Flight Plan Comparison Tree for Faster Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current flight management systems require pilots to manually and tediously verify and compare flight plans from third-party systems, lacking automated tools to assess modifications and understand differences effectively.

Innovation Solution

A method and module that compare and display flight plans using a tree structure, highlighting common and distinctive elements, along with associated data, to facilitate quick and comprehensive analysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the pilot performs a complete manual analysis of a proposed flight plan, then the safety and accuracy of flight plan acceptance is improved, but the time consumption and workload increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflight plan verification accuracyVSAvoidtime for manual analysis

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The flight plan comparison is segmented into two distinct zones: a first comparative zone displaying a tree structure with common and distinctive elements, and a second comparative zone displaying tabular data. This segmentation allows the pilot to focus on specific aspects of the comparison without being overwhelmed by the entire flight plan, thereby reducing analysis time while maintaining verification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically performs the preliminary comparison of flight plans before the pilot needs to review them. The processing unit generates the tree structure and tabular data highlighting differences, so that when the pilot reviews the flight plan, the analysis work has already been done, reducing their time consumption while ensuring accurate verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the pilot manually checks the conformity and consistency of a proposed flight plan, then the reliability of flight plan acceptance is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the tedious nature of the task

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflight plan verification accuracyVSAvoidease of flight plan checking

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The processing unit acts as an intermediary that automatically compares the proposed flight plan with the original flight plan and generates a visual representation of differences. This intermediary handles the tedious manual checking work, while the pilot interacts with the simplified visual interface, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining verification reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical process of comparing flight plans line-by-line is replaced with an automated computational system that generates visual comparisons. The processing unit substitutes the pilot's manual effort by automatically identifying and displaying differences in the tree structure and tabular format, making the operation easier while ensuring accurate verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of information

If the pilot reviews all elements of a flight plan to understand modifications, then the completeness of understanding is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for comprehensive display systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of flight plan understandingVSAvoidcomplexity of display system

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of displaying all flight plan elements uniformly, the system applies local quality by highlighting only the distinctive elements and differences in the first comparative zone's tree structure. Common elements are shown once at parent nodes, while modifications are specifically marked, allowing complete understanding without overwhelming complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system adds a new dimension to flight plan presentation by organizing elements in a hierarchical tree structure with multiple levels, rather than a flat linear format. This dimensional change allows common elements to be shared across branches and differences to be highlighted at specific nodes, providing complete information while reducing perceived complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS12518638B2Method for verifying at least one flight plan, and associated computer program product and module for verifying at least one flight plan

Publication Date: 2026.01.06 THALES SA

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method of assisting in the checking of at least one flight plan among at least a first flight plan and a second flight plan, each flight plan being associated with an ordered list of elements. The method comprises the steps of comparing flight plans in order to identify among the elements associated with said plans, common elements for all the plans and distinctive elements for each flight plan, and to display, a first comparative zone comprising a tree structure defining a plurality of levels, each level comprising a single root formed from one of the common elements or a branch for each flight plan, at least one of the branches in a same level comprising at least one of the distinctive elements associated with the corresponding flight plan.