Interactive and customizable flight planning tool

• US 10,431,100 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association
• Original Assignee: Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association
• Inventors: Shorter, Jr., Douglas Nolen, Hamilton, John Dennis, Ocasek, Kimberly Lynn, Rush, Eric John, Tenberg, Brian Michael, Whitehouse, John Vance, Krilov, Sergey
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Robert T
• Application Number:
  US14/929,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

A flight planning system is disclosed for providing an interactive and customizable flight planning tool. The flight planning system may include a memory device for storing flight information and one or more hardware processors. The processors may receive, from a client device associated with the flight planning system, a first flight information request and provide, in response to the first flight information request, an interactive user interface having a graphical representation of a flight plan that includes at least a flight route. The processors may provide a plurality of selectable overlays that modify the appearance of the graphical representation and display additional information related to the flight information. The processors may receive a second request related to the flight information and provide a modified user interface comprising at least a feature related to the second request and the flight information.

Claims

1. A method of planning a flight, comprising:

receiving, from a client device, a first flight information request;

providing, in response to the first flight information request, an interactive user interface for display on the client device having a first graphical representation of flight information, including at least a flight route displayed on a map;

providing, on the first graphical representation, a first selectable feature that, when selected, causes a plurality of selectable overlay options to be displayed on the first graphical interface,

the plurality of overlay options corresponding to additional information related to the flight information, and

the selectable overlay options causing an overlay feature with the additional information to appear on the map of the first graphical representation when selected;

receiving a second request, from the client device, related to the flight information and indicative of a selection of one of the overlay options;

providing, in response to the second request, a modified user interface for display on the client device comprising at least an overlay feature disposed over the map and corresponding to the selected overlay option indicated by the second request;

providing, on the interactive user interface, a second selectable feature that, when selected, causes a plurality of interface options to be displayed on the first graphical representation,

receiving a third request, from the client device, indicative of a selection of one of the interface options; and

providing, in response to the third request, a modified user interface for display on the client device comprising at least an overlay interface disposed over the map and corresponding to the selected interface option indicated by the third request, the overlay interface comprising a plurality of input fields configured to receive flight plan information from the client device for generating a flight plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

receiving user input, from the client device, indicative of one or more parameters of the flight information;

providing the user input to a flight planning engine; and

receiving the flight route from the flight planning engine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

the method further includes displaying, on the client device, one or more selectable saved flight plans;

and

receiving, from the client device, a selection of one of the one or more saved flight plans.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the interactive user interface includes selectable features on the graphical representation; and

the method further includes;

receiving an input indicative of a selected one of the selectable features; and

providing a search result containing information based on the selected feature.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the selected feature is an airport on the map; and

providing the search result includes displaying one or more details associated with the airport.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the plurality of selectable overlay options includes displaying an option corresponding to information related to one or more of past, current, or future weather conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the second request includes receiving a request to modify the flight route.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the request to modify the flight route includes receiving a user input indicative of a user-defined waypoint through which the flight route is to pass.

9. The method of claim 1, further including displaying a side perspective view of the route on the modified user interface in response to the second request, wherein the side perspective view of the route includes a graphical representation of flight plan information along the route.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the third request includes a request to retrieve a weather briefing with a flight planning entity; and

the method further includes

receiving user to inputs indicative of information associated with the weather briefing; and

submitting the third request to the flight planning entity based on the user inputs.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes:

submitting flight plan information received by the plurality of input fields to a flight planning entity; and

displaying, on the client device, information received from the flight planning entity in response to the submission.

12. A flight planning system for providing a flight planning tool, comprising:

a memory device for storing flight information; and

one or more hardware processors configured to;

receive, from a client device associated with the flight planning system, a first request;

provide, in response to the first request, an interactive user interface for display on the client device having a first graphical representation of flight information, including at least a flight route displayed on a map;

provide, on the interactive user interface, a first selectable feature that, when selected, causes a plurality of selectable overlay options to be displayed on the first graphical representation,

the plurality of overlay options corresponding to additional information related to the flight information; and

the selectable overlay options causing an overlay feature with the additional information to appear on the map of the first graphical representation when selected;

receive a second request, from the client device, related to the flight information and indicative of a selection of one of the overlay options;

provide, in response to the second request, a modified user interface for display on the client device comprising at least an overlay feature disposed over the map and corresponding to the selected overlay option indicated by the second request;

provide, on the interactive user interface, a second selectable feature that, when selected, causes a plurality of interface options to be displayed on the first graphical representation,

receive a third request, from the client device, indicative of a selection of one of the interface options; and

provide, in response to the third request, a modified user interface for display on the client device comprising at least an overlay interface disposed over the map and corresponding to the selected interface option indicated by the third request, the overlay interface comprising a plurality of input fields configured to receive flight plan information from the client device for generating a flight plan.

13. The flight planning system of claim 12, wherein the first request includes user input, received from the client device, indicative of one or more parameters of the flight information.

14. The flight planning system of claim 13, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to provide the user input to a flight planning engine and, in response to providing the user input to the flight planning engine, receive the flight route from the flight planning engine.

15. The flight planning system of claim 12, wherein:

the one or more hardware processors are configured to provide information to be displayed on the client device including one or more selectable saved flight plans; and

the first request includes a selection of one of the one or more saved flight plans.

16. The flight planning system of claim 12, wherein:

the interactive user interface includes selectable features on the graphical representation; and

the one or more hardware processers are further configured to;

receive an input indicative of a selected one of the selectable features; and

provide a search result containing information based on the selected feature.

17. The flight planning system of claim 16, wherein:

the selected feature is an airport on the map; and

the search result includes one or more details associated with the airport.

18. The flight planning system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of overlay options include an option corresponding to a weather conditions overlay configured to display one or more of past, current, or future weather conditions information.

19. The flight planning system of claim 12, wherein the second request includes a request to modify the flight information.

20. The flight planning system of claim 19, wherein:

the request to modify the flight information includes a user-defined waypoint through which the flight route is to pass; and

the interactive user interface is configured to receive a user input on the map via input hardware indicative of the user-defined waypoint.

21. The flight planning system of claim 12, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to display a side perspective view of the route on the modified user interface in response to the second request, the side perspective view of the route including a graphical representation of flight plan information along the route.

22. The flight planning system of claim 12, wherein:

the third request includes a request to retrieve a weather briefing with a flight planning entity; and

the one or more hardware processors are configured to;

display, on the modified user interface, one or more prompts configured to receive user inputs indicative of information associated with the weather briefing; and

submit the third request to the flight planning entity via the flight planning system based on the user inputs.

23. The flight planning system of claim 12, wherein:

the one or more hardware processors are configured to;

submit flight plan information received by the plurality of input fields to a flight planning entity via the flight planning system; and

display, on the client device, information received from the flight planning entity in response to the submission.