Coordinated Avoidance Maneuver for Aircraft Formation Safety

Solution Overview

Problem

Current collision avoidance systems for aircraft formations break the formation when implementing separation maneuvers, losing fuel efficiency advantages.

Innovation Solution

A method and device for managing a coordinated avoidance maneuver within the aircraft formation to maintain formation flight while avoiding collisions with intrusive aircraft, using data reception, decision-making, and transmission units to determine and execute a coordinated avoidance strategy across all aircraft.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a standard vertical separation maneuver is implemented to avoid collision with an intrusive aircraft, then collision risk is reduced, but the formation flight is broken and fuel efficiency advantages are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidfuel consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the avoidance maneuvers of all formation aircraft into a single coordinated action. The management assembly on the lead aircraft generates a unified avoidance decision that is transmitted to all following aircraft, causing them to execute the same maneuver simultaneously. This maintains the formation's integrity and fuel efficiency while achieving collision avoidance, resolving the contradiction between safety and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The formation flight management system is enhanced to serve dual functions: normal formation flight coordination and collision avoidance. The management assembly and control assemblies can operate in either mode depending on collision risk, allowing the same system to maintain both fuel efficiency during normal operation and safety when needed, without requiring separate dedicated systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If a vertical separation maneuver is implemented to avoid collision, then air traffic safety is improved, but the formation structure is disrupted and separation distance increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair traffic safetyVSAvoidformation structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the avoidance maneuvers of all formation aircraft into a single coordinated action. The management assembly on the lead aircraft generates a unified avoidance decision that is transmitted to all following aircraft, causing them to execute the same maneuver simultaneously. This maintains the formation's integrity and fuel efficiency while achieving collision avoidance, resolving the contradiction between safety and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adapts its behavior based on collision risk. During normal flight, aircraft maintain tight formation for fuel efficiency. When collision risk is detected, the system dynamically transitions to a coordinated avoidance mode where all aircraft execute the same maneuver, temporarily increasing separation but maintaining relative positions. After avoidance, the system returns to normal formation flight, thus dynamically maintaining formation stability while enabling safety maneuvers when necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If individual aircraft execute independent avoidance maneuvers, then collision risk is reduced, but coordination is lost and formation flight cannot be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidmaneuver coordination

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the avoidance maneuvers of all formation aircraft into a single coordinated action. The management assembly on the lead aircraft generates a unified avoidance decision that is transmitted to all following aircraft, causing them to execute the same maneuver simultaneously. This maintains the formation's integrity and fuel efficiency while achieving collision avoidance, resolving the contradiction between safety and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The management assembly on the lead aircraft acts as an intermediary that centralizes the decision-making process. Instead of each aircraft independently deciding its maneuver, the management assembly receives collision risk information, computes the optimal avoidance maneuver, and distributes the decision to all aircraft. This intermediary role simplifies coordination complexity while maintaining effective collision avoidance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10380903B2Collision avoidance method and device for an aircraft formation relative to an intrusive aircraft

Publication Date: 2019.08.13 AIRBUS OPERATIONS (SAS)

AI summary

Collision avoidance method and device for an aircraft formation relative to an intrusive aircraft. The device manages a collision avoidance for an aircraft formation, relative to an aircraft external to the aircraft formation, the aircraft formation comprising a lead aircraft and at least one following aircraft, the device comprising a formation flight management unit with which all the aircraft of the aircraft formation are equipped and configured to manage the formation flight thereof, and management and control assemblies for determining and applying a coordinated avoidance maneuver intended for all the aircraft of the aircraft formation, this coordinated avoidance maneuver being determined so as to make it possible to avoid the collision with the intrusive aircraft while maintaining the formation flight.