System and method for multi-stage tail number acquisition

• US 20070124033A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PASSUR Aerospace, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PASSUR Aerospace, Inc.
• Inventors: Cole, James, Dunsky, Ron, Marcella, Matthew, Barry, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data

Abstract

A system and method for receiving data on an aircraft, the data including a tail number of the aircraft, storing the data in a database, receiving a request including further data, the further data being related to the aircraft, querying the data in the database using the further data and returning the tail number of the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving data on an aircraft, the data including a tail number of the aircraft;

storing the data in a database;

receiving a request including further data, the further data being related to the aircraft;

querying the data in the database using the further data; and

returning the tail number of the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is received from one of a Mode S data feed, an ACARS data feed, a passive data feed, a hobbyist data feed, an airport data feed, an airline data feed, an ATC data feed and an FAA data feed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving supplemental data on the aircraft; and

storing the supplemental data in the database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the database includes a previously stored record for the aircraft and the data is correlated to previously stored data and stored in the previously stored record.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the database does not include a previously stored record for the aircraft and the data is stored in a new record.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the data prior to storing the data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is received from a plurality of data feeds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the further data is stored in the database.

9. A system, comprising:

a multi-stage tail number database storing data relating to a plurality of aircraft, the data including a tail number for at least a portion of the aircraft; and

a correlation engine receiving the data from a plurality of data feeds, the correlation engine correlating the data received from the plurality of data feeds and populating the data into the multi-stage tail number database.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the correlation engine receives a request including request data, the request data relating to one of the plurality of aircraft, the correlation engine querying the data stored in the database using the request data and returning the tail number of the one of the plurality of aircraft.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of data feeds includes one of a Mode S data feed, an ACARS data feed, a passive data feed, a hobbyist data feed, an airport data feed, an airline data feed, an ATC data feed and an FAA data feed.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a user interface for receiving the returned tail number.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface is further used to generate the request.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the database includes a record for each aircraft and when data is received for one of the plurality of aircrafts, the data is stored in the record for the corresponding aircraft.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein, when data is received for an aircraft that does not have a corresponding record, a new record is created in the database and the data is stored in the new record.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the data stored for each aircraft includes a confidence level.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the request data is stored in the database.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the database is accessible via a computer network.

19. A system comprising a memory storing a set of instructions and a processor for executing the instructions, the instruction being operable to:

receive data on an aircraft, the data including a tail number of the aircraft;

store the data in a database;

receive a request including further data, the further data being related to the aircraft;

query the data in the database using the further data; and

return the tail number of the aircraft.