Runway Overrun Alerting System Discrete Gauge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional runway overrun prevention systems often integrate visual warnings into complex primary flight displays (PFDs), making it difficult for pilots to quickly assess the likelihood of a runway excursion.
Innovation Solution
A runway overrun awareness alert system (ROAAS) that assesses the aircraft's energy state and predicts the likelihood of a runway excursion, displaying this information in a graphic form separate from other PFD displays using a gauge and color elements to represent severity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If visual warnings are integrated into the primary flight display (PFD), then the system provides comprehensive information, but the display complexity increases and pilots cannot quickly assess runway excursion probability
Solution Approach 1:
The PFD is segmented into distinct functional areas: traditional flight instruments and a separate ROAAS display area. The ROAAS gauge is positioned in the lower right portion of the display, physically separated from other flight instruments. This segmentation allows pilots to process runway excursion probability information independently from other flight parameters, reducing cognitive load and display complexity while maintaining comprehensive information availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The runway overrun awareness symbology is extracted from the complex PFD environment and presented as a discrete, standalone gauge with dedicated visual elements. The ROAAS indicator includes a needle, gauge markings, and color-coded regions that are visually distinct from traditional flight instruments. This extraction creates a dedicated information channel that reduces pilot workload by separating critical overrun risk assessment from other flight management tasks.
2Ease of operation
If conventional visual and aural warnings are used, then the system alerts pilots of potential overrun, but the information is not presented in a easily assessable format
Solution Approach 1:
The ROAAS gauge employs color-coded regions to indicate different levels of runway excursion probability: green for low risk, yellow for moderate risk, and red for high risk. The needle position relative to these colored regions provides immediate visual feedback about the severity of the situation. This color-coding system enables pilots to rapidly assess risk severity without requiring numerical interpretation or complex cognitive processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the abstract concept of runway excursion probability into a two-dimensional visual representation with spatial and chromatic dimensions. The gauge includes radial distance (needle position from center) and angular position (needle angle relative to gauge markings) dimensions, combined with color intensity variations. This multi-dimensional visualization encodes multiple levels of probability severity information in a single, easily interpretable display element.
Data Source
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AI summary
An aircraft-based runway overrun awareness alerting system (ROAAS) (120) for an aircraft primary flight display (PFD) is disclosed. In embodiments, the ROAAS is embodied aboard an aircraft and tracks the position and heading of the aircraft. Further, the ROAAS tracks the energy state of the aircraft as it approaches a runway for landing. Based on the current energy state, as well as the runway parameters, the ROAAS predicts a landing point for the aircraft along the runway. Based on this landing point, as well as the current energy state, the ROAAS determines the current likelihood of runway excursion (e.g., that the aircraft will not have sufficient runway remaining to decelerate or stop) and displays this likelihood as a dynamic graphic element not integrated into any other instruments or components displayed by the PFD.