METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AERIAL VEHICLE TRAJECTORY MANAGEMENT

• US 20120245834A1
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Klooster, Joel Kenneth, Hochwarth, Joachim Karl Ulf, Ren, Liling
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

A method and system of managing an aerial vehicle trajectory is provided. The remote trajectory management system (RTMS) for a fleet of aircraft includes an input specification module configured to manage information specifying flight-specific input data used to generate a trajectory, an aircraft model module including data that specifies a performance of the aircraft and engines of the aircraft, a predict 4D trajectory module configured to receive the specified inputs from the input specification module and an aircraft performance model from aircraft model module and to generate a 4D trajectory for a predetermined flight, and a trajectory export module configured to transmit a predetermined subset of the predicted trajectory to the aircraft.

Claims

1. A remote trajectory management system (RTMS) for one or more aircraft comprising:

an input specification module configured to manage information specifying flight-specific input data used to generate a trajectory;

an aircraft model module comprising data that specifies a performance of at least one of an aircraft alone and an airframe and engines of the aircraft;

a predict 4D trajectory module configured to receive the specified inputs from said input specification module, an aircraft performance model, and the aircraft model module and to generate a 4D trajectory for a predetermined flight; and

a trajectory export module configured to transmit a predetermined subset of the predicted trajectory.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input specification information includes at least one of an aircraft type model, a zero-fuel weight of the aircraft, an amount of fuel, a payload, a gross weight, a cruise altitude, a cost index, and a representation of a lateral route.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input specification information includes an identifier associated with a particular aircraft.

4. A system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said predict 4D trajectory module tunes the data from the aircraft model module to more closely represent the performance variations of the aircraft associated with the identifier.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the trajectory export module is configured to transmit a predetermined subset of the predicted trajectory to the aircraft.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said predict 4D trajectory module is configured to compute an air speed, a thrust, a drag, and a fuel-flow of the aircraft.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said trajectory export module is configured to transmit the predetermined subset of the predicted trajectory to at least one of an air navigation service provider and to an entity in a control center of the aircraft operator.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the RTMS is configured to manage a trajectory for a plurality of aircraft.

9. A method of managing an aerial vehicle trajectory, said method comprising:

receiving by a remote trajectory management system (RTMS) business information relating to the operation of the aerial vehicle from an operator entity of the aerial vehicle;

negotiating by the RTMS between the operator entity and a control entity a four-dimensional trajectory for the aerial vehicle; and

transmitting by the RTMS one or more trajectory parameters that facilitate the aerial vehicle complying with the negotiated trajectory to the aerial vehicle.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising receiving from the operator entity flight planning information negotiated between the operator entity and an Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP).

11. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising receiving by the RTMS information relating to airspace constraints along a predetermined route of the aerial vehicle from an airspace control entity;

12. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising synchronizing the trajectory between the operator entity and the control entity.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein synchronizing by the RTMS between the operator entity and the control entity a four-dimensional trajectory for the aerial vehicle comprises exchanging trajectory prediction and flight plan information.

14. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein negotiating by the RTMS between the operator entity and the control entity a four-dimensional trajectory for the aerial vehicle comprises exchanging trajectory prediction and flight plan information.

15. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising receiving from the control entity flight plan modification data including at least one of one or more waypoints, at least one of a two-dimensional position and a time, and at least one of a two-dimensional route change, an altitude change, a speed change, and a required-time-of-arrival (RTA).

16. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising transmitting to the control entity a business preferred trajectory comprising at least one of an end-to-end two-dimensional route, a portion of a two-dimensional route, a cruise altitude, a departure procedure, an arrival procedure, and a preferred runway.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein transmitting to the control entity a business preferred trajectory comprises transmitting a business preferred trajectory is based on at least one of a RTMS predicted trajectory, and a RTMS predicted trajectory based on information obtained from the control entity.

18. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein transmitting to the aerial vehicle one or more waypoints comprises transmitting to the aerial vehicle a three-dimensional position and a required time-of-arrival (RTA) at the three-dimensional position.

19. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising receiving from the aerial vehicle a state of the aerial vehicle including at least one of a weight of the aerial vehicle, parameters measured by airborne sensors, and at least one of 3D and 4D position data.

20. A Fleet Wide Trajectory Management System (FWTMS) comprising:

a plurality of remote trajectory management systems (RTMS), each said RTMS comprising;

an input specification module configured to manage information specifying flight-specific input data used to generate a trajectory;

an aircraft model module comprising data that specifies a performance of the aircraft and engines of the aircraft;

a predict 4D trajectory module configured to receive the specified inputs from said input specification module and an aircraft performance model from aircraft model module and to generate a 4D trajectory for a predetermined flight; and

a trajectory export module configured to transmit a predetermined subset of the predicted trajectory to the aircraft,

where said FWTMS is communicatively coupled to an air navigation service provider to negotiate trajectories for a plurality of aerial vehicles operated by a business entity, wherein the business entity is configured to propose trajectories for the plurality of aerial vehicles based on business parameters and receive modifications to the proposed trajectories from the air navigation service provider based on airspace restrictions and regulations of the air navigation service provider.