Electronic Kit Bag Reduces Pilot Workload via Digital Data Consolidation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional pilot kit bags are excessively heavy, cumbersome, and inefficient, leading to physical strain and time loss during flights due to their bulkiness and disorganization, and they do not adequately address the challenge of aircraft control during pilot incapacitation.
Innovation Solution
A portable, computerized electronic kit bag (EKB) that integrates standard computer parts and peripherals, utilizing a three-dimensional logic-based decision-making algorithm to process and translate data, allowing for efficient data manipulation and aircraft control, both onboard and remotely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional physical kit bag contents (maps, calculators, logs, charts, navigation instruments) are used, then comprehensive flight information is available, but the bag becomes extremely heavy (30-80 pounds) and causes physical strain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical flight information materials with electronic copies stored in a computer system. Maps, charts, logs, and reference materials are converted to digital formats, eliminating the need to carry heavy physical copies while maintaining full access to flight information through electronic display and processing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes mechanical computing devices (calculators, slide rules, navigation instruments) with an electronic computer system. This replacement eliminates the weight of multiple mechanical devices while providing enhanced computational power, data storage, and information processing capabilities through electronic means.
2Quantity of substance
If traditional physical kit bag is used to store flight materials, then all flight documents are contained, but access to information requires unpacking and rummaging, taking pilot out of the flying-loop
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal electronic access system that consolidates all flight documents, charts, and reference materials into a single computer-based platform. This system provides multi-functional access to various types of flight information through a unified interface, eliminating the need to search through separate physical documents and folders.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical organization and retrieval system of physical documents with an electronic database and display system. Information is accessed through electronic commands and displays rather than physical unpacking and rummaging, dramatically reducing access time and keeping the pilot engaged in the flying-loop.
3Quantity of substance
If traditional kit bag is placed in cockpit storage, then it occupies space, but it is vulnerable to coffee spills and liquid damage to important documents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical documents that are vulnerable to liquid damage with electronic copies stored in a protected computer system. The electronic storage medium is sealed and resistant to environmental factors including liquid spills, eliminating the risk of coffee or other liquids damaging flight documents while maintaining full access to the information.
4Quantity of substance
If traditional kit bag is hauled around like additional suitcase, then all flight materials are transported, but on-the-job injuries occur during removal and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential flight information from the heavy physical kit bag format and consolidates it into a lightweight electronic computer system. This extracted electronic system maintains all necessary flight materials while reducing the physical burden to a manageable device that can be easily handled, removed, and stored without causing on-the-job injuries.
Data Source
AI summary
The Electronic Kit Bag (EKB) is a computerized, portable pilot “kit bag” that accepts input data, manipulates said data, and outputs solutions. The EKB consists of standard and state-of-the-art computing parts and peripherals, interfaced for maximum utility. The central operating program of the device assesses the relationships of input data through a logic based, three-dimensional decision-making algorithm. Data output is utilized either directly by the user, by the user through an aircraft system, or directly from the EKB to an aircraft system or autopilot.