Avionics Airspace Alerting System for Early Flight Path Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current avionics systems alert pilots of impending airspace intrusions too late, requiring in-flight path adjustments that increase fuel consumption and pilot stress, as they only provide warnings when the aircraft is close to restricted areas.
Innovation Solution
An avionics system that compares the planned flight path of an aircraft to the locations of selected airspaces, providing alerts before potential intrusions, allowing for pre-flight path corrections and reducing the need for in-flight changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If warning systems provide alerts only when aircraft is close to restricted airspaces, then the alerting system is simple and uses less computing resources, but the warning is given too late requiring in-flight path changes that increase fuel consumption and pilot stress
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary comparison of the flight path with restricted airspace locations before the aircraft reaches the airspace. By analyzing the entire planned route in advance and identifying potential intrusion points ahead of time, the system enables pilots to make course corrections during ground operations or early in flight, avoiding late-stage in-flight path changes that consume additional fuel
2Device complexity
If warning systems provide alerts only when aircraft is close to restricted airspaces, then the system complexity is low, but pilot stress increases due to late warnings requiring in-flight path changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system compares the complete flight path with restricted airspace database entries before flight or during early flight stages, providing advance warning that allows pilots to plan alternative routes or make course adjustments without the urgency and stress of in-flight decisions
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary alert mechanism that provides buffer time between the aircraft's current position and the restricted airspace boundary, allowing pilots to respond calmly and methodically rather than under time pressure
3Measurement precision
If the system compares actual aircraft position to planned flight path, then the precision of intrusion detection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the planned flight path as an intermediary reference to simplify position comparison. Instead of directly comparing complex real-time position data with restricted airspace boundaries, the system first determines whether the aircraft is deviating from its planned path, then only performs detailed intrusion analysis when path deviation is detected, reducing overall computational complexity while maintaining precision
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for an aircraft alerts a user of the aircraft of a possible entrance into a selected airspace. A flight path of an aircraft and locations of a plurality of selected airspaces are stored on at least one storage medium. A processor is in operable communication with the at least one storage device and configured to compare the flight path of the aircraft to the locations of the plurality of selected airspaces and provide an alert signal if the flight path calls for the aircraft to operate within a pre-selected distance of at least one of the plurality of selected airspaces.