Accurate determination of intended ground track with flight management system device and method
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- determining, by a flight management system comprising a processor, a ground track for a flight leg of an active flight plan based at least on a spherical earth model, the flight leg comprising two waypoints comprising a first waypoint and a second waypoint that are specified with an ellipsoidal earth model;
determining, by the flight management system, that a parameter associated with the ground track for the flight leg exceeds a predetermined threshold;
in response to determining that the parameter associated with the ground track for the flight leg exceeds the predetermined threshold, inserting, by the flight management system, at least one anchor point on a geodesic and between the two waypoints, the geodesic associated with the ellipsoidal earth model;
modifying, by the flight management system, the ground track for the flight leg to include at least two spherical earth model path segments spanning from the first waypoint through the at least one anchor point to the second waypoint, each of the at least two spherical earth model path segments computed based at least on the spherical earth model, wherein modifying the ground track for the flight leg effects a course change to the ground track between the two waypoints of the flight leg such that an intended flight path is within specified thresholds; and
storing data associated with the modified ground track in a non-transitory processor-readable medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flight management system device and method. The method includes determining a ground track for a flight leg based on a spherical earth model. The flight leg includes two waypoints that are specified with an ellipsoidal earth model. The method includes determining that a parameter associated with the ground track exceeds a threshold. The method includes inserting an anchor point between the two waypoints on a geodesic to effect a course change to the ground track between the two waypoints such that an intended flight path is within specified thresholds. The geodesic is associated with the ellipsoidal earth model. The method includes modifying the ground track to include two spherical earth model path segments spanning from the first waypoint through the anchor point to the second waypoint. The two spherical earth model path segments are computed based on the spherical earth model. The method includes storing modified ground track data.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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determining, by a flight management system comprising a processor, a ground track for a flight leg of an active flight plan based at least on a spherical earth model, the flight leg comprising two waypoints comprising a first waypoint and a second waypoint that are specified with an ellipsoidal earth model; determining, by the flight management system, that a parameter associated with the ground track for the flight leg exceeds a predetermined threshold; in response to determining that the parameter associated with the ground track for the flight leg exceeds the predetermined threshold, inserting, by the flight management system, at least one anchor point on a geodesic and between the two waypoints, the geodesic associated with the ellipsoidal earth model; modifying, by the flight management system, the ground track for the flight leg to include at least two spherical earth model path segments spanning from the first waypoint through the at least one anchor point to the second waypoint, each of the at least two spherical earth model path segments computed based at least on the spherical earth model, wherein modifying the ground track for the flight leg effects a course change to the ground track between the two waypoints of the flight leg such that an intended flight path is within specified thresholds; and storing data associated with the modified ground track in a non-transitory processor-readable medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A flight management system, comprising:
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a non-transitory processor-readable memory; and at least one processor coupled to the non-transitory processor-readable memory, the at least one processor configured to; determine a ground track for a flight leg of an active flight plan based at least on a spherical earth model, the flight leg comprising two waypoints comprising a first waypoint and a second waypoint that are specified with an ellipsoidal earth model; determine that a parameter associated with the ground track for the flight leg exceeds a predetermined threshold; in response to a determination that the parameter associated with the ground track for the flight leg exceeds the predetermined threshold, insert at least one anchor point on a geodesic and between the two waypoints, the geodesic associated with the ellipsoidal earth model; modify the ground track for the flight leg to include at least two spherical earth model path segments spanning from the first waypoint through the at least one anchor point to the second waypoint, each of the at least two spherical earth model path segments computed based at least on the spherical earth model, wherein modifying the ground track for the flight leg effects a course change to the ground track between the two waypoints of the flight leg such that an intended flight path is within specified thresholds; and output data associated with the modified ground track to the non-transitory processor-readable memory. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system, comprising:
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a non-transitory processor-readable memory; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the non-transitory processor-readable memory, the at least one processor configured to; determine a ground track for a flight leg of an active flight plan based at least on a spherical earth model, the flight leg comprising two waypoints comprising a first waypoint and a second waypoint that are specified with an ellipsoidal earth model; determine that a parameter associated with the ground track for the flight leg exceeds a predetermined threshold; in response to a determination that the parameter associated with the ground track for the flight leg exceeds the predetermined threshold, insert at least one anchor point on a geodesic and between the two waypoints, the geodesic associated with the ellipsoidal earth model; modify the ground track for the flight leg to include at least two spherical earth model path segments spanning from the first waypoint through the at least one anchor point to the second waypoint, each of the at least two spherical earth model path segments computed based at least on the spherical earth model, wherein modifying the ground track for the flight leg effects a course change to the ground track between the two waypoints of the flight leg such that an intended flight path is within specified thresholds; and output data associated with the modified ground track to the non-transitory processor-readable memory. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification