Automatic Aircraft Ground Driving Control System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manual piloting of aircraft on the ground is labor-intensive, prone to errors, and inefficient, especially in adverse weather conditions, leading to potential collisions, delays, and increased maintenance costs due to suboptimal use of actuators and infrastructure.

Innovation Solution

A method and device for partially automatic aircraft ground driving, utilizing a navigation function to determine a ground rolling trajectory, a guidance function to set a yaw rate setpoint, and a piloting aid system to automatically control the aircraft's motion, reducing pilot workload and enabling precise trajectory following.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual piloting is used to control aircraft ground movements, then the pilot can monitor the exterior environment and make real-time decisions, but the workload is significant and errors may occur leading to collisions or deviations from the pavement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrajectory following accuracyVSAvoidpilot workload

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The aircraft equips itself with automatic ground driving systems including navigation functions, guidance functions, and piloting aid systems that autonomously control ground movements, reducing reliance on manual pilot operation while maintaining safety and accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical control with automated electronic control systems comprising navigation systems that determine trajectories, guidance systems that calculate control parameters, and piloting aid systems that automatically actuate control surfaces and landing gear steering

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the pilot manually controls ground movements while monitoring exterior environment, then real-time decision making is possible, but significant workload affects vigilance leading to unplanned trajectories and collisions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental monitoring capabilityVSAvoidcollision avoidance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the piloting task into distinct functional segments: navigation function for trajectory determination, guidance function for control parameter calculation, and piloting aid system for execution, allowing specialized systems to handle each aspect while reducing overall pilot workload

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The piloting aid system acts as an intermediary between the automated guidance system and the physical aircraft controls, processing guidance commands and automatically actuating control surfaces, steering wheels, and thrust levers while providing feedback to the pilot

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If automatic ground driving is implemented, then pilot workload is reduced and trajectory accuracy is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveground movement efficiencyVSAvoidautomation system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The piloting aid system is designed to perform multiple functions including automatic trajectory following, speed control, gear steering actuation, thrust control, and integration with existing aircraft systems, reducing the need for separate dedicated systems for each function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the navigation system, guidance system, and piloting aid system into an integrated automated ground driving system that shares common sensors, processors, and control interfaces, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Adaptability or versatility

If manual piloting is used, then the pilot can choose free trajectories, but suboptimal use of actuators and infrastructure leads to increased maintenance costs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetrajectory selection freedomVSAvoidmaintenance costs

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The automated ground driving system continuously monitors aircraft position, speed, and trajectory adherence, comparing actual performance with optimal trajectories, and automatically adjusts control parameters to minimize wear on actuators and infrastructure while maintaining operational flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS8280562B2Method and device concerning the taxiing of an aircraft, which is automatic at least in part

Publication Date: 2012.10.02 AIRBUS OPERATIONS (SAS)

AI summary

A method and device automatically controls the driving of an aircraft along a ground path of an airport domain. A guidance system is configured to determine, with the aid of at least one current value of the aircraft and a ground rolling trajectory, a yaw rate setpoint enabling the aircraft to follow the ground rolling trajectory by application of a yaw rate command. The guidance system, with the aid of measured current values of parameters of the aircraft, the determined ground rolling trajectory and a speed profile that incorporates a variation of the longitudinal speed along the ground trajectory, a longitudinal speed setpoint that represents a longitudinal speed command to drive the aircraft along the ground trajectory, while complying with the speed profile. A piloting aid system calculates setpoints from the yaw rate command and applies the setpoints to control yaw motion of the aircraft.