SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREDICTING RUNWAY RISK LEVELS

• US 20160004969A1
• Filed: 07/03/2014
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Cetinich, Michael R., Chessa, Piero A., Todini, Giulio, Nilsson, Anna J., Stovall, Ray W., Pettenuzzo, Daniele
• Granted Patent: US 9,727,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning

Abstract

A method includes receiving meteorological forecast data at an electronic device. The method includes predicting multiple risk levels associated with an aircraft using one or more runways of an airport during a forecast time interval based on the meteorological forecast data. The method further includes generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes multiple risk indicators based on the multiple risk levels. The multiple risk indicators may correspond to multiple time sub-intervals during the forecast time interval.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving meteorological forecast data at an electronic device;

predicting multiple risk levels associated with an aircraft using one or more runways of an airport during a forecast time interval based on the meteorological forecast data; and

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes multiple risk indicators based on the multiple risk levels, wherein the multiple risk indicators correspond to multiple time sub-intervals during the forecast time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the forecast time interval and the multiple time sub-intervals are modifiable based on user input.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input identifying the airport; and

retrieving information associated with the airport from an airport layout information database.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

predicting forecasted cross-wind values for the one or more runways at the multiple time sub-intervals based on the meteorological forecast data; and

predicting the risk levels based on the forecasted cross-wind values, wherein a first risk level of the multiple risk levels corresponds to a first aircraft type, and wherein a second risk level of the multiple risk levels corresponds to a second aircraft type.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining a probability that a predicted cross-wind value corresponding to a first time sub-interval of the multiple time sub-intervals and corresponding to a first runway of the one or more runways exceeds a threshold associated with the first aircraft type, wherein the first risk level corresponds to the first time sub-interval and to the first aircraft type, and wherein the first risk level is determined based on the probability.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold is based on safety information associated with the first aircraft type, and wherein the safety information is based on data from an aircraft manual associated with the first aircraft type, user input values, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple risk indicators include a first risk indicator corresponding to a first aircraft type and a second risk indicator corresponding to a second aircraft type, and wherein a color of the first risk indicator indicates a first risk level.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a runway selection indicating a particular runway, wherein the first risk level corresponds to the particular runway, to the first aircraft type, and to a first time sub-interval.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first risk level corresponds to a highest risk runway of the one or more runways during a first time sub-interval.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input selecting a particular risk indicator; and

in response to receiving the input, displaying, concurrently with the multiple risk indicators in the GUI, a map of the airport, wherein the map includes graphical representations of the one or more runways, and wherein colors of the graphical representations of the one or more runways indicate runway risk levels associated with the one or more runways.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the particular risk indicator corresponds to a first type of aircraft and a first time sub-interval, and wherein the runway risk levels identify risks associated with a first aircraft of the first aircraft type using a particular runway of the one or more runways during the first time sub-interval.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying, concurrently with the map and the multiple risk indicators in the GUI, one or more deterministic cross-wind values corresponding to the one or more runways represented in the map, wherein the one or more deterministic cross-wind values indicate cross-winds predicted to occur at the one or more runways during a first time sub-interval corresponding to the particular risk indicator.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying, concurrently with the map of the airport in the GUI, one or more other maps of one or more other airports, wherein the one or more other maps include graphical representations of runways at the one or more other airports, and wherein colors of the graphical representations of the runways at the one or more other airports indicate runway risk levels associated with the runways at the one or more other airports.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a calibration process based on the multiple risk levels, climatological data received at the electronic device, and monitored data received at the electronic device.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving meteorological forecast data;

predicting multiple risk levels associated with an aircraft using one or more runways of an airport during a forecast time interval based on the meteorological data; and

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes multiple risk indicators based on the multiple risk levels, wherein the multiple risk indicators correspond to multiple time sub-intervals during the forecast time interval.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the GUI includes a grid display element, wherein labels of multiple aircraft types are displayed in a first direction of the grid display element, wherein labels of the multiple time sub-intervals are displayed in a second direction of the grid display element, and wherein a first color of a first risk indicator of the multiple risk indicators indicates a first risk level corresponding to a first aircraft type of the multiple aircraft types and a first time sub-interval of the multiple time sub-intervals.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the GUI includes deterministic cross-wind values, and wherein the deterministic cross-wind values are generated based on deterministic meteorological model data.

18. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving meteorological forecast data at an electronic device;

predicting multiple risk levels associated with an aircraft using one or more runways of an airport during a forecast time interval based on the meteorological data; and

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes multiple risk indicators based on the multiple risk levels, wherein the multiple risk indicators correspond to multiple time sub-intervals during the forecast time interval.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein a first risk level of the multiple risk levels indicates a risk to a first aircraft of a first aircraft type using a particular runway of the one or more runways during a first time sub-interval of the multiple time sub-intervals.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the meteorological forecast data includes deterministic meteorological model data, ensemble prediction system data, or a combination thereof.