Comparative Vertical Profile Display for Aircraft Route Deviation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pilots face increased mental workload and stress when deviating from a flight plan due to the need to manually integrate multiple information sources, such as fuel, weather, terrain, and obstacles, which can lead to pilot error in time-sensitive aircraft operations.
Innovation Solution
A comparative vertical profile graphical user interface (GUI) display is provided, showing both the original and modified flight plan routes, allowing pilots to visualize and differentiate terrain, meteorological conditions, and other factors in separate planes, reducing mental workload by enabling quick assessment of route deviations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pilots manually integrate multiple information sources (fuel, weather, terrain, obstacles) to assess route deviations, then decision-making accuracy can be improved, but mental workload and stress increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple information sources (fuel status, weather conditions, terrain data, obstacle information) into a single integrated vertical profile display. This merging of previously separate information sources allows pilots to assess route deviations with improved accuracy without the need to manually integrate data from multiple displays, thereby reducing mental workload while maintaining decision-making precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical profile display is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it shows terrain elevation, weather conditions, fuel consumption projections, and obstacle information all in one view. This multi-functional display eliminates the need for pilots to switch between or mentally correlate multiple separate displays, reducing cognitive load while providing comprehensive data for accurate decision-making.
2Loss of information
If pilots analyze multiple information sources from different displays to assess route deviations, then situational awareness can be improved, but the time required for analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging all relevant information (terrain, weather, fuel, obstacles) into a single vertical profile display, the system eliminates the time required to switch between and correlate multiple displays. Pilots can assess situational awareness immediately with all information presented together, dramatically reducing analysis time while maintaining complete situational awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-calculates and displays projected fuel consumption, estimated travel time, and other critical parameters for potential route deviations before the pilot needs to make a decision. This preliminary preparation of information allows pilots to quickly assess alternatives without performing manual calculations or gathering data from multiple sources during the decision-critical moment.
3Loss of information
If pilots manually integrate information from multiple displays while flying, then operational awareness can be maintained, but the likelihood of pilot error increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of all operational information (terrain, weather, fuel, obstacles, flight parameters) into a single vertical profile display eliminates the need for pilots to manually correlate data from multiple sources. This reduces cognitive load and the potential for errors in data integration while maintaining complete operational awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically performs the integration and correlation of multiple information sources, presenting the synthesized data to the pilot without requiring manual intervention. This self-service approach to information integration reduces the pilot's workload and eliminates errors that could occur during manual data correlation, while the pilot maintains full operational awareness through the comprehensive display.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for assisting operation of an aircraft when diverting from a flight plan using a comparative vertical profile display. A vertical profile display includes a first graphical representation of a first vertical profile corresponding to a first lateral route defined by a flight plan for the aircraft and a second graphical representation of a second vertical profile corresponding to a modified lateral route different from the first lateral route displayed concurrently on the vertical profile display. The first vertical profile corresponding to the first lateral route is depicted on the vertical profile display in a first plane and the second vertical profile corresponding to the modified lateral route is depicted on the vertical profile display in a second plane different from the first plane.