Comprehensive flight planning tool

• US 9,911,338 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association
• Original Assignee: Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association
• Inventors: Shorter, Jr., Douglas Nolen, Hamilton, John Dennis, Ocasek, Kimberly Lynn, Rush, Eric John, Tenberg, Brian Michael, Whitehouse, John Vance, Krilov, Sergey
• Primary Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/929,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

A system for providing a flight planning tool is disclosed. The system may include at least one memory device for storing flight information and one or more hardware processors. The one or more hardware processors may be configured to provide an Application Program Interface (API) for facilitating communication between the system and at least one of a client device and one or more third-party devices, receive, via the API, a request including first information related to a flight, collect, via the API and based on the first information, second information from one or more third-party devices, generate flight trip data based on the first and second information, wherein the flight trip data includes information and graphics associated with the flight, and provide, via the API, one or more user interfaces to the client device for communicating the flight trip data.

Claims

1. A system for providing a flight planning tool, comprising:

at least one memory device for storing flight information; and

one or more hardware processors configured to execute instructions to;

provide an Application Program Interface (API) for facilitating communication between the system and at least one of a client device and one or more third-party devices;

receive, via the API, a request from the client device, the request from the client device including a user input received via a computing system and indicative of first information related to a flight;

collect, via the API, second information from one or more third-party devices based on the first information received from the client device via the API;

generate a flight plan based on the user input indicative of the first information and the second information collected from the one or more third-party devices, wherein the flight plan includes information associated with the flight,

provide, via the API, one or more user interfaces to the client device for communicating the flight plan; and

display, via the one or more user interfaces provided to the client device, graphics indicative of the information associated with the flight included in the generated flight plan.

2. The system of claim 1, further including a mobile application configured to provide one or more user interfaces for receiving the first information and displaying the second information or the flight plan, wherein the mobile application is one of a web-based application accessible via the client device and a self-contained application stored on the client device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory device is a centralized data store configured to enable real-time data sharing and synchronization with devices connected to the system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to:

generate notifications based on one or more of the first information, the second information, and the flight trip data; and

display the notifications on the client device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to automatically generate graphical display overlays on the client device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device includes at least one memory device configured to store one or more of the first information, the second information, and information generated by the one or more hardware processors.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to generate, for display on the client device, a user interface configured to receive a request for one or both of fuel information and display fuel information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to receive user-submitted information in conjunction with the client device and display the user-submitted information on at least one other device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to:

receive, via the API, weather data;

generate predictive weather information; and

display, on the client device the weather data or the predictive weather information in a textual or graphical format.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to send or receive, via the API, information to or from one or more in-cockpit devices associated with an aircraft.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to:

receive, via the API, data associated with a pilot or an aircraft; and

store the associated data in the at least one memory device for access via the client device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the flight plan is an interactive flight plan; and

the one or more hardware processors are configured to coordinate the interactive flight plan with an authorized third-party filing agency via the API.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to communicate, via the API, with the client device or the third-party device to update a user logbook to include up to date logbook information.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to communicate one or more of the first information, the second information, the flight plan, via the API, to one or more social media platforms.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one memory device is configured to store checklist templates; and

the one or more hardware processors are configured to generate user interfaces for receiving input indicative of checklist template modifications.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to:

receive, via the API, user input indicative of weight and balance information; and

display, on the client device, aircraft loading information based on the weight and balance information.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one memory device is configured to store a calendar;

the one or more hardware processors are configured to add entries to the calendar based on one or more of the first information, the second information, and the flight plan; and

the one or more hardware processors are configured to display the calendar on the client device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to generate visual reminders on the client device based on the entries added to the calendar.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to:

aggregate information from one or more of the first information, the second information, and the flight plan;

display information relating to the flight from the aggregated information on the client device via a graphical tool.

20. A method of providing a flight planning tool, comprising:

generating an Application Program Interface (API) for facilitating communication between a flight planning system and at least one of a client device and one or more third-party devices;

receiving, via the API, a request from the client device, the request from the client device including a user input received via a computing system and indicative of first information related to an upcoming flight;

collecting, via the API, second information from one or more third-party devices based on the information received from the client device via the API;

generating a flight plan based on the user input indicative of the first information and the second information collected from the one or more third-party devices, the flight plan including information, associated with the upcoming flight;

providing, via the API, one or more user interfaces to the client device for communicating the flight plan; and

displaying, via the one or more user interfaces provided to the client device, graphics indicative of the information associated with the flight included in the generated flight plan.