Aircraft Ground Taxiing Camera System for Pilot Vision
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Solution Overview
Problem
During taxiing phases, pilots face challenges in navigating aircraft due to a restricted field of vision through the windscreen, making it difficult to execute changes in direction accurately, especially for larger aircraft, which can result in deviations from taxiways and potential grounding or stalling.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that provide a panoramic view of the aircraft's surroundings, allowing pilots to select and display specific areas of interest on a visible screen, using image acquisition devices and processing to reconstitute a wide-angle view, and optionally include sensors for obstacle detection and collision alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the pilot relies on the windscreen for navigation, then the aircraft structure remains simple, but the pilot's field of vision is restricted and distant from the wheels, causing delayed reaction to direction changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces camera systems as intermediary devices that capture images of the area around the aircraft and transmit them to display screens in the cockpit. This intermediary system bridges the gap between the pilot's limited visual field and the actual ground conditions, allowing the pilot to see close to the wheels and taxiway edges without modifying the aircraft's basic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimensional perspective by mounting cameras at multiple locations (nose, wings, tail) to capture views from different spatial positions. This multi-dimensional imaging approach provides the pilot with comprehensive visual information about the aircraft's surroundings, particularly the critical areas near the wheels that are invisible from the cockpit.
2Ease of operation
If the pilot initiates direction control changes based on windscreen visibility, then the control response is simple, but the trajectory deviation increases due to time delay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary action by providing the pilot with advance visual information about upcoming direction changes through the camera system. The pilot can see the taxiway geometry and obstacles before the aircraft reaches them, allowing for earlier and more accurate initiation of control inputs, thereby improving trajectory precision without complicating the control mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a visual feedback system where camera images are continuously displayed on screens in the cockpit, providing real-time information about the aircraft's position relative to the taxiway centerline and edges. This feedback loop allows the pilot to make continuous small adjustments to maintain accurate trajectory, similar to how modern aircraft use fly-by-wire systems with flight directors.
3Loss of information
If the pilot focuses on distant view through windscreen, then the overall path is visible, but the distance to obstacles and verges cannot be accurately estimated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the visual information into multiple segments by positioning cameras at different locations (nose, wings, tail) and displaying them on separate screens or selectable regions. This segmentation allows the pilot to focus on specific critical areas such as the nose gear area or wing tips independently, obtaining precise distance measurements to obstacles in each zone while maintaining awareness of the overall path through the composite view.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for assisting the piloting of an aircraft on the ground comprises the steps of obtaining a panoramic view of at least one area adjacent to the aircraft, isolating an image corresponding to a part of the panoramic view and which is selected according to an orientation desired by the pilot, and displaying the image on a display device visible by the pilot. A system for the implementation of the method is also provided.