Dynamic radar vectoring guidance methods and systems

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to:

• obtain, from one or more systems onboard an aircraft, a current status of the aircraft;
• compare the current status of the aircraft to a predicted lateral vectoring trajectory for the aircraft and a reference vertical trajectory for the predicted lateral vectoring trajectory;
• when the current status of the aircraft violates a trajectory execution criterion with respect to the predicted lateral vectoring trajectory, dynamically determine an updated lateral vectoring trajectory and an updated reference vertical trajectory corresponding to the updated lateral vectoring trajectory that satisfies a stabilization criterion based at least in part on the current status of the aircraft, wherein:
• the updated lateral vectoring trajectory comprises a sequence of segments from a current location of the aircraft to an airport;
• each navigational segment of the sequence is associated with an anticipated aircraft heading and a respective distance for the respective navigational segment;
• the sequence of segments includes a segment aligned with a runway at the airport from a runway interception point to a final approach fix associated with the runway;
• and
• dynamically determining the updated lateral vectoring trajectory comprises iteratively adjusting a distance between the runway interception point and the final approach fix until the current status is capable of satisfying the stabilization criterion associated with the updated reference vertical trajectory;
• determine a target value for an energy state parameter of the aircraft at the current location on the updated lateral vectoring trajectory using the updated reference vertical trajectory;
• and
• provide a graphical indication of a recommended action to reduce a difference between a current value for the energy state parameter of the aircraft and the target value.

An aircraft system comprising:

• a display device;
• a data storage element to maintain interception criteria;
• a navigation system to provide a current location of an aircraft and a current heading of the aircraft;
• and
• a processing system coupled to the display device, the data storage element and the navigation system to:
• determine a lateral trajectory to a runway in accordance with the interception criteria based at least in part on the current heading;
• identify when a current aircraft status violates a trajectory execution criterion for the lateral trajectory;
• when the current aircraft status violates the trajectory execution criterion, dynamically determine an updated lateral trajectory to the runway for satisfying the trajectory execution criterion using the interception criteria based at least in part on the current heading and the current location of the aircraft by iteratively adjusting a runway interception point until satisfying the trajectory execution criterion;
• determine a vertical trajectory corresponding to the updated lateral trajectory using one or more criteria associated with the runway;
• determine a target value for an energy state parameter of the aircraft at the current location on the updated lateral trajectory;
• and
• provide, on the display device, a graphical indication influenced by a difference between a current value for the energy state parameter of the aircraft and the target value.