System and method for providing a real time audible message to a pilot

• US 9,371,140 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: USA As Represented By The Administrator Of The NASA
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Johnson, Walter W, Lachter, Joel B., Battiste, Vernol, Koteskey, Robert W
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Application Number:
  US14/191,246
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

A system and method for providing information to a crew of the aircraft while in-flight. The system includes a module having: a receiver for receiving a message while in-flight; a filter having a set of screening parameters and operative to filter the message based on the set of screening parameters; and a converter for converting the message into an audible message. The message includes a pilot report having at least one of weather information, separation information, congestion information, flight deviation information and destination information. The message is sent to the aircraft by another aircraft or an air traffic controller.

Claims

1. A method for providing an audio message to an aircraft crew while in-flight by use of a computer installed in the aircraft, comprising:

providing a set of screening parameters to screen messages, the screening parameters including at least one of target word and target phrase;

receiving a text message while in-flight via a communication interface of the computer;

filtering the received text message based on the set of screening parameters to select a message that includes at least one of the target word and target phrase; and

presenting the selected message as an audio message.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the received text message includes a pilot report having at least one of weather information, separation information, congestion information, flight deviation information and destination information.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the received text message is transmitted by an aircraft controller or another aircraft.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of screening parameters further includes a time difference between generation and receipt of the text message.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the received text message on a visual display.

6. A system for providing an audio message to an aircraft crew while in-flight, the system comprising:

a receiver for receiving a text message while in-flight;

a filter having a set of screening parameters that include at least one of target word and target phrase and operative to filter the text message based on the set of screening parameters to select a message that has at least one of the target word and target phrase; and

a converter for converting the message into an audible message.

7. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the converter is configured to present the audible message.

8. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the text message includes a pilot report having at least one of weather information, separation information, congestion information, flight deviation information and destination information.

9. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the text message is transmitted by an aircraft controller or another aircraft.

10. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the set of screening parameters further includes a time difference between generation and receipt of the text message.

11. A system as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a display panel for visually displaying the text message.

12. A system as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a sender for transmitting the text message.

13. A system as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a message generator for generating the text message.