Communication-based monitoring of compliance with aviation regulations and operating procedures

• US 9,620,020 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Guoqing, Jiang, Chuan, De Mers, Robert E
• Primary Examiner(s): FILE, ERIN M
• Application Number:
  US14/819,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20170039858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• 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 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/085 Methods for reducing search complexity, pruning
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/221 Announcement of recognition results
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/72 for transmitting results of analysis

Abstract

A method for detecting noncompliance with aviation regulations and operating procedures is disclosed herein. The method analyzes communication associated with a host aircraft to identify key information, stores the identified key information in a data storage device, and determines whether a particular aviation regulation or operating procedure applies to the host aircraft. After determining that a regulation or operating procedure applies, the stored key information is compared against reference information maintained in a database in association with the regulation or operating procedure. An alert is generated when the comparing detects a discrepancy between the stored key information and the reference information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for detecting noncompliance with aviation regulations and operating procedures, the method comprising:

analyzing communication associated with a host aircraft to identify key information contained in the communication;

storing the identified key information in a data storage device to obtain stored key information;

determining that a particular aviation regulation or operating procedure applies to the host aircraft;

receiving, by a processor from a database, reference information that is associated with the particular aviation regulation or operating procedure;

after the determining, comparing, by the processor, the stored key information against the reference information; and

generating an alert when the comparing detects a discrepancy between the stored key information and the reference information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the communication comprises a voice communication; and

the analyzing step performs speech recognition on the voice communication to identify key information contained in the voice communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the communication comprises an electronic message transmitted from the host aircraft to an air traffic control system; and

the analyzing step analyzes the electronic message to identify key information contained in the electronic message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the stored key information from the data storage device when the comparing step detects no discrepancy between the stored key information and the reference information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises:

obtaining flight status data of the host aircraft; and

comparing the obtained flight status data against predetermined criteria associated with the particular aviation regulation or operating procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference information for the particular aviation regulation or operating procedure comprises an identifier of the host aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference information for the particular aviation regulation or operating procedure comprises an identifier of an intended destination of the host aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the stored key information in the data storage device for a limited time period; and

removing the stored key information from the data storage device after the limited time period lapses.

9. A tangible and non-transitory electronic storage medium having processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor architecture comprising at least one processor device, are capable of performing a method of detecting noncompliance with aviation regulations and operating procedures, the method comprising:

analyzing communication associated with a host aircraft to identify key information contained in the communication;

storing the identified key information in a data storage device to obtain stored key information;

determining that a particular aviation regulation or operating procedure applies to the host aircraft;

receiving reference information that is associated with the particular aviation regulation or operating procedure, the reference information being maintained in a database;

after the determining, comparing the stored key information against the reference information; and

generating an alert when the comparing detects a discrepancy between the stored key information and the reference information.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein:

the communication comprises a voice communication; and

the analyzing step performs speech recognition on the voice communication to identify key information contained in the voice communication.

11. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein:

the communication comprises an electronic message transmitted from the host aircraft to an air traffic control system; and

the analyzing step analyzes the electronic message to identify key information contained in the electronic message.

12. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the determining step comprises:

obtaining flight status data of the host aircraft; and

comparing the obtained flight status data against predetermined criteria associated with the particular aviation regulation or operating procedure.

13. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the stored key information in the data storage device for a limited time period; and

removing the stored key information from the data storage device after the limited time period lapses.

14. A computer-implemented system for detecting noncompliance with aviation regulations and operating procedures, the system comprising:

a processor architecture comprising at least one processor device; and

at least one data storage device associated with the processor architecture, the at least one data storage device storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor architecture, perform a method of detecting noncompliance with aviation regulations and operating procedures, the method comprising;

analyzing communication associated with a host aircraft to identify key information contained in the communication;

storing the identified key information in a data storage device to obtain stored key information;

determining that a particular aviation regulation or operating procedure applies to the host aircraft;

receiving, by the at least one processor device, reference information that is associated with the particular aviation regulation or operating procedure, the reference information being maintained in a database;

after the determining, comparing the stored key information against the reference information; and

generating an alert when the comparing detects a discrepancy between the stored key information and the reference information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the communication comprises a voice communication; and

the analyzing step performs speech recognition on the voice communication to identify key information contained in the voice communication.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the communication comprises an electronic message transmitted from the host aircraft to an air traffic control system; and

the analyzing step analyzes the electronic message to identify key information contained in the electronic message.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the determining step comprises:

obtaining flight status data of the host aircraft; and

comparing the obtained flight status data against predetermined criteria associated with the particular aviation regulation or operating procedure.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the reference information for the particular aviation regulation or operating procedure comprises an identifier of the host aircraft.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the reference information for the particular aviation regulation or operating procedure comprises an identifier of an intended destination of the host aircraft.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the stored key information is maintained in the data storage device for a limited time period; and

the stored key information is removed from the data storage device after the limited time period lapses.