SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UTILIZING VOICE COMMANDS ONBOARD AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20150217870A1
• Filed: 02/04/2014
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McCullough, Sue, Sivaratri, Mahesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,550,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/04 actuated personally
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/003 Flight plan management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/085 Methods for reducing search complexity, pruning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context

Abstract

A system and method are provided for programming a flight management system in response to a voice input. The voice input is validated (the pilot spoken vocabulary is thereby filtered (e.g., adapted) to improve recognition accuracy and reduce false positives) by comparing the current operational state of the aircraft (for example, climb, level flight, descent, speed, altitude, and heading), operation validities and availabilities (for example, operations allowed and not allowed) based on the flight management system planned and predicted lateral and vertical trajectory of the flight route (flight plan) from origin/present position to destination, and the requested action being taken.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing audio commands associated with a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining the operational state of the vehicle;

identifying a movement phase for the vehicle;

determining the allowed operations at a present position of the vehicle;

determining the allowed operations at various waypoints along the intended path of the vehicle;

identifying at least one predetermined audio input associated with the movement phase;

receiving an audio input;

validating the audio input with the current operational state, the allowed operations at the present position, a transportation plan associated with the vehicle, the allowed operations at various points along the transportation plan, the movement phase, and at least one predetermined audio input; and

programming a travel management system with the validated audio input.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle comprises an aircraft, the movement phase comprises a flight phase, the transportation plan comprises a flight plan, and the travel management system equates to a flight management system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the operational state comprises one of a climb, level flight, a descent, a speed, an altitude, and a heading.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the flight phase comprises the current phase of the aircraft within a flight plan.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying the allowed operations at various waypoints along the flight plan comprises identifying whether any of altitude restraints, speed restraints, and timing restraints can be defined on the aircraft'"'"'s arrival at a defined point in the flight plan.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying the allowed operations at present position and/or at various waypoints along the flight plan comprises identifying whether any maneuvers comprising holding patterns, procedure turns, orbit patterns, flyovers;

vertical constraints comprising step climbs, step descends and diversions to specified altitudes; and

path restrictions comprising parallel offset paths, fixed radius paths associated with a navigation aid, fixed course paths, course intercept paths can be defined at the present position and/or at various waypoints along the flight plan.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying the allowed operations at the present position of the vehicle comprises identifying whether any of initiating an early descent, diverting to a specified altitude, diverting to a specified waypoint, flying a vector course to final approach fix, and diverting to missed approach, diverting to an alternate airport is allowed at present position.

8. A method for utilizing audio commands associated with an aircraft, the method comprising:

determining an operational state of the aircraft;

identifying a plurality of flight phases;

determining the allowed operational states at a plurality of waypoints along the flight plan;

identifying a plurality of predetermined audio inputs, wherein each of the flight phases includes at least one of the predetermined audio inputs associated therewith;

receiving an audio input;

validating the audio input with the current operational state, the allowed operations at the present position, the flight plan, the allowed operations at various points along the flight plan, the flight phase, and the at least one predetermined audio input; and

programming a flight management system with the validated audio input.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the operational state comprise one of a climb, level flight, or a descent.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the flight phase comprises the current phase of the aircraft within a flight plan.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein identifying the allowed operations at various waypoints along the flight plan comprises identifying whether any of altitude restraints, speed restraints, and timing restraints can be defined on the aircraft'"'"'s arrival at a defined point in the flight plan.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein identifying the allowed operations at present position and/or at various waypoints along the flight plan comprises identifying whether any maneuvers comprising holding patterns, procedure turns, orbit patterns, flyovers;

vertical constraints comprising step climbs, step descends and diversions to specified altitudes; and

path restrictions comprising parallel offset paths, fixed radius paths, fixed course paths, course intercept paths can be defined at the present position and/or at various waypoints along the flight plan.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

identifying the allowed operations at the present position of the vehicle including identifying whether any of initiating early descent, diverting to a specified altitude, diverting to a specified waypoint, flying a vector course to a final approach fix, diverting to a missed approach, diverting to an alternate airport is allowed at the present position.

14. A system for utilizing audio commands associated with an aircraft, the system comprising:

a flight management system configured to;

determine the operational state of the vehicle;

identify a movement phase for the vehicle;

determine the allowed operations at present position of the vehicle;

determine the allowed operations at various waypoints along the intended path of the vehicle;

a speech recognition system configured to;

identify at least one predetermined audio input associated with the movement phase;

an audio input device configured to;

receive an audio input; and

a processor configured to;

validate the audio input with the current operational state, the allowed operations at the present position, a transportation plan associated with the vehicle, the allowed operations at various points along the transportation plan, the movement phase, and at least one predetermined audio input; and

program a travel management system with the validated audio input.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the operational state comprises one of a climb, level flight, a descent, a speed, an altitude, and a heading.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein a flight phase comprises the current phase of the aircraft within a flight plan.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the flight management system further identifies the allowed operations at various waypoints along the flight plan including identifying whether any of altitude restraints, speed restraints, and timing restraints can be defined on the aircraft'"'"'s arrival at a defined point in the flight plan.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the flight management system is further configured to identify the allowed operations at the present position of the vehicle including identifying whether any of initiating early descent, diverting to a specified altitude, diverting to a specified waypoint, flying a vector course to a final approach fix, diverting to a missed approach, diverting to an alternate airport is allowed at the present position

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the audio input device is further configured to recognize a user'"'"'s natural speech pattern and operational vocabulary of the aircraft.