Aircraft Flight Phase Determination System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current avionics systems fail to determine the operational flight phase accurately, leading to inconsistencies and increased pilot workload, as they rely on pre-defined logic and equipment modes rather than real-time conditions and pilot intent, which can result in accidents such as unintentional aircraft movement during operations like return-to-service engine checks.
Innovation Solution
An operational flight phase determination and indication system that uses a combination of aircraft sensors and direct pilot input to determine the current flight phase, employing a processor, flight phase data table, transition rules, and display indicators to provide a consistent and unambiguous operational mode signal, allowing for proper configuration of aircraft systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If pre-defined logic and equipment modes are used to determine flight phase, then system complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of operational flight phase deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an operational flight phase determination system as an intermediary layer between aircraft sensors and avionics functions. This mediator synthesizes multiple sensor inputs (weight-on-wheels, flaps, gear, thrust) and pilot inputs to generate a unified operational flight phase signal, resolving the contradiction by providing precise phase determination without requiring each avionics function to implement complex determination logic independently.
2Adaptability or versatility
If federated system with independent inputs and logic is used for each avionics function, then adaptability to different functions is improved, but consistency of flight phase determination deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal operational flight phase determination system that serves multiple avionics functions simultaneously. The single determination logic produces a unified operational flight phase signal that can be consumed by various avionics functions (weather radar, ADS-B, decision aids), providing both adaptability to different functions and consistency across all systems through the shared determination mechanism.
3Productivity
If automation dependency is increased for new flight deck automation, then productivity is improved, but reliability of flight phase determination deteriorates due to ambiguity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates pilot feedback through the flight phase selector that allows pilots to confirm or correct the automatically determined operational flight phase. This feedback mechanism ensures that automation operates reliably by allowing human oversight and correction, preventing accidents due to ambiguous automation interpretation while maintaining high automation efficiency for routine determinations.
Data Source
AI summary
An operational flight phase determination and indication system for an aircraft includes input/output circuitry for receiving an operational flight phase selector output signal and aircraft sensor signals. A processor is coupled to the input/output circuitry. A flight phase data table is coupled to the processor. The flight phase data table includes a list of the defined operational flight phases for the aircraft. A flight phase transition rules set is coupled to the processor. The flight phase transition rules set includes flight rules for defining flight phase transitions. Program memory and working memory are coupled to the processor. The processor uses input from the input/output circuitry, the flight phase data table, the flight phase transition rules set, the program memory and the working memory to provide an operational mode signal indicating the operational mode of the aircraft. A flight phase selector is coupled to the processor for providing the flight phase selector signal to the processor in accordance with the pilot selected flight phase input. A display indicator driver is coupled to the processor for providing display indicator driver signals to an operational flight phase indicator in accordance with the operational mode signal. The input/output circuitry preferably receives on-board automation systems input.