Aircraft Join Flight Path for Predictable Mobile Point Intercept
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for joining a moving point in aircraft navigation systems either result in suboptimal flight paths, increased workload, and lack predictability, or are highly dependent on operator experience and do not utilize system capabilities effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method for constructing an optimal and predictable join flight path by acquiring state vectors for both the aircraft and the moving point, determining elementary join flight paths, and selecting an effective flight path based on capture constraints, using a capture time function to calculate meeting time, and implementing this method within a flight management system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the indirect use of fixed point join function with regular updates is used, then the mobile point joining capability is achieved, but the join flight path is not optimal, extending join time and leading to overconsumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transforming the static fixed-point join function into a dynamic mobile-point join capability. The system continuously updates the mobile point's position and recalculates the join flight path in real-time, allowing the aircraft to adapt to the moving target while optimizing the path dynamically. This resolves the contradiction by enabling mobile point joining without sacrificing optimality, as the path is continuously adjusted rather than using indirect fixed-point updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key parameters including the target point coordinates, flight path geometry, and capture conditions from static to dynamic values. By continuously updating the mobile point's position parameters and recalculating the join path based on current state vectors, the system achieves both adaptability to moving targets and optimality in terms of join time and resource consumption.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the indirect use of fixed point join function is used, then mobile point joining is possible, but the join point cannot be determined in advance and operation sequence cannot be anticipated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by calculating and determining the optimal join point and complete flight path in advance, before the aircraft executes the maneuver. The system uses the mobile point's current position, velocity, and acceleration to predict future positions and pre-calculates the optimal interception point and path geometry. This allows the crew to know the join point and operation sequence beforehand, maintaining predictability while achieving mobile point joining.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback by continuously monitoring the mobile point's actual position and comparing it with the predicted trajectory, then adjusting the join path calculations accordingly. This closed-loop approach ensures that the pre-calculated join point remains accurate and that the operation sequence can be anticipated, resolving the information loss about predictability.
3Ease of operation
If empirical manual joining by crew or operator is used, then the joining can be effective based on experience, but it is highly dependent on training and experience, remains additional workload, and does not allow use of flight management system capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the flight management system to autonomously calculate and generate the optimal join flight path without requiring manual intervention from the crew. The system automatically processes the mobile point's position data, computes the interception geometry, determines the join point, and provides the complete flight path instructions. This eliminates the additional workload and dependency on operator experience while maintaining effectiveness, as the system serves itself by leveraging its own computational capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual empirical method (mechanical human operation) with an automated computational system. Instead of relying on the crew's experience and manual calculations, the flight management system uses algorithms to compute the optimal join path, substituting human cognitive effort with automated processing. This reduces workload and device complexity while maintaining or improving effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a construction method of a joint flight path to a mobile point including the step of acquiring a first state vector defining the position of the aircraft at the moment t0, acquiring a second state vector defining the position of the mobile point at each moment t after the moment t0. The method further includes determining, for each position of the mobile point, an elementary join flight path of this position of the mobile point from the position of the aircraft defined by the first state vector at the moment t0 with a capture time Tt corresponding to the time of flight of the aircraft on this flight path. The method also includes determining the flight path such that its capture time Tt is substantially equal to the time elapsed between the moment t associated with this trajectory and the moment t0.