Automatic Flight Formation Control for Pilot-Free Mode Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic flight formation systems require manual pilot intervention to enter and exit the automatic flight mode, increasing pilot workload and safety risks due to the need for manual button presses and visual cues, which complicates the process and diverts attention from aircraft maneuvering.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft equipped with a flight formation control unit that automatically transitions into and out of the automatic flight formation mode based on predetermined speed and range relative to other aircraft, without manual interface engagement, using position sensors and flight controls to monitor and adjust positions for optimal fuel efficiency and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual button presses and visual cues are used to guide pilots into flight formation, then pilots can be guided into correct positions, but pilot workload and task complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-positioning by automatically detecting other aircraft and calculating optimal formation positions without requiring pilot input for navigation guidance. The aircraft autonomously adjusts its position based on detected formations, eliminating the need for pilots to manually follow visual cues or interpret complex guidance information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control with automated electronic detection and control systems. Instead of pilots manually manipulating controls based on visual cues, the system uses sensors to detect other aircraft and automatically controls the aircraft's position and orientation within the formation.
2Reliability
If pilots manually engage and disengage automatic flight formation mode, then control transitions can be made, but pilot attention is diverted from aircraft maneuvering at critical moments
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects when another aircraft is in proximity and autonomously engages formation mode without requiring pilot action. Similarly, when leaving formation, the system automatically disengages the mode based on detected position and speed parameters, freeing the pilot to focus on maneuvering during critical transition moments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of other aircraft and automatically initiates formation engagement before the pilot would need to take action. The system monitors parameters continuously and pre-conditions the engagement logic, so that when formation conditions are met, the transition occurs automatically without requiring pilot initiation.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard autopilot control sequences are used for entering and exiting formation mode, then control procedures can be standardized, but the process requires multiple cockpit button presses that increase workload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the navigation and positioning functions from the manual control sequence, separating them into an automated subsystem. This allows the formation engagement and disengagement to occur through automatic detection and control, removing the need for multiple cockpit button presses while maintaining standardized control procedures for other aspects of flight.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the detection, positioning, and control functions into a single integrated automatic formation control process. Instead of separate steps for detecting other aircraft, calculating position, and executing maneuvers, all these functions are combined into one automated sequence that executes without pilot intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft and method of operating an aircraft include a flight formation control unit configured to automatically transition the aircraft into an automatic flight formation mode in response to the aircraft being within one or both of a predetermined speed or a predetermined range in relation to at least one other aircraft flying within the automatic flight formation mode. The flight formation control unit can be further configured to automatically transition the aircraft out of the automatic flight formation mode in response to detection of a control signal received from one or more flight controls of the aircraft. The flight formation control unit can be further configured to automatically cycle the aircraft and the at least one other aircraft to different positions during the automatic flight formation mode.