Flight Navigation Performance Prediction Corridor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current flight management systems lack the ability to predict navigation performance along the entire flight trajectory, limiting pilots' knowledge of required navigation performance changes and estimated navigation performance, which restricts their ability to anticipate compliance with performance-based navigation procedures, especially in high-density traffic areas.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that calculate estimated navigation performance predictions for each segment of a flight plan by identifying available positioning systems, selecting the system with the lowest error, and updating the list with these predictions, allowing for corridor trajectory information to be displayed, ensuring compliance with performance-based navigation requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If current flight management systems only provide navigation performance information for the current flight segment, then the system complexity remains low and information processing is simple, but pilots cannot anticipate navigation performance changes along the entire trajectory and cannot detect obstacles early

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenavigation performance informationVSAvoidflight management system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary calculations of estimated navigation performance (EPE/EPU) for multiple future flight segments before the aircraft reaches them. By pre-computing navigation performance predictions along the entire trajectory and storing them in a list, the system enables pilots to anticipate performance changes and potential obstacles in advance, rather than receiving information only for the current segment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the system calculates and displays navigation performance for the entire flight trajectory, then pilots can better control trajectories and detect obstacles early, but the calculation complexity and data processing requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenavigation performance predictionVSAvoidcalculation device
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flight trajectory is divided into discrete flight segments, and the system calculates estimated navigation performance separately for each segment. The results are organized in a structured list where each segment has its own EPE/EPU prediction. This segmentation approach manages calculation complexity by breaking down the overall trajectory into manageable portions while still providing comprehensive coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The flight management system uses its own existing navigation performance calculation capabilities to generate predictions for future segments. The system leverages its built-in understanding of aircraft performance, navigation systems, and flight conditions to self-generate the prediction data without requiring external inputs or additional complex subsystems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If the system provides detailed corridor trajectory information with clear boundaries, then pilots can maintain better navigation control and safety, but the information display complexity and pilot workload increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrajectory controlVSAvoidcorridor boundary information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores corridor boundary information along with navigation performance predictions for each flight segment. By having this information prepared in advance and organized in a structured format, the system can present comprehensive corridor trajectory guidance without requiring complex real-time processing during flight operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3267156B1Calculation device and method for predicting estimated navigation performance
Publication Date: 2019.08.21 THALES SA
  • EP3267156B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3267156B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3267156B1 patent drawingFigure 4a~4b

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for calculating the estimated navigation performance prediction for a trajectory associated with a list of flight plan segments. The invention also relates to a method for displaying navigation performance along a corridor trajectory, thereby ensuring compliance with navigation performance requirements and providing an immediate visualization of the navigation latitude within that corridor.