executable by processor 126 to receive inputs from one or more systems (e.g., flight management system 130, approach monitoring system 102, user input system 110, other systems, or combinations thereof) and provide outputs to control one or more other systems (e.g., communication system 106, flight configuration system, other systems, or combinations thereof) of the aircraft. Alarm system 132 provides outputs to the operator of aircraft 100 via output system 112.

[0053] One or more memory devices 128 also include data 144 used by one or more processors 126 in implementing instructions. Data 144 includes flight plan data 146, constraint data 148, and an approach database 150. Flight plan data 146 includes data for establishing flight plans. Flight plan data 146 enables one or more processors 126 to determine a target path and target conditions for monitoring conditions along the target path. For landing approaches, flight plan data 146 includes information identifying the airport and runway where the aircraft 100 will land, identifying the initial contact position of the runway used for landing, other information, or combinations thereof. During flight, a portion of the flight plan data associated with the landing approach phase may be modified based on operator input, input based on or from external source 114 (e.g., air traffic control input), or a combination thereof.

[0054] Limitation data 148 includes information about performance limitations of aircraft 100 and information about the runway on which aircraft 100 will land (e.g., altitude, length, etc.). Limitation data 148 also includes thresholds 152 used when executing commands. Thresholds 152 include specific thresholds that define the area (e.g., target area and terminal area) for monitoring conditions 140 during approach and landing.

[0055] The approach database 150 includes notification content 154 of information to be provided to the operator of the aircraft 100. The notification content 154 includes information content, presentation information (e.g., a specific notification tone; presentation style for text output (e.g., font size and emphasis characteristics); tactile signal device, intensity, and duration; etc.), instructions from the flight management system 130, other information, or a combination thereof, to obtain information on events that may occur during the approach and landing.

[0056] During the operation of aircraft 100, flight management system 130 determines the target path to the runway where aircraft 100 will land. The target path to the runway is determined based on flight plan data 146 provided to calculation system 104. Flight plan data 146 is provided prior to flight of aircraft 100 and updated during flight. Flight plan data 146 includes identifiers of the arrival airport and runway to be used for landing. As the operator of aircraft 100 begins approach and landing, flight management system 130 provides information and graphical displays to assist the operator in following the target path. Flight phase mode logic 134 of flight management system 130 provides outputs indicating specific flight phases and subdivisions of that phase.

[0057] Figure 2 The target path 202 leading to runway 204 is depicted. Figure 1 This represents the landing approach phase 200 of the flight of aircraft 100. During the flight of aircraft 100, one or more computing systems 104 receive information stored as flight plan data 146 from one or more external sources 114, from the operator of aircraft 100 via one or more user input systems 110, or both. When the flight plan data 146 is sufficient to determine a target path 202 to runway 204, the target path 202 is determined by the flight management system 130 and provided to the approach monitoring system 102.

[0058] Approach monitoring system 102 determines that aircraft 100 is in flight landing approach phase 200 based on the output of flight phase mode logic 134. For example, after the descent phase 206 of flight, flight phase mode logic 134 determines that aircraft 100 is in the initial approach 208 of landing approach phase 200 at approach altitude 210, and approach monitoring system 102 transitions from standby mode to active mode based on the output of flight phase mode logic 134. Approach monitoring system 102 activates selected condition monitors to determine the state 138 of each monitoring condition 140 of a first set 156 of monitoring conditions 140 based on aircraft data 142 (e.g., data from sensor 116 of sensor system 108, data from external source 114, or both). A single condition monitor can determine the state 138 of one or more monitoring conditions 140. The selected condition monitors include airspeed profile monitors, planning feasibility monitors for determining one or more monitoring conditions 140 associated with the bearing and altitude of the aircraft relative to runway 204, other condition monitors, or combinations thereof. During the initial approach 208, the operator and flight management system 130 of the aircraft 100 adjusts its airspeed, acquires and tracks the centerline of runway 204, and changes its altitude so that the aircraft 100 is at its final approach positioning altitude 212 at the start of the final approach 214.

[0059] The target path 202 includes an initial approach 208, a final approach 214 with a glide slope, and a target landing point 216 near the first end of runway 204 at runway altitude 218. The initial approach 208 begins at an initial approach altitude 210 and continues until the start of the final approach 214. Flight phase mode logic 134 provides the approach monitoring system 102 with a specific output instructing the initiation of the final approach 214.

[0060] In response to a specific output, approach monitoring system 102 activates one or more additional condition monitors to determine the state 138 of each monitoring condition 140 of the second set 158 ​​of monitoring conditions based on aircraft data 142. The second set 158 ​​of monitoring conditions 140 includes one or more of the monitoring conditions 140 in the first set 156 and one or more monitoring conditions 140 determined by one or more additional condition monitors. In some embodiments, the second set 158 ​​of monitoring conditions 140 includes all monitoring conditions 140 in the first set 156. In other embodiments, approach monitoring system 102 deactivates one or more active status monitors in response to a specific output, and the second set 158 ​​of monitoring conditions 140 does not include all monitoring conditions 140 in the first set 156. The first set 156 and the second set 158 ​​include one or more common monitoring conditions 140 (e.g., airspeed), and the second set 158 ​​includes one or more additional monitoring conditions 140 not included in the first set 156 of monitoring conditions 140 (e.g., glide slope).

[0061] The final entry 214 is divided into a group of partitions, which includes a first partition 220, a second partition 222, a third partition 224, and a flattening 226. In other embodiments, the final entry 214 is divided into different groups of partitions with fewer or more partitions.

[0062] When aircraft 100 is in the first division 220, its altitude is at or below the final approach positioning altitude 212 and at or above a predetermined altitude 228. Aircraft 100 descends along a slide. In some embodiments, the predetermined altitude 228 is based on visibility conditions. When visibility is low (e.g., the approach is an instrument approach), the predetermined altitude 228 is a first value (e.g., 1000 feet above runway altitude 218), and when visibility is high, the predetermined altitude 228 is a second value (e.g., 500 feet above runway altitude 218). In other embodiments, the predetermined altitude has a value different from 1000 feet or 500 feet above runway altitude 218.

[0063] When aircraft 100 is in the second division 222, its altitude is at or below a predetermined altitude 228 and at or above a critical altitude 230. The critical altitude 230 can be 100 feet, 50 feet, 40 feet, or some other altitude above runway altitude 218. In some embodiments, the approach monitoring system 102 cannot automatically initiate a go-around for aircraft 100. In this embodiment, the critical altitude 230 is not used or set. When aircraft 100 is in the third division 224, its altitude is at or below the critical altitude 230. During the third division 224, the approach monitoring system 102 can automatically initiate a go-around in response to the approach monitoring system 102 determining that the state 138 of aircraft 100 under one or more monitoring conditions 140 is within the region of monitoring condition 140 indicating an unstable approach (e.g., the end region of monitoring condition 140).

[0064] Before the aircraft 100 lands, the operator performs a pull-up 226 at the initial approach altitude 232 to raise the nose of the aircraft 100, so that the main landing gear wheels of the aircraft 100 contact the runway 204 before the nose landing gear wheels. For an aircraft 100 capable of performing an automatic go-around, if the approach monitoring system 102 determines that continuing the landing approach phase 200 may result in an undesirable landing, the approach monitoring system 102 can automatically initiate a go-around during the pull-up 226.

[0065] Based on the target path 202, the approach monitoring system 102 determines the state 138 of the monitoring condition 140 for each activity and identifies corresponding regions associated with the state 138 of the initial approach 208 and the divisions 220-226 of the final approach 214 of the landing approach phase 200. To determine these regions, the approach monitoring system 102 retrieves or determines one or more thresholds 152 for each monitoring condition 140 of each of the divisions 220-226 of the initial approach 208 and the final approach 214 from the constraint data 148.

[0066] Figure 3 Depicting in Figure 2 The image depicts areas defined by airspeed monitoring conditions 140 during the landing approach phase 200. These areas include a target area 302, a first area 304, a terminal area 306, and a second area 308. The center of the target area 302 corresponds to a target airspeed 310 based on the target path 202. Each area 304-308 is associated with a specific notification content 154 in one or more corresponding entries in the approach database 150. The notification content 154 can be graded to indicate to the operator the severity of the status 138 of the monitoring conditions 140 of the aircraft 100.

[0067] During the initial approach 208 from approach altitude 210 to final approach positioning altitude 212, a first set of thresholds 152, which does not change with altitude, defines target region 302A, first regions 304A, 304B, and end regions 306A, 306B. The first set of thresholds 152 includes a first threshold defining the end of target region 302A and the start of the first and second regions 304A, 304B, and a second threshold defining the end of first regions 304A, 304B and the start of end regions 306A, 306B. End regions 306A, 306B may be open, or the end may be defined by boundary constraints 312A, 312B associated with the aircraft 100.

[0068] In the final approach 214 from the final approach positioning height 212 to the predetermined height 228 ( Figure 2 During the first division 220 (as shown), a second set of thresholds 152, varying with altitude, defines target region 302B, first regions 304C, 304D, second regions 308C, 308D, and terminal regions 306C, 306D. The second set of thresholds 152 includes: a first threshold defining the end of target region 302B and the beginning of first regions 304C, 304D; a third threshold defining the end of first regions 304C, 304D and the beginning of second regions 308C, 308D; and a second threshold defining the end of second regions 308C, 308D and the beginning of terminal regions 306C, 306D.

[0069] After the predetermined altitude 228, the third set of thresholds 152 for the defined areas 302-308 is a constant threshold for the runway altitude 218 and defines the target area 302C. During the second division 222 from the predetermined altitude 228 to the critical altitude 230, the third set of thresholds 152 for the defined areas 302-308 defines the first areas 304E and 304F, the second areas 308E and 308F, and the terminal areas 306E and 306F.

[0070] Below the critical altitude of 230 at runway altitude 218, the third set of thresholds 152 defines the terminal regions 306G and 306H. The terminal regions 306G and 306H correspond to the areas where the approach monitoring system 102 causes the flight management system 130 to automatically initiate a go-around.

[0071] During the third division 224 from the critical height 230 to the flattening height 232, or when the operator initiates flattening 226, the third set of thresholds 152 defines the first region 304J, 304K and the second region 308J, 308K. Furthermore, during the flattening 226 from the flattening height 232, or when the operator begins flattening 226 to the runway height 218, the third set of thresholds defines the first region 304L, 304M and the second region 308L, 308M.

[0072] The areas used for other monitoring conditions may be similar to or different from areas 302-308 used for airspeed monitoring condition 140. For example, the area for runway availability monitoring condition 140 is different from the area for airspeed monitoring condition 140 because runway availability monitoring condition 140 is a binary status of a target area that is “available” and multiple different end areas depending on the altitude of the aircraft 100.

[0073] During the approach phase of the flight, 200 Figure 1 The approach monitoring system 102 receives aircraft data 142 based on the output of sensor system 108 and other information. The aircraft data 142 enables the approach monitoring system 102 to determine the status 138 for monitoring conditions 140 and the altitude of the aircraft 100. Figure 2 The approach monitoring system 102 determines the target area 302 for each monitoring condition 140, the deviation of the state 138 of each monitoring condition 140 from the target area 302, and the identifier of the area 302-308 including the state 138 of each monitoring condition 140, based on the altitude and target path 202. During the landing approach phase 200, the flight phase mode logic 134 provides the approach monitoring system 102 with the current phase and phase division of the aircraft 100.

[0074] When all monitoring conditions 140 are in state 138 within the corresponding target area 302, the landing approach phase 200 is a stable approach. When one or more of states 138 are outside the corresponding target area 302 for monitoring condition 140, one or more events are occurring and the landing approach phase 200 becomes unstable or becomes unstable.

[0075] When a single event exists, that single event is a notification event. When multiple events exist, the prioritization logic of the approach monitoring system 102 identifies multiple events with a notification limit up to that of the event as notification events based on priority rule 160. Prioritization rule 160 determines which events will be identified as notification events by giving higher priority to areas farther from the target area and giving the highest priority to the end area. When multiple events with the highest priority exist at the same area level, priority rule 160 assigns higher priority to one or more specific events based on the hazard associated with not correcting one or more specific events. The hazard associated with not correcting one or more specific events is determined through analysis of historical flight data, simulated flight data, or both. Prioritization rule 160 identifies the event with the highest determined priority (up to a limited number of events) as a notification event.

[0076] The approach monitoring system 102 tracks time data of monitoring condition 140 to limit interference notifications based on one or more persistence thresholds. For example, the approach monitoring system 102 stores the time when state 138 of monitoring condition 140 changes from target area 302 to a first area 304 outside target area 302 (e.g., from target area 302B to area 304C during the first division 220). If the approach monitoring system 102 detects that the time of state 138 in the first area 304 is less than a first persistence threshold (e.g., 0.02 seconds, 0.05 seconds, or some other time) before state 138 returns to target area 302, then that area is identified as target area 302 until the first persistence threshold is exceeded, and then that area is identified as the first area 304. The value of the first persistence threshold used for the state transition from target area 302 to first area 304 may be different from the value of the second persistence threshold used for the state transition from first area 304 to target area 302. In some implementations, the persistence threshold is not used for real-time state transitions to one of the terminal regions 308 that do not result in an automatic go-around, and a third persistence threshold (e.g., 0.1 seconds, 0.25 seconds, 0.5 seconds, or some other time) needs to be met before the approach monitoring system 102 automatically initiates a real-time state transition to a terminal region 306 (e.g., terminal region 306G or 306H) that does result in an automatic go-around.

[0077] In some implementations, the approach monitoring system 102 stores data indicating trends for each monitoring condition 140. If the trend of monitoring condition 140 indicates that the state 138 of monitoring condition 140 will transition from a first region (e.g., region 302 or region 304) to a second region further away from the target region within a threshold amount of time (e.g., 0.2 seconds, 0.3 seconds, 0.4 seconds, or some other amount of time), and the real-time state does indeed transition between the two regions, the operating region is identified as the second region, even if the time in the second region does not exceed a sustained threshold associated with the real-time state transition between regions.

[0078] When one or more states 138 of monitoring condition 140 are not in the corresponding target area, approach monitoring system 102 causes notification signal 136 to be provided to the operator of aircraft 100. When multiple states 138 of monitoring condition 140 are outside the corresponding target range, notification signals 136 are provided associated with a limited number (i.e., up to the notification limit) of states 138 that are not in the corresponding target area to avoid overwhelming the operator with information. The specific monitoring condition 140 for which notification signal 136 is provided corresponds to the highest priority monitoring condition 140 of monitoring condition 140, wherein state 138 is not in the corresponding target area determined by the prioritization logic of approach monitoring system 102 using priority rule 160.

[0079] When a state 138 of monitoring condition 140 with sufficient priority as the first monitoring condition for a notification event is in a specific first area (e.g., ...), Figure 3 When the target area (the first monitoring condition 140) is in the terminal region 306, the approach monitoring system 102 outputs a notification signal 136 generated for the first monitoring condition 140. When one or more non-target areas (e.g., the first area 304, the second area 308, or both) exist between a specific non-target area and the target area, the approach monitoring system 102 does not change the notification signal 136 associated with state 138 until state 138 returns to the target area or the priority of the second monitoring condition 140 becomes higher than the priority of the first monitoring condition 140. Not changing the area associated with state 138 prevents the approach monitoring system 102 from notifying the operator of changes in other areas that would allow the operator to focus their attention on correcting the first monitoring condition 140 to the target area.

[0080] For each monitoring condition 140, the approach database 150 includes one or more entries for each region outside the target area of ​​monitoring condition 140. The approach database 150 also includes identifiers for the monitoring condition and identifiers for each region, which, when state 138 corresponds to a notification event, allow the approach monitoring system to access the appropriate content corresponding to state 138 of aircraft 100 for monitoring condition 140 outside the target area. For example, the approach database 150 includes a page and page identifier associated with monitoring condition 140 of airspeed, and the airspeed page includes entries for... Figure 3 One or more entries and corresponding identifiers for each of the regions 304, 306 and 308 shown.

[0081] For a state 138 of monitoring condition 140 that exceeds the corresponding target range and is determined to be a notification event using priority rule 160 of approach monitoring system 102, approach monitoring system 102 retrieves notification content 154 from approach database 150 corresponding to the area including monitoring condition 140 of state 138. Notification content 154 corresponds to notification signal 136 to be provided to operator or computing system 104. Entries in approach database 150 for notification content 154 identify the content presented to operator of aircraft 100 via one or more output systems 112, the presentation style of the content (e.g., font characteristics of text; tone duration; and intensity and duration of device, tactile output), or both. Entries in approach database 150 for notification content 154 identify the tone and / or message (e.g., “attention,” “warning,” or “alarm”) played via audio system 122, indicating the notification via tactile system 124, the device and intensity of tactile sensation, or the level of both. The entries in the arrival database 150 for notification content 154 may also include actions taken by the operator and the reasons for taking the actions as text notifications, voice notifications, or both. For example, the notification signal 136 to be presented includes text presented to the main flight display of display 120, which states the real-time status at... Figure 3 In area 304A, the notification content of the approach database 150 for airspeed monitoring conditions 140 is "Increased speed – low airspeed".

[0082] The notification signal 136 provided to the operator for notification events associated with monitoring condition 140 is a hierarchical response. No notification signal is provided when all states 138 are within the corresponding target area to indicate to the operator that the landing approach phase is a stable approach. The first-level response is a warning, indicating that monitoring condition 140 is at or will soon be slightly beyond the corresponding target range. In some embodiments, the first-level response includes an audio signal indicating a notification event and a first change in the display to emphasize the readout of a value corresponding to monitoring condition 140 exceeding the target range. The approach database 150 corresponds to... Figure 3 The entry for the airspeed monitoring condition 140 in the first zones 304A-F and 304J-M is a first-level response. For example, when the state 138 of the airspeed monitoring condition 140 is in the first zone 304C, the notification signal 136 provided to the operator by the approach monitoring system 102 may be a chime via the audio system 122 to indicate the problem and a flashing white border surrounding the actual airspeed readout on the primary flight display (PFD).

[0083] The second-level response is a warning indicating that monitoring condition 140 is outside the corresponding target range and that the operator needs to take corrective action. In some embodiments, the second-level response includes an audio signal indicating the level of the notification event, an audio message indicating the notification event, a text message via the Engine Indication and Crew Alarm System (EICAS), and a second change in the display to emphasize the reading that the corresponding monitoring condition 140 is outside the target range, wherein the second change is different from the first change associated with the first-level response. The approach database 150 is used for... Figure 3 The entries for the airspeed monitoring conditions 140 corresponding to the first zone 304J-304M and the second zone 308C-308F are second-level responses. For example, when the state 138 of the airspeed monitoring condition 140 of the aircraft 100 is in the second zone 308E, the notification signal 136 provided to the operator by the approach monitoring system 102 may be a warning tone, followed by the audible message “Airspeed! Airspeed!” EICAS message, which states “AIRSEED” in amber on the right side of the PFD, along with a flashing amber border around the actual airspeed readout on the PFD.

[0084] The third-level response is an alarm indicating that monitoring condition 140 is outside the corresponding target range and requires corrective action by the operator. In some embodiments, the third-level response includes an audio and tactile signal indicating a notification event, an audio alarm indicating an alarm and a message indicating a notification event, an instruction message regarding the PFD, and a third change to the display to emphasize that the corresponding monitoring condition 140 is outside the target range, wherein the third change is different from the first change associated with the first-level response and the second change associated with the second-level response. The corresponding entry into the database 150... Figure 3 The entries for airspeed monitoring conditions 140 in the terminal regions 306A-306F and the second regions 308J-308M are third-level responses. For example, when the state 138 of airspeed monitoring condition 140 is in the terminal region 306E, the notification signal 136 provided to the operator by the approach monitoring system 102 may be a tactile signal (e.g., seat shaking), followed by an audible alarm tone with the message "Go AROUND!" displayed in red on the PFD, and the actual airspeed readout on the PFD surrounded by a red border.

[0085] The fourth-level response corresponds to the computing system(s) 104 retrieving control of the aircraft 100 from the operator and initiating a go-around. The notification content 154 includes instructions from the approach monitoring system 102 to send a command to the control system 118 to ignore user input, instructions to send a command to the flight management system 130 to initiate a go-around, an audio message “Go-around initiated, operator input disabled,” a message on the PFD “Operator input disabled,” and an audio signal, a second audio message, and a text message informing the operator to restore operator input after initiating the go-around. The entry in the approach database 150 corresponding to the airspeed monitoring conditions 140 in the terminal regions 306G and 306H is the fourth-level response.

[0086] In some implementations, the notification content 154 corresponding to one or more regions is conditional. In some implementations, the selected region is initially a Level 3 response, but changes to a Level 4 response if one or more conditions are not met before reaching a certain altitude. The entries in the approach database 150 corresponding to the airspeed monitoring conditions 140 for the terminal regions 308J-308M can be conditional. For example, when the state 138 of the airspeed monitoring condition 140 is in the second region 308J, the notification signal 136 provided to the operator by the approach monitoring system 102 is a Level 3 response that changes to a Level 4 response if the operator initiates leveling 226 or the aircraft 100 reaches the leveling initiation altitude 232 and the rate of change of airspeed is not higher than a first threshold rate. As another example, when the state 138 of the airspeed monitoring condition 140 of the aircraft 100 is in the second area 308M, the notification signal 136 provided to the operator by the approach monitoring system 102 is a third-level response that changes to a fourth-level response if the aircraft 100 contacts the runway 204 and the rate of change of airspeed is not lower than the second threshold rate.

[0087] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a method 400 in response to an unstable approach during the landing approach phase of aircraft 100. Method 400 is performed by one or more computing systems 104 of aircraft 100 using an approach monitoring system 102. Method 400 includes, at block 402, determining a target path for the landing approach phase based on flight plan data. For example, one or more computing systems 104 determine a target path 202 based on flight plan data 146 and provide a representation of the target path 202 to the approach monitoring system 102.

[0088] In block 404, method 400 includes: during the initial approach for the landing approach phase, determining the state of each monitoring condition in a first set of monitoring conditions and the area of ​​the monitoring condition including that state, based on the target path and aircraft data. Each monitoring condition includes a target area. For example, flight phase mode logic 134 provides a first output to approach monitoring system 102 indicating the start of the initial approach 208 of the landing approach phase 200. In response to the first output, approach monitoring system 102 changes from a standby mode to an active mode. Approach monitoring system 102 activates one or more condition monitors to determine the state 138 of each monitoring condition 140 in a first set 156 of monitoring conditions 140. Approach monitoring system 102 also determines the area of ​​monitoring condition 140 including state 138. The area is determined based on a threshold 152 derived from memory device 128. For each monitoring condition 140, the area includes a target area and one or more areas outside the target area.

[0089] In block 406, method 400 includes: during the final approach phase for landing approach, determining the state of each monitoring condition in a second set of monitoring conditions and the area including that state of the monitoring condition based on the target path and aircraft data. The second set of monitoring conditions includes one or more of the first set of monitoring conditions and one or more additional monitoring conditions. Each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions includes the target area. For example, flight phase mode logic 134 provides a second output to approach monitoring system 102 indicating the start of the final approach 214 of landing approach phase 200. Approach monitoring system 102 activates one or more additional condition monitors to determine the state 138 of each monitoring condition 140 in the second set of 158 monitoring conditions 140. Approach monitoring system 102 also determines the area including the state 138 of the monitoring condition 140. The second set of 158 monitoring conditions 140 includes one or more of the first set of 156 monitoring conditions 140 and one or more additional monitoring conditions 140. Each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions 140 includes the target area. In some embodiments, the second set 158 ​​monitoring conditions 140 includes all monitoring conditions 140 in the first set 156 monitoring conditions 140. In other embodiments, the approach monitoring system 102 deactivates one or more activity status monitors in response to a specific output, and the monitoring conditions 140 of the second set 158 ​​do not include all monitoring conditions 140 of the first set 156 monitoring conditions 140. The first set 156 and the second set 158 ​​include one or more common monitoring conditions 140 (e.g., airspeed), and the second set 158 ​​includes one or more additional monitoring conditions 140 not included in the first set 156 monitoring conditions 140 (e.g., glide slope).

[0090] Method 400 includes, at box 408, notification content for accessing an area of ​​a specific monitoring condition, which includes the status of the monitoring condition. The status of the specific monitoring condition is outside the target area for that specific monitoring condition. For example, during the landing approach phase 200, only a single status 138 of a specific monitoring condition 140 (e.g., the first set 156 of monitoring conditions 140 during initial approach 208 or the second set 158 ​​of monitoring conditions 140 during final approach 214) is outside the corresponding target area. The approach monitoring system 102 accesses notification content 154 from the approach database 150 for the area corresponding to the status 138 of the specific monitoring condition 140.

[0091] As another example, during the landing approach phase 200, multiple states 138 of monitoring conditions 140 (e.g., a first set of 156 monitoring conditions 140 during initial approach 208 or a second set of 158 monitoring conditions 140 during final approach 214) are outside the corresponding target area. When the number of states 138 outside the corresponding target area is equal to or less than the notification limit (e.g., one, two, or some other finite number) of monitoring conditions 140 that can be provided to the operator simultaneously, the approach monitoring system 102 accesses the notification content 154 of the area outside the corresponding target area for each monitoring condition 140 from the approach database 150. When the number of states 138 outside the corresponding target area is greater than the notification limit, the approach monitoring system 102 uses prioritization logic based on priority rule 160 to sort the multiple states 138 for monitoring conditions, selects the monitoring condition with the highest priority, up to the number of monitoring conditions equal to the priority limit, and accesses the notification content 154 for the area including each selected monitoring condition 140 of the corresponding state 138. For example, when the notification restriction is 1 and the access monitoring system 102 determines that two or more states 138 of monitoring condition 140 are outside the corresponding target area, the priority rule 160 is applied to monitoring condition 140 to determine the highest priority monitoring condition 140, and the access monitoring system 102 identifies the highest priority monitoring condition 140 as the specific monitoring condition 140 of block 408.

[0092] Method 400, at block 410, also includes sending one or more notification signals to one or more output systems based on notification content from the computing system. For example, approach monitoring system 102 of one or more computing systems 104 generates notification signal 136 based on notification content 154. A portion of notification signal 136 is provided to the operator via one or more output systems 112. When notification content 154 instructs approach monitoring system 102 to initiate a go-around, a second portion of notification signal 136 is sent from approach monitoring system 102 to control system 118, flight management system 130, or both, to initiate a go-around, prevent the operator from controlling aircraft 100 during the go-around initiation, and return control of aircraft 100 to the operator after the go-around initiation.

[0093] Furthermore, method 400 may include additional functionality to achieve one or more of the technical advantages described in more detail above. For example, method 400 includes determining that the second monitoring condition has the highest priority based on its state. In response to determining that one or more notification signals are not associated with the second monitoring condition, method 400 includes accessing second notification content for a specific area of ​​the second monitoring condition that includes its state. Method 400 also includes sending one or more notification signals based on the second notification content to one or more output systems.

[0094] As another example, the region of a specific monitoring condition includes a target region, a first end region, and one or more intermediate regions between the target region and the first end region. Method 400 includes determining the update status of the specific monitoring condition based on current aircraft data, flight plan data, or both. Method 400 also includes, in response to a first determination that the region of the specific monitoring condition, including the update status, has changed to an intermediate region closer to the target region among one or more intermediate regions and that the specific monitoring condition has the highest priority among monitoring conditions outside the corresponding target region, continuing to determine the update status based on current aircraft data without accessing the notification content of the specific monitoring condition.

[0095] As another example, method 400 includes determining the update status of monitoring conditions based on current aircraft data, flight plan data, or both. Method 400 also includes, in response to determining that a region includes a specific monitoring condition whose update status has changed to a target area and that no monitoring condition exists outside the corresponding target area, ending the provision of one or more notification signals to one or more output systems to indicate a stable approach.

[0096] As another example, the region of the first monitoring condition includes: a target region, a first end region, and one or more intermediate regions between the target region and the first end region. Method 400 includes determining the rate of change of the state of the first monitoring condition away from the target region. Method 400 further includes: in response to a rate of change indicating that the state of the first monitoring condition will be included in a specific region before a threshold time has elapsed, pausing the determination of the state of the first monitoring condition until the threshold time has elapsed when one or more regions are located between the first region including the current state of the monitoring condition and the specific region.

[0097] As another example, the computing system includes both flight phase mode logic for determining the current flight phase and an approach monitoring system for providing notification when the approach is not a stable approach, for automatically initiating a go-around based on one or more conditions at an altitude below a critical altitude, or both. Method 400 includes changing the approach monitoring system to standby mode in response to the initiation of a go-around and in response to the current flight phase being a specific phase other than a landing approach phase as indicated by the flight phase mode logic. Method 400 also includes activating the approach monitor in response to the flight phase monitor determining that the current flight phase has changed from another flight phase to a landing approach phase.

[0098] refer to Figure 5 The image shows an aircraft including a computing system 104 (e.g., Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating an example of the lifecycle of an aircraft (100) is provided, and this flowchart is designated as method 500. Computational system 104 includes a flight management system 130, which includes an approach monitoring system 102 and flight phase mode logic 134, which can be executed by processor 126 to reduce or mitigate risks associated with unstable landing approaches. During pre-production, method 500 includes, at block 502, the specifications and design of the aircraft. During the specification and design phase of the aircraft, method 500 may include the specifications and design of computational system 104. Computational system 104 may include... Figure 1 The components shown and one or more additional components. In block 504, method 500 includes material procurement, which may include obtaining components of computing system 104 or assembled computing system 104.

[0099] During production, method 500 includes, in block 506, the manufacture of components and sub-assemblies, and in block 508, the system integration of the aircraft. For example, method 500 may include the manufacture of sub-assemblies of components of computing system 104 and the system integration of the assembled computing system 104 into the aircraft. At block 510, method 500 includes the certification and delivery of the aircraft, and at block 512, putting the aircraft into service. Certification and delivery may include certifying computing system 104 to put computing system 104 and the aircraft into service. When used by a customer, the aircraft may be scheduled for routine maintenance and servicing (which may also include updates, modifications, reconfigurations, refurbishments, etc.). At block 514, method 500 includes performing maintenance and servicing on the aircraft, which may include performing maintenance and servicing on computing system 104.

[0100] The various blocks 502-514 of method 500 can be performed or implemented by a system integrator, a third party, and / or an aircraft operator (e.g., a customer). For the purposes of this specification, a system integrator may include, but is not limited to, any number of aircraft manufacturers and main system subcontractors; a third party may include, but is not limited to, any number of vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers; and an operator may be an airline, leasing company, military entity, service organization, etc.

[0101] Various aspects of this disclosure can be described in the context of examples of vehicles. (Refer to...) Figure 5 Specific examples of lifecycle-related vehicles described are as follows: Figure 6 The aircraft shown is 600. Figure 6 In the example, aircraft 600 includes a fuselage 602 having multiple systems 604 and an interior 606. Examples of the multiple systems 604 include one or more of a propulsion system 608, an electronic system 610, an environmental system 612, a hydraulic system 614, and a computing system 104. Any number of additional systems may be included, and one or more systems 604 and additional systems may be electrically and / or physically coupled together. One or more systems (e.g., hydraulic system 614), or combinations thereof, may be omitted. Figure 6 In the example, computing system 104 is Figure 1 The computing system includes a flight management system 130 with an approach monitoring system 102 and flight phase mode logic 134. The computing system 104 is configured to support the control of the aircraft 600 during the landing approach phase of the aircraft 600's flight.

[0102] Figure 7This is an illustration of a block diagram of a computing environment 700 including a general-purpose computing device 702, which is configured to support the implementation of computer-implemented methods and computer-executable program instructions (or code) according to the present disclosure. For example, the computing device 702 or a portion thereof may be executable for performing or causing the device to perform reference... Figures 1 to 4 The instructions for the described operation. In the embodiment, the computing device 702 is the computing system 104, communication system 106, sensor system 108, user input system 110, output system 112 of the aircraft 100, or a combination thereof, or as a component thereof.

[0103] Computing device 702 includes processor 704. In one embodiment, processor 704 includes... Figure 1 One or more processors 126. Processor 704 communicates with system memory 706, one or more storage devices 708, one or more input / output interfaces 710, one or more communication interfaces 712, or a combination thereof. System memory 706 includes non-volatile computer-readable media, including volatile memory devices (e.g., random access memory (RAM) devices), non-volatile memory devices (e.g., read-only memory (ROM) devices, programmable read-only memory, and flash memory), or both. System memory 706 includes operating system 714, which may include a basic input / output system for booting computing device 702 and a complete operating system enabling computing device 702 to interact with users, other programs, and other devices. System memory 706 includes one or more application programs 716 (e.g., instructions) executable by processor 704. In this embodiment, system memory 706 and one or more storage devices 708 include Figure 1 The storage device, and one or more applications 716 include Figure 1 The system includes a flight management system 130, an approach monitoring system 102, a flight phase mode logic 134, a control system 118, and an alarm system 132.

[0104] Processor 704 communicates with one or more storage devices 708. For example, one or more storage devices 708 are non-volatile computer-readable media, which may include non-volatile storage devices such as disks, optical discs, or flash memory devices. Storage device 708 may include removable and non-removable storage devices. Storage device 708 may be configured to store an operating system, images of the operating system, application and program data. In a specific embodiment, system memory 706, storage device 708, or both include tangible computer-readable media incorporated in hardware and not signals.

[0105] Processor 704 communicates with one or more input / output interfaces 710, which enable computing device 702 to communicate with one or more input / output devices 718 to facilitate user interaction. Input / output interfaces 710 may include serial interfaces (e.g., a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface or an IEEE 1364 interface), parallel interfaces, display adapters, audio adapters, and other interfaces. Input / output devices 718 may include sticks, keyboards, pointing devices, displays, speakers, microphones, touchscreens, and other devices. Processor 704 detects interaction events based on user input received via input / output interfaces 710. Furthermore, processor 704 sends displays to display devices via input / output interfaces 710. In some embodiments, input / output devices 718 include... Figure 1 User input system 110 and output system 112.

[0106] The processor 704 can communicate with one or more devices 720 via one or more communication interfaces 712. The one or more devices 720 may include computing devices external to the aircraft 100, as well as controllers, sensors, and other devices of the aircraft 100. The one or more communication interfaces 712 may include a wired Ethernet interface, an IEEE 802 wireless interface, other wireless communication interfaces, one or more converters that convert analog signals to digital signals, one or more converters that convert electrical signals to optical signals, one or more converters that convert received optical signals to electrical signals, or other network interfaces.

[0107] Refer to the following set of related examples to further describe various aspects of this disclosure: According to Example 1, the aircraft includes: multiple sensors; and one or more computing systems configured to receive aircraft data and flight plan data from the multiple sensors, wherein the one or more computing systems are further configured to execute instructions to: determine a target path for the landing approach phase based on the flight plan data; during the initial approach phase for the landing approach phase, determine the status of each monitoring condition in a first set of monitoring conditions and the area including the status of the monitoring condition based on the target path and the aircraft data, wherein each monitoring condition includes the target area; during the final approach phase for the landing approach phase, determine the status of each monitoring condition in a second set of monitoring conditions and the area including the status of the monitoring condition based on the target path and the aircraft data, wherein the second set of monitoring conditions includes one or more monitoring conditions in the first set of monitoring conditions and one or more additional monitoring conditions, and wherein each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions includes the target area; access notification content for the area of ​​a specific monitoring condition, wherein the status of the specific monitoring condition is outside the target area for the specific monitoring condition; and send one or more notification signals to one or more output systems based on the notification content.

[0108] Example 2 includes the aircraft of Example 1, wherein one or more computing systems are further configured to execute instructions to: determine that the state of a monitoring condition among a plurality of monitoring conditions in a first set of monitoring conditions is outside the corresponding target area; and to apply a prioritization rule to the plurality of monitoring conditions to determine the priority order of the plurality of monitoring conditions, wherein the particular monitoring condition has the highest priority.

[0109] Example 3 includes an aircraft as in Example 2, wherein one or more computing systems are further configured to execute instructions to, after sending one or more notification signals: determine that the second monitoring condition has the highest priority based on the state of the second monitoring condition; in response to a determination that one or more notification signals are not associated with the second monitoring condition, access a second notification content in a specific area of ​​the second monitoring condition that includes the state of the second monitoring condition; and send one or more notification signals to one or more output systems based on the second notification content.

[0110] Example 4 includes an aircraft of any one of Examples 1 to 3, wherein the region of a specific monitoring condition includes: a target region, a first terminal region, and one or more intermediate regions between the target region and the first terminal region, and wherein one or more computing systems are further configured to execute instructions to: determine an update status of the specific monitoring condition based on current aircraft data; and, in response to a first determination that the region of the specific monitoring condition including the update status has changed to an intermediate region closer to the target region among one or more intermediate regions and that the specific monitoring condition has the highest priority among monitoring conditions located outside the corresponding target region, continue to determine the update status based on the current aircraft data without accessing the notification content of the specific monitoring condition.

[0111] Example 5 includes an aircraft as described in any of Examples 1 to 4, wherein one or more computing systems are further configured to execute instructions to: determine an updated state of monitoring conditions based on current aircraft data; and, in response to a determination that a region including a specific monitoring condition whose updated state has changed to a target region and a state without monitoring conditions is outside the corresponding target region, terminate providing one or more notification signals to one or more output systems to indicate a stable approach.

[0112] According to Example 6, a method includes: determining a target path for a landing approach phase based on flight plan data at a computing system of an aircraft; during the initial approach phase for the landing approach phase, determining, based on the target path and aircraft data, the status of each monitoring condition in a first set of monitoring conditions and the area including the status of the monitoring condition, wherein the area for each monitoring condition includes a target area; during the final approach phase for the landing approach phase, determining, based on the target path and aircraft data, the status of each monitoring condition in a second set of monitoring conditions and the area including the status of the monitoring condition, wherein the second set of monitoring conditions includes one or more monitoring conditions from the first set of monitoring conditions and one or more additional monitoring conditions, and wherein each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions includes a target area; accessing notification content of the area for a specific monitoring condition at the computing system, wherein the status for the specific monitoring condition is outside the target area for the specific monitoring condition; and sending one or more notification signals from the computing system to one or more output systems based on the notification content.

[0113] Example 7 includes the method of Example 6, and further includes: determining that the state of a monitoring condition among multiple monitoring conditions in a second set of monitoring conditions is outside the corresponding target area; and applying a prioritization rule to multiple monitoring conditions to determine the priority order of the multiple monitoring conditions, wherein the particular monitoring condition has the highest priority.

[0114] Example 8 includes a method as in Example 7, wherein a prioritization rule gives a higher priority to a first monitoring condition having a state in the end region of a first monitoring condition than to a second monitoring condition having a state in the intermediate region between the target region of a second monitoring condition and the end region of the second monitoring condition.

[0115] Example 9 includes a method as in Example 7 or Example 8, and further includes, after sending one or more notification signals: determining that the second monitoring condition has the highest priority based on the state of the second monitoring condition; in response to a determination that one or more notification signals are not associated with the second monitoring condition, accessing a second notification content of a specific area of ​​the second monitoring condition, which includes the state of the second monitoring condition; and sending one or more notification signals to one or more output systems based on the second notification content.

[0116] Example 10 includes a method as in any of Examples 6 to 9, wherein the region of a specific monitoring condition includes: a target region, a first end region, and one or more intermediate regions between the target region and the first end region, and further includes: determining an update status of the specific monitoring condition based on current aircraft data; and in response to a first determination that the region of the specific monitoring condition including the update status has changed to an intermediate region closer to the target region among one or more intermediate regions and that the specific monitoring condition has the highest priority among monitoring conditions outside the corresponding target region, continuing to determine the update status based on current aircraft data without accessing the notification content of the specific monitoring condition.

[0117] Example 11 includes a method as in Example 10, wherein the width of the target region varies with height during at least a portion of the final entry.

[0118] Example 12 includes the method of any one of Examples 6 to 11, and further includes: determining an updated state of monitoring conditions based on current aircraft data; and, in response to a determination that a region including a specific monitoring condition whose updated state has changed to a target region and a state without monitoring conditions is outside the corresponding target region, ending the provision of one or more notification signals to one or more output systems to indicate a stable approach.

[0119] Example 13 includes a method as in any of Examples 6 to 12, wherein the region of the first monitoring condition includes: a target region, a first end region, and one or more intermediate regions between the target region and the first end region, and wherein determining the state of the first monitoring condition of the second set of monitoring conditions includes: determining the rate of change of the state of the first monitoring condition away from the target region; and in response to the rate of change indicating that the state of the first monitoring condition will be included in a specific region before a threshold time has elapsed, pausing the determination of the state of the first monitoring condition until the threshold time has elapsed when one or more regions are located between the first region including the current state of the monitoring condition and the specific region.

[0120] Example 14 includes a method as described in any of Examples 6 to 13, wherein the computing system includes both flight phase mode logic and an approach monitoring system, wherein the flight phase mode logic is used to determine the current flight phase and the approach monitoring system is used to provide notification when the approach is not a stable approach, to automatically initiate a go-around based on one or more conditions at an altitude below a critical altitude, or for both.

[0121] Example 15 includes the method of Example 14, and further includes: changing the approach monitoring system to standby mode in response to the initiation of a go-around and in response to the flight phase being a specific phase other than the landing approach phase.

[0122] Example 16 includes the method of Example 14 or Example 15, and further includes: activating the approach monitoring system in response to flight phase mode logic determining that the flight phase is the initial approach phase of the landing approach phase.

[0123] According to Example 17, a non-volatile computer-readable medium includes instructions, wherein the instructions are executable by one or more processors during a landing approach phase of an aircraft to cause the one or more processors to: determine a target path for the landing approach phase based on flight plan data; during the initial approach phase for the landing approach phase, determine, based on the target path and aircraft data, the state of each monitoring condition in a first set of monitoring conditions and an area including the state of the monitoring condition, wherein the area for each monitoring condition includes a target area; during the final approach phase for the landing approach phase, determine, based on the target path and aircraft data, the state of each monitoring condition in a second set of monitoring conditions and an area including the state of the monitoring condition, wherein the second set of monitoring conditions includes one or more monitoring conditions in the first set of monitoring conditions and one or more additional monitoring conditions, and wherein each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions includes a target area; access notification content of an area for a specific monitoring condition, wherein the state for the specific monitoring condition is outside the target area for the specific monitoring condition; and send one or more notification signals to one or more output systems based on the notification content.

[0124] Example 18 includes a non-volatile computer-readable medium as in Example 17, wherein the instructions may also be executed by one or more processors to: determine that the state of a monitoring condition among a plurality of monitoring conditions is outside a corresponding target area; and apply a prioritization rule to the plurality of monitoring conditions to determine a priority order of the plurality of monitoring conditions, wherein the particular monitoring condition has the highest priority.

[0125] Example 19 includes a non-volatile computer-readable medium as in Example 17 or Example 18, wherein the region of a specific monitoring condition includes: a target region, a first end region, and one or more intermediate regions between the target region and the first end region, and wherein instructions may also be executed by one or more processors to: determine an update status of the specific monitoring condition based on current aircraft data; and, in response to a first determination that the region of the specific monitoring condition including the update status has changed to an intermediate region closer to the target region among one or more intermediate regions and that the specific monitoring condition has the highest priority among monitoring conditions outside the corresponding target region, continue to determine the update status based on current aircraft data without accessing the notification content of the specific monitoring condition.

[0126] Example 20 includes a non-volatile computer-readable medium as in any of Examples 17 to 19, wherein the instructions may also be executed by one or more processors to: determine an updated state of monitoring conditions based on current aircraft data; and, in response to a determination that a region including a specific monitoring condition whose updated state has changed to a target region and that a state without monitoring conditions is outside the corresponding target region, terminate the provision of one or more notification signals to one or more output systems to indicate a stable approach.

[0127] The abstract of this disclosure is provided to be understood not to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, in the foregoing specific embodiments, different features may be combined together or described in a single embodiment for the purpose of simplification. The foregoing examples are illustrative but not limiting of this disclosure. It should also be understood that many modifications and variations are possible based on the principles of this disclosure. As reflected in the following claims, the claimed subject matter may involve fewer features than all features of any of the disclosed examples. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising: Multiple sensors; as well as One or more computing systems are configured to receive aircraft data and flight plan data from the plurality of sensors, wherein the one or more computing systems are further configured to execute instructions to: Based on the flight plan data, a target path is determined for the landing approach phase; During the initial approach phase for the landing approach phase, based on the target path and the aircraft data, the state of each monitoring condition in the first set of monitoring conditions and the area of ​​the monitoring condition including the state are determined, wherein each monitoring condition includes the target area; During the final approach phase for the landing approach phase, based on the target path and the aircraft data, the status of each monitoring condition in the second set of monitoring conditions and the area of ​​the monitoring condition including the status are determined, wherein the second set of monitoring conditions includes one or more monitoring conditions in the first set of monitoring conditions and one or more additional monitoring conditions, and wherein each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions includes the target area. Notification content for accessing an area under specific monitoring conditions, wherein the status for said specific monitoring conditions is outside the target area for said specific monitoring conditions; and Based on the notification content, one or more notification signals are sent to one or more output systems.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more computing systems are also configured to execute instructions to: Determine that the status of one of the multiple monitoring conditions in the first set of monitoring conditions is outside the corresponding target area; as well as Prioritization rules are applied to the plurality of monitoring conditions to determine the priority order of the plurality of monitoring conditions, wherein the particular monitoring condition has the highest priority.

3. The aircraft according to claim 2, wherein, The one or more computing systems are also configured to execute instructions, after the one or more notification signals are sent: Based on the status of the second monitoring condition, it is determined that the second monitoring condition has the highest priority; In response to a determination that the one or more notification signals are not associated with the second monitoring condition, access the second notification content of a specific area in the second monitoring condition that includes the state of the second monitoring condition; as well as Based on the content of the second notification, one or more notification signals are sent to the one or more output systems.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The specific monitoring conditions include: the target area, the first terminal area, and one or more intermediate areas between the target area and the first terminal area, wherein the one or more computing systems are further configured to execute instructions to: The update status of the specific monitoring condition is determined based on current aircraft data, flight plan data, or both current aircraft data and flight plan data; and In response to a first determination that the region including the specific monitoring condition of the updated status has changed to an intermediate region closer to the target region among the one or more intermediate regions and that the specific monitoring condition has the highest priority among monitoring conditions outside the corresponding target region, the update status continues to be determined based on the current aircraft data without accessing the notification content of the specific monitoring condition.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more computing systems are also configured to execute instructions to: The update status of the monitoring conditions is determined based on current aircraft data, flight plan data, or both current aircraft data and flight plan data. as well as In response to the determination that the region including the specific monitoring condition of the updated state has changed to the target region and the state without monitoring condition is outside the corresponding target region, the provision of one or more notification signals to the one or more output systems to indicate stable entry is terminated.

6. A method for responding to an unstable entry, comprising: The target path for the landing approach phase is determined at the aircraft's computing system based on flight plan data; During the initial approach phase for the landing approach phase, the computing system determines the state of each monitoring condition in the first set of monitoring conditions and the area of ​​the monitoring condition including the state, based on the target path and aircraft data, wherein the area for each monitoring condition includes the target area; During the final approach phase for the landing approach phase, at the computing system, based on the target path and the aircraft data, the state of each monitoring condition in a second set of monitoring conditions and the area of ​​the monitoring condition including the state are determined, wherein the second set of monitoring conditions includes one or more monitoring conditions in the first set of monitoring conditions and one or more additional monitoring conditions, and wherein each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions includes the target area. The notification content for accessing a region with a specific monitoring condition at the computing system, wherein the status for the specific monitoring condition is outside the target region for the specific monitoring condition; and Based on the notification content, one or more notification signals are sent from the computing system to one or more output systems.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: Determine that the status of one of the monitoring conditions in the second set of monitoring conditions is outside the corresponding target area; as well as Prioritization rules are applied to the plurality of monitoring conditions to determine the priority order of the plurality of monitoring conditions, wherein the particular monitoring condition has the highest priority.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The prioritization rule gives a higher priority to the first monitoring condition of the state in the terminal region with the first monitoring condition than to the second monitoring condition of the state in the intermediate region between the target region with the second monitoring condition and the terminal region with the second monitoring condition.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising, after sending the one or more notification signals: Based on the status of the second monitoring condition, it is determined that the second monitoring condition has the highest priority. In response to a determination that the one or more notification signals are not associated with the second monitoring condition, access a second notification content for a specific area of ​​the second monitoring condition, the second notification content including the status of the second monitoring condition; as well as Based on the content of the second notification, one or more notification signals are sent to the one or more output systems.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The area under the specific monitoring conditions includes: the target area, the first terminal area, and one or more intermediate areas between the target area and the first terminal area, and further includes: Determine the update status of the specific monitoring conditions based on current aircraft data; and In response to a first determination that the region including the specific monitoring condition of the updated status has changed to an intermediate region closer to the target region among the one or more intermediate regions and that the specific monitoring condition has the highest priority among monitoring conditions outside the corresponding target region, the update status continues to be determined based on the current aircraft data without accessing the notification content of the specific monitoring condition.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The width of the target area varies with height during at least a portion of the final approach.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising: The update status of the monitoring conditions is determined based on the current aircraft data; as well as In response to the determination that the region including the specific monitoring condition of the updated state has changed to the target region and the state without monitoring condition is outside the corresponding target region, the provision of one or more notification signals to the one or more output systems to indicate stable entry is terminated.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The area of ​​the first monitoring condition includes: the target area, the first terminal area, and one or more intermediate areas between the target area and the first terminal area, and wherein determining the state of the first monitoring condition in the second set of monitoring conditions includes: Determine the rate of change of the state of the first monitoring condition away from the target area; and In response to the rate of change indicating that the state of the first monitoring condition will be included in a specific region before a threshold time has elapsed, when one or more regions are located between a first region including the current state of the monitoring condition and the specific region, the determination of the state of the first monitoring condition is paused until the threshold time has elapsed.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The computing system includes both a flight phase mode logic and an approach monitoring system. The flight phase mode logic is used to determine the current flight phase, and the approach monitoring system is used to provide notification when the approach is not a stable approach, to automatically initiate a go-around based on one or more conditions at an altitude below a critical altitude, or for both of these purposes.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: In response to the initiation of a go-around and in response to the current flight phase being a specific phase other than the landing approach phase, the approach monitoring system is switched to standby mode.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: In response to the flight phase mode logic determining that the current flight phase is the initial approach of the landing approach phase, the approach monitoring system is activated.

17. A non-volatile computer-readable medium comprising instructions, wherein, The instructions can be executed by one or more processors during the landing approach phase of the aircraft, such that the one or more processors: Determine the target path for the landing approach phase based on flight plan data; During the initial approach phase for the landing approach phase, based on the target path and aircraft data, the state of each monitoring condition in the first set of monitoring conditions and the area of ​​the monitoring condition including the state are determined, wherein the area for each monitoring condition includes the target area; During the final approach phase for the landing approach phase, based on the target path and the aircraft data, the status of each monitoring condition in the second set of monitoring conditions and the area of ​​the monitoring condition including the status are determined, wherein the second set of monitoring conditions includes one or more monitoring conditions in the first set of monitoring conditions and one or more additional monitoring conditions, and wherein each of the one or more additional monitoring conditions includes the target area. Notification content for accessing an area under specific monitoring conditions, wherein the status for said specific monitoring conditions is outside the target area for said specific monitoring conditions; and Based on the notification content, one or more notification signals are sent to one or more output systems.

18. The non-volatile computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein, The instructions can also be executed by the one or more processors to: Determine that the status of one of the multiple monitoring conditions is outside the corresponding target area; as well as Prioritization rules are applied to the plurality of monitoring conditions to determine the priority order of the plurality of monitoring conditions, wherein the particular monitoring condition has the highest priority.

19. The non-volatile computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein, The specific monitoring conditions include: the target region, the first terminal region, and one or more intermediate regions between the target region and the first terminal region, and wherein the instructions can also be executed by the one or more processors to: Determine the update status of the specific monitoring conditions based on current aircraft data; and In response to a first determination that the region including the specific monitoring condition of the updated status has changed to an intermediate region closer to the target region among the one or more intermediate regions and that the specific monitoring condition has the highest priority among monitoring conditions outside the corresponding target region, the update status continues to be determined based on the current aircraft data without accessing the notification content of the specific monitoring condition.

20. The non-volatile computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein, The instructions can also be executed by the one or more processors to: Determine the updated status of monitoring conditions based on current aircraft data; as well as In response to the determination that the region of the specific monitoring condition, including the updated state, has changed to the target region and that the state of no monitoring condition is outside the corresponding target region, the provision of one or more notification signals to the one or more output systems to indicate stable entry is terminated.