METHODS FOR FORECASTING FLIGHT PATHS, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND SOFTWARE

• US 20120010806A1
• Filed: 07/06/2010
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AppOven, LLC
• Original Assignee: AppOven, LLC
• Inventors: Tseng, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/00 Traffic control systems for aircraft , e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Mobile computing device implemented methods, and associated systems, devices, and software for forecasting flight paths associated with a unique-flight. Methods may include prior to departure of the unique-flight, retrieving from a flight-data-server via the Internet an initial-forecasted-flight-path based on flight-path-data for the unique-flight, and displaying indicia associated with the initial-forecasted-flight-path.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device implemented method for forecasting a flight-path of a unique-flight from an origin to a destination, the method comprising:

prior to departure of the unique-flight, retrieving from a flight-data-server via the Internet an initial-forecasted-flight-path based on flight-path-data for the unique-flight; and

displaying on a display of the mobile computing device indicia associated with the initial-forecasted-flight-path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight-path-data includes historical-flight-path-data, wherein the historical-flight-path-data relates to previous instances of flights from the origin to the destination, wherein the historical-flight-path-data includes one or more of data associated with coordinates, elevations, headings, speeds, flight durations, locations of turbulence, and taxi durations of the previous instances of flights.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight-path-data includes a flight-plan, wherein the flight-plan includes one or more of departure procedures, planned coordinates, planned way-points, arrival procedures, planned elevations, planned headings, planned speeds, planned flight duration, and planned taxi durations for the unique-flight.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial-forecasted-flight-path includes one or more of an initial-forecasted-departure-time, an initial-forecasted-arrival-time, initial-forecasted-coordinates, initial-forecasted-elevations, initial-forecasted-headings, initial-forecasted-speeds, an initial-forecasted-flight-duration, initial-forecasted-turbulence, and initial-forecasted-taxi-durations.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the initial-forecasted-flight-path includes at least an initial-forecasted-arrival time.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the indicia associated with the initial-forecasted-flight-path includes one or more of a map, a forecasted-flight-line on the map, a forecasted-current-location of the unique-flight on the map, the forecasted-arrival-time, the forecasted coordinates, the forecasted elevations, the forecasted headings, the forecasted speeds, the forecasted flight duration, a forecasted length of time remaining, the forecasted taxi durations, a historical flight line on the map associated with the historical-flight-path-data, and information associated with landmarks adjacent the forecasted-flight-line.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indicia associated with the initial-forecasted-flight-path includes at least the forecasted-flight-line on the map and the forecasted-current-location of the unique-flight on the map.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight-data-server is a server associated with a provider of software associated with the performance of the method.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after departure of the unique-flight and prior to arrival of the unique-flight;

receiving, from a user of the mobile computing device, user-inputted-updated-flight-data associated with the unique-flight, wherein the user-inputted-updated-flight-data includes one or more of an updated departure time, an updated scheduled arrival time, a current location of the unique-flight, an identity of a landmark adjacent to the current location of the unique-flight, an image of a region adjacent to the current location of the unique-flight, and an orientation of the mobile computing device; and

forecasting an updated-forecasted-flight-path based at least in part on the initial-forecasted-flight-path and the user-inputted-updated-flight-data, wherein the updated-forecasted-flight-path includes one or more of an updated current location of the unique-flight, an updated forecasted arrival time, updated forecasted coordinates, updated forecasted elevations, updated forecasted headings, updated forecasted speeds, an updated forecasted flight duration; and

an updated forecasted length of time remaining; and

displaying on the display of the mobile computing device indicia associated with the updated-forecasted-flight-path.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the forecasting the updated-forecasted-flight-path is performed without the mobile computing device having access to the Internet.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving user-inputted-updated-flight-data, the forecasting the updated-forecasted-flight-path, and the displaying indicia associated with the updated-forecasted-flight-path are repeated.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after departure of the unique-flight and prior to arrival of the unique-flight;

receiving, from a user of the mobile computing device, an identity of a landmark adjacent to a current location of the unique-flight; and

forecasting an updated-forecasted-flight-path based at least in part on the initial-forecasted-flight-path and the identity of the landmark, wherein the updated-forecasted-flight-path includes one or more of an updated current location of the unique-flight, an updated forecasted arrival time, updated forecasted coordinates, updated forecasted elevations, updated forecasted headings, updated forecasted speeds, and an updated forecasted flight duration; and

displaying indicia associated with the updated-forecasted-flight-path.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device includes a camera, the method further comprising:

after departure of the unique-flight and prior to arrival of the unique-flight;

receiving an image of a land feature via the camera;

displaying on the display of the mobile computing device the image and a map;

receiving user input to associate the image with the map;

forecasting an updated-forecasted-flight-path based at least in part on the initial-forecasted-flight-path and the image, wherein the updated-forecasted-flight-path includes one or more of an updated current location of the unique-flight, an updated forecasted arrival time, updated forecasted coordinates, updated forecasted elevations, updated forecasted headings, updated forecasted speeds, and an updated forecasted flight duration; and

displaying on the display of the mobile computing device indicia associated with the updated-forecasted-flight-path.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device includes a compass, the method further comprising:

after departure of the unique-flight and prior to arrival of the unique-flight;

detecting with the compass an orientation of the mobile computing device;

receiving user input to associate the orientation of the mobile computing device with the forecasted-flight-path; and

forecasting an updated-forecasted-flight-path based at least in part on the initial-forecasted-flight-path and the orientation of the mobile computing device, wherein the updated-forecasted-flight-path includes one or more of an updated current location of the unique-flight, an updated forecasted arrival time, updated forecasted coordinates, updated forecasted elevations, updated forecasted headings, updated forecasted speeds, and an updated forecasted flight duration; and

displaying on the display of the mobile computing device indicia associated with the updated-forecasted-flight-path.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device includes a camera, the method further comprising:

after departure of the unique-flight and prior to arrival of the unique-flight;

receiving an image via the camera; and

in response to user input, associating the image with a flight profile associated with the unique-flight.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after departure of the unique-flight and prior to arrival of the unique-flight;

establishing a connection to the Internet;

retrieving from a flight location server via the Internet recent location data associated with the unique-flight, wherein the recent location data includes one or more of data associated with coordinates, elevations, headings, speeds, and times of the unique-flight; and

forecasting an updated-forecasted-flight-path based at least in part on the initial-forecasted-flight-path and the recent location data, wherein the updated-forecasted-flight-path includes one or more of an updated current location of the unique-flight, an updated forecasted arrival time, updated forecasted coordinates, updated forecasted elevations, updated forecasted headings, updated forecasted speeds, and an updated forecasted flight duration; and

displaying on the display of the mobile computing device indicia associated with the updated-forecasted-flight-path.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device includes global position system (GPS) capabilities, the method further comprising:

after departure of the unique-flight and prior to arrival of the unique-flight;

receiving from one or more GPS satellites location data associated with the current location of the mobile computing device; and

forecasting an updated-forecasted-flight-path based at least in part on the current location of the mobile computing device, wherein the updated-forecasted-flight-path includes one or more of an updated current location of the unique-flight, an updated forecasted arrival time, updated forecasted coordinates, updated forecasted elevations, updated forecasted headings, updated forecasted speeds, and an updated forecasted flight duration; and

displaying on the display of the mobile computing device indicia associated with the updated-forecasted-flight-path.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after departure of the unique-flight and prior to arrival of the unique-flight, alerting the user of forecasted turbulence.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to departure of the unique-flight, retrieving from a landmark data server via the Internet landmark data associated with one or more landmarks adjacent to a flight line corresponding to the initial-forecasted-flight-path; and

after departure of the unique-flight and prior to arrival of the unique-flight;

displaying on the display of the mobile computing device a map with a flight line associated with the unique-flight, the map including indicia associated with the one or more landmarks;

receiving user input to select one of the one or more landmarks; and

displaying on the display of the mobile computing device data associated with the selected one of the one or more landmarks.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing a game for the user to play, wherein the game includes displaying indicia that queries the user to identify the one or more landmarks and rewarding the user for correctly identifying the one or more landmarks.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

prior to departure of the unique-flight, displaying on the display of the mobile computing device indicia associated with a comparison of the flight-path of the unique-flight and locations of the one or more landmarks adjacent the flight-path of the unique-flight.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the forecasting includes weighted means averaging.

23. Computer readable storage media including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a mobile computing device to perform the method of claim 1.

24. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a memory device including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a mobile computing device to perform the method of claim 1;

a display configured to display indicia; and

a user input mechanism configured to receive user inputs.

25. A mobile computing device implemented method for forecasting a flight-path of a unique-flight from an origin to a destination, the method comprising:

prior to departure of the unique-flight, receiving unique-flight-data associated with the unique-flight and identifying the unique-flight;

prior to departure of the unique-flight, retrieving from a flight-data-server via the Internet flight-path-data associated with the unique-flight;

forecasting an initial-forecasted-flight-path for the unique-flight based on the flight-path-data; and

displaying on a display of the mobile computing device indicia associated with the initial-forecasted-flight-path.

26. A computer implemented method for forecasting a flight-path of a unique-flight from an origin to a destination, the method comprising:

receiving unique-flight-data associated with the unique-flight and identifying the unique-flight; and

forecasting a forecasted-flight-path for the unique-flight based on historical-flight-path-data, wherein the historical-flight-path-data relates to previous instances of flights from the origin to the destination, and wherein the historical-flight-path-data includes one or more of data associated with coordinates, elevations, headings, speeds, flight durations, locations of turbulence, and taxi durations of the previous instances of flights.