Aircraft Orientation Rules for Pushback and Taxiway Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining aircraft orientation during pushback and low-speed movement at airports are inadequate, leading to incorrect orientation determination, which can result in invalid taxi instructions, delays, confusion, stress, safety issues, and invalid routes.
Innovation Solution
The system divides airport areas into subsections and applies specific rules based on the aircraft's location within these subsections to accurately determine orientation, using radar data and predefined thresholds for distance and velocity to differentiate between pushback and taxiing states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If radar data is used to estimate aircraft position and orientation during pushback and low-speed movement, then general position information can be obtained, but orientation determination becomes inaccurate and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the airport environment into distinct zones (pushback area, taxiway, runway) and applies different determination methods for each zone. In the pushback area, it uses pushback vehicle data and aircraft position relative to the stand to determine orientation, while in taxiway areas it uses radar data. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by using appropriate methods for each context rather than relying solely on radar throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces pushback vehicle data and predefined threshold values as intermediary elements to bridge the gap between radar limitations and orientation determination requirements. The pushback vehicle's position and movement information serves as an intermediary that enables accurate orientation determination during pushback when radar alone is insufficient.
2Loss of information
If noise filtering algorithms like Kalman filtering are used to estimate aircraft position and orientation, then some orientation information can be derived, but the system cannot determine whether the aircraft is moving backward during pushback or forward during taxiing
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from multiple data sources (pushback vehicle position, aircraft position, predefined thresholds) to continuously refine and verify orientation determination. By comparing actual measurements against predefined thresholds and using pushback vehicle data as feedback, the system can reliably determine whether the aircraft is moving backward during pushback or forward during taxiing, resolving the information loss problem.
3Productivity
If incorrect aircraft orientation is determined during pushback, then processing continues with available data, but it leads to invalid taxi instructions, delays, and safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary orientation determination using pushback vehicle data and predefined thresholds before the aircraft begins taxiing. By establishing correct orientation information in advance during pushback when the aircraft is stationary or moving slowly, the system prevents invalid taxi instructions from being generated later, thereby eliminating safety issues while maintaining routing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for determining aircraft orientation are described herein. One device includes instructions executable to determine a subsection of a rendering of a portion of an airport, wherein the subsection is associated with a particular stand of the airport, and wherein the subsection includes a plurality of ground travel pathways, determine a first subset of the plurality of pathways, a second subset of the plurality of pathways, and a third subset of the plurality of pathways, track a location of an outbound aircraft within the subsection of the rendering, determine an orientation of the aircraft according to a first set of rules responsive to a determination that the location of the aircraft is within the first or second subset of the plurality of pathways, and determine the orientation of the aircraft according to a second set of rules responsive to a determination that the location of the aircraft is within the third subset of the plurality of pathways.