Methods and systems for generating data link air traffic control center menus

• US 8,427,343 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McGuffin, Thomas F., Judd, Thomas D., Durand, Randy T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US13/463,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20120235833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 340/961, 340/945, 340/971, 342/36, 701/3, 701/14
• US Class Current: 340/961
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft

Abstract

Methods and systems for generating a data link air traffic control center menu are provided. In one implementation, a method includes calculating a distance between each of a plurality of air traffic control centers and an aircraft during flight. The method further includes displaying a sorted list of the plurality of air traffic control centers, wherein the list is sorted by the calculated distance, from closest to the aircraft to farthest from the aircraft. The method further includes receiving an input, the input selecting one of the air traffic control centers.

Claims

1. A method of organizing and presenting a plurality of air traffic control centers in a hierarchal manner using a computer system to support connection to a selected air traffic control center using a radio communication device to establish a data communication link, the method comprising:

calculating a distance between each of a plurality of air traffic control centers and an aircraft during flight;

displaying a sorted list of the plurality of air traffic control centers to a user, wherein the list is sorted by the calculated distance, from closest to the aircraft to farthest from the aircraft;

receiving an input from the user, the input selecting one of the air traffic control centers; and

sending a logon message to the selected air traffic control center via a radio communication device to establish a data communication link between the radio communication device and the selected air traffic control center.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sorting the air traffic control centers by the calculated distance, from closest to the aircraft to farthest from the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the selected air traffic control centers on a logon page.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the data communication link between the radio communication device and the selected air traffic control center.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving physical location data for the aircraft from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver onboard the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving physical location data for each of the plurality of air traffic control centers from an air traffic control center object database.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) application messages across the data communication link between the radio communication device and the selected air traffic control center.

7. A computer program product comprising program instructions for organizing and presenting a plurality of air traffic control centers in a hierarchal manner to support connection to a selected air traffic control center using a radio communication device to establish a data communication link, embodied on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, the program instructions cause at least one processor to:

calculate a distance between each of a plurality of air traffic control centers and an aircraft during flight;

display a sorted list of the plurality of air traffic control centers to a user, wherein the list is sorted by the calculated distance, from closest to the aircraft to farthest from the aircraft; and

receive an input from a user, the input selecting one of the air traffic control centers; and

send a logon message to the selected air traffic control center via a radio communication device to establish a data communication link between the radio communication device and the selected air traffic control center.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

retrieve location data for the aircraft from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver onboard the aircraft.

19. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

communicate Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) application messages across the data communication link between the radio communication device and the selected air traffic control center via the radio communication device.

9. A system onboard an aircraft for organizing and presenting a plurality of air traffic control centers in a hierarchal manner to support connection to a selected air traffic control center using a radio communication device to establish a data communication link, comprising:

at least one memory device;

at least one processor in operative communication with the memory device, the at least one processor configured to calculate a distance between each of a plurality of air traffic control centers and the aircraft during flight;

at least one display device configured to display a sorted list of the plurality of air traffic control centers to a user, wherein the list is sorted by the calculated distance, from closest to the aircraft to farthest from the aircraft;

at least one input device configured to receive an input selecting one of the air traffic control centers from a user; and

at least one radio communication device configured to send a logon message to the selected air traffic control center to establish a data communication link between the radio communication device and the selected air traffic control center.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to sort the air traffic control centers by the calculated distance, from closest to the aircraft to farthest from the aircraft.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one display device is further configured to display the selected air traffic control centers on a logon page.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to retrieve physical location data for the aircraft from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver onboard the aircraft.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to retrieve physical location data for each of the plurality of air traffic control centers from an air traffic control center object database stored on the at least one memory device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is part of at least one of a communication management function (CMF), a communication management unit (CMU), and a flight management computer (FMC) onboard the aircraft.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one display device is part of at least one of a Multi-Control Display Unit (MCDU) and a Multi Function Display (MFD) system.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one input device is part of at least one of a Multi-Control Display Unit (MCDU) and a Multi Function Display (MFD) system.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one display device and the at least one input device are part of human-machine interface (HMI).

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one radio communication device is further configured to communicate Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) application messages across the data communication link between the radio communication device and the selected air traffic control center.