EFB Turbulence Guidance Through FMS Intent Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flight management systems (FMS) are slow and expensive to update due to stringent certification processes, limiting the implementation of new features, while Electronic Flight Bags (EFB) offer a faster and less rigorous update pathway, but lack integration with turbulence mitigation suggestions.
Innovation Solution
A turbulence management system integrated with an EFB that communicates with the FMS to access flight plan and aircraft metrics, inferring pilot intent and providing tailored suggestions to mitigate turbulence while satisfying the pilot's objectives, and includes a turbulence mode to stabilize GUI interaction during turbulent conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If FMS is updated with new features, then functionality is improved, but update speed and cost increase due to stringent certification processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the flight management functionality into two separate segments: the certified FMS core system and the uncertified EFB supplemental system. This segmentation allows the EFB to be updated independently without triggering FMS certification requirements, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining functionality and reducing update time.
Solution Approach 2:
The EFB acts as an intermediary between the pilot and the FMS, providing supplemental aeronautic information and turbulence mitigation suggestions without directly modifying the certified FMS system. This intermediary approach enables rapid feature deployment while maintaining FMS certification integrity.
2Loss of time
If EFB is used for supplemental information, then update speed is improved, but integration with turbulence mitigation suggestions is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the EFB's rapid update capability with turbulence mitigation functionality by integrating sensors, processors, and display systems into the EFB platform. This combination allows the EFB to not only provide supplemental information but also actively mitigate turbulence effects through real-time suggestions and flight plan modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The EFB is designed as a universal platform that performs multiple functions: displaying supplemental aeronautic information, providing turbulence mitigation suggestions, tracking pilot intent, and interfacing with the FMS. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the EFB versatile enough to handle both rapid updates and turbulence mitigation.
3Measurement precision
If pilot intent is inferred from FMS input, then suggestion accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback loops where the processor continuously monitors pilot input to the FMS, infers intent from these inputs, and provides turbulence mitigation suggestions. The pilot can then confirm or modify these suggestions, creating a feedback cycle that improves accuracy without requiring complex artificial intelligence systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The turbulence management system serves itself by automatically monitoring FMS inputs, inferring pilot intent, and generating suggestions without requiring additional complex sensing or analysis systems. The existing FMS interaction infrastructure is leveraged to provide intent detection, reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides a turbulence management system for providing suggestions to a pilot that mitigate the effects of turbulence. These suggestions can be output to the pilot using an EFB. As mentioned above, an EFB can be communicatively coupled to a FMS such that the EFB has access to the data in the FMS. From the pilot's interactions with the FMS, the EFB can identify the pilot's intent such as landing, taking off, plotting a course change, changing altitude, maintaining a cruising altitude, etc. Once the intent is known, the EFB can output a suggestion to the pilot that satisfies the intent, but mitigates the harmful effects of turbulence. In one aspect, this suggestion is generated using the flight plant and aircraft metrics available from the FMS.