System and method for suggesting transportation routes

• US 7,546,206 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DTN, LLC (TBG AG)
• Original Assignee: WSI Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, Mark D., Desrochers, George Rene, Stump, Glen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/445,759
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/210, 701/120, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 701/210
• 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 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of providing a suggested transportation route includes receiving a set of operational parameters and weather data. At least one transportation route corresponding to the operational parameters is obtained. The weather data is used to identify an impact of a weather condition along the obtained transportation routes. At least one suggested transportation route is identified by applying the weather data to the at least one transportation route. The suggested transportation route is presented to a user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing a suggested transportation route, the method comprising:

(a) receiving operational parameters, wherein the operational parameters include non-weather related parameters;

(b) obtaining at least one transportation route corresponding to the operational parameters;

(c) receiving weather data;

(d) identifying a first set of suggested transportation routes by applying the weather data to the at least one transportation route obtained in step (b), wherein the weather data is used to identify an impact of a weather condition along the at least one transportation route obtained in step (b);

(e) presenting the first set of suggested transportation routes to a user;

(f) receiving an indication from the user of an alteration of at least one aspect of the operational parameters; and

(g) presenting a second set of suggested transportation routes based on a probabilistic determination of the impact of the alteration on the first set of suggested transportation routes, wherein the probabilistic determination includes an analysis of the effect, as a result of the alteration, of the weather data on the first set of suggested transportation routes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(h) receiving a user profile, wherein the user profile contains user transportation preferences; and

(i) refining the identification of the first set of suggested transportation routes identified in step (d) by applying the user transportation preferences contained in the user profile to the first set of suggested transportation routes identified in step (d).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational parameters include a starting location and an ending location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the operational parameters include at least one intermediate location that is temporally positioned after the starting location and before the ending location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational parameters include a departure time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational parameters include an arrival time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational parameters include transportation vehicle characteristics.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational parameters include transportation environment characteristics.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational parameters are weather dependent.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather data includes a weather event.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather data includes predicted future weather conditions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transportation route obtained in step (b) is obtained from a transportation route database.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of suggested transportation routes are air transportation routes.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of suggested transportation routes are land transportation routes.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of suggested transportation routes are water transportation routes.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one transportation route is included in a set of preferred routes stored in a user profile associated with the user.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein a user interface is provided for the user to edit the at least one suggested transportation route.

16. A computer-implemented method of providing a suggested flight route, the method comprising:

(a) receiving operational parameters, wherein the operational parameters include non-weather related parameters;

(b) obtaining a first set of flight routes corresponding to the operational parameters, wherein the first set of flight routes contains at least one flight route;

(c) receiving weather data;

(d) identifying a first set of suggested flight routes from the first set of flight routes obtained in step (b) using the weather data to identify an impact of a weather condition along one or more flight routes included in the first set of flight routes obtained in step (b), wherein the identified impact includes a prediction of expected utilizations of the one or more flight routes in the first set of flight routes based on a weather condition impacting the one or more flight routes; and

(e) presenting the first set of suggested flight routes to a user, wherein a primary flight route is identified in the first set of flight routes based on ranking each route of the first set of suggested flight routes using route ranking parameters.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user identifies criteria used for determining the route ranking parameters.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

(f) displaying the primary flight route on a map.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

(f) filing a flight plan based on the identified primary flight route, wherein the flight plan has an increased probability of acceptance based on historical data of the identified primary flight route.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

(f) identifying, based on the rankings of the first set of flight routes, an alternate flight route from the first set of flight routes.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

(f) receiving an indication from the user of an alteration of at least one aspect of the operational parameters; and

(g) presenting a probabilistic determination of the impact of the alteration on the first set of suggested transportation routes, wherein the probabilistic determination includes an analysis of the effect, as a result of the alteration, of the weather data on the first set of suggested transportation routes.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

(f) receiving a user profile, wherein the user profile contains user transportation preferences; and

(g) refining the identification of the first set of suggested flight routes obtained in step (d) by applying the user transportation preferences contained in the user profile to the first set of suggest transportation routes obtained in step (d).

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the operational parameters include a starting location and an ending location.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the operational parameters include at least one intermediate location that is temporally positioned after the starting location and before the ending location.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the operational parameters include a departure time.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the operational parameters include an arrival time.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the operational parameters include air traffic conditions.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the operational parameters include aircraft parameters.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the operational parameters include airport conditions.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein the operational parameters include a set of business objectives.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

(f) selecting at least one business objective from the set of business objectives; and

(g) altering the first set of suggested flight routes according to the selected at least one business objective.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the altering of step (g) accounts for predicted changes in the weather data.

33. The method of claim 16, wherein the weather data includes predicted future weather conditions.

34. The method of claim 16, wherein the first set of flight routes obtained in step (b) are obtained from a flight route database.

37. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one flight route in the first set of flight routes is included in a set of a preferred flight routes contained in a user profile associated with the user.

38. A computer-implemented method of providing a suggested flight route, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a first set of operational parameters, wherein the operational parameters include non-weather related parameters;

(b) obtaining a first set of flight routes corresponding to the operational parameters;

(c) receiving weather data;

(d) determining a second set of operational parameters based on predicting a change to at least one of the operational parameters contained in the first set, wherein the change is predicted at least in part by using the weather data to determine an impact of a weather condition to the first set of flight routes obtained in step (b);

(e) identifying a first set of suggested flight routes from the first set of flight routes obtained in step (b) using the second set of operational parameters from step (d); and

(f) presenting the first set of suggested flight routes to a user.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the determining of the impact includes using a statistical analysis of the affect of current weather conditions on the at least one operational parameter.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the determining of the impact includes using a historical analysis of the affect of current weather conditions and current predictions related to the weather conditions on the at least one operational parameter.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein at least one flight route of the first set of flight routes is included in a set of a preferred flight routes contained in a user profile associated with the user.

42. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

(g) determining rankings for the first set of suggested flight routes based in part on predicted changes to the operational parameters determined in step (d).

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

(h) filing a flight plan based on a primary flight route identified using the rankings from step (g), wherein the flight plan has an increased probability of acceptance based on historical analysis of the affect of the predicted changes of operational parameters on the primary flight route.

44. A computer-implemented method of providing a suggested flight route, the method comprising:

(a) receiving operational parameters, wherein the operational parameters include non-weather related parameters;

(b) obtaining a first set of flight routes corresponding to the operational parameters;

(c) receiving weather data;

(d) identifying a first set of suggested flight routes from the first set of flight routes obtained in step (b) using the weather data to identify an impact of a weather condition along the first set of flight routes obtained in step (b);

(e) detecting a change for at least one of the operational parameters based on an observed deviation of one or more aircraft from flight routes; and

(f) presenting a second set of suggested flight routes to a user based on identifying the second set of suggested flight routes using the detected changes from step (e).

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

(g) presenting an indication of the change for the at least operational parameter to the user.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the changes are detected in response to at least one of a repetition of the observed deviation by a single aircraft and an execution of the observed deviation by more than one aircraft.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the changes are a result at least in part on the affect of a weather condition on the at least one of the operational parameters.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the second set of suggested flight routes is presented while a flight along one of the first set of suggested flight routes is in progress.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein detecting the change further comprises predicting future values of the operational parameters based on the detected change.