Methods and apparatus for global optimization of vertical trajectory for an air route

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9864368-B2
Application number	US-201615017782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2016
Priority date	Feb 8, 2016
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A method for calculating vertical trajectory values is provided. The method obtains aircraft performance data for a particular aircraft and atmospheric condition data associated with an air route; calculates a cost-efficient vertical trajectory for the air route, based on the aircraft performance data and the atmospheric condition data, wherein the cost-efficient vertical trajectory comprises a plurality of altitude values for minimizing cost for the particular aircraft during travel of the air route; obtains an altitude consistency threshold; and adjusts the cost-efficient vertical trajectory using the altitude consistency parameter, to create an optimized vertical trajectory for the aircraft route.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for calculating vertical trajectory values, the method comprising:
obtaining aircraft performance data for a particular aircraft and atmospheric condition data associated with an air route;
calculating a cost-efficient vertical trajectory for the air route, based on the aircraft performance data and the atmospheric condition data, wherein the cost-efficient vertical trajectory comprises a plurality of altitude values for minimizing cost for the particular aircraft during travel of the air route;
obtaining an altitude consistency threshold comprising a time period or a distance value for which the particular aircraft is configured to remain at a particular altitude; and
adjusting the cost-efficient vertical trajectory using the altitude consistency threshold, to create an optimized vertical trajectory for the aircraft route, by:
when one or more of the plurality of altitudes do not comply with the altitude consistency threshold, shifting the one or more of the plurality of altitudes to comply with the altitude consistency threshold; and
when the plurality of altitudes do comply with the altitude consistency threshold,
identifying transitions between each of the plurality of altitude values;
removing a first subset of the transitions comprising climb followed by descent; and
removing a second subset of the transitions comprising descent followed by climb.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the altitude consistency threshold comprises a time period; and
wherein adjusting the cost-efficient vertical trajectory further comprises maintaining each of the plurality of altitude values for at least the time period.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the altitude consistency threshold comprises a time period; and
wherein adjusting the cost-efficient vertical trajectory further comprises permitting a transition from a first one of the plurality of altitude values to a second one of the plurality of altitude values after the first one of the plurality of altitude values has been maintained for at least the time period.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the altitude consistency threshold comprises a distance value; and
wherein adjusting the cost-efficient vertical trajectory further comprises maintaining each of the plurality of altitude values for at least the distance value.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the altitude consistency threshold comprises a distance value; and
wherein adjusting the cost-efficient vertical trajectory further comprises permitting a transition from a first one of the plurality of altitude values to a second one of the plurality of altitude values after the first one of the plurality of altitude values has been maintained for at least the distance value.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating a cost-efficient vertical trajectory for the air route further comprises:
identifying distance points throughout the air route; and
calculating a cost-efficient altitude for each of the distance points to generate a plurality of cost-efficient altitudes, wherein the plurality of altitude values comprises the plurality of cost-efficient altitudes.

7. A system for calculating vertical trajectory values, the system comprising:
a system memory element;
a communication device, configured to receive atmospheric condition data associated with an air route; and
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the system memory element and the communication device, the at least one processor configured to:
calculate a cost-efficient vertical trajectory for the air route, based on the aircraft performance data and the atmospheric condition data, wherein the cost-efficient vertical trajectory comprises a plurality of altitude values for minimizing cost for the particular aircraft during travel of the air route; and
adjust the cost-efficient vertical trajectory using an altitude consistency threshold comprising a time value or a distance value for which the particular aircraft is configured to remain at a particular altitude, to generate an optimized vertical trajectory for the aircraft route, by:
when one or more of the plurality of altitudes do not comply with the altitude consistency threshold, shifting the one or more of the plurality of altitudes to comply with the altitude consistency threshold; and
when the plurality of altitudes do comply with the altitude consistency threshold,
identifying transitions between each of the plurality of altitude values:
removing a first subset of the transitions comprising climb followed by descent; and
removing a second subset of the transitions comprising descent followed by climb.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a user interface communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the user interface configured to:
receive user input comprising the altitude consistency threshold; and
transmit the altitude consistency threshold to the at least one processor.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to communicate with the system memory element to obtain the altitude consistency threshold.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the altitude consistency threshold comprises a time period; and
wherein adjusting the cost-efficient vertical trajectory further comprises maintaining each of the plurality of altitude values for at least the time period.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the altitude consistency threshold comprises a distance value; and
wherein adjusting the cost-efficient vertical trajectory further comprises maintaining each of the plurality of altitude values for at least the distance value.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
identify distance points throughout the air route; and
calculate a cost-efficient altitude for each distance point to generate a plurality of cost-efficient altitudes, wherein the plurality of altitude values comprises the plurality of cost-efficient altitudes.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:
identifying distance points throughout an air route;
calculating a cost-efficient altitude for each of the distance points to determine a plurality of cost-efficient altitudes, wherein the plurality of cost-efficient altitudes is applicable to a particular aircraft traveling the air route;
determining whether each of the plurality of cost-efficient altitudes complies with an altitude consistency threshold comprising a time value or a distance value for which the particular aircraft is configured to remain at a particular altitude; and
creating an optimized vertical trajectory, by:
when one or more of the plurality of cost-efficient altitudes does not comply with the altitude consistency threshold, shifting the one or more of the plurality of cost-efficient altitudes to comply with the altitude consistency threshold; and
when the plurality of altitudes do comply with the altitude consistency threshold, identifying transitions between each of the plurality of altitude values;
removing a first subset of the transitions comprising climb followed by descent; and
removing a second subset of the transitions comprising descent followed by climb.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the altitude consistency threshold comprises a time period; and
wherein shifting the one of the plurality of cost-efficient altitudes further comprises maintaining a value for each of the plurality of cost-efficient altitudes for at least the time period.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Sarl
• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Krupansky Petr
• Jonak Jaroslav
• Cip Vitezslav

Classifications

• G01C21/20

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• B64C19/00

  Aircraft control not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G05D1/0607

  specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title

• G05D1/0005 Primary

  with arrangements to save energy · CPC title

• G08G5/003

  Physics · mapped topic