3D Flying Space Interfaces for Aircraft Collision Avoidance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aircraft user interfaces fail to effectively guide inexperienced pilots through new and different flight environments, potentially leading to dangerous situations due to lack of understanding of airspace restrictions and collision avoidance.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system that defines and maintains a three-dimensional (3D) flying space for aircraft, using user interfaces to present boundary information and location, ensuring the aircraft remains within the defined space, and automatically adjusting flight paths if necessary.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a three-dimensional flying space system is implemented to guide inexperienced pilots, then safety and understanding of airspace restrictions are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional flight representation to a three-dimensional flying space model. The system defines a 3D volume with vertical, horizontal, and depth boundaries, allowing inexperienced pilots to understand airspace restrictions in all spatial dimensions. This dimensional enhancement provides comprehensive guidance while maintaining manageable system complexity through structured boundary definitions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The flying space is segmented into distinct boundary components including vertical boundaries, horizontal boundaries, and depth boundaries. Each boundary type is independently defined and monitored, allowing the system to manage complexity by breaking down the 3D space into manageable segments that can be processed and presented separately to the pilot.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If multiple boundary information is presented to the pilot, then understanding of flight restrictions is improved, but information overload may occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidinterface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by presenting different types of boundary information in contextually appropriate ways. Vertical boundaries are presented when relevant to altitude restrictions, horizontal boundaries when applicable to lateral limits, and depth boundaries when pertinent to vertical clearance. This contextual presentation ensures information completeness while avoiding unnecessary complexity by showing only locally relevant boundary information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent presents boundary information across multiple dimensions - spatial (3D boundaries), temporal (real-time updates), and hierarchical (different levels of detail). This multi-dimensional presentation allows comprehensive information delivery while organizing complexity in a structured manner that enhances rather than overwhelms the pilot's understanding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the system automatically adjusts flight paths, then collision avoidance is improved, but pilot autonomy is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidpilot autonomy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the aircraft's position relative to 3D flying space boundaries and providing real-time information to the pilot. This feedback loop enables collision avoidance through pilot awareness and decision-making rather than automatic adjustment, preserving pilot autonomy while enhancing safety through informed control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3841564B1User interfaces for mutually exclusive three dimensional flying spaces
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 KITTY HAWK CORP
  • EP3841564B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3841564B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3841564B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

Boundary information associated with a three-dimensional (3D) flying space is obtained, including a boundary of the 3D flying space. Location information associated with an aircraft is obtained, including a location of the aircraft. Information is presented based at least in part on the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space and the location information associated with the aircraft, including by presenting, in a display, the boundary of the 3D flying space and an avatar representing the aircraft at the location of the aircraft.