General Electric Company

Ge Aviation Systems Limited

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Leidos Innovations Technology, Inc.

Joel Kenneth Klooster

Sergio Torres

Mauricio Castillo-Effen

Rajesh Venkat Subbu

David So Keung Chan

Joachim Karl Hochwarth

Harold Woodruff Tomlinson, Jr

Joachim Karl Ulf Hochwarth

Feng Xue

Liling Ren

Weiwei Chen

David So Chan

Glen William Brooksby

Michael Kent DeJonge

Harold Woodruff Tomlinson

Keith Douglas Wichman

David Sk Chan

Michael Kent Dejonge

Harold Woodruff Tomlinson Jr

Joachim Karl Ulf Hocewarth

David SK Chan

A method for providing one or more aircraft with weather data during flight includes generating a weather model using a source of weather data. The weather model incorporates flight operations information and performance requirements. The method includes generating a weather message from the weather model. The weather message is generated in a format that is compatible with the aircraft. The method also includes transmitting the weather message to the aircraft during flight of the aircraft.

Method and apparatus for providing in-flight weather data

A system and method to improve efficiency in aircraft maneuvers meant to accommodate time-related constraints in air traffic. Information related to flight performance and atmospheric conditions is gathered onboard an aircraft, then transmitted to an air traffic control center. In the event of a delay or any other event which necessitates an alteration in an aircraft trajectory, the data is sent to a decision support tool to compute and provide alternative trajectories, preferably including operator-preferred trajectories, within air traffic constraints. Air traffic controllers can then offer an alternative trajectory to an aircraft that is more efficient, cost effective, and/or preferable to the aircraft operator.

Schedule management system and method for managing air traffic

Methods and system are provided for scheduling and negotiating air traffic within an airspace surrounding an airport and scheduled to land at the airport. An air traffic control (ATC) system is used to monitor the altitudes, speeds and lateral routes of aircraft. The ATC system generates a scheduled time-of-arrival (STA) at one or more meter fix points associated with the airport, the STA is stored, and data is received or inferred with the ATC system for at least a first of the aircraft, including a minimum fuel-cost speed and predicted trajectory parameters of the first aircraft based on current values of its existing trajectory parameters. Auxiliary data, including earliest and latest estimated time-of-arrival (ETAmin) and (ETAmax) at the meter fix point, STA being within/ outside ETAmin, ETAmax are generated, instructions are transmitted to the first aircraft, and the STA is updated for each aircraft stored in a queue.

Methods and systems for managing air traffic

According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided an apparatus and method to synchronize trajectories from independent systems such as from a flight management system and the ground Air traffic control during the entire history of a flight. Since a number of trajectory discrepancy factors will intervene during the lifetime of a flight, such as a change in flight intent, controller intervention, or large deviations of the actual flight from the predicted trajectory due to prediction errors, there is need to dynamically monitor these deviations and control a dynamic synchronization cycle. A dynamic trajectory synchronization algorithm attempts to bring each of the systems back into balance whenever a disturbance causes an imbalance. Disturbances include deviation of atmospheric conditions from predicted, change of pilot preference, and unpredicted events requiring controller action, such as need for separation from other aircraft or change in convective weather, special use airspace, or scheduling requirements.

Method and apparatus for dynamic air traffic trajectory synchronization

A method and system of managing an aerial vehicle trajectory is provided. The remote trajectory management system (RTMS) for a fleet of aircraft includes an input specification module configured to manage information specifying flight-specific input data used to generate a trajectory, an aircraft model module including data that specifies a performance of the aircraft and engines of the aircraft, a predict 4D trajectory module configured to receive the specified inputs from the input specification module and an aircraft performance model from aircraft model module and to generate a 4D trajectory for a predetermined flight, and a trajectory export module configured to transmit a predetermined subset of the predicted trajectory to the aircraft.

Method and system for aerial vehicle trajectory management

A method and system suitable for inferring trajectory predictor parameters of aircraft for the purpose of predicting aircraft trajectories. The method and system involve receiving trajectory prediction information regarding an aircraft, and then using this information to infer (extract) trajectory predictor parameters of the aircraft that are otherwise unknown to a ground automation system. The trajectory predictor parameters can then be applied to one or more trajectory predictors of the ground automation system to predict a trajectory of the aircraft. In certain embodiments, the method and system can utilize available air-ground communication link capabilities, which may include data link capabilities available as part of trajectory-based operations (TBO).

Methods and systems for inferring aircraft parameters

A method of flying an aircraft, where the aircraft has an associated performance envelope, along a flight path based determining an altitude profile for a cruise-climb along the flight path based on the performance envelope of the aircraft and flying the aircraft along the flight path to approximate the altitude profile.

Method for flying an aircraft along a flight path

Methods and systems suitable for negotiating air traffic trajectory modification requests received from multiple aircraft that each has trajectory parameters. The methods include transmitting from at least a first aircraft a first trajectory modification request to alter the altitude, speed and/or lateral route thereof. A first conflict assessment is then performed to determine if the first trajectory modification request poses a conflict with the altitudes, speeds and lateral routes of other aircraft. If a conflict is not identified, the first trajectory modification request is granted and the first aircraft is notified of the first trajectory modification request being granted. Alternatively, if a conflict is identified, the first trajectory modification request is not granted and the first aircraft is notified thereof. If the first trajectory modification request was not granted, the first trajectory modification request is placed in a queue, which is periodically processed to perform subsequent conflict assessments.

A method and hold path computation system for automatically generating a hold path for an aircraft flying in a holding pattern, wherein the holding pattern is defined by one or more orbits within a selectable holding area are provided. The system includes a processor configured to receive a hold departure time indicating a time the aircraft is to leave the hold path to meet a required time of arrival (RTA) at a waypoint, determine a present position of the aircraft within the holding pattern, and determine an amount of time to complete a current hold orbit. The processor is also configured such that if the determined amount of time to complete a current hold orbit is less than or equal to the hold departure time, maintain the aircraft flying in the holding pattern and determine an amount of time by which to shorten the next orbit to exit the holding pattern at the hold departure time.

Method and system for hold path computation to meet required hold departure time

According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided an apparatus and method to synchronize the distinct trajectories predicted by a flight management system and air navigation service provider. A comparison model is generated that indicates differences between an aircraft trajectory and a ground trajectory. The aircraft trajectory is updated to reflect identified discrepancies and restriction violations between the trajectories. Upon successful completion of the first designated change, a notification manager is used to issue a notification of the designated change to the flight plan trajectory. A modified ground trajectory is produced that incorporates the designated change to the flight plan trajectory. The comparison is repeated until the discrepancies of the trajectories are operationally insignificant.

Method and apparatus for air traffic trajectory synchronization

A method of descent trajectory of an aircraft includes an iterative process of selecting meteorological data points along a predicted descent trajectory, generating a wind profile along the predicted descent trajectory for the selected data points, determining a subset fuel cost and a subset time cost based upon the wind profile, selecting the subset that minimizes weighted fuel burn and time error, and calculating an optimized descent trajectory based on the selected subset.

Method for optimizing a descent trajectory of an aircraft based on selected meteorological data

A method and apparatus for encoding and using user preferences in air traffic management operations are disclosed. The method may include determining a current trajectory based on the user preferences, computing a cost of deviations from the current trajectory, codifying the cost of deviations from the current trajectory using normalized cost coefficients for one or more segments of the current trajectory, and communicating the codified cost of deviations to an air traffic control (ATC) automation system, wherein the ATC automation system computes costs of maneuvers based on the codified cost of deviations and ranks the maneuvers according to cost.

Method and apparatus for encoding and using user preferences in air traffic management operations

A method and systems for controlling a speed of a vehicle are provided. The control system includes an input device configured to receive a required time of arrival (RTA) at a waypoint and a processor communicatively coupled to said input device, said processor programmed to automatically determine a dynamically adjustable range for an autothrottle control using an RTA error and a speed control tolerance, the RTA error representing a difference between an estimated time of arrival (ETA) and the RTA, the speed control tolerance representing a tolerance range about the vehicle speed profile. The control system also includes an output device communicatively coupled to said processor, said output device is configured to transmit at least one of a thrust control signal and a drag control signal to a speed control system of the vehicle.

Method and system for vertical navigation using time-of-arrival control

A method of selecting and storing a subset of available meteorological data along a predicted trajectory of an aircraft and relevant to the predicted trajectory includes determining pseudo-waypoints and related meteorological data pertaining to a level segment of the trajectory, and selecting the meteorological data points minimizing weighted fuel burn and time error pertaining to a non-level segment of the trajectory.

Method for selecting meteorological data for updating an aircraft trajectory

A method and system for a required time of arrival (RTA) performance graphic display is provided. The system includes a processor programmed to receive a required time of arrival and a first visual display communicatively coupled to the processor. The first visual display includes an RTA graphic having a dial substantially symmetric about an axis, a first marker indicative of a current estimated time of arrival (ETA) at a predetermined waypoint, a second marker indicative of a value of the RTA relative to the current ETA value and a selected RTA time tolerance value, a first indication representing a first time the vehicle can attain the predetermined waypoint, a second indication representing a last time the vehicle can attain the predetermined waypoint, a third indication representing the uncertainty of the ETA in an early arrival direction, and a fourth indication representing the uncertainty of the ETA in a late arrival direction.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

Joel Kenneth Klooster