Integrated Weather Radar and Collision Avoidance for Aircraft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft onboard weather radar systems lack the capability to automatically detect inclement weather and determine feasible maneuvers to avoid storm fronts without interfering with nearby aircraft, often resulting in impermissible flight path alterations due to insufficient separation distance calculations.
Innovation Solution
Integration of an onboard weather radar system with a vehicle navigation system to detect inclement weather, determine recommended flight maneuvers, and assess their feasibility by considering the positions and velocities of nearby aircraft, allowing for automatic generation of flight path alteration requests to air traffic control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If onboard weather radar automatically determines flight maneuvers to avoid inclement weather, then weather avoidance capability is improved, but collision risk with nearby aircraft increases due to insufficient separation distance consideration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the weather radar system with the collision avoidance system into an integrated system that simultaneously processes weather data and traffic data. This merging allows the system to generate flight maneuvers that avoid both inclement weather and nearby aircraft, resolving the contradiction between weather avoidance capability and collision risk by considering both factors together rather than separately
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system acts as an intermediary between the weather avoidance function and collision avoidance function, reconciling potentially conflicting maneuver recommendations. The system evaluates weather avoidance maneuvers against collision avoidance constraints and modifies them to ensure safe separation distances are maintained, serving as a mediator that balances both safety requirements
2Reliability
If flight path alterations are made to avoid storm fronts, then flight safety is improved, but flight efficiency deteriorates due to impermissible maneuvers caused by separation distance constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts flight maneuvers based on real-time evaluation of both weather conditions and traffic situations. Rather than using fixed separation distance constraints that may prevent efficient weather avoidance, the system continuously updates maneuver recommendations to balance safety requirements with flight efficiency, allowing more permissible and efficient maneuvers when traffic conditions permit
3Device complexity
If traditional weather radar systems are used without integration with navigation systems, then system complexity is reduced, but automated maneuver determination capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional system where the integrated weather radar and collision avoidance system serves multiple purposes: weather detection, traffic awareness, and automated maneuver determination. This universal system consolidates previously separate functions into a single platform, reducing overall system complexity while enhancing automated capability through shared processing and coordinated decision-making
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safe and permissible avoidance of inclement weather by determining feasible flight maneuvers that maintain safe separation distances from other aircraft, overcoming limitations of traditional systems by utilizing advanced passive surveillance technologies like In-Trail Procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The onboard weather radar system may be mounted on the aircraft and may use radar scans to detect reflected radar signals from weather formations
Implementation Method 2
The system may determine the position of the other vehicle, as well as characteristics such as the velocity and direction of travel based on passive surveillance of signals transmitted from the other vehicle
Data Source
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AI summary
In one example, this disclosure is directed to a system configured to detect inclement weather in the travel path of a vehicle, determine a recommended maneuver to avoid the inclement weather, and determine the feasibility of the recommended maneuver with respect to any nearby vehicles.