Patent ID: 9734724
Date: 2017-08-15
CPC Classifications: G05D,G08G,Y02T

Claim:
1. A method for determining an energy recovery profile for an aircraft needed to arrive at a point along a flight path further ahead of the aircraft at as close to a desired time of arrival and energy level of a flight plan as possible, the method including: monitoring and assessing an energy state of the aircraft and any time deviation with respect to the flight plan prior to start of a descent phase of the flight plan and throughout the descent phase of a flight; comparing the current energy state to the expected energy state; identifying a trajectory and corresponding aircraft states that allows the aircraft to arrive at the point in space ahead of the aircraft at a speed, altitude and time as close to the flight plan as possible; generating adjustments to the flight plan based on energy recovery requirements to produce an energy recovery profile pertaining to the identified trajectory and aircraft states, the energy recovery profile including lateral and vertical deviations from a planned flight path; and outputting the energy recovery profile to at least one of a display device and a flight management system of the aircraft.