Systems and methods for managing controller pilot data link communication (CPDLC) systems

• US 10,102,754 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Judd, Thomas D., Vise, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, Garrett F
• Application Number:
  US13/268,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20130090786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for a non-integrated CPDLC solution are provided. In one embodiment, the system includes: a first and second computing system for respectively executing a first and second CPDLC application; a Human Machine Interface coupled to the first and second computing systems, the Human Machine Interface providing access to display screens generated by both the first and second CPDLC applications; and a data authority function that determines a data authority application from the first and second CPDLC applications based on which of the first and second CPDLC applications has a current data authority (CDA) session. The data authority function prevents the first CPDLC application from establishing a concurrent current data authority session when the second CPDLC application is the data authority application. The data authority function prevents the second CPDLC application from establishing a concurrent current data authority session when the first CPDLC application is the data authority application.

Claims

1. A system for implementing a controller pilot data link communication (CPDLC) solution, the system comprising:

a first computing system executing a first CPDLC application, the first CPDLC application having established a first CPDLC session with a first air traffic controller;

a second computing system executing a second CPDLC application separately from the first CPDLC application, the second CPDLC application having established a second CPDLC session with a second air traffic controller, the second CPDLC session being concurrent with the first CPDLC session;

at least one Human Machine Interface coupled to the first computing system and the second computing system, the Human Machine Interface providing access to display screens generated by both the first CPDLC application and the second CPDLC application; and

a data authority function that designates the first CPDLC application as a data authority application, the data authority function indicates to the first CPDLC application that the established first CPDLC session is a current data authority session;

wherein, when the first computing system and the second computing system have established concurrent first and second CPDLC sessions, the data authority function prevents the second CPDLC application from establishing a concurrent current data authority session when the first CPDLC application is the data authority application;

wherein, in response to the second CPDLC application receiving an unsolicited first message from the second air traffic controller while the second air traffic controller incorrectly assumes that it is a current data authority, the data authority function directs the second CPDLC application to transmit a second message to the second air traffic controller indicating that the second air traffic controller is not the current data authority.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first CPDLC application comprises a future air navigation system (FANS) application

or an aeronautical telecommunication network (ATN) application, wherein the second CPDLC application comprises a FANS application or an ATN application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data authority function is executed within the Human Machine Interface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data authority function is a distributed function having a first component executed by the first computing system and a second component executed by the second computing system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first component communicates with the second component.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data authority function designates the data authority application by receiving a user selection through the Human Machine Interface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the Human Machine Interface indicates to a user that the second CPDLC application is not the data authority application by displaying a notification page indicating that the second air traffic controller is not a current data authority.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data authority function prevents the second CPDLC application from establishing the concurrent current data authority session by performing at least one of:

while the second CPDLC application is not the data authority application, preventing the second CPDLC application from sending other messages to the second air traffic controller; and

when the second CPDLC application is not the data authority application, providing data to the Human Machine Interface to indicate to a user that the second CPDLC application is not the data authority application.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein, following transmission of the second message to the second air traffic controller, the data authority function designates the second CPDLC authority application as the data authority application when the first CPDLC session ends, wherein the data authority function allows the second CPDLC application to send downlink messages while the second CPDLC application is the data authority application.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein, while the first CPDLC application is the current data authority, the data authority function allows a user to view the screens generated by the second CPDLC application but prevents the user from using the screens generated by the second CPDLC application to send commands through the second CPDLC application.

10. A computer implemented method for implementing a controller pilot data link communication (CPDLC) solution, the method comprising:

providing access to display screens generated by a first CPDLC application, the first CPDLC application executing on a first computing system, the first CPDLC application having established a first CPDLC session with a first air traffic controller;

providing access to display screens generated by a second CPDLC application, the second CPDLC application executing on a second computing system separately from the first CPDLC application, the second CPDLC application having established a second CPDLC session with a second air traffic controller, the second CPDLC session being concurrent with the first CPDLC session;

designating first CPDLC application as a data authority application, the data authority application being a CPDLC application that establishes a current data authority session with a data authority, wherein the data authority function indicates to the first CPDLC application that the established first CPDLC session is a current data authority session;

when the first CPDLC application is the data authority application and the first computing system and the second computing system have established the concurrent first and second CPDLC sessions, preventing the second CPDLC application from establishing a concurrent current data authority session; and

wherein, in response to the second CPDLC application receiving an unsolicited first message from the second air traffic controller while the second air traffic controller incorrectly assumes that it is a current data authority, the data authority function directs the second CPDLC application to transmit a second message to the second air traffic controller indicating that the second air traffic controller is not the current data authority.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first CPDLC application comprises a future air navigation system (FANS) application

or an aeronautical telecommunication network (ATN) application, wherein the second CPDLC application comprises a FANS application or an ATN application.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the data authority function is a distributed function having a first component executed by the first computing system and a second component executed by the second computing system.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein preventing the second CPDLC application from establishing the current data authority session comprises:

while the second CPDLC application is not the data authority application, preventing a user from communicating with the second air traffic controller through the second CPDLC application;

when the second CPDLC application is not the data authority application, providing data to a Human Machine Interface to display to a user that the second CPDLC application is not the data authority application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the Human Machine Interface indicates to a user that the second air traffic controller is not the current data authority by displaying on a notification page an indication that the second air traffic controller is not the current data authority.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

following transmission of the second message to the second air traffic controller, determining that the first CPDLC session between the first CPDLC application and the first air traffic controller ended;

designating the second CPDLC application as the data authority application, wherein the data authority function allows the second CPDLC application to send downlink messages while the second CPDLC application is the data authority application.

16. A non-transitory computer readable data storage device having computer executable code for a data authority function that controls the functionality of a first controller pilot data link communication (CPDLC) application and a second CPDLC application, the method comprising:

providing access to display screens generated by a first CPDLC session through a first CPDLC application, the first CPDLC application executing on a first computing system, the first CPDLC application having established a first CPDLC session with a first air traffic controller;

providing access to display screens generated by a second CPDLC session through a second CPDLC application, the second CPDLC application executing on a second computing system separately from the first CPDLC application, the second CPDLC application having established a second CPDLC session with a second air traffic controller, the second CPDLC session being concurrent with the first CPDLC session;

designating the first CPDLC application as a data authority application, the data authority application being a CPDLC application that communicates with a Current Data Authority (CDA), wherein the data authority function indicates to the first CPDLC application that the established first CPDLC session is a current data authority session;

when the first CPDLC application is the data authority application and the first computing system and the second computing system have established the concurrent first and second CPDLC sessions, preventing the second CPDLC application from establishing a concurrent current data authority session; and

wherein, in response to the second CPDLC application receiving an unsolicited first message from the second air traffic controller while the second air traffic controller incorrectly assumes that it is the CDA, the data authority function directs the second CPDLC application to transmit a second message to the second air traffic controller indicating that the second air traffic controller is not the CDA.

17. The computer readable data storage device of claim 16, wherein the data authority function is a distributed function having a first component executed by the first computing system and a second component executed by the second computing system.