Communication methods employed by participants in a trajectory management operations

• US 9,117,366 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Seah, Kirschen A., Siniff, Alan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wallace, Donald J
• Application Number:
  US13/628,101
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120, 701/122
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0004 Transmission of traffic-related information to or from an aircraft airborne radio transmission systems in general H04B7/185; airborne wireless networks H04W84/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/003 Flight plan management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• 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 plurality of present novel and non-trivial communication methods employed between the participants of a trajectory management operation is disclosed. A trajectory coordinator (“TC”) generator may be configured to send data representative of a polling request to one or more of the participants, receive data responsive to the sending of the polling request, generate data representative of one or more proposed trajectories of the TC, and send data representative of each TC-proposed trajectory to an air navigation service provider (“ANSP”) and/or a dispatch center (“DC”). When presented to a controller of the ANSP or a dispatcher of the DC, one or more of the trajectories may be sent to the aircraft system. In response, each ANSP-selected trajectory and each DC-selected trajectory may be presented to the pilot whom selects and approves one of the selected trajectories. In response, the pilot-selected trajectory may be sent to the ANSP and DC.

Claims

1. A communication method employed between the participants in a trajectory management operation comprised of a trajectory coordinator (“

TC”

), an air navigation service provider (“

ANSP”

), and a dispatch center (“

DC”

), such method performed by a TC installed in an aircraft and comprised of;

sending data representative of a polling request to at least one aircraft system, where

the polling request is comprised of a request for aircraft parameter data other than current trajectory data, where

the aircraft parameter data is representative of at least actual aircraft configuration and system parameters;

receiving aircraft parameter data other than current trajectory data from each aircraft system that is responsive to the sending of data representative of the polling request;

generating data representative of at least one TC-proposed trajectory as a function of at least the aircraft parameter data; and

sending data representative of said at least one TC-proposed trajectory to an ANSP, a DC, or both, whereby

a controller is presented with at least one TC-proposed trajectory when sent to the ANSP, and

a dispatcher is presented with at least one TC-proposed trajectory when sent to the DC.

2. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data representative of an ANSP-proposed trajectory, where

the sending of the data representative of a polling request was made in response to receiving the data representative of an ANSP-proposed trajectory.

3. The communication method of claim 2, wherein at least one ANSP-proposed trajectory is included as a TC-proposed trajectory sent to the ANSP, the DC, or both.

4. The communication method of claim 2, wherein the polling request is further comprised of a request for dispatch service data.

5. The communication method of claim 4, wherein the polling request is further comprised of a request for navigation service data if the navigation service data is not received with the data representative of an ANSP-proposed trajectory.

6. The communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data representative of an DC-proposed trajectory, where

the sending of the data representative of a polling request was made in response to receiving the data representative of an DC-proposed trajectory.

7. The communication method of claim 6, wherein at least one DC-proposed trajectory is included as a TC-proposed trajectory sent to the ANSP, the DC, or both.

8. The communication method of claim 6, wherein the polling request is further comprised of a request for navigation service data.

9. The communication method of claim 8, wherein the polling request is further comprised of a request for dispatch service data if dispatch service data is not received with the data representative of a DC-proposed trajectory.

10. A communication method employed between the participants in a trajectory management operation comprised of a trajectory coordinator (“

TC”

), an air navigation service provider (“

ANSP”

), and a dispatch center (“

DC”

), such method performed by a TC installed in an aircraft and comprised of;

receiving data representative of a polling request sent to at least one aircraft, where

the polling request is comprised of a request for aircraft parameter data other than current trajectory data, where

the aircraft parameter data is representative of at least actual aircraft configuration and system parameters;

sending first data comprised of data representative of at least one TC-proposed trajectory and second data comprised of aircraft parameter data other than current trajectory data that are responsive to the receiving of data representative of a polling request for aircraft parameter data, such that

the at least one TC-proposed trajectory is generated as a function of at least the aircraft parameter data other than current trajectory data;

receiving data representative of

at least one ANSP-selected trajectory,

at least one DC-selected trajectory, or

at least one ANSP-selected trajectory and at least one DC-selected trajectory;

receiving data representative of a pilot-selected trajectory; and

sending data representative of the pilot-selected trajectory to the ANSP and the DC.

11. The communication method of claim 10, wherein at least one ANSP-selected trajectory is comprised of a TC-proposed trajectory.

12. The communication method of claim 10, wherein at least one DC-selected trajectory is comprised of a TC-proposed trajectory.

13. The communication method of claim 10, wherein the pilot-selected trajectory is comprised of trajectory corresponding to a pilot'"'"'s selection of one ANSP-selected trajectory or one DC-selected trajectory.

14. The communication method of claim 10, wherein the at least one ANSP-selected trajectory is selected from the at least one TC-proposed trajectory.

15. The communication method of claim 10, wherein the at least one DC-selected trajectory is selected from the at least one TC-proposed trajectory.

16. A communication method employed between the participants in a trajectory management operation comprised of a dispatch center (“

DC”

) and a trajectory coordinator (“

TC”

), such method performed by a processor or processing unit operated by a DC and comprised of;

receiving data representative of a polling request, where

the polling request is comprised of a request for dispatch service data;

sending data representative of the dispatch service data that is responsive to the receiving of data representative of a polling request;

receiving data representative of at least one TC-proposed trajectory, wherein the at least one TC-proposed trajectory is generated by a TC as a function of

the dispatch service data and

aircraft parameter data other than current trajectory data, where

the aircraft parameter data is provided by at least one aircraft system in response to receiving of a polling request for aircraft parameter data from the TC, and is

representative of at least actual aircraft configuration and system parameters;

generating data representative of at least one DC-selected trajectory, wherein the at least one DC-selected trajectory is selected from the at least one TC-proposed trajectory;

sending data representative of the at least one DC-selected trajectory to at least one aircraft system; and

receiving data representative of a pilot-selected trajectory selected from the at least one DC-selected trajectory.

17. The communication method of claim 16, wherein the TC is integrated with the DC.

18. The communication method of claim 16, wherein the TC is integrated with the at least one aircraft system.

19. The communication method of claim 16, wherein the TC is integrated with an air navigation service provider.