Air travel information and computer data compilation, retrieval and display method and system

• US 6,353,794 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: AR Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Rouse, James, Brasfield, Larry, Helms, David, Howard, Dennis, Davis, Barry, Robertson, Randy, Paynter, Craig, Blachowicz, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donnelly, Arthur D.
• Application Number:
  US09/421,167
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/211, 340/990, 340/995, 340/991, 340/993, 455/456, 342/36, 345/23, 345/33
• US Class Current: 701/201
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0095 Aspects of air-traffic control not provided for in the other subgroups of this main group

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program for managing integrated real-time information about air flight trips and providing that information to multiple users by way of a flight operations system (FOS), including a data engine (DE) and render engine (RE). A computerized Upstream Distribution Center (UDC) containing a packet manager connects to the FOS and to a user interface including a computer display using text, image and color. The UDC is connectable to multiple user interfaces containing copies of the computer program through computer networks by which information is collected and propagated on a real time basis using object-relational mapping, object caching and proactive notification or “push” technology.

Claims

1. A method for planning and tracking at least one air travel trip from an operational center and for providing access to multiple users to user selected information about the trip, wherein said trip includes at least one trip leg, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first interactive pane on a terminal screen in text format for displaying data about the real time progress of the at least one trip as planned by the operational center;

providing a second interactive pane in text format for displaying the real time progress of the at least one trip leg against a date and time scale; and

providing a third interactive pane in graphics format for displaying the real time progress of the at least one trip leg superimposed on a geographical map; and

using push technology to enable the operational center to supply real time updates to the first, second and third interactive panes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the using step includes providing an upstream data distribution center with a data packet manager.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the data packet manager uses object-relational mapping, object caching and proactive notification technology.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second interactive panes of the first and second providing steps include an array of color coded textual codes wherein the textual codes represent a corresponding array of plannable and trackable services and the color of the textual codes represents the current status of each of the services represented by each of the textual codes.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the third interactive pane displays the at least one trip leg as a curve representing an actual flight path of an aircraft and further displays a symbol representing the location of the aircraft along the displayed flight path.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the third interactive pane displays current environmental weather information pertaining to a trip leg.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the third interactive pane includes user selectable sets of sources for the environmental weather information to display wherein said user selectable sets include satellite and radar images.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein user selection of a flight trip in the first interactive pane automatically selects corresponding trip legs in the second and third interactive panes to enable the user to access selected detail information pertaining to the user selected flight trip from either of the panes.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second and third interactive panes include user activatable pop-up text boxes for displaying detailed information about the selected trip.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a text editor for convertinguser selected screen information into downloadable text.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing an interactive command line text box for directly requesting information available from any of the first, second and third interactive panes.

12. A system for managing at least one air flight trip from an operational center and at least one remote terminal not in the operational center, said air flight trip having at least one trip leg covering an air flight from a first airport to a second airport, said system comprising:

a flight operations system including a data engine, a render engine, and a first user interface;

a second user interface remotely operably connectable to the flight operations system; and

a distribution center accessible by the first and second user interfaces wherein the distribution center includes a packet manager for distributing text data from the data engine and image data from the render engine to the first and second user interfaces.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the packet manager provides information in text and image format to the first and second user interfaces using object-relational mapping, object caching and proactive notification technology.

14. A computer program for providing user access to real time information about at least one air flight trip by way of a user interface, wherein said air flight trip includes at least one trip leg covering an air flight from a first location to a second location, said program comprising:

a first interactive pane on a terminal screen in text format displaying data about the at least one air flight trip;

a second interactive pane in text format displaying the at least one trip leg against a date and time scale;

a context pane including airport information and trip services information text format;

a context pane text editor for converting user selected context pane information into downloadable text;

a third interactive pane in graphics format displaying the at least one trip leg superimposed on a geographical world map; and

a command line pane for receiving commands;

wherein the program uses object-relational mapping, object caching and proactive notification technology to enable mutiple users to access the real time information by way of the first, second, and third interactive panes, the context pane, and the command line, through a computer network.

15. The program of claim 14 wherein the at least one air flight trip is selected by an end user of the program.

16. The program of claim 14 wherein the data about the at least one air flight trip includes a set of color coded service identifiers wherein the color of each service code represents the most critical current status of that service for any leg of the at least one flight trip.

17. The program of claim 14 wherein the at least one trip leg in the second interactive pane depicts the trip leg as a color bar wherein the bar color represents the current status of the most critical service for the at least one trip leg.

18. The program of claim 14 wherein the third interactive pane displays the at least one trip leg as a curve representing an actual flight path of an aircraft and further displays a symbol representing the location of the aircraft along the displayed flight path.

19. The program of claim 14 wherein the third interactive pane displays current environmental weather information pertaining to a trip leg.

20. The program of claim 19 wherein the third interactive pane includes user selectable sets of sources for the environmental weather information to display wherein said user selectable sets include satellite and radar images.

21. The program of claim 14 wherein user selection of a flight trip in the first interactive pane automatically selects corresponding trip legs in the second and third interactive panes to enable the user to access selected detail information pertaining to the user selected flight trip from either of the panes.

22. The program of claim 21 wherein the second and third interactive panes include user activatable pop-up text boxes for displaying detailed information about the selected trip.

23. The program of claim 14 further comprising a text editor for converting user selected screen information into downloadable text.

24. The program of claim 14 further comprising an interactive command line text box for directly requesting information available from any of the first, second and third interactive panes.

25. A method for integrating air travel and related information for planning and executing one or more trips involving at least one flight, said method comprising the steps of:

collecting the air travel and related information;

updating the air travel and related information by using push technology; and

making available real time updates of air travel and related information through computer networks.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the air travel and related information includes:

trip identification information;

tasks being performed during the trip; and

environmental factors affecting the trip.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the trip identification information includes:

a predefined trip identifier;

a predetermined aircraft identifier;

a predetermined pilot identifier;

a predetermined client identifier;

a set of predetermined service identifiers; and

beginning and ending location identifiers.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the environmental factors include:

weather information;

satellite image of the earth; and

radar shots of the earth.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the environmental factors can be superimposed over a global geographical map.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the tasks include:

catering service;

customs setup;

flight plan;

fuel service;

ground services;

landing permits;

overflight permits;

security guard service;

landing slot reservation service;

weather brief;

visa information; and

weather forecast information.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the tasks are displayed as colored boxes, the colors indicating completion status of the tasks.

32. The method of claim 26 wherein the flight is represented by a colored bar, the color representing a status of at least one service related to the flight.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein the at least one flight is represented by a curve superimposed over a world map, the curve representing the actual travel path of the flight, wherein selection of the curve by a user interface tool invokes a text box displaying the air travel and related information.