Aircraft Obstacle Database Clustering for Dense Urban Avionics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing obstacle databases for avionics systems are not suitable for flights in dense urban environments due to the high number of obstacles, posing performance challenges for calculation and display on onboard equipment with limited resources.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device and method for generating an obstacle database that creates global obstacle volumes encompassing multiple obstacles, simplifying calculations and displays by using spatial clustering algorithms to group obstacles based on density and elevation, and generating a modified database with these volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a detailed obstacle database with individual obstacles is used, then measurement precision of obstacle positions and elevations is improved, but device complexity and calculation burden increase for onboard equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual obstacle data points into a single global obstacle volume that encompasses all obstacles within a defined spatial region. This consolidation reduces the number of discrete obstacles from potentially thousands to a manageable number of volumetric regions, significantly decreasing calculation complexity while preserving essential spatial information for collision risk assessment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from representing obstacles as two-dimensional point data (position and elevation) to three-dimensional volumetric representations (global obstacle volumes with envelopes). This dimensional expansion allows the system to capture the spatial extent and vertical profile of obstacle clusters more efficiently, reducing the need for detailed individual obstacle data while maintaining safety margins
2Loss of information
If individual obstacle data is stored for each obstacle, then information completeness about obstacle locations is improved, but loss of time for processing and displaying obstacle information increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple obstacle location records into a single global obstacle volume entry that represents an entire cluster or region of obstacles. This merging reduces the total number of database queries and processing operations required during flight, as the system evaluates volumetric regions rather than individual point obstacles, significantly decreasing processing time while maintaining spatial awareness
Solution Approach 2:
The obstacle database is pre-processed on the ground to create global obstacle volumes that encompass multiple obstacles within defined spatial boundaries. This preliminary aggregation eliminates the need for real-time processing of individual obstacle data during flight operations, as the volumetric representations are already computed and stored, enabling faster onboard processing and display updates
3Reliability
If a high-resolution obstacle database is used, then reliability of collision prevention is improved, but productivity of the avionics system in processing obstacles decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges detailed individual obstacle data into consolidated global obstacle volumes that represent entire regions or clusters of obstacles. This consolidation maintains collision prevention reliability by ensuring that all obstacles within a volume are accounted for through the volumetric envelope, while simultaneously improving processing throughput by reducing the number of discrete objects the avionics system must evaluate in real-time
4Loss of information
If detailed obstacle information is displayed to pilots, then awareness of obstacle risks is improved, but cognitive load on pilots increases due to information overload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual obstacle displays into a single global obstacle volume representation that shows the collective hazard region. This consolidation reduces the number of discrete symbols and data elements presented to pilots, decreasing cognitive load and improving situational awareness by emphasizing the overall risk zone rather than requiring pilots to process numerous individual obstacle details
Solution Approach 2:
The patent displays three-dimensional volumetric representations of obstacle regions rather than two-dimensional point symbols. This dimensional change provides pilots with intuitive spatial understanding of obstacle clusters, showing the extent and vertical profile of hazard zones in a single visual element, thereby reducing the cognitive effort required to interpret multiple individual obstacle positions and elevations
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an electronic device for generating an obstacle database for an aircraft, comprising an acquisition module for an initial obstacle database, the initial obstacle database including elevation and position data for several obstacles, a creation module for at least one global obstacle volume at least partially encompassing a plurality of obstacles and including an envelope with an upper surface of area greater than a predefined minimum area, the upper surface having a constant elevation value and being, at least at one point, distant from the ground by at least a predefined minimum height, and a generation module for a modified obstacle database from the acquired initial obstacle database, the modified obstacle database including the at least one created global obstacle volume.