System and method of communication between an aircraft and a ground control station

• US 6,313,759 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Musland-Sipper, Lori J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, John
• Application Number:
  US09/526,596
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/963, 340/990, 340/995, 340/988, 701/14, 701/3
• 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 system for communicating between an aircraft and a ground control station. The system includes a communications module disposed onboard the aircraft and capable of electronically communicating with the ground control station. The communications module includes an input interface that permits an operator onboard the aircraft to view messages that are sent and received from the ground control station. The input interface has a plurality of display configurations for the viewing and entry of information. The input interface permits data relevant to a flight of the aircraft to be entered by the operator while viewing at least one of the plurality of display configurations.

Claims

1. A system for communicating between an aircraft and a ground control station, comprising:

a communications module disposed onboard the aircraft and capable of electronically communicating with the ground control station, wherein the communications module includes an input interface that permits an operator onboard the aircraft to view messages that are sent and received from the ground control station;

wherein the input interface has a plurality of display configurations for the viewing and entry of information, and wherein the input interface permits data relevant to a flight of the aircraft to be entered by the operator while viewing at least one of the plurality of display configurations; and

wherein one of the plurality of display configurations has a first section where a message is displayed for viewing by the operator, and a second section where at least one option for responding to the message is displayed, the second section including a display of the operator'"'"'s response to the message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications module processes messages from the ground control station that are relevant to the aircraft, and further wherein the communications module ignores messages sent from the ground control station that are not relevant to the aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications module prevents a message from being sent to the ground control station when required information has not been entered into the input interface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the input interface permits speed and at least of altitude information, location and destination data to be entered by the operator within a single display configuration.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of display configurations is a log of messages that have been sent and received from the ground control station.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the log of messages is prioritized such that messages requiring response from the operator are displayed prior to messages not requiring response from the operator.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the log of messages is prioritized in order of urgency of response.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the log of messages is prioritized such that messages are displayed in the order the messages were processed by the communications module.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications module rejects a message received from the ground control station when required information has not been entered into the input interface.

10. A method for communicating between an aircraft and a ground control station, comprising:

providing a communications module onboard the aircraft, the module electronically communicating with the ground control station, the module including an input interface that permits an operator to interact with the module and communicate with the ground control station;

displaying messages sent and received from the ground control station on a portion of the input interface such that an operator may view the messages upon one of a plurality of display configurations;

processing data relevant to a flight of the aircraft, the data having been entered by the operator while viewing at least one of the display configurations;

displaying a message in a first section of one of the plurality of display configurations; and

displaying at least one option for responding to the message in a second section of the display configuration, wherein the operator'"'"'s response to the message is displayed in the second section.

11. The method of claim 10, further including:

processing messages from the ground control station that are relevant to the aircraft; and

ignoring messages sent from the ground control station that are not relevant to the aircraft.

12. The method of claim 10, further including preventing a message from being sent to the ground control station when required information has not been entered into the input interface.

13. The method of claim 10, further permitting speed and at least one of altitude information, location and destination data to be entered by the operator within a single display configuration.

14. The method of claim 10, further including providing a display configuration that lists a log of messages that have been sent and received from the ground control station.

15. The method of claim 14, further including prioritizing the messages listed in the log such that messages requiring response from the operator are displayed prior to messages not requiring response from the operator.

16. The method of claim 14, further including prioritizing the messages in the log based on one or more of urgency of response and the order the messages were processed by the communications module.