Dynamic Flight Range Isoline Visualization for Aerial Vehicles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to accurately determine and visualize the dynamic range of aerial vehicles considering environmental factors like wind, terrain, and no-fly zones, leading to inefficient flight planning and potential operational risks.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a three-dimensional terrain map and processing circuitry to calculate and display isolines representing the range of an aerial vehicle by discretizing the geographic region, accounting for energy consumption, wind speed, wind direction, elevation changes, and no-fly zones, providing a dynamic visualization of the vehicle's range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional range visualization methods are used, then the system is simple, but the accuracy of range determination is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the geographic region into a grid of nodes and calculates energy consumption for each segment between neighboring nodes. This segmentation allows the system to compute accurate range determinations by accumulating energy costs across multiple segments, thereby improving measurement precision without requiring a completely complex system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional map visualization to a three-dimensional representation that incorporates elevation data and energy consumption contours. By adding the energy consumption dimension to the traditional spatial map, the system achieves more accurate range visualization while maintaining intuitive understanding through layered information presentation.
2Measurement precision
If environmental factors are considered in range calculation, then the accuracy of range determination is improved, but the calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores energy consumption values for traveling between neighboring nodes based on environmental factors such as wind speed, wind direction, and elevation changes. By performing these calculations in advance and storing them in the routing graph, the system reduces real-time calculation complexity while maintaining high accuracy in range determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a routing graph as an intermediary data structure that stores pre-computed energy consumption values between nodes. This intermediary allows the system to account for environmental factors like wind and terrain without performing complex real-time calculations, thereby improving accuracy while managing computational complexity through data organization.
3Reliability
If detailed environmental data is processed, then the reliability of range visualization is improved, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs energy consumption calculations considering environmental factors like wind and terrain in advance, storing the results in the routing graph before actual range queries are needed. This preliminary processing allows the system to provide reliable range visualization quickly during actual use, as the heavy computational work is already complete.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent calculates energy consumption for all possible paths between neighboring nodes and stores these values in the routing graph, even though not all paths will be used during actual operations. This excessive pre-calculation ensures that when range queries are made, the system can immediately retrieve accurate information without time-consuming calculations, thereby improving reliability while managing processing time through batch processing.
4Ease of operation
If isolines are used to represent range, then the ease of understanding is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses isolines with different styles or colorations to represent different energy consumption levels and range zones. By encoding multiple pieces of information through visual variations in the isolines themselves rather than through separate graphical elements, the system achieves enhanced ease of understanding while keeping the visualization approach relatively simple and intuitive.
Data Source
AI summary
A mapping system, computer program product and method provide visualization of the dynamic range of an aircraft. A method may include: receiving map data, where the map data includes a three-dimensional terrain map of a geographic region; determining a location of an aerial vehicle; calculating a plurality of points in a plurality of different direction that can be reached by the aerial vehicle within at least two predetermined increments of energy consumption; and providing for display of a map of the geographic region including an isoline through the plurality of points for each of the at least two predetermined increments of energy consumption representing a dynamic range of the aerial vehicle for the at least two predetermined increments of energy consumption.