In-aircraft flight planning with datalink integration

• US 9,280,903 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2014
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Judy, Victoria, Pepitone, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Assistant Examiner(s): NESLEY, TIMOTHY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US14/156,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20150199906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 701400-550
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment an in-aircraft system that implements a flight planning module is provided. The flight planning module is configured to display on the display unit a pending flight plan and implement a first button associated with a display of the pending flight plan. The first button, if selected, directs the one or more processing units to convert the pending flight plan to a format for sending in a datalink message, and to cause the pending flight plan to be sent to a ground station in a downlink datalink message without human input to a message applications module, the message applications module including instructions to display information corresponding to datalink messages on a display unit and to maintain a message log of datalink messages.

Claims

1. An in-aircraft system comprising:

one or more processing units coupled to a display unit;

one or more data storage mediums coupled to the one or more processing units, the one or more data storage mediums including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to implement a flight planning module configured to;

display on the display unit a pending flight plan;

implement a first button associated with a display of the pending flight plan such that the first button, if selected, directs the one or more processing units to;

convert the pending flight plan to a format for sending in a datalink message; and

cause the pending flight plan to be sent to a ground station in a downlink datalink message without human input to a message applications module corresponding to a class of the downlink datalink message, the message applications module including instructions to display information corresponding to datalink messages on a display unit and to maintain a message log of datalink messages.

2. The in-aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the flight planning module is configured to send information corresponding to the pending flight plan to the message applications module,

wherein the message applications module is configured to send the downlink datalink message including the pending flight plan to a communications routing system which routes the datalink message over the appropriate datalink to the ground station, wherein the downlink datalink message is based on the information received from the flight planning module, wherein the message applications module is also configured to update the message log to account for the downlink datalink message.

3. The in-aircraft system of claim 2, wherein the message applications module is configured to generate the downlink datalink message from the information received from the flight planning module.

4. The in-aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the downlink datalink message is a flight plan modification request requesting a flight plan modification to the pending flight plan.

5. The in-aircraft system of claim 4, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

store the pending flight plan in the one or more data storage mediums;

after storing the pending flight plan, clear the pending flight plan from the display unit and display an active flight plan instead;

after clearing the pending flight plan, receive signals from one or more human input devices directing the one or more processing units to display the pending flight plan stored in the one or more data storage mediums; and

display the pending flight plan stored in the one or more data storage mediums.

6. The in-aircraft system of claim 5, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

receive an uplink datalink message from the ground station, the datalink message indicating a responding clearance to the flight plan modification request, the responding clearance including a ground requested flight plan;

in response to receiving the datalink message, implement a second button associated with a display of the active flight plan such that the second button, if selected, directs the one or more processing units to display the ground requested flight plan;

receive signals from the one or more human input devices indicating a selection of the second button; and

display the ground requested flight plan in response to selection of the second button.

7. The in-aircraft system of claim 6, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

implement a third button associated with a display of the ground requested flight plan such that the third button, if selected, directs the one or more processing units to display the ground requested flight plan in relation to the pending flight plan;

receive signals from the one or more human input devices indicating a selection of the third button; and

display the ground requested flight plan in relation to the pending flight plan in response to selection of the second button.

8. The in-aircraft system of claim 6, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

implement a fourth button associated with a display of the ground requested flight plan such that the fourth button, if selected, directs the one or more processing units to activate the ground requested flight plan;

receive signals from the one or more human input devices indicating a selection of the fourth button;

in response to selection of the fourth button, send an activation message to a flight management module which implements the active flight plan for the aircraft and send information corresponding to a Will Comply response downlink message to the message applications module,

wherein the message applications module is configured to send the Will Comply response downlink message to a communications routing system which routes the Will Comply response downlink message over the appropriate datalink to the ground station, the message applications module configured to send the Will Comply response downlink message to the communications routing system without human input to the message applications module, wherein the message applications module is also configured to update the message log to account for the Will Comply response downlink message.

9. The in-aircraft system of claim 6, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

implement a fifth button associated with a display of the ground requested flight plan such that the fifth button, if selected, directs the one or more processing units to clear the ground requested flight plan;

receive signals from the one or more human input devices indicating a selection of the fifth button;

in response to selection of the fifth button, clear the ground requested flight plan from the display unit and send information corresponding to an Unable to Comply response downlink message to the message applications module,

wherein the message applications module is configured to send the Unable to Comply response downlink message to a communications routing system which routes the Unable to Comply response downlink message over the appropriate datalink to the ground station, the message applications module configured to send the Unable to Comply response downlink message to the communications routing system without human input to the message applications module, wherein the message applications module is also configured to update the message log to account for the Unable to Comply response downlink message.

10. The in-aircraft system of claim 4, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

store the pending flight plan without further human input in response to receiving signals from the one or more human input devices directing the one or more processing units to send the pending flight plan to a ground station as a flight plan modification request.

11. The in-aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

generate the downlink datalink message including the pending flight plan;

send the downlink datalink message to a ground station by sending the downlink datalink message to a communications routing system which routes the downlink datalink message over an appropriate datalink to the ground station.

12. An in-aircraft system comprising:

one or more processing units;

one or more data storage mediums coupled to the one or more processing units, the one or more data storage mediums including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to implement a flight planning module and a message applications module,

wherein the message applications module is configured to identify an uplink datalink message corresponding to a pending flight plan, and to send information corresponding to the uplink datalink message to the flight planning module without human input to a message applications module, the message applications module including instructions to display information corresponding to datalink messages on a display unit and to maintain a message log of datalink messages, the message applications module configured to update the message log to account for the uplink datalink message,

wherein the flight planning module is configured to display on a display unit a pending flight plan based on the information received from the message applications module.

13. The in-aircraft system of claim 12, wherein the uplink datalink message is a ground-initiated flight plan modification request.

14. The in-aircraft system of claim 13, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

in response to receiving the information from the message applications module, implement a first button associated with a display of the pending flight plan such that the first button, if selected, directs the one or more processing units to activate the pending flight plan;

receive signals from the one or more human input devices indicating a selection of the first button; and

in response to selection of the first button;

send an activation message to a flight management module which implements the active flight plan for the aircraft, the activation message indicating to activate the pending flight plan; and

send information corresponding to a Will Comply response downlink message to the message applications module,

wherein the message applications module is configured to send the Will Comply response downlink message to a communications routing system which routes the Will Comply response downlink message over the appropriate datalink to the ground station, the message applications module configured to send the Will Comply response downlink message to the communications routing system without human input to the message applications module, wherein the message applications module is also configured to update the message log to account for the Will Comply response downlink message.

15. The in-aircraft system of claim 13, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

implement a second button associated with a display of the ground requested flight plan such that the second button, if selected, directs the one or more processing units to clear the ground requested flight plan;

receive signals from the one or more human input devices indicating a selection of the second button;

in response to selection of the second button, clear the ground requested flight plan from the display unit and send information corresponding to an Unable to Comply response downlink message to the message applications module,

wherein the message applications module is configured to send the Unable to Comply response downlink message to a communications routing system which routes the Unable to Comply response downlink message over the appropriate datalink to the ground station, the message applications module configured to send the Unable to Comply response downlink message to the communications routing system without human input to the message applications module, wherein the message applications module is also configured to update the message log to account for the Unable to Comply response downlink message.

16. The in-aircraft system of claim 12, wherein the uplink datalink message comprises one of a controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) message, an ARINC 702 message, or an ARINC 623 message.

17. An in-aircraft system comprising:

a communications routing system;

one or more processing units coupled to a display unit;

one or more data storage mediums coupled to the one or more processing units, the one or more data storage mediums including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to implement a flight planning module,

wherein the communications routing system is configured to identify an uplink datalink message directed to the flight planning module, and to send the uplink datalink message to the flight planning module without human input to a message applications module, the message applications module including instructions to display information corresponding to datalink messages on a display unit and to maintain a message log of datalink messages,

wherein the flight planning module is configured to;

display on a display unit a pending flight plan based on information included in the uplink datalink message.

18. The in-aircraft system of claim 17, wherein the uplink datalink message is a ground-initiated flight plan modification request.

19. The in-aircraft system of claim 18, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

in response to receiving the uplink datalink message, implement a first button associated with a display of the pending flight plan such that the first button, if selected, directs the one or more processing units to activate the pending flight plan;

receive signals from the one or more human input devices indicating a selection of the first button; and

in response to selection of the first button;

send an activation message to a flight management module which implements the active flight plan for the aircraft, the activation message indicating to activate the pending flight plan; and

send information corresponding to a Will Comply response downlink message to the message applications module,

wherein the message applications module is configured to send the Will Comply response downlink message to a communications routing system which routes the Will Comply response downlink message over the appropriate datalink to the ground station, the message applications module configured to send the Will Comply response downlink message to the communications routing system without human input to the message applications module, wherein the message applications module is also configured to update the message log to account for the Will Comply response downlink message.

20. The in-aircraft system of claim 18, wherein the flight planning module is configured to:

implement a second button associated with a display of the ground requested flight plan such that the second button, if selected, directs the one or more processing units to clear the ground requested flight plan;

receive signals from the one or more human input devices indicating a selection of the second button;

in response to selection of the second button, clear the ground requested flight plan from the display unit and send information corresponding to an Unable to Comply response downlink message to the message applications module,

wherein the message applications module is configured to send the Unable to Comply response downlink message to a communications routing system which routes the Unable to Comply response downlink message over the appropriate datalink to the ground station, the message applications module configured to send the Unable to Comply response downlink message to the communications routing system without human input to the message applications module, wherein the message applications module is also configured to update the message log to account for the Unable to Comply response downlink message.