Aircraft Ground Guidance Using a Virtual Dynamic Point
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft pilots face challenges in manually controlling aircraft movements on the ground, especially in adverse weather conditions or when navigating complex paths, which can lead to deviations from intended paths or collisions with obstacles, due to the need to divide attention between controlling the aircraft and monitoring the environment.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that generate a virtual dynamic point based on aircraft kinematics, allowing the aircraft to follow a target trajectory automatically, reducing pilot dependence on physical reference points and minimizing manual control actions, by using a beacon unit to select a travel path and a control unit to generate guidance commands for the aircraft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pilot manually controls the aircraft movements on the ground, then the pilot can respond to immediate situations, but the pilot's attention is significantly occupied, reducing ability to monitor the external environment
Solution Approach 1:
The aircraft equips itself with automated ground movement control systems including beacon units, navigation units, and control units that enable the aircraft to autonomously follow target trajectories and avoid obstacles, freeing the pilot from continuous manual control tasks while maintaining situational awareness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an automated control system as an intermediary between the pilot and the aircraft's movement control. The beacon unit receives positioning data, the navigation unit calculates optimal paths, and the control unit executes steering commands, acting as an intelligent mediator that handles routine control tasks while the pilot focuses on higher-level decision making
2Manufacturing precision
If the pilot focuses on controlling the aircraft movement, then the control precision is maintained, but the pilot cannot sufficiently monitor obstacles and other vehicles in the external environment
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously receives positioning data from beacon units and compares the aircraft's actual position with the target trajectory, providing real-time feedback to the navigation unit which adjusts the path calculation and provides feedback to the control unit for precise trajectory following while enabling parallel environmental monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual pilot control with an automated electronic control system that uses beacon positioning, navigation algorithms, and electronic control signals to maintain precise trajectory following, thereby freeing the pilot's cognitive resources for environmental monitoring
3Quantity of substance
If the aircraft has extended length with many types of commercial and military aircraft, then the cargo capacity is increased, but the control difficulty around bends increases due to long wheelbase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the nose landing gear steering angle based on real-time aircraft position, speed, and trajectory curvature. The control unit continuously adjusts the steering commands to optimize the long wheelbase aircraft's response to bends, making the controllability dynamic rather than static, thereby enabling safe operation of extended-length aircraft on complex ground paths
4Measurement precision
If additional aids such as external cameras are installed on the aircraft, then the pilot can verify wheel position on the travel path, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using physical cameras to visually verify position, the patent creates a virtual copy of the aircraft's position and orientation data from the beacon unit and combines it with the target trajectory to generate a virtual representation of the aircraft's location on the path. This virtual positioning information provides equivalent verification accuracy without requiring additional physical sensing equipment
Data Source
AI summary
A beacon unit (2) configured to generate a virtual point (TP) which is moveable along a virtual trajectory (TR), from one or more data item(s) of a kinematics of the aircraft (AC). The device includes a control unit (4) configured to generate an order to move the aircraft towards a dynamic point (TP) and thus along the target trajectory (TR).