Automatic presentation of a “when can we . . . ” message composition screen responsive to a negative response message

• US 8,755,952 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McGuffin, Thomas F., Judd, Thomas D., Gupta, Reetu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): OH, HARRY Y
• Application Number:
  US12/893,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20120079398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft

Abstract

A system to reduce head-down time for a flight crew member is provided. The system includes a functional module that includes a set of screens used to receive and send controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) messages between an aircraft and a ground-based system; a message composition screen communicatively coupled to the functional module; and a shortcut interface communicatively coupled to the functional module, wherein a shortcut prompt is displayed when one of a response timer expires or a negative uplink response message is received responsive to a previously-sent downlink request message, wherein an implementation of the shortcut interface generates a “when can we expect . . . ” message related to the previously-sent downlink request message.

Claims

1. A system to reduce head-down time for a flight crew member, the system comprising:

a functional module including a set of screens used to receive and send controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) messages between an aircraft and a ground-based system;

a message composition screen communicatively coupled to the functional module; and

a shortcut interface communicatively coupled to the functional module, wherein a shortcut prompt is displayed by a processor in the functional module responsive to a negative uplink response message being received responsive to a previously-sent downlink request message; and

wherein a CPDLC “

when can we expect . . . ”

message related to the previously-sent downlink request message is generated by the processor in the functional module responsive to the shortcut interface being implemented.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the shortcut prompt is a side-link type message displayed to the flight crew member, and wherein the shortcut interface is a reply button used to send an affirmative response to the side-link type message.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the shortcut prompt is a displayed message indicating to the flight crew member to implement the shortcut interface to display the “

when can we expect . . . ”

message related to the prior downlink message.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the negative uplink response message responsive to the previously-sent downlink request message includes:

a message header including information indicative of a message identification number and information indicative of a message reference number, and wherein the message reference number of the “

when can we expect . . . ”

message is the message identification number of the negative uplink response.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the functional module further includes:

the processor; and

a storage medium including a controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) application executable by the processor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the functional module is one of a communication management unit, a communication management function, a flight management computer, a flight management function, an electronic flight bag, and an avionics module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the negative uplink response message is one of a controller pilot data link communications UNABLE message, and a controller pilot data link communications NEGATIVE message.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the functional module further includes:

the processor; and

a message log in a memory, wherein, responsive to one of;

receiving the negative uplink response message, and

the response timer expiring for the previously-sent downlink request message, and

responsive to receiving an indication of implementation of the shortcut interface, the processor retrieves the previously-sent downlink request message from the message log and fills the message composition screen with data from the previously-sent downlink request message.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is an air traffic control datalink system.

10. A method to reduce head-down time for a flight crew member, the method comprising:

receiving

a negative uplink response message responsive to a downlink request message at a processor;

displaying a shortcut prompt on a display if a CPDLC “

when can we expect . . . ”

message is related to the downlink request message; and

filling a message composition screen with data from a previously-sent downlink request message by the processor responsive to an implementation of a shortcut interface triggered by the displaying of the shortcut prompt.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the shortcut prompt comprises displaying a side-link type message.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the shortcut prompt comprises displaying a message to implement a shortcut interface to display the “

when can we expect . . . ”

message related to the previously-sent downlink request message.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining if a message header of the negative uplink response message includes a message reference number.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, if the message header of the negative uplink response message includes the message reference number, the method further comprises:

matching the message reference number with a message identification number of one of previously-sent downlink request messages; and

determining if one of a plurality of “

when can we expect . . . ”

messages is related to the previously-sent downlink request message,

wherein, if one of the plurality of “

when can we expect . . . ”

messages is related to the previously-sent downlink request message, filling the message composition screen with data from the previously-sent downlink request message comprises filling the message composition screen with data from the previously-sent downlink request message having the matching message identification number.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, if the message header of the negative uplink response message does not include the message reference number, the method further comprises:

retrieving a last-sent downlink request message; and

determining if one of a plurality of “

when can we expect . . . ”

messages is related to the last-sent downlink request message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, based on a determination that one of the plurality of “

when can we expect . . . ”

messages is related to the last-sent downlink request message, the method further comprises;

filling the message composition screen with data from the last-sent downlink request message.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving at the processor an indication that a response time has expired for the downlink request message prior to receiving the negative uplink response message responsive to the downlink request message, wherein, responsive to the response timer being expired, the shortcut prompt is displayed on the display if the CPDLC “

when can we expect . . . ”

message is related to the downlink request message, wherein filling the message composition screen with data from the previously-sent downlink request message comprises filling the message composition screen with data from an expired downlink request message.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

upon receiving a send-prompt, sending the “

when can we expect . . . ”

message related to one of;

the previously-sent downlink request message having a message identification number that matches a message reference number of the negative uplink response message; and

a last-sent downlink request message.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

replacing data in the message composition screen filled with data from the previously-sent downlink request message based on input from the flight crew member; and

upon receiving a send-prompt, sending a modified “

when can we expect . . . ”

message related to one of;

the previously-sent downlink request message having a message identification number that matches a message reference number of the negative uplink response message; and

a last-sent downlink request message.

20. A system to reduce head-down time for a flight crew member, the system comprising:

a functional module including;

a set of screens used to receive and send controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) messages between an aircraft and a ground-based system,

at least one CPDLC application;

a processor to execute the at least one CPDLC application;

a message composition screen communicatively coupled to the functional module; and

a shortcut interface communicatively coupled to the functional module,

wherein, if a negative uplink response message is received responsive to a previously-sent downlink request message, and

if one of a plurality of CPDLC “

when can we expect . . . ”

messages is related to the previously-sent downlink request message,

then the processor in the functional module displays a shortcut prompt,

and wherein, if the flight crew member implements the shortcut interface responsive to the shortcut prompt being displayed, the message composition screen is filled by the processor with data from the previously-sent downlink request message.