Automated flight object procedure selection system

• US 9,472,106 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• 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): ANTONUCCI, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US14/502,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20160093221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 701/120
• 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 flight information in real time during flight operations using a computing device comprising a processor and memory, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, flight information indicative of one or more flight objects, the computing device executing an efficiency and operational flight object system operable to update a flight plan in real time, the one or more flight objects comprising a software container containing flight plan information;

extracting, by the efficiency and operational flight object system, the flight information from the one or more flight objects and rendering the flight information for viewing, the flight information including probable and predicted flight information;

receiving, by the efficiency and operational flight object system, a flight plan entry associated with the flight information;

determining, by the efficiency and operational flight object system, optimized and efficiency flight plan routing, fuel loading, departure, arrival, and approach procedure flight information based on the flight plan entry;

generating, by the efficiency and operational flight object system, an optimized and efficiency flight information advisory using the optimized and efficiency flight plan routing, fuel loading, departure, arrival, and approach procedure flight information; and

rendering the generated optimized and efficiency flight information advisory for viewing.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface option to initiate selection of the optimized and efficiency flight information advisory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight information advisory includes runway, standard instrument departure, standard instrument departure transitions, standard terminal arrival procedure, standard terminal arrival procedure transition, approach and approach transition procedure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one suggested advisory when one or more portions of the advisory are not in a current flight plan.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing an option to accept the suggested advisory or request another suggestion.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the suggested advisory is configurable.

7. A computing device executing an efficiency and operational flight object system for managing flight information in real time during flight operations, the computing device comprising at least one processor and memory, the memory having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause at least:

receiving flight information indicative of one or more flight objects via at least one network communicatively coupled to the computing device, the one or more flight objects comprising a software container containing flight plan information;

extracting the flight information from the one or more flight objects and rendering the flight information for viewing, the flight information including probable and predicted flight information;

receiving a flight plan entry associated with the flight information;

determining optimized and efficiency flight plan routing, fuel loading, departure, arrival, and approach procedure flight information based on the flight plan entry;

generating an optimized and efficiency flight information advisory using the optimized and efficiency flight plan routing, fuel loading, departure, arrival, and approach procedure flight information; and

rendering the generated optimized and efficiency flight information advisory for viewing.

8. The efficiency and operational flight object system of claim 7, wherein the one or more flight objects comprise flight information for a planned flight.

9. The efficiency and operational flight object system of claim 7, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the efficiency and operational flight object system to generate a user interface option to initiate selection of the optimized and efficiency flight information advisory.

10. The efficiency and operational flight object system of claim 7, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the efficiency and operational flight object system to at least store and modify the one or more flight objects.

11. The efficiency and operational flight object system of claim 7, wherein the one or more flight objects comprise flight information of one or more procedures, and wherein the efficiency and operational flight object system provides an option to search the one or more procedures to determine if any are pertinent to a current flight plan associated with the one or more flight information objects.

12. 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 the system to perform the following operations in real time during flight operations:

receiving data indicative of one or more flight objects via at least one network communicatively coupled to the system, the one or more flight objects comprising a software container containing flight plan information;

extracting flight information from the one or more flight objects and rendering the flight information for viewing, the flight information including probable and predicted flight information;

receiving a flight plan entry associated with the flight information;

determining optimized and efficiency flight plan routing, fuel loading, departure, arrival, and approach procedure flight information based on the flight plan entry;

generating an optimized and efficiency flight information advisory using the optimized and efficiency optimized and efficiency flight plan routing, fuel loading, departure, arrival, and approach procedure flight information; and

rendering the generated optimized and efficiency flight information advisory for viewing.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to at least provide at least one suggested procedure when none of the one or more procedures are in a current flight plan.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to at least provide an option to accept the at least one suggested procedure or request another suggestion.