Systems and methods for voice enabled traffic prioritization

• US 9,508,262 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kar, Satyanarayan, Chakraborty, Sandeep, Maji, Sanjib Kumar, Agarwal, Jitender Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US14/669,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20160284220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 340/961, 701/301
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• 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

Abstract

A system and method capable of responding to an audible traffic alert by visually depicting the identified neighboring aircraft traffic on the onboard display is presented. The system and method employ speech recognition in order to minimize the visual and manual cognitive workload associated with responding to a traffic alert. The system and method maximize the pilot'"'"'s hands-on control of the host aircraft.

Claims

1. A system for traffic prioritization for a display module onboard a host aircraft, the display module configured to render neighboring aircraft traffic in response to traffic data from a source of traffic data, the host aircraft having a source of speech data, the system comprising:

a command analyzer configured to receive speech data and identify, within the speech data, a valid traffic alert and

a processor coupled to the command analyzer and configured, in response to the command analyzer identifying a valid traffic alert, to;

identify a center point;

generate a probability zone that surrounds the center point, the probability zone having a volume bounded laterally by plus or minus a predetermined bearing from a line between the host aircraft and the center point, longitudinally by the center point plus or minus a predetermined range, and vertically by the center point plus or minus a predetermined altitude;

prioritize neighboring aircraft determined to be within the probability zone; and

command the display module to render, in a visually distinguishable manner, each of the neighboring aircraft determined to be within the probability zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the command analyzer is further configured to:

receive traffic command models;

convert the speech data into a text stream; and

parse the text stream into valid ATC commands according to the traffic command models.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the command analyzer is further configured to identify valid ATC commands that are valid traffic alerts.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the command analyzer is further configured to store components of speech data associated with respective valid ATC traffic alerts.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined bearing is substantially fifteen degrees, the predetermined range is substantially 2 nautical miles, and the predetermined altitude is substantially five hundred feet.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to command the display to render, in a visually distinguishable manner, the probability zone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to command the display to render, in first style, each of the neighboring aircraft determined to be within the probability zone, and to render, in a second style, each of the neighboring aircraft not determined to be within the probability zone.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein speech data for a valid traffic alert data comprises, a respective one or more of:

traffic bearing, traffic altitude, traffic distance, and traffic type.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

command the display to render, in a visually distinguishable manner, a neighboring aircraft with the highest priority defined as the closest neighboring aircraft to the center point.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured, in response to an ATC command that is determined to be a visual separation approach (VSA) command including an identified preceding aircraft, to:

revise the rendering of the highest priority neighboring aircraft according to a flight ID in the pilot confirmation, and

after confirmation from pilot to start a VSA procedure, select the aircraft having the flight ID in the pilot confirmation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to compare the flight ID of the pilot identified preceding aircraft to stored components of speech data associated with the highest priority neighboring aircraft.

12. A method for traffic prioritization for a display module onboard a host aircraft, the display module configured to render neighboring aircraft traffic based on received traffic data, the host aircraft having a source of speech data, the method comprising:

in a command analyzer,

receiving speech data comprising a valid air traffic control (ATC) command; and

identifying, in valid air traffic control (ATC) command, a traffic alert; and

in a processor, in response to the identified traffic alert,

determining a center point;

generating a probability zone surrounding the center point, the probability zone having a volume bounded laterally by plus or minus a predetermined bearing from a line between the host aircraft and the center point, longitudinally by the center point plus or minus a predetermined range, and vertically by the center point plus or minus a predetermined altitude;

prioritizing neighboring aircraft determined to be within the probability zone, and

commanding the display module to render each of the following;

each neighboring aircraft determined to be within the probability zone in first style, and

each neighboring aircraft not determined to be within the probability zone, in a second style.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of identifying valid ATC commands comprises:

converting the speech data into a text stream;

parsing the text stream into the valid ATC commands according to traffic command models; and

storing, for valid ATC commands, a respective one or more of traffic bearing, traffic altitude, traffic distance, and traffic type.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising commanding the display to render, in a visually distinguishable manner, the highest priority neighboring aircraft, defined as a neighboring aircraft closest to the center point.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, in response to an ATC command that is determined to be a visual separation approach (VSA) command including an identified preceding aircraft:

revise the rendering of the highest priority neighboring aircraft according to a flight ID in the pilot confirmation, and

after confirmation from pilot to start a VSA procedure, select the aircraft having the flight ID in the pilot confirmation.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising comparing the flight ID of the pilot identified preceding aircraft to a stored flight ID associated with the highest priority neighboring aircraft.

17. A method for traffic prioritization for a display module onboard a host aircraft, the display module configured to render neighboring aircraft traffic in response to traffic data from a source of traffic data, the host aircraft having a source of speech data, the method comprising:

in a command analyzer,

receiving speech data comprising, a respective one or more of;

traffic bearing, traffic altitude, traffic distance, and traffic type,

converting the speech data into a text stream,

parsing the text stream into a valid ATC traffic command that is a traffic alert according to traffic command models, and

storing, for the traffic alert, a respective one or more of traffic bearing, traffic altitude, traffic distance, and traffic type; and

in a processor, in response to the traffic alert,

identifying a center point,

generating a probability zone associated with the center point, the probability zone being a volume bounded laterally by plus or minus a predetermined bearing from a line between the host aircraft to the center point, longitudinally by the center point plus or minus a predetermined range, and vertically by the center point plus or minus a predetermined altitude;

prioritizing each of the neighboring aircraft by distance from the center point, such that the highest priority neighboring aircraft is the closest to the center point; and

commanding the display module to render;

in a first style, neighboring aircraft determined to be within the probability zone,

the highest priority neighboring aircraft in a visually distinguishable manner with respect to the remaining neighboring traffic, and

in a second style, neighboring aircraft not determined to be within the probability zone.