FMS-Coupled TCAS Control for Automatic Evasive Maneuvers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft flight control systems face challenges in responding timely and accurately to Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alerts, particularly in busy terminal areas and enroute environments, due to high cognitive demand and the need for expensive autopilot system retrofits, which can lead to frequent evasive maneuvers and increased pilot workload.
Innovation Solution
An enhanced flight control system that couples the TCAS with the Flight Management System (FMS), allowing for early evaluation of TCAS data to modify the flight plan and automatically implement evasive maneuvers without user input, using a control module that processes aircraft state and TCAS data to strategically avoid conflicts and return to the original flight plan post-manuever.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If automated responses to TCAS alerts are based on aircraft autopilot systems, then response time is reduced, but system cost increases due to expensive retrofits into older aircraft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the TCAS alert processing functionality with the existing FMS, which is already present in most modern aircraft. By integrating TCAS response capabilities into the FMS rather than requiring separate autopilot systems, the solution achieves automated responses while utilizing existing infrastructure, thereby reducing overall system cost while maintaining improved response times
Solution Approach 2:
The FMS is designed to perform multiple functions including flight management, navigation, and now TCAS alert processing. By making the FMS a universal system that handles diverse aviation functions, the patent eliminates the need for dedicated expensive autopilot hardware for TCAS responses, achieving multi-functionality with a single integrated system
2Device complexity
If pilots manually respond to TCAS alerts, then system cost is reduced, but pilot workload increases particularly in busy terminal areas
Solution Approach 1:
The FMS system provides self-service by automatically processing TCAS alerts and generating appropriate responses without requiring pilot intervention. The system monitors alerts, evaluates them against flight parameters, and executes responses autonomously, thereby reducing pilot workload while maintaining system affordability through software-based solutions rather than expensive hardware
3Measurement precision
If navigation system accuracy is improved, then flight path precision increases, but TCAS alert frequency increases due to increased likelihood of neighbor aircraft being on or near the host aircraft's flight path
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of TCAS alerts by processing them through the FMS before execution, allowing advance assessment of whether an alert represents a genuine threat or a false alarm. This preliminary action enables the system to respond appropriately to high-accuracy navigation data by filtering out nuisance alerts while maintaining responsiveness to genuine conflicts
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated FMS-TCAS system implements feedback mechanisms where alert responses are continuously monitored and evaluated against actual flight conditions. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from navigation accuracy improvements and adjust its response thresholds, maintaining optimal performance even as navigation precision increases and alert frequency changes
Data Source
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AI summary
An enhanced flight control system and method providing a technological improvement over a conventional flight control systems is provided. A control module employs rules to determine whether or not a received traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) evasive maneuver is automatically implemented. Specifically, the control module effectively couples the TCAS to the FMS, allowing access to the flight plan and to the navigation database and the approach procedures and runway data therein. An algorithm in the control module determines when there is a co-occurrence of the conditions (1) a flight plan uploaded in the FMS, (2) autopilot is engaged, (3) VNAV is engaged. Upon co-occurrence of (1) and (2) and (3), and an evasive maneuver is received from a TCAS, the control module determines whether or not to automatically implement the evasive maneuver. Look ahead algorithms may also analyse and modify the flight plan to preclude TCAS alerts and evasive procedures being required.