Tailored Arrivals Allocation System for Aircraft Descent Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current air traffic management systems rely heavily on human calculations for aircraft descent, leading to inefficiencies in fuel consumption, noise, emissions, and flight time due to lack of integration across multiple airspace segments, with existing automation tools only providing incremental improvements and not considering aircraft operator preferences or inter-ATS facility coordination.

Innovation Solution

A ground-based Tailored Arrivals Allocation System (TAAS) that integrates data from multiple sources, including air traffic services, airline operations, weather, and aircraft performance to calculate and provide optimized descent profiles, coordinating clearances across multiple air traffic control centers and incorporating aircraft operator preferences, thereby determining the most efficient flight path.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple air traffic controllers manually calculate descent paths for different airspace segments, then safety and operational control are maintained, but fuel consumption increases and descent efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidfuel consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate controller decision-making processes into a single integrated automated system that calculates the complete descent profile across all airspace segments simultaneously. This consolidation eliminates the inefficiencies of sequential manual calculations while maintaining safety through centralized coordination of all controllers involved in the arrival process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual human calculations with an automated electronic system that performs rapid precision calculations. The automated system processes aircraft performance data, airspace constraints, and meteorological information to generate optimized descent profiles, substituting human cognitive processing with computational algorithms that achieve both safety and fuel efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If each controller develops tactical plans independently within their own airspace, then operational autonomy is maintained, but coordination efficiency decreases and flight time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational autonomyVSAvoidflight time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by having the automated system calculate the complete integrated descent profile before the aircraft begins its descent. All coordination between multiple controllers is established in advance through the automated system, which generates a unified plan that all controllers execute, eliminating the need for sequential tactical adjustments and reducing overall flight time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If standard descent procedures are used without considering individual aircraft characteristics, then procedural simplicity is maintained, but descent optimality decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocedural simplicityVSAvoiddescent optimality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by tailoring the descent profile to each specific aircraft's performance characteristics, weight, and operational requirements. The automated system calculates customized descent parameters for each aircraft rather than applying uniform standard procedures, optimizing the descent for individual aircraft while maintaining procedural framework through automated generation of specific clearances.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Device complexity

If piece-meal descent calculations are performed by each controller, then workload distribution is maintained, but calculation precision decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveworkload distributionVSAvoidcalculation precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the separate calculation functions of multiple controllers into a single automated calculation system that processes all descent parameters simultaneously. This consolidation achieves high calculation precision by using comprehensive aircraft data and coordinated algorithms, while the automated system handles the computational workload, freeing controllers from intensive calculation tasks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9159240B2Methods and systems for tailored allocation of arrivals

Publication Date: 2015.10.13 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A tailored arrival allocation system (TAAS) for determining a descent profile for an aircraft is described. TAAS includes a gateway operable for establishing communications between TAAS and aircraft, and for establishing communications between TAAS and at least one of a source of weather data, an air traffic services facility, and an airlines operations center. A processing device communicatively coupled to the gateway calculates a descent profile based on data received from a plurality of an air traffic services coordination function, an airline operations center function, data from the aircraft, and data received from a weather station that allows the aircraft to meet the required time at one or more metering fixes during the descent. Output interfaces provide data relating to the calculated descent profile to the processing device. The gateway communicates with a flight management computer for the aircraft to incorporate the calculated descent profile onto the flight management computer.