Airborne Docking Guidance for Low-Visibility Gate Parking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Visual Docking Guidance Systems (VDGS) are inadequate in low visibility conditions and incur high costs and maintenance expenses, posing challenges for aircraft pilots navigating to and parking at airport gates.
Innovation Solution
An airport docking guidance system comprising a ground-based subsystem and an aircraft-based subsystem that uses airport gate databases, position error receiving systems, and processing systems to determine and display aircraft position and heading deviations, providing real-time guidance to pilots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Visual Docking Guidance System (VDGS) is used to provide visual indications and direction cues to pilots, then docking guidance is provided to help navigate aircraft to parking position, but the system becomes inadequate in low visibility conditions and requires high investment and maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the visual-optical VDGS system with an electronic navigation system using GPS receivers, inertial measurement units (IMU), and electronic displays. This substitution eliminates dependence on visual conditions while providing continuous docking guidance through electronic instruments that calculate and display position deviations and heading angles regardless of visibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary computational systems including ground-based reference stations, GPS satellites, and onboard processing units that mediate between the aircraft and the gate. These intermediaries provide indirect guidance through calculated position data and electronic cues rather than direct visual lines of sight, enabling operation in low visibility conditions
2Adaptability or versatility
If Visual Docking Guidance System (VDGS) is deployed at numerous airport gates, then docking guidance is available at multiple locations, but investment costs and maintenance costs become relatively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal docking guidance system where a single aircraft-mounted electronic navigation system can serve multiple gates and airports. The GPS/IMU-based system with electronic displays provides gate-specific guidance through software configuration rather than requiring separate physical VDGS installations at each gate, reducing overall deployment and maintenance costs while maintaining multi-gate adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses virtual copies of gate reference data and electronic representations of docking positions stored in databases. Instead of requiring physical VDGS hardware at each gate location, the system creates and transmits digital copies of gate geometry, parking positions, and alignment data to aircraft, enabling cost-effective multi-gate support through information replication rather than physical duplication
3Ease of manufacture
If manual navigation is used by aircraft pilot, then no system cost is incurred, but docking task becomes challenging especially in difficult conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service docking guidance where the aircraft's own onboard systems (GPS receiver, inertial measurement unit, electronic display) provide autonomous navigation assistance. The system automatically calculates position deviations, computes heading angles, and presents guidance cues without requiring external VDGS infrastructure or manual procedures, reducing costs while easing operational difficulty through automated real-time feedback
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates continuous feedback loops where the onboard navigation system constantly monitors aircraft position via GPS and inertial sensors, compares actual position against desired docking position, and provides real-time electronic guidance cues displaying position deviations and corrective heading information. This automated feedback reduces docking difficulty without requiring expensive external guidance infrastructure
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for providing airport docking guidance for an aircraft includes supplying, from an airport gate database, airport gate data parking data indicative of gate position points and a gate aircraft parking headings. Aircraft data is supplied from an aircraft data source. Position error data is supplied from a position error receiving system. Airport gate data for one airport gate is retrieved. A processing system processes the aircraft data and the position error data to determine, for the one airport gate, an aircraft position point, an aircraft position deviation, and an aircraft heading deviation. The position error data may be supplied from a ground-based position error transmission system that at least selectively determines, from airport gate data and a ground-based position measurement system, the position error data and transmits the position error data.