Integrated Flight Management Display Deviation Assistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern aircraft pilots face high workload due to the need to manage multiple flight critical parameters simultaneously, leading to inefficiencies and increased risk, particularly in single-pilot operations where reducing pilot workload is essential.
Innovation Solution
A flight deck system that integrates processors to mine flight plan and navigational data, analyze deviation conditions, and present graphical options on an interactive display, allowing pilots to manage flight paths more efficiently through a timeline, map, and vertical situation display interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pilots manually monitor and manage multiple flight critical parameters simultaneously, then flight safety and control are maintained, but pilot workload becomes excessively high and information processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated flight management system that acts as an intermediary between flight parameters and pilots. The system includes sensors that detect flight parameters, processors that analyze the detected parameters and generate flight path recommendations, and display devices that present options to pilots. This intermediary system handles the complex real-time analysis and decision support, freeing pilots from excessive manual monitoring while maintaining safety through automated surveillance and pilot-in-the-loop approval.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical monitoring and decision-making processes with automated electronic systems. Sensors automatically detect flight parameters without pilot intervention, processors electronically analyze data and generate flight path recommendations, and display devices present options digitally. This substitution of mechanical human monitoring with automated electronic systems reduces pilot workload while maintaining or enhancing flight safety through consistent, fatigue-free surveillance.
2Loss of information
If pilots direct their gaze to multiple displays simultaneously to obtain required information, then comprehensive situational awareness is achieved, but information processing time is lost and task completion efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple flight information sources and displays into a single integrated flight management system. The system consolidates sensor data, flight plan information, and flight path recommendations into unified display presentations that show current flight parameters, detected conditions, and recommended actions in one coordinated interface. This merging eliminates the need for pilots to switch between multiple separate displays, reducing gaze direction changes and information processing time while maintaining comprehensive situational awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of flight parameters and generates flight path recommendations in advance before pilots need to make decisions. Sensors continuously detect flight parameters and the processor pre-computes potential flight path options and recommendations, preparing information ahead of time. This preliminary action ensures that when pilots need information, it is already processed and ready for review, reducing decision-making time and improving response efficiency.
3Productivity
If automated systems analyze flight data and generate deviation options, then pilot workload is reduced and task management efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the automated flight management system into distinct functional modules: sensors for detecting flight parameters, processors for analyzing data and generating recommendations, and display devices for presenting options. Each module performs a specific function independently, making the overall complex system manageable through functional decomposition. This segmentation allows the system to handle complex analysis tasks while maintaining clear operational boundaries that simplify maintenance and understanding.
Data Source
AI summary
A flight deck system for providing task management assistance in managing the flight path to the flight crew is provided. The system is configured to: mine flight plan data for a current flight plan, navigational data, and vertical situation display (VSD) data; obtain notification data items originating from onboard avionics systems and systems external to the aircraft that indicate upcoming conditions that will affect the current flight plan; automatically analyze the mined flight plan data and the notification data items to identify a sensed deviation condition; automatically identify an aircraft-related deviation condition from an aircraft failure event; receive flight crew notification of a non-sensed deviation condition; automatically generate a plurality of flight plan deviation options to accommodate a sensed deviation condition, an aircraft-related deviation condition, or a non-sensed deviation condition; and present graphical elements representative of the flight plan deviation options to the flight crew on an integrated interactive graphical user interface.