ILS-Based Highway-In-The-Sky Visual Cues for Navigation Error Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current synthetic vision systems in aircraft cannot provide operational credit and fail to offer visual cues for navigation data errors, especially in instrument meteorological conditions, leading to potentially hazardous flying conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating an Instrument Landing System (ILS)-based Highway-In-The-Sky (HITS) that uses navigation data, ILS deviation data, and navigation reference data to provide real-time visual cues on display units, indicating the reliability of navigation data by positioning the distal end of the HITS in relation to the landing area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If GPS-based synthetic vision system is used to provide situational awareness, then flight safety is improved, but the system cannot provide operational credit and cannot detect navigation data errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary verification mechanism by comparing the synthetic scene generated from GPS navigation data with the actual visual scene observed by the pilot. This intermediary comparison process allows the system to detect navigation data errors without requiring the GPS system itself to provide operational credit, thereby maintaining flight safety while enabling error detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the conformance between the synthetic scene and the actual scene, and providing visual cues to the pilot when discrepancies are detected. This feedback loop enables the pilot to be alerted to navigation data errors, transforming the system from a purely situational awareness tool into one that can also verify navigation data accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If HITS is generated based on navigation data to provide alignment guidance, then pilot alignment accuracy is improved, but if navigation data contains errors, the pilot receives no visual cue and may land at incorrect position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by proactively detecting potential navigation data errors before they can cause hazardous landing conditions. The system continuously verifies the accuracy of navigation data used to generate HITS alignment guidance, and provides visual cues to the pilot in advance of any potential landing errors, preventing the harmful effect rather than correcting it after occurrence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification of navigation data accuracy by comparing synthetic and actual scenes before the pilot relies on HITS for final approach and landing. This preliminary action ensures that the alignment guidance provided to the pilot is based on accurate navigation data, or alerts the pilot to potential errors before they result in unsafe landing conditions.
3Loss of information
If synthetic scene is rendered from pilot's viewpoint to enhance situational awareness, then pilot awareness of position and environment is improved, but the system cannot detect errors in navigation data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two functions into a single synthetic vision system: providing situational awareness and verifying navigation data accuracy. By rendering the synthetic scene from the pilot's viewpoint and simultaneously using it for error detection through comparison with the actual scene, the system achieves both enhanced awareness and navigation data verification without requiring separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method are disclosed for generating an ILS-based highway-in-the-sky (“HITS”). The system is comprised of an image data generator configured to receive navigation data, ILS deviation data, and navigation reference data from applicable data sources, where the navigation data is representative of ownship position, the ILS deviation data is representative of localizer and glide slope deviation, and navigation reference data is representative of data corresponding to an ILS approach of a runway; determine two instantaneous waypoints as a function of the received data; generate image data representative of a HITS, where the proximal and distal ends of the HITS are based upon the two instantaneous waypoints; and provide the image data to a display unit, whereby the HITS is presented on the screen of a display unit.