Verbal taxi clearance system

• US 9,430,949 B1
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Nelson, Erik T., Garg, Chaya, Lancaster, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mott, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/668,533
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering

Abstract

A verbal taxi clearance system for an aircraft and a method of controlling the same are provided. The system, for example, may include, but is not limited to a communication system, and a processor communicatively coupled to the communication system, the processor configured to receive, from the communication system, first audio data from air traffic control, convert the first audio data from air traffic control into first taxi route data, receive second audio data from a cockpit of the aircraft, convert the second audio data into second taxi route data, compare the first taxi route data to the second taxi route data, output, when the first taxi route data matches the second taxi route data, a taxi route corresponding to the first and second taxi route data, and generate an alert when the first taxi route data does not match the second taxi route data.

Claims

1. A verbal taxi clearance system for an aircraft, comprising:

a broadcast communication system;

an input system;

a processor communicatively coupled to the communication system and the input system, the processor configured to;

receive, from the broadcast communication system, first audio data broadcast by air traffic control;

convert the first audio data broadcast by air traffic control into first taxi route data using a radio acoustic model;

receive, from the input system, second audio data generated by a crew member in a cockpit of the aircraft;

convert the second audio data into second taxi route data utilizing a cockpit acoustic model;

receive, from the broadcast radio communication system, third audio data;

convert the third audio data into third taxi route data utilizing the radio acoustic model;

compare the first taxi route data to the second taxi route data and the third taxi route data;

output, when the first taxi route data matches the second taxi route data and the third taxi route data, a taxi route corresponding to the first and second taxi route data; and

generate an alert when the first taxi route data does not match the second taxi route data and the third taxi route data.

2. The verbal taxi clearance system of claim 1, wherein the cockpit acoustic model includes a statistical models of at least one of engine noise, wind noise, pilot microphone properties, method of sound digitization, pilot accent, compression of filtering, and reverberation.

3. The verbal taxi clearance system of claim 1, wherein the alert generated by the processor includes a display of differences between the first taxi route data and the second taxi route data.

4. The verbal taxi clearance system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from the input system, a correction to one of the first taxi route data and the second taxi route data.

5. The verbal taxi clearance system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor the communication system for the first audio data when the aircraft is in a taxi situation.

6. The verbal taxi clearance system of claim 1, wherein the input system comprises a push-to-talk input system communicatively coupled to the processor, the push-to-talk input system comprising a push-to-talk button configured to initiate a communication,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor, after receiving the first audio data, for a interaction with the push-to-talk button; and

recording, when the interaction the push-to-talk button is initiated, the communication, the communication including the second audio data.

7. The verbal taxi clearance system of claim 1, wherein the radio acoustic model includes a statistical model of at least one of static, atmospheric noise, air traffic control accent, and a typical speed of talk of air traffic control.

8. A method for operating a verbal taxi clearance system for an aircraft, comprising:

receiving, by a processor from a communication system, first audio data broadcast by air traffic control;

converting, by the processor, the first audio data from air traffic control into first taxi route data utilizing a radio acoustic model;

receiving, by the processor, second audio data generated by a crew member in a cockpit of the aircraft;

converting, by the processor, the second audio data into second taxi route data;

receive, by the processor, third audio data generated by the crew member in the cockpit of the aircraft;

convert, by the processor, the third audio data into third taxi route data;

comparing, by the processor, the first taxi route data to the second taxi route data and the third taxi route data;

outputting, by the processor, when the first taxi route data matches the second taxi route data and the third taxi route data, a taxi route corresponding to the first and second taxi route data; and

generating, by the processor, an alert when the first taxi route data does not match the second taxi route data and the third taxi route data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, when the aircraft is in a taxi situation;

processing, by the processor, a radio channel corresponding to air traffic control to determine when aircraft identification corresponding to the aircraft is mentioned on the radio channel;

recording, by the processor, the radio channel until a predetermined length pause occurs in the radio channel to create the first audio data.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, when a push-to-talk button on a push to talk interface is activated;

recording, by the processor while the push-to-talk button on the push to talk interface is activated, aircraft cabin data to create the second audio data.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, when a push-to-talk button on a push to talk interface is activated;

recording, by the processor while the push-to-talk button on the push to talk interface is activated, a radio channel to create the second audio data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the radio acoustic model includes a statistical model of at least one of static, atmospheric noise, air traffic control accent, and a typical speed of talk of air traffic control.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the converting, by the processor, the second audio data into second taxi route data further comprises, converting the second audio data using a cockpit acoustic model, the cockpit acoustic model including a statistical models of at least one of engine noise, wind noise, pilot microphone properties, method of sound digitization, pilot accent, compression of filtering, and reverberation.

14. A mobile device, comprising:

a communication system;

a processor communicatively coupled to the communication system, the processor configured to;

receive, from the communication system, air traffic control audio data broadcast by air traffic control;

convert the air traffic control audio data into first taxi route data utilizing a radio acoustic model;

receive second audio data generated by a crew member in a cockpit of an aircraft;

convert the second audio data into second taxi route data utilizing a cockpit acoustic model;

receive, from the communication system, third audio data generated by a crew member in a cockpit of the aircraft;

convert the third audio data into third taxi route data utilizing the radio acoustic model;

compare the first taxi route data to the second taxi route data and the third taxi route data;

output, when the first taxi route data matches the second taxi route data and the third taxi route data, a taxi route corresponding to the first, second and third taxi route data; and

generate an alert when the first taxi route data does not match the second taxi route data and the third taxi route data.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the radio acoustic model includes a statistical model of at least one of static, atmospheric noise, air traffic control accent, and a typical speed of talk of air traffic control, and the cockpit acoustic model including a statistical models of at least one of engine noise, wind noise, pilot microphone properties, method of sound digitization, pilot accent, compression of filtering, and reverberation.