METHOD OF FORMULATING RESPONSE TO EXPIRED TIMER FOR DATA LINK MESSAGE

• US 20100188266A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McGuffin, Thomas F., Judd, Thomas D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• 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: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

A method for communicating a data link message is provided. The method comprises transmitting a data link message from a sender to a receiver, storing the trasmitted data link message, and starting a message timer when the data link message is transmitted. The method further comprises determining whether a response to the data link message has been received, and determining whether the message timer has expired if the response has not been received. The sender is notified when the message timer has expired and the response has not been received. Input is requested from the sender whether or not to retransmit the data link message. If input is received from the sender to retransmit, the data link message is displayed to the sender for review and edit. The data link message is then retransmitted from the sender to the receiver.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a data link message, the method comprising:

transmitting a data link message from a sender to a receiver;

storing the trasmitted data link message;

starting a message timer when the data link message is transmitted;

determining whether a response to the data link message has been received;

determining whether the message timer has expired if the response has not been received;

notifying the sender when the message timer has expired and the response has not been received;

requesting input from the sender whether or not to retransmit the data link message;

if input is received from the sender to retransmit the data link message, displaying the data link message to the sender for review and edit; and

retransmitting the data link message from the sender to the receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sender is a pilot in an aircraft, or an air traffic controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver is an air traffic controller, or a pilot in an aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented as part of communication protocols for a future air navigation controller pilot data link communication (CPDLC) system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented as part of communication protocols for an aeronautical telecommunication network CPDLC system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data link message comprises a CPDLC message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message timer comprises a termination timer, sender (TTS) timer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting input from the sender whether or not to retransmit the data link message comprises:

creating a display page on a screen that shows the transmitted data link message to the sender, and asks whether the sender wants to resend the data link message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the screen is implemented in a human-machine interface device.

10. A method of formulating a response to an expired message timer for a data link message, the method comprising:

(a) storing a trasmitted data link message;

(b) determining whether a message timer is needed;

(c) starting the message timer when the message timer is needed;

(d) determining whether a response to the data link message has been received;

(e) if the response has been received, determining whether the response is a standby message;

(i) if the response is a standby message, repeating the method starting at step (c); and

(ii) if the response is not a standby message, stopping the message timer;

(f) if the response has not been received, determining whether the message timer has expired;

(g) if the message timer has not expired, repeating the method starting at step (d);

(h) updating a data link message status when the message timer has expired to indicate expiration of the message timer;

(i) creating a first display page that shows the data link message and queries whether to resend the data link message due to the message timer expiration; and

(j) determining whether there is a response to the query on the first display page;

(i) if no response to the query is received, repeating step 0);

(ii) if there is a negative response to the query, terminating the method;

(iii) if there is a positive response to the query, creating a second display page that shows the data link message for review and edit prior to resending the data link message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data link message comprises a CPDLC message.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the message timer comprises a TTS timer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second display pages are shown by a human-machine interface device.

14. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device in operative communication with the processor, the memory device comprising a computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon for a method of formulating a response to an expired message timer for a data link message according to claim 10.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the computer system comprises a communication management unit, a flight management computer, or an air traffic control computer.

16. The computer system of claim 14, further comprising a data link message module in operative communication with the processor and the memory device.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the data link message module comprises a controller pilot data link communication application.

18. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium having program instructions stored thereon for a method of formulating a response to an expired message timer for a data link message according to claim 10.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions stored on the computer readable medium are implemented as part of communication protocols for a future air navigation controller pilot data link communication (CPDLC) system.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program instructions stored on the computer readable medium are implemented as part of communication protocols for an aeronautical telecommunication network CPDLC system.