Multi core vehicle management unified user interface system and method

• US 8,467,915 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Pangilinan, Lester J., Olsen, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US13/354,502
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/4, 701/432, 701/483, 701/538, 340/945
• US Class Current: 701/3
• 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: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/00 Traffic control systems for aircraft , e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan

Abstract

A computerized method for providing a unified user interface to a plurality of flight management components encapsulated within a flight management system. The method can include receiving a flight management system input dataset from a first flight management system user interface device. The method can also include creating, with a processor programmed to provide a unified user interface, a plurality of flight management system input data portions to be transmitted to a plurality of destination flight management system components. The plurality of flight management system input data portions can be based on the flight management system input dataset and each flight management system input data portion can correspond to one of said plurality of destination flight management system components. Each of said plurality of flight management system input data portions can be transmitted from the processor to said corresponding destination flight management system component.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing a unified user interface to civil and tactical flight management components encapsulated within a dual core flight management system, said computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein software instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

receiving a flight management system input dataset from a flight management system user interface device;

creating a civil flight management system input data portion and a tactical flight management system input data portion based on said flight management system input dataset;

transmitting said civil flight management system input data portion to a civil flight management system component and receiving a civil flight management system component response from said civil flight management system component;

transmitting said tactical flight management system input data portion to a tactical flight management system component and receiving a tactical flight management system component response from said tactical flight management system component;

creating a unified flight management system response message consolidating said civil flight management system component response and said tactical flight management system component response; and

transmitting said unified flight management system response message to said flight management system user interface device,

whereby the unified flight management system response message causes the flight management system user interface device to display a consolidated view of the civil flight management system component response and the tactical flight management system component response.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said flight management system input dataset includes an ordered plurality of waypoints including a plurality of civil waypoints and a plurality of tactical waypoints, and creating a civil flight management system input data portion and a tactical flight management system input data portion based on said flight management system input dataset includes:

populating said civil flight management system input data portion with said plurality of civil waypoints, and

populating said tactical flight management system input data portion with said plurality of tactical waypoints.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said civil flight management system component response includes a civil flight plan based on said civil flight management system input data portion, said tactical flight management system component response includes a tactical flight plan based on said tactical flight management system input data portion, and creating a unified flight management system response message based on said civil flight management system component response and said tactical flight management system component response includes creating a unified flight plan consolidating said civil flight plan and said tactical flight plan.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said flight management system input dataset includes an ordered plurality of flight plan waypoints, one of said ordered plurality of flight plan waypoints selected as a tactical flight plan entry waypoint, one of said ordered plurality of flight plan waypoints selected as a tactical flight plan exit waypoint, and creating a civil flight management system input data portion and a tactical flight management system input data portion based on said flight management system input dataset includes:

populating said civil flight management system input data portion to include said ordered plurality of waypoints excluding waypoints ordered between said tactical flight plan entry waypoint and said tactical flight plan exit waypoint, and

populating said tactical flight management system input data portion to include said ordered plurality of waypoints excluding waypoints ordered before said tactical flight plan entry waypoint and excluding waypoints ordered after said tactical flight plan exit waypoint.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein said civil flight management system component response includes a civil flight plan based on said civil flight management system input data portion, said tactical flight management system component response includes a tactical flight plan based on said tactical flight management system input data portion, and creating said unified flight management system response includes creating a unified flight plan merging said civil flight plan and said tactical flight plan based on the order of said ordered plurality of flight plan waypoints.