Computation of new aircraft trajectory using time factor

• US 9,257,047 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2007
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bailey, Louis J., Singleton, Marissa K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US11/954,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,981 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120, 701/121, 701/122, 701/300, 701/301
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

A time factor corresponding to an airspace delay or acceleration is communicated to an aircraft. A flight management computer or other computational device of the aircraft calculates a proposed change in trajectory in order to accommodate the time factor in an optimum or nearly optimum manner. One or more proposed changes in trajectory are subject to review by the pilot or other flight personnel. An operator-selected change in trajectory is then implemented in order to accommodate a new arrival time of the aircraft at its destination or a positional point.

Claims

1. A method for an aircraft having a flight management system (FMS), the method comprising:

receiving at least one assigned time factor from a ground based entity as the aircraft is flying towards a destination, the at least one assigned time factor imposing an arrival constraint at the destination;

using the FMS to compute a plurality of new trajectories from a current location of the aircraft to the destination, the new trajectories computed in accordance with corresponding new time factors that satisfy the arrival constraint; and

selecting one of the new trajectories based on flight and customer parameters and performance characteristics of the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein computing each new trajectory includes modification of waypoint information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ground-based entity sends the at least one assigned time factor to the aircraft;

and wherein the aircraft formulates the new time factors and computes the new trajectories in accordance with the assigned and additional time factors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ground-based entity sends the new time factors to the aircraft;

and wherein the aircraft computes the new trajectories in accordance with the new time factors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the new trajectory selection is also made according to present weather conditions, and near-space air traffic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the new trajectory selection is also made according to sensing resources of the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the new time factor corresponding to the selected new trajectory back to the ground-based entity.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising negotiating at least one of the new time factors with the ground-based entity.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing for human intervention to decide whether to accept or reject the new time factor corresponding to the selected new trajectory, the decision based on the customer and flight parameters.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the new trajectories are automatically generated in response to receipt of the at least one assigned time factor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the FMS is used to manage airspace of the aircraft by computing the new trajectories.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the aircraft generates multiple sets of waypoints for flying between the current location and the destination, and selects one of the sets of the waypoints based on flight and customer parameters and performance characteristics of the aircraft.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one assigned time factor specifies a delay;

and wherein the FMS selects an optimal trajectory that absorbs the delay.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one assigned time factor specifies an acceleration;

and wherein the FMS computes the new trajectories in response to the at least one assigned time factor and selects an optimal one of the new trajectories for arriving at the destination ahead of schedule.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer parameters include ride comfort.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight parameters include fuel consumption.