Conflict-Free Flight Trajectory Planning Using ADS-B Avoidance Intervals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air traffic control systems rely heavily on ground-based radar, leading to increased workload, fuel burn, emissions, and noise due to frequent interventions by air traffic controllers to maintain separation between aircraft, and pilots lack comprehensive information for efficient flight trajectory planning.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating multiple conflict-free flight trajectories that consider various operational requirements, including fuel efficiency, time efficiency, and safety, using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data and Standard Avoidance Intervals (SAI) to minimize interventions by air traffic control, while incorporating additional information like wind, weather, and airspace restrictions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ground-based radar systems are used for air traffic control, then aircraft separation and collision prevention are achieved, but controller workload, fuel burn, emissions, and noise increase due to frequent interventions
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables aircraft to autonomously determine their own state vectors using onboard sensors and GPS, eliminating the need for ground-based radar monitoring. Each aircraft independently tracks its position, velocity, and altitude, allowing self-regulated flight path management while maintaining separation through cooperative information sharing among aircraft.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical ground-based radar surveillance system with an electronic onboard sensor system. Instead of using external radar to detect aircraft position, the system uses inertial sensors, GPS receivers, and onboard computers to calculate and broadcast state vector information electronically, reducing the need for physical infrastructure and frequent controller interventions.
2Reliability
If air traffic controllers intervene to maintain separation between aircraft, then collision prevention is achieved, but controller workload and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Aircraft equipped with the system autonomously calculate their state vectors and compare them with other aircraft's broadcasted data to determine separation status. The system automatically generates advisories when separation minima are approached, eliminating the need for controllers to manually monitor and manage each aircraft pair, thereby reducing controller workload while maintaining collision prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by having aircraft broadcast their state vectors and receiving updates from other aircraft in real-time. This creates a distributed feedback loop where each aircraft automatically adjusts its flight path based on received information, maintaining separation without requiring centralized controller intervention and reducing operational complexity.
3Productivity
If pilots plan flight trajectories without knowledge of other aircraft, then operational requirements are met, but conflicts and collisions may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides pilots with real-time feedback on the position, velocity, and trajectory of other aircraft through broadcasted state vectors. This information is integrated into the flight management system, allowing pilots to plan trajectories that are both operationally efficient and conflict-free, as the system continuously monitors and adjusts for the presence of other aircraft in the airspace.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary conflict detection by comparing planned trajectories with the current state vectors of other aircraft before execution. If a potential conflict is detected, the system generates alternative trajectories or advisories in advance, allowing pilots to adjust their flight plans proactively rather than reactively, thereby maintaining both operational efficiency and safety.
4Reliability
If ATC assigns speed changes, level segments, or off-course vectors to maintain separation, then aircraft spacing is maintained, but fuel burn and emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables aircraft to autonomously maintain separation by calculating relative positions and velocities using onboard sensors. Instead of requiring ATC to assign corrective maneuvers, each aircraft independently determines its own flight path adjustments, allowing for more fuel-efficient trajectories that maintain spacing without unnecessary speed changes, level segments, or off-course vectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fundamental parameters of air traffic management by transitioning from ground-based radar surveillance to onboard sensor systems, and from centralized controller-directed maneuvers to autonomous aircraft-based separation maintenance. This parameter change enables more efficient flight paths that reduce fuel burn and emissions while maintaining required aircraft spacing.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of the present invention are provided to generate a plurality of flight trajectories that do not conflict with other aircraft in a local area. Interventions by an air traffic control system help prevent collisions between aircraft, but these interventions can also cause an aircraft to substantially deviate from the pilot's intended flight trajectory, which burns fuels, wastes time, etc. Systems and methods of the present invention can assign a standard avoidance interval to other aircraft in the area such that a pilot's aircraft does not receive an intervention by an air traffic control system. Systems and methods of the present invention also generate a plurality of conflict-free flight trajectories such that a pilot or an automated system may select the most desirable flight trajectory for fuel efficiency, speed, and other operational considerations, etc.