AF-ROAAS Integration for Runway Overrun Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for aerial vehicles during approach and landing phases do not adequately reduce the likelihood of go-around maneuvers and runway excursions, despite the presence of safety systems like AFCS and ROAAS.

Innovation Solution

Integration of a Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting System (ROAAS) with an Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) to monitor flight parameters, determine landing distance values, and activate an AF-ROAAS protection mode to adjust the vehicle's energy state and reduce the likelihood of runway excursions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If pilots manually monitor flight parameters and determine landing distances during approach and landing phases, then operational flexibility is maintained, but the likelihood of runway excursions and go-around maneuvers increases due to human error and reaction time limitations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety during approach and landingVSAvoidintegration of ROAAS with AFCS

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting System (ROAAS) with the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) to create an integrated system. The ROAAS monitors flight parameters and calculates landing distance requirements, while the AFCS executes automatic control actions. This merging of monitoring and control functions into a unified automated system resolves the contradiction by eliminating manual intervention errors while maintaining operational reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary calculations of landing distance requirements based on monitored flight parameters before the actual landing occurs. By continuously computing the required landing distance and comparing it with available runway length in advance, the system can proactively adjust flight parameters to ensure safe landing within available runway, preventing runway excursions before they happen.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the ROAAS system continuously monitors flight parameters and calculates landing distance values, then accuracy in determining runway excursion risk is improved, but computational load and system resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelanding distance value determinationVSAvoidenergy consumption during approach and landing

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic monitoring and calculation cycles for flight parameters and landing distance determinations. Rather than continuous high-frequency processing, the system updates landing distance values at appropriate intervals during the approach and landing phases. This periodic action maintains sufficient measurement precision for safety decisions while significantly reducing computational load and energy consumption compared to truly continuous processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Reliability

If the AF-ROAAS protection mode automatically adjusts vehicle energy state to reduce runway excursion likelihood, then safety is enhanced, but fuel consumption increases due to additional energy management actions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverunway excursion preventionVSAvoidfuel consumption during approach and landing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs feedback control by continuously monitoring flight parameters, calculating landing distance requirements, and comparing these with available runway length. Based on this feedback loop, the AF-ROAAS protection mode automatically adjusts vehicle energy state only when necessary to ensure safe landing within available runway. This feedback-based approach enhances safety while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption by acting only when the comparison indicates a potential runway excursion risk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250336304A1Systems and methods for reducing a likelihood of using a go around maneuver while landing an aerial vehicle

Publication Date: 2025.10.30 HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for landing of an aerial vehicle on a runway. The systems include a runway overrun awareness and alerting system (ROAAS) configured to: monitor flight parameters during an approach phase and landing phase of a flight, and determine a landing distance value based on the flight parameters, an automatic flight control system (AFCS) including an automatic flight runway overrun awareness and alerting system (AF-ROAAS) protection mode configured to adjust energy of the aerial vehicle during the approach phase and/or the landing phase to reduce a likelihood of the aerial vehicle overrunning the runway, and a controller configured to: compare the landing distance value and an available runway length value to a threshold criterion, wherein the threshold criterion corresponds to the likelihood of the vehicle overrunning the runway, and automatically activating the AF-ROAAS protection mode in response to a determination that the threshold criterion is met.