Flight Management Decision Point Detection for Trajectory Rejoining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flight management systems fail to accurately predict transit times and manage constraints when an aircraft deviates from its planned trajectory, leading to errors in rejoining the flight plan and uncertainty for pilots regarding compliance with altitude, speed, and time constraints.
Innovation Solution
A method for determining decision points on a shifted aircraft trajectory where the aircraft can no longer rejoin a constrained waypoint, using predefined criteria such as rejoining angles, aircraft speed, and thrust parameters to guide the rejoining process, allowing for optimal or limit rejoining based on predefined constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the flight management system assumes immediate return to flight plan after controller instruction, then calculation complexity is reduced, but transit time prediction accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and stores rejoining trajectories and decision points before they are needed. When a controller instruction is received, the system retrieves pre-computed information about where and how the aircraft can rejoin the flight plan, avoiding complex real-time calculations while maintaining accurate transit time predictions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the rejoining strategy based on current flight conditions. It calculates decision points that consider the aircraft's current position, speed, and the specific controller instruction being followed, allowing the transit time predictions to adapt to the actual dynamic situation rather than assuming a fixed immediate return.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pilot follows controller instructions deviating from flight plan, then operational flexibility is improved, but compliance with flight plan constraints deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the aircraft's position and calculates decision points that provide feedback to the pilot about when to initiate rejoining maneuvers. This feedback mechanism ensures that even when following controller instructions, the pilot receives guidance on maintaining eventual compliance with flight plan constraints through timely rejoining actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-calculates decision points and rejoining trajectories before the pilot needs to make a decision. By providing this information in advance, the system enables the pilot to follow controller instructions with confidence knowing that compliance with flight plan constraints can be achieved by initiating rejoining at the predetermined decision points.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the flight management system calculates rejoining trajectories in real-time, then adaptability to current conditions is improved, but calculation time and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates rejoining trajectories and decision points based on various possible flight conditions and stores them for quick retrieval. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex real-time calculations while maintaining adaptability, as the pre-computed data can be quickly matched to current flight conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system calculates and stores more rejoining trajectories than strictly necessary, covering a range of possible flight conditions. This excessive pre-calculation ensures that the system has pre-computed solutions ready for any situation that may arise, reducing real-time processing requirements while maintaining high adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system, for flight management of an aircraft flying on a trajectory shifted with respect to a flight plan comprising a plurality of constrained waypoints, comprises a step of determining and displaying at least one point of the trajectory, termed decision point, beyond which the aircraft can no longer rejoin a constrained waypoint of the flight plan by determining a point of intersection between the trajectory and a rejoining trajectory steering towards the selected constrained waypoint, the rejoining trajectory complying with at least one predefined criterion.