AIRCRAFT DISPATCH INFORMATION

• US 20100292869A1
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Gonzalez, Armando, Riley, Victor Andrew, Kinney, David Scott, Borst, Robert G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods to manage aircraft dispatch information are provided. A particular method includes receiving fault information at a dispatch information computing system. The fault information is associated with an aircraft. The method also includes accessing operational restriction information associated with the aircraft based on the fault information. The method further includes automatically determining a set of bottom line operational limitations of the aircraft based on the fault information and the operational restriction information. The method also includes generating customized checklists for the various users of the information. The method also includes sending output data from the dispatch information computing system to an output device. The output data identifies the set of bottom line operational limitations of the aircraft and tasks to be completed by the various users.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving fault information at a dispatch information computing system, wherein the fault information is associated with an aircraft;

accessing operational restriction information associated with the aircraft based on the fault information;

automatically determining a set of bottom line operational limitations of the aircraft based on the fault information and the operational restriction information; and

sending output data from the dispatch information computing system to an output device, wherein the output data identifies the set of bottom line operational limitations of the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational restriction information includes operational limitations related to a plurality of categories of limitations, and wherein automatically determining the set of bottom line operational limitations includes:

determining a first operational limitation of a first category and a second operational limitation of the first category;

selecting a more restrictive limitation of the first operational limitation and the second operational limitation; and

including the more restrictive limitation in the set of bottom line operational limitations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the output data excludes or de-emphasizes operational limitations from the operational restriction information that are subsumed by the bottom line operational limitation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational restriction information includes one or more special operations performance standards that restrict special operations of the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a list of actions to be performed based on the operational restriction information and the fault information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sorting the list of actions to be performed into a first portion including first tasks associated with a first operational group and a second portion including second tasks associated with a second operational group; and

sending at least the first portion from the dispatch information computing system to the output device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first operational group includes maintenance personnel and the first portion includes a checklist of maintenance tasks to be performed to the aircraft by the maintenance personnel within a particular time period.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first operational group includes flight crew personnel and the first portion includes a set of pre-flight checks to be performed to the aircraft by the flight crew personnel.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first operational group includes flight crew personnel and the first portion includes a checklist of takeoff, in-flight or landing tasks to be performed to the aircraft by the flight crew personnel.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first operational group includes flight planning personnel and the first portion includes a checklist of flight restrictions to be applied by the flight planning personnel.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the first operational group includes load planning personnel and the first portion includes a checklist of loading restrictions to be applied by the load planning personnel.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the first tasks are to be performed during a first time period and the second tasks are to be performed during a second time period.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first time period is before a subsequent flight of the aircraft.

14. A system, comprising:

a processor;

an input interface coupled to the processor, the input interface to receive fault information associated with an aircraft;

memory accessible to the processor, the memory including;

operational restriction information associated with the aircraft; and

instructions that are executable by the processor to generate one or more customized task lists, wherein each of the one or more customized task lists includes tasks assigned to a particular operational group based on the fault information and the operational restriction information; and

an output interface coupled to the processor, the output interface to send a first task list of the one or more customized task lists to a first interface associated with a first operational group and to send a second task list of the one or more customized task lists to a second interface associated with a second operational group.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory further includes filter instructions to analyze the operational restriction information based on the fault information to automatically determine bottom line operational limitations applicable to the aircraft.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the output interface sends output data to an output device, wherein the output data identifies the bottom line operational limitations applicable to the aircraft

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the output interface sends a first portion of the output data in a first format compatible with an aircraft based computer system and sends a second portion of the output data in a second format compatible with a ground based computer system.

18. A computer readable storage medium, comprising:

operational instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to access operational restriction information associated with an aircraft in response to receiving fault information associated with the aircraft;

operational instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine a set of bottom line operational limitations of the aircraft based on the fault information and the operational restriction information; and

operational instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to send output data to an output device, wherein the output data identifies the set of bottom line operational limitations of the aircraft.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

operational instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to access flight planning data; and

operational instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to analyze the flight planning data with the operational restriction information to determine the set of bottom line operational limitations.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the flight planning data includes one or more Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) related to a planned flight of the aircraft.