AIRCRAFT UPLINK MESSAGE RESPONSE PROMPT

• US 20100277347A1
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Judd, Thomas D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,208 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

Abstract

A method for prompting an operator to reply to a first data link message before it expires includes receiving the first data link message, storing the first data link message, starting a timer at an initial timer value when the first data link message is received, determining whether a response to the first data link message has been input, determining whether the timer will expire in less than a predefined amount of time, requesting an input from the operator before the timer expires, determining whether the input has been received since requesting input, and determining whether the timer has expired before the input is received. In cases where the input is received before the timer expires, a second data link message is sent. In cases where the input is not received before the timer expires, a status for the first data link message is set to expired.

Claims

1. A method for prompting an operator to reply to a first data link message before it expires, the method comprising:

receiving the first data link message;

storing the first data link message;

starting a timer at an initial timer value when the first data link message is received;

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

determining whether the timer will expire in less than a predefined amount of time;

requesting an input from the operator before the timer expires;

determining whether the input has been received since requesting the input;

determining whether the timer has expired before the input is received;

when the input is received before the timer expires, sending a second data link message; and

when the input is not received before the timer expires, setting a status for the first data link message to expired.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the first data link message comprises receiving the first data link message at one of an aircraft and a control center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented as part of communication protocols for a Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (“

Controller Pilot Data Link Communications”

) system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data link message comprises a Controller Pilot Data Link Communications message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the timer comprises a termination timer, receiver (“

TTR timer”

) timer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined amount of time is greater than fifteen seconds.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined amount of time is between about one fourth and about one half the duration of the initial timer value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting the input from the operator before the timer expires includes:

displaying an expiration notice on a screen informing the operator that the timer will expire in less than a predefined amount of time;

displaying the first data link message on the screen; and

displaying a prompt requesting the input from the operator on the screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the displaying the expiration notice on a screen includes displaying an amount of time left before timer expiration.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting the input from the operator before the timer expires includes:

audibly and autonomously announcing an expiration notice through a speaker; and

audibly and autonomously prompting the operator for the input through the speaker.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein requesting the input from the operator before the timer expires further includes audibly and autonomously announcing the first data link message through the speaker.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input before the timer expires includes receiving the input from the operator through an input device before the timer expires.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the input comprises at least one of:

a touch responsive device; and

a sound responsive device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a timer is needed; and

starting the timer only when the timer is needed.

15. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one human-machine interface device in operative communication with the processor and having at least one display device configured to display information to an operator and at least one input device configured to receive input from an operator;

at least one communication device in operative communication with the processor and configured to send and receive data link messages; and

at least one memory device in operative communication with the processor, the memory device comprising a computer readable medium having program instructions thereon for a method of prompting the operator to reply to a first data link message before it expires, the method including;

receiving the first data link message;

starting a timer when the first data link message is received;

when an input has not been received at the at least one input device at a predefined time before the timer will expire, requesting the input at the at least one input device; and

determining whether the input has been received via the at least one input device before the timer expires.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

when the input is received via the at least one input device before the timer expires, sending a second data link message; and

when the input is not received via the at least one input device before the timer expires, setting a status identifier for the first data link message to expired.

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

18. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions adapted to perform a method for prompting an operator to reply to a first data link message before the first data link message expires, the method performed by a processor, the method comprising:

receiving the first data link message;

starting a timer when the first data link message is received;

when the timer will expire in less than a predefined amount of time, requesting an input from the operator;

determining whether the input is received before the timer expires;

when the input is received before the timer expires, sending a second data link message; and

when the input is not received before the timer expires, setting a status for the first data link message to expired.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the program instructions stored on the computer readable medium are implemented as part of communication protocols for future air navigation controller pilot and/or flight crew data link communication (Controller Pilot Data Link Communications) systems.

20. The computer readable medium 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 Controller Pilot Data Link Communications application.