Anticipated Deviation Display for Aircraft Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft navigation systems lack effective tools to maintain navigation performance during the angular approach phase, particularly in transitioning from linear to angular sections, and do not provide sufficient anticipation or reaction time for pilots to correct deviations, leading to increased risk of accidents due to complex environmental constraints and reduced crew workload.
Innovation Solution
A method that calculates and displays both linear and angular deviations, including anticipated deviations and statistical error distributions, to facilitate pilot response and optimize trajectory adjustments, allowing for unified monitoring across both linear and angular sections, and providing alerts to optimize navigation performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current navigation systems only display linear deviations during approach phase, then the system is simple to operate, but navigation performance deteriorates during angular approach section transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The approach phase is segmented into linear sections and angular sections, with different deviation metrics displayed for each segment. During linear sections, linear deviation is displayed; during angular sections, angular deviation is displayed. This segmentation allows the system to maintain navigation performance across different flight phases without requiring a single complex monitoring system that handles all cases equally well.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system dynamically adapts its display based on the current flight phase. The system automatically switches between displaying linear deviation and angular deviation depending on whether the aircraft is in a linear or angular approach section. This dynamic adaptation maintains navigation performance while keeping the interface relatively simple for each specific phase.
2Loss of time
If the system provides only current deviation information without anticipation, then the display is simple, but the pilot reaction time is insufficient to correct deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates and displays anticipated deviation in addition to current deviation, providing the pilot with forecast information about future position errors. This preliminary action allows the pilot to anticipate needed corrections before deviations become critical, effectively extending reaction time without overwhelming the pilot with excessive information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback to the pilot through the display of both current and anticipated deviations. This feedback loop enables the pilot to understand the present state and predict future states, allowing for timely corrective actions. The feedback is designed to be concise and actionable, maintaining information efficiency while improving response time.
3Measurement precision
If the system monitors only one type of deviation at a time, then the monitoring is simple, but navigation accuracy deteriorates during transition between linear and angular sections
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system segments the approach phase into distinct linear and angular sections, with each segment having its own appropriate deviation metric. This segmentation ensures measurement precision for each phase type while keeping the operation simple by automatically switching between metrics based on the current phase, eliminating the need for manual selection or complex multi-metric displays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the displayed deviation parameter based on the flight phase. During linear sections, linear deviation parameters are displayed; during angular sections, angular deviation parameters are displayed. This parameter adaptation maintains measurement precision for each phase while simplifying operation by automatically selecting the appropriate parameter type based on real-time flight conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for assisting in the navigation of an aircraft comprises steps of calculating and displaying a linear deviation on a first linear section and an angular deviation on a second angular section. The method comprises a step of calculation of an anticipated deviation of the aircraft, expressed linearly or angularly, projected to a time DT, characteristic of a reaction time of the aircraft, and of a statistical error distribution associated with this anticipated deviation; and a step of calculation of a probability of exceeding a predetermined target deviation, by means of the anticipated deviation and of the statistical error distribution. The method also comprises a crew alert when the probability is above a predetermined threshold.