Flight Management System Waypoint Projection for Path Reversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Flight Management Systems (FMS) struggle to effectively manage route changes and reversions to a predefined flight path, particularly when direct flight instructions are given, as they lack the ability to retain and restore deleted waypoints, leading to inconsistencies and increased manual workload, which compromises safety and operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method that projects deleted waypoints onto a new path using a projection function, allowing the aircraft to dynamically update the status of these points, enabling seamless reversion to the original path without requiring secondary flight plans, thus minimizing manual interventions and maintaining safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the pilot manually updates the reference path by deleting waypoints to follow direct flight instructions, then the aircraft can take shortcuts and reduce flight time, but the deleted waypoints are lost and cannot be restored if a return to the original path is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically storing backup information of the original flight path waypoints before they are deleted. This allows the waypoints to be restored later if needed, resolving the contradiction by preserving information in advance without affecting the direct flight shortcut benefit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements discarding and recovering by temporarily hiding deleted waypoints from the active flight path display while maintaining them in storage. When a return to the original path is requested, the waypoints are recovered and restored to their original positions, allowing the aircraft to resume the predefined path without permanent data loss.
2Ease of operation
If the FMS uses limited undo functionality to restore previous flight plans, then some restoration capability is provided, but it cannot sufficiently go back into the commands given and may cancel unrelated orders
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by providing the pilot with information about the stored backup flight path data and seeking confirmation before restoration. This ensures that the correct waypoints are restored and prevents accidental cancellation of unrelated orders, improving both ease of operation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the flight path data into distinct waypoint records that can be individually managed. This allows selective restoration of specific waypoint sequences without affecting other parts of the flight plan, enabling precise control over what is restored and when.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pilot creates a secondary flight plan to retain deleted waypoints, then the original path can be restored by switching plans, but this monopolizes secondary flight plan resources and increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the backup waypoint storage functionality directly into the active flight path management system. Instead of requiring separate secondary flight plans, the deletion and restoration operations are integrated into the standard flight path update procedures, reducing complexity while maintaining restoration flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements universality by making the flight management system capable of both direct flight execution and original path restoration through a single integrated mechanism. The same flight path data structure supports both modified and original routes, eliminating the need for separate secondary plan resources.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for changing the path followed by an aircraft, the aircraft initially following a predefined path on the basis of a sequence of waypoints, the method allowing a subsequent return of the aircraft to the predefined path in the same direction or in the reverse direction. The method allows a possible return of the aircraft to the predefined path in the same direction such that the waypoints of the predefined path are projected onto a new path according to a projection function ensuring that the order of the sequence of the projected image points complies with the order of the sequence of the original waypoints. The projection of a waypoint already reached by the aircraft also is considered as having been reached. The projections of the waypoints on the new path are considered reached by the aircraft progressively as the latter progresses along the new path. The aircraft eventually rejoins the predefined path at the first waypoint in the order of the sequence of points whose projection is not yet considered as reached on the new path.