Cockpit Separation Visualization for Visual Contact Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interpreting alphanumerical information for maintaining ownship separation during visual contact loss is slower and more cognitively demanding, affecting flight crew situational awareness and workload.
Innovation Solution
A graphical user interface (GUI) element, such as a CAVS widget, provides visual assistance by displaying symbols representing ownship and target aircraft separation, including a pre-selected horizontal range, direction, and time to maintain separation without mental calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If alphanumeric information is used to display separation distance, then information can be transmitted, but flight crew interpretation is slower and more cognitively demanding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color-coded graphical symbols to represent separation distance and speed information. The target aircraft symbol changes color or intensity based on separation distance, and the horizontal range symbol provides visual feedback through color or size changes, enabling rapid intuitive comprehension without cognitive processing of numerical values.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms one-dimensional alphanumeric separation distance data into two-dimensional graphical representations. The target aircraft symbol's position, size, or color in the graphical interface encodes separation distance information, allowing flight crews to perceive distance relationships spatially rather than numerically, reducing interpretation time and cognitive load.
2Reliability
If CDTI is used to maintain separation when visual contact is lost, then separation can be maintained, but flight crew situational awareness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a graphical copy or representation of the external visual environment within the CDTI interface. The target aircraft symbol and horizontal range symbol replicate the spatial relationships that would be visible outside, providing a virtual window to the external situation and maintaining situational awareness even when direct visual contact is lost due to weather or lighting conditions.
3Measurement precision
If pre-selected horizontal distance is displayed numerically, then accurate separation information is provided, but mental processing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures the graphical interface with scaled symbols that automatically represent separation distance relationships. The horizontal range symbol is pre-positioned to represent a predetermined separation distance, and the target aircraft symbol's relative position to this symbol instantly communicates whether actual separation meets the required threshold, eliminating the need for flight crew mental calculations.
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing visual assistance to a flight crew on an aircraft during flight. The method comprises generating a graphical user interface (GUI) element that displays a target aircraft symbol that represents a target aircraft and a horizontal range symbol that represents a pre-selected horizontal distance ahead of an ownship aircraft. The method further comprises positioning the target aircraft symbol at a variable position on the GUI element away from the horizontal range symbol, wherein the distance between the target aircraft symbol and the horizontal range symbol is proportional to an actual horizontal distance between the target aircraft position and the pre-selected horizontal distance ahead of the ownship aircraft; and causing the GUI element and the symbols to be displayed on a cockpit display.