Methods and systems for automatically tracking information during flight

• US 20050192717A1
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Griffin, John C. III, Tafs, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00

Abstract

Methods and systems for automatically tracking information during flight are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes receiving first information corresponding to a proposed aspect of a flight of the aircraft and including at least one target value. The method can further include automatically receiving second information that includes an actual value corresponding to the at least one target value, as the aircraft executes the flight. The at least one target value and the actual value can be provided together in a common computer-based medium.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for collecting aircraft flight data, comprising:

receiving first information corresponding to a proposed aspect of a flight of the aircraft, the first information including at least one target value;

as the aircraft executes the flight, automatically receiving second information that includes an actual value corresponding to the at least one target value; and

providing the at least one target value and the actual value together in a common computer-based medium.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one target value and the actual value includes providing the at least one target value and the actual value in a printable electronic file.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one target value and the actual value includes providing the at least one target value and the actual value in a printout.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one target value and the actual value includes providing the at least one target value and the actual value in a computer-displayable file.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one target value and the actual value includes providing the at least one target value and the actual value to an aircraft flight data recorder.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one target value and the actual value includes providing the at least one target value and the actual value to a ground facility via a data link.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one target value and the actual value includes providing a graphical representation of the at least one target value and the actual value.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one target value and the actual value includes providing an alphanumeric representation of the at least one target value and the actual value in a tabular format.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one target value and the actual value includes storing the at least one target value and the actual value on a computer-readable medium.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the at least one target value and the actual value simultaneously.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving information including at least one of a target altitude, target airspeed, target time, target heading, target fuel consumption and target location.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes automatically receiving information uplinked from air traffic control.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving information input by an operator of the aircraft via an input device.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving information included as part of an aircraft flight plan.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the target includes a target location on a target path, and wherein the method further comprises automatically receiving the second information when the aircraft intersects a line passing through the target location and oriented at least approximately perpendicular to an actual path.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the target value in a first manner; and

displaying the actual value in a second manner different than the first manner.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the target value includes a target distribution of fuel usage as a function of distance traveled by the aircraft and wherein the actual value includes an actual distribution of fuel usage as a function of distance traveled by the aircraft, and wherein the method further comprises displaying the target distribution and the actual distribution graphically.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving third information corresponding to an aspect of the flight, the third information being input by an operator of the aircraft; and

providing the third information along with the target value and the actual value in the common medium.

19. A computer-implemented method for collecting aircraft flight data, comprising:

receiving first information corresponding to a proposed flight plan, the first information including a plurality of targets to which an aircraft may be directed during flight, the plurality of targets having corresponding target values;

as the aircraft executes the flight, automatically receiving second information that includes actual values corresponding to the target values; and

providing the target values and the actual values together in a common computer-based medium to an operator of the aircraft.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein providing the target values and the actual values includes:

providing the target values and the actual values at a single display of the aircraft; and

providing the target values and the actual values in a printable electronic file.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein providing the target values and the actual values includes providing a graphical representation of the target values and the actual values.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein receiving the first information includes receiving information including at least one of a target altitude, target airspeed, target time, target heading, target fuel consumption and target location.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the target includes a target location on a target path, and wherein the method further comprises automatically receiving the second information when the aircraft intersects at a right angle a line passing through the target location.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying the target value in a first manner; and

displaying the actual value in a second manner different than the first manner.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the target value includes a target distribution of fuel usage as a function of distance traveled by the aircraft and wherein the actual value includes an actual distribution of fuel usage as a function of distance traveled by the aircraft, and wherein the method further comprises displaying the target distribution and the actual distribution graphically.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving third information corresponding to an aspect of the flight, the third information being input by an operator of the aircraft; and

providing the third information along with the target value and the actual value in the common medium.

27. A system for collecting aircraft flight data, comprising:

a first receiving portion configured to receive first information corresponding to a proposed aspect of a flight of the aircraft, the first information including at least one target value;

a second receiving portion configured to automatically receive second information as the aircraft executes the flight, the second information including an actual value corresponding to the at least one target value; and

an assembly portion configured to provide the target value and the actual value together in a common computer-based medium.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the first receiving portion includes a link to an aircraft flight guidance computer.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the second receiving portion includes a link to aircraft sensors.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein the assembly portion is configured to provide the at least one target value and the actual value in a printable electronic file.

31. The system of claim 27, further comprising a printer coupled to the assembly portion to provide a printout of the at least one target value and the actual value.

32. The system of claim 27 wherein the first receiving portion, the second receiving portion and the assembly portion include computer readable media.

33. The system of claim 27, further comprising a graphical user interface coupled to the assembly portion to provide a graphical representation of the at least one target value and the actual value.

34. The system of claim 27 wherein the first receiving portion is configured to receive information including at least one of a target altitude, target airspeed, target time, target heading, target fuel consumption and target location, and wherein the second receiving portion is configured to receive information including at least one of an actual altitude, actual airspeed, actual time, actual heading, actual fuel consumption and actual location.

35. The system of claim 27, further comprising a display device coupled to the assembly portion to display the at least one target value in a first manner and display the actual value in a second manner different than the first manner.

36. The system of claim 27 wherein the at least one target value includes a target distribution of fuel usage as a function of distance traveled by the aircraft and wherein the actual value includes an actual distribution of fuel usage as a function of distance traveled by the aircraft, and wherein the system further comprises a graphical user interface coupled to the assembly portion to display the target distribution and the actual distribution graphically.

37. The system of claim 27, further comprising a third receiving portion coupled to the assembly portion and configured to receive third information corresponding to an aspect of the flight, the third information being input by an operator of the aircraft and wherein the assembly portion is configured to provide the third information along with the at least one target value and the actual value in the common computer-based medium.

38. A system for collecting aircraft flight data, comprising:

first receiving means configured to receive first information corresponding to a proposed aspect of a flight of the aircraft, the first information including at least one target value;

second receiving means configured to automatically receive second information as the aircraft executes the flight, the second information including an actual value corresponding to the at least one target value; and

assembly means configured to provide the target value and the actual value together in a common computer-based medium.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the first receiving means, the second receiving means and the third receiving means include portions of one or more computer processors.

40. The system of claim 38, further comprising output means for outputting the target value and the actual value, the output means being operatively coupled to the assembly means.