Flight analogous and projection system

• US 9,424,755 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bailey, Louis J., Hale, Ryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, KYUNG J
• Application Number:
  US14/503,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20160093220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0017 Arrangements for implementing traffic-related aircraft activities, e.g. arrangements for generating, displaying, acquiring or managing traffic information head-up displays G02B27/01; ground or aircraft-carrier-deck-installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0095 Aspects of air-traffic control not provided for in the other subgroups of this main group

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing aircraft flight information and flight plan information are described. Specific techniques are described for managing flight data in real time, sharing flight data between a plurality of systems, dynamically managing flight information, generating flight plan information, providing flight plan information to a user, and closing flight plan discontinuities.

Claims

1. A method of generating projected flight information, the method comprising:

inputting one or more flight objects to a computing device configured with an efficiency and operational flight object system operable to optimize a flight plan and trajectory for cost, time, fuel, passenger comfort, airspace efficiency, and safety;

extracting active flight information from the one or more flight objects and rendering the active flight information for viewing;

identifying flight information data that is analogous to the active flight information;

receiving, via at least one input mechanism of the computing device, a selection of at least a portion of the analogous flight information data; and

based on the selected analogous flight information data, generating a projection of the analogous flight information on the active flight information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the at least one input mechanism of the computing device, flight information indicative of one or more hypothetical conditions, and generating the projection based in part on the one or more hypothetical conditions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight information comprises real time and historical flight information for similar flights and historical data for a concurrent flight.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the analogous flight information are configurable by similar route, speeds, altitude, aircraft type, date range, origin, destination, departure time, arrival time, tail number, pilot'"'"'s name, or flight number of one or more airline operators.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the at least one input mechanism of the mobile computing device, flight information indicative of a modification to the one or more flight objects.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising communicating, via at least one network, the modified one or more flight objects for transmission to a target system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more flight objects comprise a plurality of flight information comprised of flight plans.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering the one or more flight objects on a user interface of the computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating advisories indicating discrepancy areas.

10. A computing device for generating projected flight information, the device comprising at least a processor and memory, the memory having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause:

inputting one or more flight objects to a computing device configured with an efficiency and operational flight object system operable to optimize a flight plan and trajectory for cost, time, fuel, passenger comfort, airspace efficiency, and safety;

extracting active flight information from the one or more flight objects and rendering the active flight information for viewing;

identifying flight information that is analogous to the active flight information;

receiving, via at least one input mechanism of the computing device, a selection of at least a portion of the analogous flight information; and

based on the selected analogous flight information, generating a projection of the analogous flight information on the active flight information.

11. The computing device of claim 10, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least receive, via the at least one input mechanism of the computing device, flight information indicative of one or more hypothetical conditions, and determining the projection based in part on the one or more hypothetical conditions.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein flight information comprises real time and historical data for similar flights and historical data for a concurrent flight.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the analogous flight information are configurable by similar route, speeds, altitude, aircraft type, date range, origin, destination, departure time, arrival time, tail number, pilot'"'"'s name, or flight number of one or more airline operators.

14. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least receive, via the at least one input mechanism of the mobile computing device, flight information indicative of a modification to the one or more flight objects.

15. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to at least communicate, via at least one network, the modified one or more flight objects for transmission to a target system.

16. A system comprising at least a processor and memory, the memory having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause:

inputting one or more flight objects to a computing device configured with an efficiency and operational flight object system operable to optimize a flight plan and trajectory for cost, time, fuel, passenger comfort, airspace efficiency, and safety;

extracting active flight information from the one or more flight objects and rendering the active flight information for viewing;

identifying flight information that is analogous to the active flight information;

receiving, via at least one input mechanism of the computing device, a selection of at least a portion of the analogous flight information; and

based on the selected analogous flight information, generating a projection of the analogous flight history data on the active flight information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more flight objects comprise a plurality of flight plans.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to render the one or more flight objects on a user interface of the computing device.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to render a graphical depiction of an active flight plan associated with the one or more flight objects.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the flight information comprises real time and historical data for similar flights and historical data for a concurrent flight.