SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SENDING AIR TRAFFIC DATA TO USERS FOR DISPLAY

• US 20130211701A1
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flightaware LLC (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Mark L. Duell Jr
• Inventors: Baker, Daniel, McNett, David Cameron, Lehenbauer, Karl, Duell, Mark L. Jr., Chouinard, David, Lawson, Jeff, Dayah, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for the processing and presentation of aviation information is disclosed. At plurality of flight information is received over a digital network and is stored in at least a database. The database includes aviation information. Upon receiving a user request, a server retrieves a result set from the database and transmits it to the requesting user. Subsequently, updates as to a flight identified in the request are transmitted at a selected rate, which may be modified automatically based on one flight characteristic, for subsequent display. In one form, the results may be presented to the user in the form of digital map having aircraft images.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of messages containing flight tracking information at a first server;

selecting a subset of messages of said stream associated with a particular flight;

transmitting at least a portion of said subset of messages over a digital network at a first rate;

identifying at least one dynamic characteristic of said particular flight using at least a first processor;

altering said first rate based on said at least one dynamic characteristic to establish a second rate; and

transmitting at least a second portion of said subset of messages over said digital network at said second rate.

14. A method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request from a user device through a digital network identifying at least one flight currently in progress to a flight information service;

receiving a stream of messages containing flight tracking information from said service including at least a first position and a second position associated with a first flight, wherein said first position is associated with a time earlier in the flight than that associated with said second position;

generating an electronic map based upon at least said first position or said second position;

generating a flight path between at least said first position and said second position based upon at least a portion of said stream of messages exclusive of said first and said second positions; and

animating an electronic representation of said first flight on said electronic map, wherein said electronic representation moves between said first position and said second position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said second position is the most recent position in said stream.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first position is the second most recent position in said stream.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said flight path is generated as a cubic spline.

18. A method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a database storing aviation related information;

receiving flight tracking information from a substantially real-time source;

storing at least a portion of said flight tracking information in a formatted form in said database;

receiving a request from a user device through a digital network identifying at least one flight currently in progress; and

transmitting to said user device program instructions for causing said user device to perform the following steps;

receive a stream of messages containing flight tracking information from said service including at least a first position and a second position associated with a first flight, wherein said first position is associated with a time earlier in the flight than that associated with said second position;

generate an electronic map based upon at least said first position or said second position;

generate a flight path between at least said first position and said second position based upon at least a portion of said stream of messages exclusive of said first and said second positions; and

animate an electronic representation of said first flight on said electronic map, wherein said electronic representation moves between said first position and said second position.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said second position is the most recent position in said stream.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said first position is the second most recent position in said stream.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said flight path is generated as a cubic spline.

22. A method for distributing flight tracking information to a user comprising the steps of:

receiving flight tracking information from a substantially real-time source;

receiving a request from a user device through a digital network identifying at least one flight currently in progress;

selecting at least a subset of said flight tracking information associated with a first flight;

generating a first flight path, wherein said flight path is generated as a cubic spline based upon said subset of said flight tracking information;

displaying said first flight path on an electronic map;

generating a second flight path, wherein said flight path is generated as a cubic spline based upon said subset of said flight tracking information and a more recent position of said first flight received from said substantially real time source; and

displaying said second flight path on an electronic map and removing said first flight path.