Autonomous Flight Control Reentry After Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft collision avoidance systems require pilot intervention to restore autonomous operation after a collision threat, increasing pilot workload and reducing situational awareness.
Innovation Solution
An automated flight control system transitions into an autonomous collision avoidance mode to execute evasive maneuvers and dynamically determines the viability of the original or alternative operating modes for reentry, providing graphical indications to the pilot, thereby reducing pilot workload and maintaining situational awareness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pilot action is required to restore autonomous operation after collision avoidance, then collision avoidance safety is improved, but pilot workload increases and situational awareness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated flight control system automatically restores the original autonomous operating mode after completing the evasive maneuver without requiring pilot intervention. The system self-manages the transition back to normal operation by automatically reengaging the pre-collision autonomous mode, thereby reducing pilot workload while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system identifies and stores the original autonomous operating mode before the collision avoidance maneuver begins. This preliminary identification enables automatic restoration after the maneuver, eliminating the need for pilot action to restore autonomous operation
2Reliability
If pilot action is required to restore autonomous operation after collision avoidance, then collision avoidance safety is improved, but situational awareness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides graphical indications to the pilot showing the status of autonomous operation restoration. This feedback mechanism keeps the pilot informed about the automation state and flight path adjustments, maintaining situational awareness while enabling automatic restoration
3Ease of operation
If automated flight control system automatically restores autonomous operation, then pilot workload is reduced, but deviation from planned flight path may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the autonomous operating mode parameters based on the collision avoidance maneuver that was just completed. By adapting the restored mode to account for the maneuver's effects, the system minimizes unnecessary flight path deviations while maintaining automatic operation
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for autonomous vehicle operation for collision avoidance. One method involves identifying an autonomous operating mode and one or more settings associated with the autonomous operating mode prior to entering an autonomous collision avoidance mode in response to an output from a collision avoidance system, and after entering the autonomous collision avoidance mode, automatically restoring autonomous operation upon deactivation of the autonomous collision avoidance mode. For example, the autonomous operating mode may be automatically reinitiated based on the current vehicle status using the one or more settings in response to deactivation of the autonomous collision avoidance mode when it is determined that the autonomous operating mode is viable based on a relationship between a current vehicle status and the one or more settings associated with the autonomous operating mode.