Flight Management Device Handling Multiple Time Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flight management systems (FMS) struggle with effectively managing multiple time constraints for aircraft flight plans, requiring pilots to manually switch screens and mentally assess modifications to constraints, which is cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A flight management device and method that allows simultaneous display and modification of multiple time constraints across multiple waypoints, using computational means to determine the temporal situation of the aircraft and display this information intuitively on timelines, enabling the selection and modification of time constraints and strategies for convergence with active constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pilots use conventional FMS to manage multiple time constraints, then they can input and view information for a single waypoint at a time, but they must manually switch between multiple screens and mentally assess modifications, which is cumbersome and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the display into multiple independent timeline regions, each representing a different waypoint with its own time constraint information. This allows pilots to view all waypoint temporal situations simultaneously on a single screen rather than switching between multiple screens, directly resolving the contradiction by improving ease of operation while reducing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the management of multiple time constraints from a sequential single-screen process into a multi-dimensional timeline display where multiple waypoints are represented simultaneously along a temporal axis. This dimensional transformation allows pilots to assess all time constraints at once, improving ease of operation without increasing time requirements.
2Loss of information
If pilots manually switch between screens to view different waypoints, then they can access detailed information for each waypoint, but the process becomes protracted and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple waypoint information displays into a single integrated timeline view. Each waypoint maintains its complete time constraint information (minimum time, maximum time, estimated time of arrival) but all are presented simultaneously in one display rather than requiring pilots to switch between multiple screens, thus preserving information completeness while reducing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The timeline display serves multiple functions simultaneously: it displays minimum times, maximum times, estimated times of arrival, and allows modification of constraints for multiple waypoints all in one view. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate screens for each waypoint, reducing device complexity while maintaining complete information.
3Adaptability or versatility
If pilots modify constraints for a given waypoint in conventional FMS, then they can adjust that specific constraint, but modifications do not automatically update other waypoints and require manual reassessment
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic feedback mechanisms where modifying a time constraint for one waypoint immediately updates the display to show the temporal implications for all other waypoints in the flight plan. This real-time feedback allows pilots to assess the consequences of modifications across the entire flight plan without manual reassessment, improving ease of operation while maintaining full adaptability for constraint modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary computation of temporal implications for all waypoints before the pilot even completes the modification. When a pilot begins modifying a constraint, the system proactively calculates and displays how this change will affect all other waypoints, allowing the pilot to make informed decisions without having to mentally work through the implications, thus improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A device and method for flight management of an aircraft along a flight plan comprises a plurality of waypoints comprising a computation of the temporal predictions determining the temporal situation of the aircraft for each waypoint of the flight plan, a temporal situation of the aircraft being defined by at least one set of information from among the group comprising the target time of transit at each waypoint the estimated minimum and maximum times of arrival at each waypoint, the estimated time of transit at the waypoint, and a formatting and display simultaneously presenting the temporal situations of the said plurality of waypoints.