Methods and systems for visual flight rule (VFR) chart generation

• US 9,488,478 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Dean, Christopher J., Krawczyk, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sood, Anshul
• Application Number:
  US12/131,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,081 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/117, 701/120, 701/123, 701200-203, 701206-209, 340/995.1, 340/995.11, 340/995.19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3881 Tile-based structures
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/006 Representation of non-cartographic information on maps, e.g. population distribution, wind direction, radiation levels, air and sea routes

Abstract

A method for generating one or more navigational charts for a geographic area is described. The method includes determining a frequency of travel between a plurality of destinations for the geographic area, the geographic area including a number of travel routes therein, defining one or more bounding boxes for placement within the geographic area, where the placement optimizes the number of travel routes within each bounding box, and generating one or more navigation charts for the area that have boundaries based on the bounding box definitions.

Claims

1. A method for generating one or more navigational charts for a geographic area, said method comprising:

determining a frequency of travel between a plurality of destinations for the geographic area, the geographic area including a number of frequently traveled routes therein;

defining one or more bounding boxes for placement within the geographic area, where the placement of the bounding boxes is at least partially based on the number of frequently traveled routes resulting within each bounding box after the placement; and

generating one or more navigation charts for the area, the navigation charts including paper charts having boundaries based on the bounding box definitions, wherein the paper charts include one or more pre-made fold lines oriented substantially perpendicularly to the frequently traveled routes to facilitate optimizing a size of the paper charts.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein defining one or more bounding boxes for placement within the geographic area further comprises overlapping a portion of a first defined bounding box with a portion of a second defined bounding box.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein overlapping a portion of a first defined bounding box with a portion of a second defined bounding box comprises determining an overlap area based on a frequency of travel within the area considered for overlap.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein generating one or more navigation charts comprises generating paper charts that correspond to one of the defined bounding boxes and fold accordion-style along the defined bounding box.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein determining a frequency of travel between a plurality of destinations for the geographic area comprises using historical flight plan data to determine the frequently traveled routes.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein defining one or more bounding boxes for the area comprises orienting the bounding boxes in various orientations based on the historical flight plan data.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein determining a frequency of travel between a plurality of destinations for the geographic area comprises plotting starting points and ending points for multiple flight plans, the starting points and ending points received over a period of time via at least one computer-based flight planning product.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein defining one or more bounding boxes for placement within the geographic area comprises adjusting one or more of a size, location, and orientation of the bounding boxes based upon the number of travel routes resulting within each bounding box.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein defining one or more bounding boxes for placement within the geographic area comprises utilizing an on-line voting system to determine at least one of the best VFR chart orientation and chart size for a geographical area.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein generating one or more navigation charts for the area comprises utilizing an on-line voting system to establish at least one of GPS-based waypoints for commonly flown areas, waypoint identifiers for scenic fly-over points, and add map identifiers for user defined chart identifiers.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein generating one or more navigation charts for the area comprises:

parsing previously filed flight plans for GPS waypoints;

utilizing GPS waypoints that are substantially the same location in a number of filed flight plans as user defined waypoints in the navigation chart.

12. A visual flight rule (VFR) chart that is oriented over a geographic area, the orientation of said VFR chart based on frequently traveled VFR routes utilized in the geographic area, and a boundary associated with said VFR chart at least partially based on the number of the frequently traveled VFR routes that result within said VFR chart, wherein said VFR chart is a paper chart including one or more pre-made fold lines oriented substantially perpendicularly to the frequently traveled VFR routes to facilitate optimizing a size of the paper chart.

13. A VFR chart according to claim 12 wherein the boundary associated with said VFR chart overlaps a portion of a boundary associated with another said VFR chart, the overlap area based on a frequency of travel within the geographic area considered for overlap.

14. A VFR chart according to claim 12 wherein said VFR charts is configured to fold accordion-style along the boundary associated with said VFR chart.

15. A VFR chart according to claim 12 wherein the VFR travel routes utilized in the geographic area are based on flight plan data that has been filed over a period of time.

16. A VFR chart according to claim 12 wherein the VFR travel routes utilized in the geographic area are determined based on plots of starting points and ending points for multiple flight plans within the geographic area.

17. A VFR chart according to claim 12 wherein the orientation and boundary associated with said VFR chart is further based on results of an on-line vote related to at least one of a best VFR chart orientation and a preferred area covered by said VFR chart.

18. A VFR chart according to claim 12 further comprising at least one of GPS-based waypoints for commonly flown areas, waypoint identifiers for scenic fly-over points, and map identifiers for user defined chart identifiers.

19. A VFR Chart according to claim 18 where at least a portion of the at least one of GPS-based waypoints, waypoint identifiers, and map identifiers included in said VFR chart are based on results received from VFR chart users via an on-line voting system.

20. A method generating a navigational chart for a geographic area, said method comprising:

plotting frequently used travel routes for the geographic area based on historical flight plan data over a period;

defining a bounding box for the geographic area whose orientation, size, and location is at least partially based on the number of plotted frequently used travel routes therein; and

generating the navigation chart to correspond with the bounding box, the navigation chart including a paper chart having one or more pre-made fold lines oriented substantially perpendicularly to the plotted frequently used travel routes to facilitate optimizing a size of the paper chart.