Dynamic environmental information transmission

• US 8,416,099 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bailey, Louis J., Hale, Ryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US12/547,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,322 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/517, 340/521, 340/539.22, 340/3.1, 340/949, 340/968, 340/901, 701/14, 701/3, 701/201, 701/211, 702/3
• US Class Current: 340/901
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station

Abstract

The different advantageous embodiments provide a system comprising a dynamic transmission process and a processor unit. The processor unit is configured to run the dynamic transmission process. The dynamic transmission process is configured to receive environmental information. The dynamic transmission process determines whether to send the environmental information to a subscriber.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a dynamic transmission process configured to receive environmental information, wherein the environmental information is specific to a particular current or predicted flight trajectory of an aircraft; and

a processor unit configured to run the dynamic transmission process, wherein the dynamic transmission process determines whether to send the environmental information to a subscriber, wherein the dynamic transmission process sends the environmental information to the subscriber if an economic benefit results from a prospective transmission.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic transmission process detects an event that initiates a determination of when to send the environmental information to the subscriber.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the subscriber is at least one of an aircraft, an operation center, and a ground system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic transmission process further comprises a number of factors used to determine when to send the environmental information to the subscriber.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the number of factors include at least one of valid subscriber list, time, onboard equipage limitations, system latency, flight events, flight deck limitations, manual synchronization, economic benefit, and customer configuration.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the economic benefit is selected from time saved, fuel saved, a reduction in noise, a reduction in emissions, a reduction in crew workload, and a reduction in operator workload.

7. A system comprising:

a dynamic transmission process configured to receive environmental information, wherein the environmental information is specific to a particular current or predicted flight trajectory of an aircraft; and

a processor unit configured to run the dynamic transmission process, wherein the dynamic transmission process determines whether to send the environmental information to a subscriber, wherein the dynamic transmission process sends the environmental information to the subscriber if a request or manual trigger overrides an automatic transmission.

8. A system comprising:

a dynamic transmission process configured to receive environmental information, wherein the environmental information is specific to a particular current or predicted flight trajectory of an aircraft; and

a processor unit configured to run the dynamic transmission process, wherein the dynamic transmission process determines whether to send the environmental information to a subscriber, wherein the dynamic transmission process inhibits the transmission of the environmental information to the subscriber if a request or manual trigger overrides an automatic transmission.

9. A method for transmitting environmental information, the method comprising:

identifying the environmental information for a number of locations along a flight trajectory using a processor unit, wherein the environmental information is specific to a particular current or predicted flight trajectory of an aircraft;

determining whether to send an environmental information transmission based on a number of factors using the processor unit; and

responsive to a determination that there is an economic benefit to the environmental information transmission, sending the environmental information transmission to a subscriber.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining when to send the environmental information transmission based on the number of factors.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the environmental information is obtained directly from an aircraft on the flight trajectory.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the environmental information is obtained from a number of weather sources.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the number of factors include at least one of environmental information, valid subscriber list, time, onboard equipage limitations, system latency, flight events, flight deck limitations, manual synchronization, economics, and customer configuration.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the subscriber is selected from a group including at least one of an aircraft, an operation system, and a ground system.

15. A method for generating an environmental information transmission, the method comprising:

identifying a recipient for the environmental information transmission using a processor unit, wherein the environmental information is specific to a particular current or predicted flight trajectory of an aircraft;

formatting the environmental information transmission based on the recipient identified using the processor unit;

identifying a number of data formats capable of being received by the recipient; and

formatting the environmental information transmission based on the number of data formats identified.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying a number of factors associated with the recipient using a dynamic transmission process; and

generating the environmental information transmission using the number of factors to determine content for the environmental information transmission.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the recipient is at least one of an aircraft, an operation center, and a ground station.

18. A system comprising:

a dynamic transmission process configured to receive environmental information, wherein the environmental information is specific to a particular current or predicted flight trajectory of an aircraft; and

a processor unit configured to run the dynamic transmission process, wherein the dynamic transmission process determines whether to send the environmental information to a subscriber, wherein the dynamic transmission process inhibits the transmission of the environmental information to the subscriber if an economic benefit does not result from a prospective transmission.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the dynamic transmission process detects an event that initiates a determination of when to send the environmental information to the subscriber.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the system is located in a remote location from the subscriber and the subscriber is at least one of an aircraft, an operation center, and a ground system.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the dynamic transmission process further comprises a number of factors used to determine when to send the environmental information to the subscriber.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the number of factors include at least one of valid subscriber list, time, onboard equipage limitations, system latency, flight events, flight deck limitations, manual synchronization, economic benefit, and customer configuration.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the environmental information is weather information.