Aircraft Control Station Touch Positioning Navigation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Controlling aircraft from a ground control station is challenging due to difficulties in obtaining a sense of the surrounding environment, particularly depth of field, which can lead to operator error, latency, and increased stress during operations like load pickup or landing, especially in optionally piloted vehicles or unmanned aerial vehicles with blind zones.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a control station to receive a command for re-location of an aircraft, determining the distance, direction, altitude, and latitude/longitude to transmit precise navigation instructions to the aircraft, enhancing operator awareness through touch positioning and real-time sensor data, allowing confident positioning over or away from objects on the ground.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual joystick control is used to maneuver the aircraft, then the operator can control the aircraft direction, but the operation becomes time-consuming and prone to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service control by allowing the aircraft to autonomously navigate to selected locations. The operator simply taps a destination on the map interface, and the aircraft automatically calculates and executes the navigation path without requiring continuous manual joystick adjustments, thus eliminating time-consuming manual control while maintaining operational ease
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating navigation parameters (distance, direction, altitude, latitude, longitude) before the aircraft begins movement. The control station determines all necessary flight parameters in advance based on the selected destination, allowing the aircraft to execute pre-planned navigation rather than requiring real-time manual adjustments during flight
2Productivity
If frequent manual adjustments are made to control the aircraft, then the aircraft can reach the destination, but operator stress increases and errors become more likely
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical joystick control system with an automated digital control system. Instead of manual mechanical adjustments, the control station computes navigation parameters and transmits digital commands to the aircraft's flight control system, eliminating operator stress and errors while maintaining or improving maneuvering speed
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the aircraft's position and comparing it to the desired destination. The control station receives location data from the aircraft and automatically adjusts navigation commands based on real-time position feedback, ensuring accurate and efficient arrival at the destination without requiring stressful manual intervention
3Reliability
If the operator monitors aircraft status continuously, then flight safety is maintained, but the operation becomes taxing and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service monitoring by implementing automated tracking of aircraft status parameters. The control station automatically receives and processes location, altitude, and flight status data from the aircraft without requiring continuous manual monitoring by the operator, thereby maintaining flight safety while significantly reducing operator workload
Solution Approach 2:
The system ensures continuity of useful action by maintaining constant automated monitoring of aircraft status through continuous data transmission from the aircraft to the control station. This uninterrupted automated surveillance maintains flight safety without requiring the operator to continuously engage in taxing manual monitoring tasks
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are directed to receiving, by a control station, an input including a command for re-location of a vehicle from a first location to a second location, the input identifying the second location, determining, by the control station, at least one of a distance, a direction, an altitude, and a latitude and longitude for the vehicle to travel from the first location to the second location, and transmitting, by the control station, the command and the at least one of a distance, a direction, an altitude, and a latitude and longitude to the vehicle.