Autopilot Approach Mode Auto-Arming for Pilot Incapacitation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft approach mode arming in autopilot systems is often delayed or incorrectly managed by pilots, leading to unstable landings due to pilot errors, incapacitation, fatigue, or high workloads, which can result in significant safety incidents during approach and landing phases.
Innovation Solution
The system automatically arms the approach mode after a fault-tolerant time period if the pilot fails to do so, utilizing a monitoring function that alerts the pilot through multiple channels and allows for manual override, ensuring timely activation of the approach mode to prevent errors and ensure safe landings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system implements automatic monitoring and automatic arming of approach mode, then safety and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically arming the approach mode before the pilot would normally need to do so. The monitoring function detects when approach conditions are met and automatically arms the mode in advance, preventing delays and ensuring timely activation of the approach system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system serves itself by implementing self-monitoring and self-arming capabilities. The monitoring function continuously checks for approach conditions and automatically arms the approach mode without requiring pilot intervention, making the system self-sufficient in managing the arming process.
2Reliability
If the system provides multiple alert channels and monitoring functions, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by providing multiple alert channels that notify the pilot when approach conditions are met or when the approach mode has been automatically armed. This feedback mechanism ensures the pilot is informed of system actions while the automatic functionality handles the complex monitoring and arming processes.
3Loss of time
If the system implements automatic arming with fault-tolerant time period, then loss of time is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a fault-tolerant time period that automatically arms the approach mode if conditions are met within a specified time window. This preliminary automatic action eliminates delays caused by pilot response time, ensuring the approach mode is armed timely even in cases of pilot delay or incapacitation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present disclosure generally relates to aircraft systems and methods including determining, based on location data from a navigation system, whether one or more conditions have been met enabling arming of an approach mode of the autopilot system. The systems and methods include, when the one or more conditions enabling arming of the approach mode are determined to be met, starting a first timer of a first period of time and, at the same time, providing a first message, via an output system to alert a pilot to arm the approach mode via manual input to a user interface. The systems and methods include, when the first period of time has expired and a determination is made that the approach mode has still not been armed, starting a second timer of a second period of time and, at the same time, providing, via the output system, a second message, different to the first message, to arm the approach mode via manual input to the user interface. When the second period of time has expired and a determination has been made that the approach mode continues to have not been armed via manual input to the user interface, the approach mode is automatically armed.