Risk-aware contingency flight re-planner system and related method

• US 8,843,303 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Young, Shih-Yih, Jerome, Kristen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLDMAN, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US13/717,012
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/122
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones

Abstract

A method and related system is disclosed for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of a vehicle'"'"'s pre-planned route. The system receives a desired Risk Tolerance Level (RTL) for the pre-planned route from a decision maker. As a mission time progresses, changing threats pose an unknown level of risk to the vehicle and crew. The system receives an unplanned threat to mission success of the vehicle and qualifies the received unplanned threat with a Risk Type (RT). The system generates and evaluates possible 4-D re-routes based on the RTL and RT coupled with physical attributes of the possible 4-D re-route. Additionally, the re-planner associates a cost to each of the possible 4-D re-routes and presents ranked possibilities to the decision maker for selection and activation.

Claims

1. A method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning, comprising:

receiving a preplanned route, said preplanned route planned for a 3-D routing of a vehicle, said preplanned route activated within said vehicle prior to a departure of said vehicle;

receiving a risk tolerance level from a decision maker;

receiving input from a threat database, a terrain database, an obstacle database, a threat lethality database, a fuel evaluator, a terrain masking evaluator, a time evaluator, and a vehicle performance database;

receiving an indication of an en route risk to said vehicle, said en route risk having a risk type;

determining a plurality of 4-D paths for said vehicle to traverse, each 4-D path comprised of a plurality of 4-D states, each 4-D state selected for said 4-D path based on said risk tolerance level and said received input;

associating at least one of;

a path cost, a time cost, a threat level, an arc cost, and an extra traversal cost with each of said plurality of 4-D paths;

ranking said plurality of 4-D paths, said ranking based on said risk tolerance level, said risk type, and said associating;

displaying a portion of said plurality of 4-D paths to said decision maker, said portion determined by said ranking;

receiving a path selection from said decision maker, said path selection designating and activating a selected 4-D path from said portion; and

displaying said activated 4-D path to an operator of said vehicle.

2. The method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of claim 1, wherein said preplanned route planned for a 3-D routing of a vehicle further comprises a 3-D route planned for an aircraft.

3. The method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of claim 1, wherein said preplanned route planned for a 3-D routing of a vehicle further comprises a 4-D path, a 3-D path, and a 2-D path.

4. The method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of claim 1, wherein said risk tolerance level further comprises a plurality of levels of risk tolerance, the plurality of levels of risk tolerance based on said input from said decision maker.

5. The method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of claim 1, wherein said received input further comprises an attribute of a medium through which said vehicle is designed to traverse.

6. The method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of claim 1, wherein said indication of an en route risk to said vehicle further comprises an indication of a hostile surface threat, a weather threat, a hostile airborne and space-based threat, and a subsurface threat.

7. The method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of claim 1, wherein said a risk type further comprises one of:

a threat risk, a fuel risk, and a required time on target risk.

8. The method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of claim 1, wherein said receiving an indication further comprises a reception via one of:

a digital or analog data link, a VHF signal, and a satellite communications system.

9. The method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of claim 1, wherein said plurality of 4-D paths for said vehicle to traverse further comprises at least one path which remains clear of each of said en route risk to said vehicle.

10. The method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of claim 1, wherein said decision maker is said operator.

11. The method for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning of claim 1, wherein said displaying a portion of said plurality of 4-D paths to said decision maker further comprises an output configured for an ARINC standard and readable by a specific flight management system.

12. A computer readable medium having non-transitory computer readable program code embodied therein for risk-aware contingency flight re-planning, the computer readable program code comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer device or processor, perform and direct the steps of:

receiving a preplanned route, said preplanned route planned for a 3-D routing of a vehicle, said preplanned route activated within said vehicle prior to a departure of said vehicle;

receiving a risk tolerance level from a decision maker;

receiving input from a threat database, a terrain database, an obstacle database, a threat lethality database, a fuel evaluator, a terrain masking evaluator, a time evaluator, and a vehicle performance database;

receiving an indication of an en route risk to said vehicle, said en route risk having a risk type;

determining a plurality of 4-D paths for said vehicle to traverse, each 4-D path comprised of a plurality of 4-D states, each 4-D state selected for said 4-D path based on said risk tolerance level and said received input;

associating at least one of;

a path cost, a time cost, a threat level, an arc cost, and an extra traversal cost with each of said plurality of 4-D paths;

ranking said plurality of 4-D paths, said ranking based on said risk tolerance level, said risk type, and said associating;

displaying a portion of said plurality of 4-D paths to said decision maker, said portion determined by said ranking;

receiving a path selection from said decision maker, said path selection designating and activating a selected 4-D path from said portion; and

displaying said activated 4-D path to an operator of said vehicle.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said preplanned route planned for a 3-D routing of a vehicle further comprises a 3-D route planned for an aircraft.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said preplanned route planned for a 3-D routing of a vehicle further comprises a 4-D path, a 3-D path, and a 2-D path.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said risk tolerance level further comprises a plurality of levels of risk tolerance, the plurality of levels of risk tolerance based on said input from said decision maker.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said received input further comprises an attribute of a medium through which said vehicle is designed to traverse.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said indication of an en route risk to said vehicle further comprises an indication of a hostile surface threat, a weather threat, a hostile airborne and space-based threat, and a subsurface threat.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said a risk type further comprises one of:

a threat risk, a fuel risk, and a required time on target risk.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said receiving an indication further comprises a reception via one of:

a digital or analog data link, a VHF signal, and a satellite communications system.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said plurality of 4-D paths for said vehicle to traverse further comprises at least one path which remains clear of each of said en route risk to said vehicle.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said decision maker is said operator.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein said displaying a portion of said plurality of 4-D paths to said decision maker further comprises an output configured for an ARINC standard and readable by a specific flight management system.