Method and system to automatically generate a clearance request to deviate from a flight plan

• US 8,423,272 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Judd, Thomas D., Brandao, Ruy C. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US13/528,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20120277986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

A method to generate a clearance request to deviate from a flight plan is provided. The method includes receiving at one or more processors in an airborne vehicle input from at least one automatic flight-plan-relevant source, at least one of the one or more processors independently determining a revised flight route based on the received input, at least one of the one or more processors independently generating a preconfigured clearance request message to deviate from the flight plan for a flight crew user based on the determining. The method further includes providing an audible prompt to the flight crew user for one of approval and rejection of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan. When an approval of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan is received from the flight crew user, the preconfigured clearance request message is downlinked.

Claims

1. A method to generate a clearance request to deviate from a flight plan, the method comprising:

periodically receiving input at one or more processors in an airborne vehicle, the input including at least one of navigation data, a flight planning input, a radar input, and information indicative of other aircraft in the vicinity of the airborne vehicle;

at least one of the one or more processors independently determining a revised flight route based on the periodically received input;

at least one of the one or more processors independently generating a preconfigured clearance request message to deviate from the flight plan for a user based on the determining;

prompting the user for one of approval and rejection of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan; and

when an approval of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan is received from the user, downlinking the preconfigured clearance request message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting alternative route clearance request options for more than one revised flight path prior to prompting the user for one of approval and rejection of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a selection of one of the alternative route clearance request options from the user at the processor via a user input interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication of alternate flight routes prior to prompting the user for one of approval and rejection of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing a selection of an alternate flight route to the processor from the user via a user input interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

uplinking one of an approval of the preconfigured clearance request message from a traffic controller and a rejection of the preconfigured clearance request message from the traffic controller.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the periodically receiving input further comprises periodically receiving input comprising at least one of a ground proximity input, a traffic collision avoidance input, flight data from a flight management computer (FMC).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein independently generating a preconfigured clearance request message for the user comprises independently generating a controller/pilot data link communication (CPDLC) clearance request.

9. A system to automatically generate a clearance request to deviate from a flight plan of an airborne vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one interface on the airborne vehicle communicatively coupled to periodically receive an input including at least one of navigation data, a flight planning input, a radar input, and information indicative of other aircraft in the vicinity of the airborne vehicle;

one or more processors on the airborne vehicle configured to periodically receive the input via the at least one interface, wherein at least one of the one or more processors is configured to use the periodically received input to independently determine if a revised flight route is to be created and indicated to a user, wherein at least one of the one or more processors is configured to generate a prompt for the user to one of approve and reject an independently generated clearance request to deviate from the flight plan when the revised flight route is to be created and indicated to the user;

an interface unit on the airborne vehicle to indicate the prompt to the user and to receive one of approval input or rejection input from the user; and

a wireless interface to downlink the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan from the airborne vehicle to an air traffic controller at a ground control when the interface unit receives an approval input, the wireless interface further configured to uplink one of air traffic controller approval of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan and air traffic controller rejection of the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors comprise one or more predictive controller/pilot data link communication (CPDLC) clearance processors, the system, further comprising:

a controller/pilot data link communication (CPDLC) application to handle communications between the user and the air traffic controller, the CPDLC application communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more predictive CPDLC clearance processors and the interface unit.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a communications management unit including the wireless interface to link the CPDLC application to an air-to-ground wireless sub-network, the communications management unit communicatively coupled to the CPDLC application.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface unit comprises at least one of:

a display unit configured to visually indicate the prompt to the user; and

an audio alert generator to audibly provide the prompt to the user.

13. The system of claim 12, the interface unit further comprising:

a user input interface communicatively coupled to the CPDLC application, the user input interface configured to receive the approval input and the rejection input from the user.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface unit comprises:

an audio alert unit configured to verbally announce the clearance request to deviate from the flight plan to the user; and

a user input interface communicatively coupled to the CPDLC application, the user input interface configured to receive the approval input, the rejection input, or an alternate route selection input from the user.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a user input interface configured to receive an indication of a selection of one of more than one alternative route clearance request options.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising at least one automatic flight-plan-relevant source comprising

a flight management computer configured to output at least one of the flight planning input, the navigation data, and a combination thereof.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are one or more predictive controller/pilot data link communication (CPDLC) clearance processors and wherein the flight management computer further includes a predictive controller/pilot data link communication (CPDLC) application communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more CPDLC processors.

18. A system to automatically generate a clearance request to deviate from a flight plan, the system comprising:

means for periodically and automatically receiving input at an airborne vehicle, the input being related to conditions of a flight plan;

processing means on the airborne vehicle for independently generating a preconfigured clearance request message; and

processing means for receiving two approvals to the independently generated preconfigured clearance request message at the airborne vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for indicating the preconfigured clearance request message to a user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means to receive two approvals comprise:

means for receiving onboard approval input responsive to implementation of the means for indicating the preconfigured clearance request message; and

means for receiving an offboard approval input responsive to implementation of the means for receiving an onboard confirmation.