System and method for sending air traffic data to users for display

• US 8,755,992 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2013
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flightaware LLC (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Flightaware LLC (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Baker, Daniel, McNett, David Cameron, Lehenbauer, Karl, Chouinard, David, Lawson, Jeffrey A., Dayah, Michael, Duell, Mark L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US14/074,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20140067244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 222 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120, 701/14, 701/482, 701/10, 701/528, 340/971, 340/531, 340/945, 705/26.1, 705/14.1, 705/333, 342/454, 715/769, 715/771, 707/758, 707/E17.03, 707/E17.107
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method for the processing and presentation of aviation information is disclosed. At plurality of flight information is received over a digital network and is stored in at least a database. The database includes aviation information. Upon receiving a user request, a server retrieves a result set from the database and transmits it to the requesting user. Subsequently, updates as to a flight identified in the request are transmitted at a selected rate, which may be modified automatically based on one flight characteristic, for subsequent display. In one form, the results may be presented to the user in the form of digital map having aircraft images.

Claims

1. A method for distributing flight tracking information to a user comprising the steps of:

maintaining an electronic database storing aviation related information;

receiving electronic flight tracking information from a substantially real-time source, wherein said flight tracking information is delayed by about five minutes or less;

storing at least a portion of said flight tracking information in a formatted form in said database;

receiving a request, using the hypertext transfer protocol from a user device through a digital network identifying at least one flight currently in progress;

repetitively selecting, using a computer processor, a result set from said database at, at least a first rate, wherein said result set includes at least one position of said at least one flight;

transmitting using a server at least a portion of said result set to the user device using said digital network at, at least said first rate as determined by the number of position reports per unit time;

determining that at least one characteristic of said at least one flight selected from the group consisting of at gate, taxi, takeoff, cruising, speed, banking, altitude change, holding pattern and turn has changed based on said flight tracking information;

altering said first rate by at least 25% based upon said at least one characteristic to establish a second rate; and

transmitting using a server at least a second portion of said result set to the user device using said digital network at, at least said second rate as determined by the number of position report per unit time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said flight tracking information is delayed by less than approximately 5 minutes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said substantially real-time source is the FAA Aircraft Situation Display to Industry service.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said substantially real-time source includes automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) information.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one flight is a flight currently in-progress.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said request contains at least one search criteria selected from the group consisting of aircraft type, flight route, airport facility, destination, and origin.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said request contains at least one flight identifier from the group consisting of flight number, tail number, commercial airline, and a origin/destination combination.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital network comprises the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting is accomplished using the hypertext transfer protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first rate is altered by at least 50%.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said repetitively selecting occurs periodically.