Aircraft Path Vector Analysis for Vertical Situation Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft operators face challenges in visualizing the movement of an aircraft relative to external hazards like runways and terrain using traditional Vertical Situation Displays (VSDs, which only show a single point in time, making it difficult to determine if the aircraft is approaching too steeply, too flatly, too fast, or too slow, or if it will clear terrain safely.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft path vector analysis system that determines a previous path, calculates a projected path vector based on the aircraft's previous path and performance characteristics, and displays this information on a device, indicating whether the aircraft will remain within an approach volume, enhancing situational awareness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a traditional VSD displays aircraft position at only one point in time, then the display system remains simple and easy to operate, but the operator cannot quickly visualize the movement of the aircraft relative to the runway surface or determine if the aircraft is approaching too steeply or too flatly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of the projected path vector based on current aircraft state and performance characteristics, showing the predicted trajectory before the aircraft actually reaches those points. This allows operators to anticipate future position and assess safety margins proactively rather than reactively
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds temporal dimension to the traditional spatial display by incorporating past path history and future path projection. The vertical situation display now shows not just current position but also historical trajectory and predicted future position, creating a time-expanded view that helps operators understand movement trends without requiring continuous mental extrapolation
2Reliability
If operators continuously monitor the VSD to maintain awareness of aircraft movement, then they can detect position changes, but they still cannot quickly determine whether the aircraft will safely clear terrain or hit the runway
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides immediate visual feedback by displaying the projected path vector that shows where the aircraft will go based on current trajectory and performance. The display also shows the approach volume boundaries, allowing operators to instantly see whether the projected path intersects with safe zones or hazard areas without requiring continuous mental calculation or time-consuming analysis
3Loss of information
If the display shows detailed path information to improve situational awareness, then operators can make better decisions, but the display becomes more complex and harder to interpret
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different visual characteristics to different elements of the display: the projected path vector uses distinct symbology (such as colored lines or arrows), the approach volume has specific boundary representations, and historical path shows different styling. This local differentiation allows operators to quickly distinguish between current trajectory, future projection, and past position without requiring complex legends or uniform treatment of all path data
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft path vector analysis system includes at least one processor coupled with a non-transitory processor-readable medium storing processor-executable code for causing the at least one processor to determine a previous path of an aircraft, determine an approach volume based on a location of a runway and a location of the aircraft, determine a projected path vector of the aircraft based on at least one of the previous path of the aircraft and an aircraft performance characteristic, and display data indicative of at least one of the previous path, the projected path vector, and the approach volume on a display device, where the projected path vector indicates whether the aircraft is projected to remain in the approach volume.