Systems and methods integrated air traffic control management

• US 8,244,452 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Judd, Thomas D., McGuffin, Thomas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US12/633,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120, 700/2, 700/83, 700/86, 700/79, 700/17, 359/634
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft

Abstract

Systems and methods for integrated air traffic control management are provided. In one embodiment, a system comprises a first processing system including a FANS application for implementing a CPDLC and AFN system; a second processing system including an ATN application for implementing a PM-CPDLC and CM system; a third processing system implementing a HMI, the HMI configured to provide access to a first set of pages driven by the FANS application and a second set of pages driven by the ATN application; and an ATC Manager accessed from the HMI, the HMI configured to provide access to a third set of pages driven by the ATC manager, wherein the third set of pages selectively directs a user of the HMI to either the first set of pages or the second set of pages based on a selected ATC center.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first processing system including a Future Air Navigation System (FANS) application for implementing a Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) and Aircraft Facility Notification (AFN) system;

a second processing system including an Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) application for implementing a Protected Mode Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (PM-CPDLC) and Context Management (CM) system;

a third processing system implementing a Human Machine Interface (HMI), the HMI configured to provide access to a first set of pages driven by the FANS application and a second set of pages driven by the ATN application; and

an Air Traffic Control (ATC) Manager accessed from the HMI, the HMI configured to provide access to a third set of pages driven by the ATC manager, wherein the third set of pages selectively directs a user of the HMI to either the first set of pages or the second set of pages based on a selected ATC center;

wherein a first page of the third set of pages queries the user for login information, wherein the ATC Manager logs the user into one of the FANS application or the ATN application based on the selected ATC center.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a first page of the third set of pages queries the user to determine the selected ATC center.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a navigation receiver for determining an aircraft position, wherein the ATC manager determines the selected ATC center based on the aircraft position.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a database stored on a data storage device, the database including a listing a ATC centers, the ATC manager coupled to the database;

wherein the third set of pages direct the user to the second set of pages when the database includes an ATN address for the selected ATC center.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the third set of pages direct the user to the first set of pages when the database does not include an ATN address for the selected ATC center.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein

at least one page of the third set of pages displays a log of uplink CPDLC messages.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein, for a first uplink CPDLC message displayed in the log, the ATC manager directs the user to either an uplink message page for the FANS application or an uplink message page for the ATN application based on the whether the first uplink CPDLC message was received from a FANS communication link or an ATN communication link.

8. A system comprising:

one or more processors, the one or more processors including a Future Air Navigation System (FANS) application for providing Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) and Aircraft Facility Notification (AFN) logon over a first communication link and an Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) application for providing Protected Mode Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (PM-CPDLC) and Context Management (CM) logon over a second communication link;

a Human Machine Interface (HMI) device coupled to the one or more processors, the HMI device configured to provide access to a first set of pages driven by the FANS application and a second set of pages driven by the ATN application;

an Air Traffic Control (ATC) Manager accessed from the HMI device, the HMI device configured to provide access to a third set of pages driven by the ATC manager, wherein the third set of pages selectively directs a user of the HMI device to information from either the first set of pages or the second set of pages based on a selected ATC center; and

a database stored on a data storage device, the database including a listing a ATC centers, the ATC manager coupled to the database;

wherein the third set of pages direct the user to the second set of pages when the database includes an ATN address for the selected ATC center.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a navigation receiver for determining an aircraft position, wherein the ATC manager determines the selected ATC center based on the aircraft position.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein

at least one page of the third set of pages displays a log of uplink CPDLC messages.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the ATC manager directs the user to either an uplink message page for the FANS application or an uplink message page for the ATN application based on the whether an uplink CPDLC message was received from a FANS communication link or an ATN communication link.

12. A method for managing access to an Air Traffic Control (ATC) Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) and logon system, the method comprising:

selecting an Air Traffic Control (ATC) center;

determining whether the ATC center is a Future Air Navigation System (FANS) ATC center or an Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) ATC center;

providing access via a Human Machine Interface to a first set of pages generated by a FANS application when the ATC center is determined to be a FANS ATC center;

providing access via the Human Machine Interface to a second set of pages generated by an ATN application when the ATC center is determined to be an ATN ATC center; and

querying a user to select the ATC center via the Human Machine Interface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting an Air Traffic Control (ATC) center further comprises determining an aircraft position based on a received navigation signal and selecting the ATC center based on the aircraft position.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a login page to a user via the Human Machine Interface;

directing login information entered by the user to the FANS application when the ATC center is determined to be a FANS ATC center; and

directing login information entered by the user to the ATN application when the ATC center is determined to be an ATN ATC center.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

querying a database stored on a data storage device, the database including a listing a ATC centers;

wherein the ATC center is determined to be an ATN ATC center when the database includes an ATN address for the ATC center.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a log of uplink CPDLC messages.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

displaying an uplink message log that selectively directs the user to either an uplink message page for the FANS application or an uplink message page for the ATN application based on whether an uplink CPDLC message was received from a FANS communication link or an ATN communication link.