SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING, SUPPLYING, AND IMPLEMENTING AN OPTIMIZED DESCENT APPROACH PROFILE FOR AN AIRCRAFT

A system and method for generating, supplying, and implementing an optimized descent approach profile for an aircraft includes transmitting a current flight plan from an onboard flight management system (FMS) to an off-board computing device. The optimized descent approach profile for the aircraft is computed, in the off-board computing device,. One or more new waypoints or points of interest that are not on the current descent approach profile, but which comprise the optimized descent approach profile, are identified in the off-board computing device. The new waypoints or points of interest are transmitted from the off-board system to the onboard FMS. The current descent approach profile is updated, in the FMS, to include the new waypoints or points of interest, thereby generating an updated flight plan. The updated flight plan is implementing in the onboard FMS.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims benefit of prior filed Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 202011045858, filed Oct. 21, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to aircraft continuous descent approaches, and more particularly relates to a system and method for generating, supplying, and implementing an optimized descent approach profile for an aircraft.

BACKGROUND

A continuous descent approach (CDA), also known as an optimized profile descent (OPD), is an aircraft descent approach that is designed to reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions, and noise as compared to conventional descent approaches. More specifically, a CDA is a smooth, constant angle, near idle thrust, and low drag descent approach to a designated final approach fix or final approach point for landing. In contrast, a conventional descent approaches (or non-CDA) implements stair-step descent trajectories, which includes throttling down and decelerating on level segments, and then requesting permission to descend to each new (lower) altitude. A CDA starts from the top of descent (i.e. at cruise altitude) and allows the aircraft to fly an optimal, continuous descent vertical profile down to runway threshold.

As may be appreciated, CDA trajectories keep aircraft higher and at lower thrust for longer periods of time compared with conventional descent approaches, thereby reducing noise, fuel burn, and associated emissions. Indeed, U.S and European trials of advanced forms of CDA indicate that fuel burn and emissions can be reduced by as much as 10-20 percent during descent and approach, depending on the aircraft type and local airport conditions. Thus, it is desirable that most, if not all, aircraft include the capability to implement CDAs.

Some relatively newer flight management systems (FMSs) are presently configured to implement CDA, thereby enabling autopilot systems to fly the aircraft at idle thrust from cruise through landing. However, most legacy FMSs do not include the functionality. Upgrading the legacy FMSs to leverage the complete benefits of CDA would require relatively prolonged time periods and relatively high costs.

Hence, there is a need for a system and method that allows aircraft with existing, legacy FMSs to implement CDAs, and thereby reap the benefits of CDA. The present invention addresses at least this need.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a method of generating, supplying, and implementing an optimized descent approach profile for an aircraft includes transmitting a current flight plan from an onboard flight management system (FMS) to an off-board computing device, where the current flight plan includes a current descent approach profile. The optimized descent approach profile for the aircraft is computed, in the off-board computing device, wherein the optimized descent approach profile is a descent approach profile with a minimal number of level flight segments during aircraft descent from top of descent to a landing runway. One or more new waypoints or points of interest that are not on the current descent approach profile, but which comprise the optimized descent approach profile, are identified in the off-board computing device. The new waypoints or points of interest are transmitted from the off-board system to the onboard FMS. The current descent approach profile is updated, in the FMS, to include the new waypoints or points of interest, thereby generating an updated flight plan. The updated flight plan is implementing in the onboard FMS.

In another embodiment, an optimized descent approach profile system for an aircraft includes an off-board computing device and a flight management system (FMS). The off-board computing device is configured to: (i) compute an optimized descent approach profile for the aircraft, wherein the optimized descent approach profile is a descent approach profile with a minimal number of level flight segments during aircraft descent from top of descent to a landing runway, (ii) receive a current flight plan that includes at least a current descent approach profile for the aircraft, (iii) identify one or more new waypoints or points of interest that are not on the current descent approach profile, but which comprise the optimized descent approach profile, and (iv) transmit the one or more new waypoints or points of interest. The FMS is in operable communication with the off-board computing device and configured to: (i) transmit the current flight plan to the off-board computing device, (ii) receive the one or more new waypoints or points of interest from the off-board computing device, (iii) update the current descent approach profile to include the one or more new waypoints or points of interest, to thereby generate an updated flight plan, and (iv) implement the updated flight plan.

Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the system and method for generating, supplying, and implementing an optimized descent approach profile for an aircraft will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the preceding background.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG. 1, one embodiment of an optimized descent approach profile generation and supply system100is depicted and includes an off-board computing device102and a flight management system (FMS)104. The off-board computing device102is configured to compute an optimized descent approach profile for the aircraft106. It should be noted that the term “off-board computing device” as used herein is defined as device, having one or more programmed processors, that is not fixedly mounted within the aircraft106. That is, not part of the fixed cockpit hardware. Thus, while the embodiment depicted inFIG. 1shows the entirety of the system100disposed within an aircraft106, portions of the system100may be disposed in one or more portable devices that are readily transported into and removed from the aircraft106. For example, the off-board computing device102may be a portable hand-held device, such as an electronic flight bag (EFB), a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a portable computer (e.g., laptop computer), just to name a few.

In other embodiments, as depicted inFIG. 2, the off-board computing device102may be permanently disposed separate and remote from the aircraft106. For example, the off-board computing device102may be a ground-based computing device, which may be disposed at an air traffic control (ATC) center or at an Aeronautical Operational Control (AOC) center, or it may be a computing device on a remote aircraft that has CDA capabilities.

Whether implemented in a portable hand-held device or permanently disposed separate from the aircraft106, the off-board computing device102generally represents the hardware, circuitry, processing logic, and/or other components configured to facilitate communications and/or interaction between the elements of the aircraft system100and perform additional processes, tasks and/or functions to support operation of the system100, as described in greater detail below. Depending on the embodiment, the off-board computing device102may be implemented or realized with a general purpose processor, a controller, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, processing core, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. In practice, the off-board computing device102includes processing logic that may be configured to carry out the functions, techniques, and processing tasks associated with the operation of the system100described in greater detail below. Furthermore, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in a software module executed by the off-board computing device102, or in any practical combination thereof. In accordance with one or more embodiments, the off-board computing device102includes or otherwise accesses a data storage element, such as a memory (e.g., RAM memory, ROM memory, flash memory, registers, a hard disk, or the like) or another suitable non-transitory short or long term storage media capable of storing computer-executable programming instructions or other data for execution that, when read and executed by the off-board computing device102, cause the off-board computing device102to execute and perform one or more of the processes, tasks, operations, and/or functions described herein.

Before proceeding further, it is additionally noted that the optimized descent approach profile that the off-board computing device102computes is defined as a descent approach profile with a minimal number of level flight segments during aircraft descent from top of descent to a landing runway. Preferably, the optimized descent approach profile will include no level flight segments, thought it may include one or more. In those instances where the optimized descent approach includes no level flight segments, the optimized descent approach may be a continuous straight line (i.e., has only one flight segment), or it may include two or more flight segments of differing slopes. As may be appreciated, the optimized descent approach may vary from one or more of aircraft-to-aircraft, aircraft type-to-aircraft type, airport-to-airport, and flight conditions-to-flight conditions, just to name a few factors.

Returning now to a description of the system100, and regardless of the specific optimized descent approach that the off-board computing device102computes, it is additionally configured to receive a current flight plan from the aircraft106that includes at least a current descent approach profile for the aircraft106. The off-board computing device102, upon receipt of the current flight plan, identifies one or more new waypoints or points of interest that are not on the current descent approach profile, but which comprise the optimized descent approach profile it computed. The off-board computing device102is additionally configured to transmit the one or more new waypoints or points of interest back to the aircraft106.

In one particular embodiment, the off-board computing device102implements the above-described functionality by comparing at least the current descent approach profile to the optimized descent approach profile, to identify the one or more new waypoints or points of interest. The off-board computing device102is additionally configured to extract any altitude, speed, lateral, and time constraints associated with each of the one or more new waypoints or points of interest, and to transmit the altitude, speed, lateral, and time constraints along with each of the new waypoints or points of interest to the FMS104.

The FMS104is in operable communication with the off-board computing device102. As is generally known, the FMS104is a specialized processing system that automates, among other things, the flight plan. The flight plan is generally determined on the ground before departure by either the pilot or a dispatcher for the aircraft flight crew. The flight plan, which comprises, but is not limited to, a set of aircraft data that is generally referred to as flight plan data, may be manually entered into the FMS104or selected from a library of common routes. In other embodiments the flight plan may be loaded via a communications data link from an airline dispatch center. During preflight planning, additional relevant aircraft performance data may be entered including information such as: gross aircraft weight; fuel weight and the center of gravity of the aircraft. Regardless of how the flight plan is entered, the FMS104receives and loads the flight plan, including a descent approach profile, into its working memory, and uses the current flight plan to automate the flight of the aircraft.

In addition to the general functionality described above, the FMS104is further configured to transmit the current flight plan to the off-board computing device102and to receive the one or more new waypoints or points of interest transmitted thereto from the off-board computing device102. In this regard, and asFIG. 2further depicts, when the off-board computing device102is disposed separate and remote from the aircraft106, the system100may additionally include an onboard transceiver202that is configured to wirelessly transmit data to, and receive data from, a remote site or another aircraft. Moreover, the off-board computing device102will be in operable communication with a remote transceiver204, at the remote site or other aircraft, that is configured to wirelessly transmit data to, and receive data from, the onboard transceiver202.

Regardless of whether the one or more new waypoints or points of interest are received via the onboard transceiver202, the FMS104is additionally configured, upon receipt of the one or more new waypoints or points of interest, to update the current descent approach profile to include the one or more new waypoints or points of interest, and thus generate an updated flight plan. The FMS104, upon generating the updated flight plan, will then implement the updated flight plan.

The FMS104is preferably configured to transmit the current flight plan to the off-board computing device102in response to a triggering event. This triggering event may be an input supplied from the flight crew or it may be an automated event based on the current position of the aircraft106. If the triggering event is an input supplied from the flight crew, it may be supplied via, for example, a user input device108. Depending on the embodiment, the user input device106may be realized as a keypad, touchpad, keyboard, mouse, touch panel (or touchscreen), joystick, knob, line select key or another suitable device adapted to receive input from a user. If the triggering event is an automated event it may include the FMS104determining that the aircraft is at a predetermined position in the cruise phase of the current flight plan.

The system100described above implements a process for generating, supplying, and implementing an optimized descent approach profile. The process300is depicted in flowchart form inFIG. 3, and with reference thereto will now be described. In doing so, parenthetical reference numerals refer to like flowchart symbols inFIG. 3. It should be appreciated that the depicted process300may include any number of additional or alternative tasks, the tasks need not be performed in the illustrated order and/or the tasks may be performed concurrently, and/or the process300may be incorporated into a more comprehensive procedure or process having additional functionality not described in detail herein.

The depicted process300includes onboard FMS104transmitting the current flight plan to the off-board computing device102(302). The process300additionally includes the off-board computing device102computing the optimized descent approach profile for the aircraft106(304). The off-board computing device102identifies one or more new waypoints or points of interest that are not on the current descent approach profile, but which comprise the optimized descent approach profile (306), and transmits the new waypoints or points of interest to the onboard FMS104(308). The onboard FMS104updates the current descent approach profile to include the new waypoints or points of interest, thereby generating an updated flight plan (312), and then implements the updated flight plan (314).

It will be appreciated that the flight plan will not be updated in, and thus will not be implemented by, the onboard FMS104, unless the flight crew in the aircraft106have received clearance from air traffic control (ATC) to implement the optimized descent profile. Thus, at some point during the process300, but before the current flight plan is updated and implemented, ATC clearance for the optimized descent profile will need to be requested and received.

An example of a portion of the above process300is illustrated inFIGS. 4 and 5. In particular,FIG. 4depicts a conventional step-down descent approach profile400that forms part of the current flight plan for the aircraft106, and which was generated by the onboard FMS104. This conventional descent approach profile400includes five level-off segments between the top of descent402and the final approach segment404—one each at FL310 (31,000 ft.)406, FL260 (26,000 ft.)408, FL 240 (24,000 ft.)412, 12,000 ft.414, and 8,000 ft.416. Thus, if the FMS104were to implement the conventional descent approach profile400, the aircraft106would throttle down and decelerate at least five times during the descent, thereby increasing fuel burn and emissions.

In contrast,FIG. 5depicts an example of an optimized descent approach profile500for the aircraft106that was computed in the off-board computing device102. As depicted, the optimized descent approach profile500includes three new waypoints or points of interest502-1,502-2,502-3, which were identified by the off-board computing device102and not on the current descent approach profile400. Each of these new waypoints or points of interest has one or more associated constraints, which are extracted and applied to the new flight plan. For example, PAYSO504-1has an altitude constraint (FL240) and a speed constraint (280 knots), PICHR504-2has an altitude constraint (16,000 ft.) and a speed constraint (280 knots), BADNE502-3has only an altitude constraint (9,000 ft.). AsFIG. 5further depicts, the original waypoint SLIDR included no constraints, so the optimized descent approach profile inserted an altitude constraint of FL360 on that waypoint, which coincides with the top of descent402.

The system and method described herein allow aircraft with existing, legacy FMSs to implement CDAs, and thereby reap the benefits of CDA. The system and method thus allow aircraft operators to realize the benefits of CDA operations without excessive system changes. The system and method also allow aircraft, airspace, and airports to realize the benefits of CDA operations without requiring dramatic changes to procedures and airspace designs and with minimal ATC facilitation and operational changes.

Some of the functional units described in this specification have been referred to as “modules” in order to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, functionality referred to herein as a module may be implemented wholly, or partially, as a hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, or the like. Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by various types of processors. An identified module of executable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical modules of computer instructions that may, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identified module need not be physically located together, but may comprise disparate instructions stored in different locations that, when joined logically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purpose for the module. Indeed, a module of executable code may be a single instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and may exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.