Aircraft Energy State Visualization for Stabilized Approach
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Achieving a stabilized aircraft approach is challenging, especially in adverse conditions, due to pilot workload and compliance with regulatory constraints on electronic flight bag (EFB) usage, which limits the display of information and increases the risk of unstabilized approaches.
Innovation Solution
The system provides a graphical user interface on a display device showing a reference axis with graphical indications of targeted and current energy states, dynamically updating to reflect the aircraft's energy parameters, helping pilots maintain a stable approach by visualizing the difference between target and current states without violating regulatory constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If EFB devices are used to display approach information, then pilot workload is reduced and information access is improved, but regulatory constraints limit the display capabilities and information presentation options
Solution Approach 1:
The display information is segmented into distinct functional zones: energy state indicators showing current versus target values, configuration change indicators showing upcoming changes and timing, and guidance indicators. This segmentation allows each element to be displayed clearly within regulatory constraints while providing comprehensive approach information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses vertical positioning on the display to encode multiple dimensions of information simultaneously. The reference axis provides a vertical scale where position indicates energy state magnitude, allowing pilots to assess multiple parameters (energy state, configuration timing) from vertical position alone, thereby maximizing information density within display limitations.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive approach information is displayed, then situational awareness is improved, but pilot attention is divided and workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the most critical approach parameters for display: current and target energy states, configuration change timing, and stabilization criteria status. By selecting and displaying only these essential elements rather than all available data, the system maintains high situational awareness while minimizing display complexity and pilot cognitive load.
Solution Approach 2:
The display uses color coding to convey energy state information: green indicates energy state within acceptable range, yellow indicates approaching limits, and red indicates exceeding limits. This color-based encoding allows pilots to rapidly assess approach stability without processing numerical values, reducing cognitive load while maintaining comprehensive situational awareness.
3Reliability
If detailed energy state parameters are monitored, then approach stability is improved, but display space requirements increase and regulatory compliance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple energy state parameters (vertical speed, ground speed, configuration status) into a single integrated energy state indicator displayed against the reference axis. This consolidation provides comprehensive approach stability monitoring through one visual element rather than requiring separate displays for each parameter, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing display area usage.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for guiding or otherwise assisting a stabilized approach to a destination by presenting an energy state associated with an aircraft with respect to a target energy state for the stabilized approach. One method involves providing a graphical indication of a targeted energy state at a first position, a second graphical indication of a current energy state at a second position, and a third graphical indication of a configuration change at a third position. The distance with respect to a reference axis between the first position and the second position corresponds to a difference between a target parameter value associated with the targeted energy state and a current parameter value associated with the current energy state, and while a second distance between the first position and the third position with respect to the reference axis corresponds to an estimated amount of time before the configuration change.