Flight Management System External Plan Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of external flight plan changes with flight management systems poses challenges due to potential discrepancies in data interpretation by avionics systems, leading to increased pilot workload and error risks, as pilots must review external data before transferring it to avionics, but existing solutions fail to efficiently validate these changes.
Innovation Solution
A system that coordinates with the flight management system on-board an aircraft to validate flight plan changes generated by external devices by receiving aircraft state and weather data, generating deviations, and displaying graphical user interface overlays to indicate changes, allowing pilots to select and confirm valid travel paths that meet savings parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If external flight plan changes are transmitted to the flight management system, then flight plan updates are achieved, but data discrepancies and pilot workload increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation of external flight plan changes by comparing them against the flight management system's own flight plan data before transmission. This preliminary action identifies discrepancies early, preventing invalid data from reaching the avionics system and reducing pilot workload.
Solution Approach 2:
The system acts as an intermediary between external flight plan sources and the flight management system. It receives external flight plan changes, validates them against FMS data, and only transmits validated changes to the avionics system, thereby ensuring data accuracy and reducing pilot burden.
2Reliability
If pilots review external flight plan data before transfer, then data accuracy is maintained, but pilot workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-validation by automatically comparing external flight plan changes against the FMS flight plan data without requiring pilot intervention. This automated self-service maintains data accuracy while eliminating the manual review workload for pilots.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical review process performed by pilots is replaced with an automated electronic validation system that compares flight plan data programmatically. This substitution maintains accuracy while significantly reducing pilot workload.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple connectivity features are integrated, then system capability is enhanced, but pilot complexity and error risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The validation process is segmented into distinct automated steps: receiving external flight plan changes, comparing against FMS data, identifying discrepancies, and transmitting only validated changes. This segmentation manages complexity by breaking down the multifaceted connectivity challenge into manageable automated tasks.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for coordinating with a flight management system (FMS) on-board an aircraft to determine whether a flight plan (FP) change generated by an external device is valid. The method includes generating the FP change, which includes a deviation to the intended FP and a savings parameter associated with a parameter of the intended FP, responsive to weather data and aircraft state data; generating a lateral display showing the intended FP and an alphanumeric window with the FP change; transmitting the FP change to the FMS; receiving, from the FMS, a travel path and a calculated parameter for the travel path, generated by the FMS responsive to the FP change; determining whether the travel path realizes the savings parameter by comparing the calculated parameter to the savings parameter; and, displaying either a selectable graphical user interface (GUI) object to implement the FP change, or a warning based thereon.