ASAS-RTA Integration for Aircraft Spacing and Arrival Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Airborne Separation Assurance Systems (ASAS) and Required Time of Arrival (RTA) systems do not cooperate effectively, leading to frequent and unnecessary flight plan changes that overtax air traffic control assets and compromise efficient aircraft operation in high-density traffic areas.
Innovation Solution
A system that integrates ASAS and RTA functionality, allowing an autopilot to execute a trajectory based on RTA and spacing intervals, with the ASAS determining if the RTA trajectory will violate spacing requirements and adjusting accordingly to maintain safe aircraft separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ASAS and RTA systems operate independently, then each system can maintain its own spacing and timing functions, but flight plan changes occur frequently and unnecessarily, overtaxing ATC assets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges ASAS and RTA systems into an integrated architecture where the ASAS processor communicates with the RTA system processor. The RTA system receives spacing interval requirements from ASAS and incorporates them into trajectory calculations, allowing both spacing maintenance and timing functions to operate cooperatively rather than independently, thereby reducing unnecessary flight plan changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system implements feedback loops where the ASAS processor continuously monitors spacing intervals and provides this information to the RTA system processor. The RTA system then adjusts trajectories based on this spacing feedback while maintaining required time of arrival constraints, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents unnecessary deviations.
2Reliability
If ASAS system adjusts spacing independently, then spacing intervals are maintained, but conflicts with RTA operations occur causing frequent flight plan changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the decision-making processes of ASAS and RTA systems into a unified trajectory management approach. The RTA system processor receives spacing interval requirements from ASAS and integrates them into the trajectory optimization calculations, ensuring that spacing maintenance and timing requirements are satisfied simultaneously without conflicting adjustments.
3Loss of time
If RTA system executes strict trajectory, then required time of arrival is met, but spacing requirements may be violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic trajectory adjustment where the RTA system continuously optimizes the flight path based on real-time spacing information from ASAS. Rather than executing a fixed rigid trajectory, the system dynamically modifies speed and path parameters to simultaneously satisfy both required time of arrival and spacing interval requirements, making the trajectory adaptive to changing spacing conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for enhancing the functionality of an airborne separation assurance system (ASAS) by modifying it to cooperate with a required time of arrival (RTA) functionality. The system comprises an autopilot configured to execute a trajectory of an aircraft and a flight management system (FMS) in operable communication with the autopilot. The FMS includes a required time of arrival (RTA) system that is configured to determine an RTA aircraft trajectory of the aircraft based on a required time of arrival of the aircraft at a waypoint along the flight plan. The system also includes an airborne separation assurance system (ASAS) in operable communication with the RTA and is configured to determine a spacing trajectory based on a spacing interval from a first reference aircraft.