Flight Assistant with Automatic Configuration and Landing Site Selection

Abstract

A system and apparatus for assisting pilots and flight crews in determining the best course of action at any particular point inflight for any category of emergency. The system monitors a plurality of static and dynamic flight parameters including atmospheric conditions along the flight path, ground conditions and terrain, conditions aboard the aircraft, and pilot/crew data. Based on these parameters, the system may provide continually updated information to the pilot or crew about the best available landing sites or recommend solutions to aircraft configuration errors. In case of emergency, the system may provide the pilot with procedure sets associated with a hierarchy of available emergency landing sites (or execute these procedure sets via the autopilot system) depending on the specific nature of the emergency.

1 . An apparatus for enhancing pilot situational awareness of a nearest Alternate Landing Site (ALS), comprising:
 (a) a flight trajectory generator configured for determining a flight trajectory of an aircraft from at least one input, the at least one input extracted from at least one data register;   (b) an internal data register comprising at least one of: aircraft position, aircraft altitude, aircraft track, aircraft attitude, aircraft configuration, flight characteristics, engine out glide range, emergency landing range, precautionary emergency landing range, flight plan, aircraft history, pilot history, and flight plan history;   (c) an external data register comprising at least one of: traffic data, natural geographic topology, constructed geographic features, the constructed geographic features including at least one of: roads, bridges, airports, and structures, airport data, and weather data;   (d) a computer configured for receiving the flight trajectory and at least one input from a data register, the computer configured for determining at least one nearest ALS based on the flight trajectory and the at least one input;   (e) a plotter configured for plotting a three dimensional path from the aircraft position and altitude to the at least one nearest ALS within the parameters of the at least one data register, the three dimensional path including at least one of: a descent profile, a transition profile, a configuration profile, an opportunity gate, and a landing profile; and   (f) a control for prompting at least one of the aircraft and the pilot in accordance with the three dimensional path to effect a landing at a selected ALS of the at least one nearest ALS.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a display for displaying a hierarchy of a plurality of the at least one ALS, the hierarchy based on a characteristic of the ALS and on a specific emergency requirement of the aircraft. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the display is further configured to present the hierarchy to the pilot based on a condition of the aircraft. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said display further comprises one of a format compatible with a multi-function display, a hierarchical ordered list of the at least one ALS automatically presentable to the pilot, and a reduced data format including colored ALS presentable in primary flight display. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising means for determining the flight segment of the aircraft. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising means for determining the desired configuration of the aircraft for said flight segment. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising means for determining to a level of confidence if the aircraft is at least one of properly configured and in an unusual condition or position. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the aircraft flight trajectory further comprises: an x and y coordinate set conforming to at least one of a North American Datum, a North American Vertical Datum, a World Geodetic System, and a European Terrestrial Reference System, a radial DME from a known fix, and a triangulation of bearings from a plurality of known fixes. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the aircraft flight trajectory further comprises one of an Above Ground Level (AGL) altitude and a Mean Sea Level (MSL) altitude. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the traffic data further comprise at least one of: TCAS, radar, ATC feed, ADS-B, and surface-based traffic. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the terrain data further comprise one of: a DTED level 1 set, a DTED level 2 set, and satellite based imagery. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the airport data further comprise at least one of a runway length, a runway width, a runway lighting, a runway characteristic, an indication of airport rescue and fire-fighting personnel, a proximal medical facility, and a proximal maintenance facility. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the weather data further comprise one of: a surface wind, an altitude based wind model, a ceiling, a visibility, a barometric pressure, a braking action, and an illumination. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the aircraft data further comprise one of: a possible change in configuration, a position of a control surface, a performance characteristic, a weight, a pilot flight control input, an autopilot status, and an MEL status. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one nearest ALS for the aircraft further comprises one of an existing runway, a taxiway, a road, a field and a body of water. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the ALS further comprises at least one of the airport data, a slope, a width, a length, an indication of an obstruction, and a proximal rescue facility. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional path from the aircraft position and altitude to the at least one nearest ALS further comprises a path further amendable based on a change in the at least one data register. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control is further configured for enabling pilot execution of the three dimensional path based on at least one of a reception of an execute command from the pilot and a determination that the pilot is unresponsive. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control is further configured to include a deadman control configured for automatically executing the flight control inputs necessary to execute the three dimensional path where the deadman control is at least one of open and closed. 
     
     
         20 . A flight assistant, comprising:
 (a) a system bus, said system bus for receiving at least one set of position coordinates at a selected time interval;   (b) a control system, said control system communicatively coupled to said system bus, said control system including one or more processors configured to:
 receive a flight plan describing a three-dimensional path; 
 determine an expected route defining an operating space including said flight plan, the expected route being a function of at least one or more of aircraft performance, pilot performance, current performance, terrain, traffic, ground proximity, flight segment, air space, and weather; and 
 detect a path to a point outside said expected route; and 
   (e) a display, to inform a pilot if said aircraft is on a path to a point outside said expected route.   
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing instructions executable by at least one computer or processor, said instructions for:
 (a) determining a flight trajectory of an aircraft from at least one input, the at least one input extracted from at least one data register;   (b) receiving the flight trajectory and at least one input from a data register;   (c) determining at least one nearest ALS based on the flight trajectory and the at least one input;   (d) plotting a three dimensional path from an aircraft position and altitude to the at least one nearest ALS within the parameters of the at least one data register, the three dimensional path including at least one of: a descent profile, a transition profile, a configuration profile, an opportunity gate, and a landing profile; and   (e) prompting at least one of the aircraft and the pilot in accordance with the three dimensional path to effect a landing at a selected ALS of the at least one nearest ALS.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions for determining a flight trajectory of an aircraft from at least one input extracted from at least one of:
 an internal data register comprising at least one of: aircraft position, aircraft altitude, aircraft track, aircraft attitude, aircraft configuration, flight characteristics, engine out glide range, emergency landing range, precautionary emergency landing range, flight plan, aircraft history, pilot history, and flight plan history; and   an external data register comprising at least one of: traffic data, natural geographic topology, constructed geographic features, the constructed geographic features including at least one of: roads, bridges, airports, and structures, airport data, and weather data.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions for:
 displaying a hierarchy of a plurality of the at least one ALS, the hierarchy based on a characteristic of the ALS and on a specific emergency requirement of the aircraft; and   presenting the hierarchy to the pilot based on a condition of the aircraft.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions for:
 determining the flight segment of the aircraft; and   determining to a level of confidence if the aircraft is at least one of properly configured and in an unusual condition or position.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , further comprising instructions for:
 determining the desired configuration of the aircraft for said flight segment.   
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions for:
 enabling pilot execution of the three dimensional path based on at least one of a reception of an execute command from the pilot and a determination that the pilot is unresponsive; and   automatically executing the flight control inputs necessary to execute the three dimensional path.