Runway Incursion Avoidance via Optical Detection and Automatic Braking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current Runway Awareness and Advisory Systems (RAAS) do not account for air traffic control clearance, potentially leading to aircraft incursions onto runways due to pilot errors or incapacities during taxiing.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that includes surveillance, data reception, verification, and avoidance assistance units to detect potential incursions by recognizing taxi-holding positions and aircraft parameters, and provides alerts or automatic braking to prevent unauthorized entries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If RAAS system provides visual and audible alerts to improve pilot awareness, then pilot awareness of runway situation is improved, but the system cannot prevent incursions caused by pilot error or incapacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (surveillance unit with optical detection) that acts as a mediator between the pilot and the runway environment. This system independently monitors the airfield, detects taxi-holding positions, and determines future entry predictions, providing an additional layer of safety that does not rely on pilot attention or decision-making
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on human pilot judgment and manual control with an automated system that uses optical detection, data processing, and automatic braking mechanisms. The surveillance unit and verification unit automatically monitor position and compare against clearance data, substituting human cognitive functions with mechanical and electronic systems
2Reliability
If the system implements optical detection and automatic braking to prevent incursions, then safety against pilot error is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into a unified surveillance system. The same surveillance unit performs optical detection, position determination, and future entry prediction. The verification unit handles both clearance verification and incursion detection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, managing complexity through functional integration
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to be self-monitoring and self-correcting. The surveillance unit continuously tracks the aircraft's position and automatically predicts future entry points. The verification unit independently checks clearance status, and the avoidance assistance unit automatically applies braking when incursion is predicted, without requiring constant pilot intervention or complex external control systems
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
Effectively detects and prevents uncleared entries onto runways by enhancing pilot awareness and providing protective measures, such as automatic braking, to mitigate pilot errors or incapacities during taxiing phases.
Implementation Method 1
detect, via an optical detection, preferably a visual detection, one or more characteristic elements comprising a mandatory characteristic element corresponding to a stop marking on the ground
Data Source
AI summary
The system includes a unit for surveying the airfield to detect, by an optical detection, one or more characteristic elements corresponding to a mandatory characteristic element corresponding to a stop marking on the ground, a taxi-holding position of a runway of the airfield, to determine a current relative position of the aircraft with respect to a taxi-holding position for which at least the mandatory characteristic element has been detected and to detect a future entry onto the runway of the airfield by the aircraft, a unit for deducing a future incursion if this future entry is not cleared and a unit for implementing an action intended to assist in avoiding, the future incursion, the system being configured to provide assistance to the aircraft pilot by improving awareness concerning a possible incursion onto a runway, by alert or ground navigation assistance messages and by providing protection via automatic braking.