Systems and methods for converting taxiway voice commands into taxiway textual commands

• US 9,620,119 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bilek, Jan, Pfeifer, Vaclav, Dusik, Matej, Kralicek, Tomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/497,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20160093302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/10 Transforming into visible information
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for converting taxiway voice commands into taxiway textual commands. In various embodiments, the systems can comprise a radio receiver that is configured to receive the taxiway voice commands from an air traffic control center, a voice recognition processor coupled to the radio receiver that is configured to receive and convert the taxiway voice commands into the taxiway textual commands, and/or a taxiway clearance display coupled to the voice recognition processor that is configured to receive and display the taxiway textual commands.

Claims

1. A system for converting taxiway voice commands into taxiway textual commands, the system comprising:

a radio receiver, the radio receiver configured to receive the taxiway voice commands from an air traffic control center;

a voice recognition processor coupled to the radio receiver, the voice recognition processor configured to receive and convert the taxiway voice commands into the taxiway textual commands, determine an uncertainty associated with an accuracy of the converted taxiway textual commands based on the conversion of the taxiway voice commands, and determine an alternative taxiway textual command corresponding to each unconverted taxiway voice command based on the uncertainty; and

a taxiway clearance display coupled to the voice recognition processor, the taxiway clearance display configured to receive and display the taxiway textual commands, the alternative taxiway textual commands when determined by the voice recognition processor, and an indication of the uncertainty.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a taxiway command database, the taxiway command database coupled to the voice recognition processor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the taxiway command database includes a plurality of common air traffic control center taxiway commands.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the voice recognition processor compares the taxiway voice commands to the plurality of common air traffic control center taxiway commands to convert the taxiway voice commands into the taxiway textual commands.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a flight management system that receives the taxiway textual commands and processes the taxiway textual commands to manage a taxiing procedure.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the taxiway clearance display is incorporated within a two-dimensional taxiway display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the taxiway clearance display is incorporated within a three-dimensional taxiway display.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the two-dimensional taxiway display comprises an airport moving map.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the three-dimensional taxiway display comprises an airport moving map.

10. A system for converting taxiway voice commands into taxiway textual commands, the system comprising:

a radio receiver, the radio receiver configured to receive the taxiway voice commands from an air traffic control center;

a taxiway command database, the taxiway command database including a plurality of common air traffic control center taxiway commands;

a voice recognition processor, the voice recognition processor coupled to the radio receiver and the taxiway command database, the voice recognition processor configured to receive the taxiway voice commands, the voice recognition processor further configured to compare the taxiway voice commands to the plurality of common air traffic control center taxiway commands and to convert the taxiway voice commands into the taxiway textual commands based on the comparison, determine an uncertainty associated with an accuracy of the converted taxiway textual commands based on the conversion of the taxiway voice commands, and determine an alternative taxiway textual command corresponding to each unconverted taxiway voice command based on the uncertainty; and

a taxiway clearance display coupled to the voice recognition processor, the taxiway clearance display configured to receive and display the taxiway textual commands, the alternative taxiway textual commands when determined by the voice recognition processor, and an indication of the uncertainty.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the taxiway command database includes sounds associated with each of the plurality of common air traffic control center taxiway commands.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a flight management system that receives the taxiway textual commands and processes the taxiway textual commands to manage a taxiing procedure.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the taxiway clearance display is incorporated within at least one of:

a two-dimensional taxiway display and a three-dimensional taxiway display.

14. A method for converting taxiway voice commands into taxiway textual commands, the method comprising:

receiving, with a radio receiver, taxiway voice commands from an air traffic control center;

comparing, with a voice recognition processor, the taxiway voice commands to a plurality of common air traffic control center taxiway commands;

converting, with the voice recognition processor, the taxiway voice commands into the taxiway textual commands based on the comparison;

determining an uncertainty associated with an accuracy of the taxiway textual commands based on the conversion of the taxiway voice commands;

determining an alternative taxiway textual command corresponding to each unconverted taxiway voice command based on the uncertainty; and

displaying the taxiway textual commands, the alternative taxiway textual commands when determined by the voice recognition processor, and an indication of the uncertainty for a pilot of an aircraft.