EFB Holding Queue Detection for Aircraft Diversion Decisions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pilots have limited information for determining whether to remain in a holding pattern or divert to an alternate airport, as air traffic control provides limited guidance based on aircraft position and fuel remaining, which does not account for real-time weather and congestion conditions.
Innovation Solution
An electronic flight bag (EFB) system that receives ADS-B data to determine the aircraft's queue position and landing time, estimates diversion rates, and provides real-time holding and diversion information through a graphical user interface, including alternate airport options with bingo fuel requirements, weather, and congestion data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If air traffic controllers provide queue position information to pilots, then pilots can determine their position in the holding pattern, but the information is limited and does not include sufficient data for informed diversion decisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (mobile device with application) that receives ADS-B data, processes it to determine queue position and calculate diversion metrics, and presents this information to pilots. This intermediary layer transforms raw ADS-B data into actionable intelligence without requiring changes to existing ATC systems, thus improving information completeness while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables pilots to self-determine their queue position and assess diversion options using automatically received and processed ADS-B data. The application autonomously calculates metrics such as time to bingo fuel and compares holding versus diversion scenarios, allowing pilots to make informed decisions without relying on ATC-provided information.
2Reliability
If pilots use limited information to determine diversion timing, then they can make decisions with available data, but the accuracy and reliability of these decisions are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously receives real-time ADS-B data from multiple aircraft in the holding pattern, processes this information to determine accurate queue positions, and provides feedback to pilots about their position, estimated landing time, and fuel status. This continuous feedback loop enables pilots to make reliable diversion decisions based on current, accurate information rather than limited or outdated data.
Solution Approach 2:
The application pre-calculates diversion metrics such as time to reach bingo fuel and compares this against estimated time to landing before the pilot actually needs to decide. By performing these calculations in advance based on current data, the system ensures that when the pilot makes a decision, they have already processed reliable information about fuel status and queue position.
3Measurement precision
If real-time ADS-B data is received and processed, then accurate queue position and landing time information is provided to pilots, but the computational requirements and data processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential data elements from the incoming ADS-B data stream that are needed to determine queue position and calculate landing time estimates. By filtering and extracting only relevant information (such as aircraft identification, position, and descent rate) rather than processing all available data, the system achieves high measurement precision while keeping data processing complexity manageable on mobile devices.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure describes systems and methods for providing real-time holding and diversion information to a pilot of an aircraft. In some examples, the pilot uses an electronic flight bag (EFB) or a flight management computer (FMC) to display in a GUI the holding and diversion information. For example, the EFB can receive ADS-B data that can be used to determine the location of the aircraft in the holding queue (i.e., the aircraft's queue position) and predict the amount of time before the aircraft will be able to land. The EFB or FMC can also display diversion information regarding one or more alternate locations (e.g., alternate airports) in the GUI. In some examples, the EFB or FMC calculate a bingo fuel and the time until reaching the bingo fuel and the pilot must divert.