The Boeing Company

Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Other

Louis J Bailey

Ryan D Hale

Gregory T Saccone

Kenneth A Zimmerman

John G Wilson

Robert A Armstrong

Gary C Bailey

Robert W Mead

Bradley David Cornell

Paul D Hansen

Italo Romani De Oliveira

Jose A Fregnani

Ferdinando Dijkstra

Marissa K Singleton

Bradley D Cornell

Michael Matyas

Tamara S Stewart

Charles J Tytler

Nicholas P G Impert

José A Fregnani

Systems, apparatus, and methods for providing data in a pre-determined format with minimal impact from an aircraft to an interested entity are disclosed. One system includes a data processing system configured to store executable code to receive data, wherein the data is otherwise unavailable to the interested entity via pre-existing technology, determine, in real-time, one or more first devices on the aircraft where the data is stored in a format that is non-compliant with the pre-determined format and/or one or more second devices on the aircraft where the data can be generated in the format that is non-compliant with the pre-determined format, and retrieve the data in the format that is non-compliant with the pre-determined format from the at least one of the one or more first devices and the one or more second devices. Apparatus and methods that include and/or perform the operations of the system are also disclosed.

Systems, apparatus, and methods for providing data from an aircraft in a compliant data format

Embodiments provide for vertical flight path optimization by generating a plurality of waypoints with allowable parameters for a flightpath at which a course, including elements for heading, altitude, and speed, of an aircraft is adjustable; calculating a number of unique trajectories available based on the plurality of waypoints; when the number of unique trajectories is greater than a threshold number of trajectories, performing a probabilistic assessment of the unique trajectories to identify an elite set of trajectories that include those trajectories with efficiency metrics within an upper range of a set of assessed trajectories; identifying mobile waypoints in trajectories of the elite set of trajectories; performing a global optimal path assessment, wherein positions of mobile waypoints are adjusted within an associated trajectory to identify an optimal trajectory for the aircraft on the flightpath; and providing the optimal trajectory to the aircraft to follow the flightpath according to the optimal trajectory.

Vertical flightpath optimization

Disclosed herein is a method. The method comprises retrieving a first message comprising flight information that is input into a flight information system associated with a flight. The method also comprises receiving a second message comprising flight information that is input into the flight information system associated with the flight based on the first message. The method further comprises verifying that the flight information that is sent in the first message matches the flight information that is received in the second message. The method additionally comprises providing a notification in response to verifying that the flight information that is sent in the first message does not match the flight information that is received in the second message.

Verifying flight information

Systems and methods for processing aircraft flight information and flight plan information are described. Specific techniques are described for managing flight data in real time, sharing flight data between a plurality of systems, dynamically managing flight information, generating flight plan information, providing flight plan information to a user, and closing flight plan discontinuities.

Aircraft performance predictions

Systems and methods for processing flight information. Using a flight plan/route message and other flight information (aircraft type and navigation database information), the portion of the message containing the flight plan or route is decoded and translated to construct a ground-based flight route comprising a list of waypoints and associated flight information. The list of waypoints may then used in calculations performed by a flight trajectory predictor to identify spatially associated weather information and/or to create an updated flight plan or route (e.g., by adding or changing waypoints in a flight object) and thereafter transmit that information to users. Prior to transmitting any updated flight plan/route, the associated waypoints and other flight information must be translated and encoded into the required format for inclusion in an outgoing (i.e., uplinked) flight plan/route message.

Systems and methods for processing flight information

The different advantageous embodiments provide a system and method for suggesting significant environmental waypoints along a trajectory to improve the efficiency of a flight plan. Desired information is identified, wherein the desired information is information needed to perform at least one of completing a flight plan and updating a flight plan. It is determined whether to identify environmental information points.

Environmental waypoint insertion

A real-time adaptive speed scheduler that optimizes the control of an aircraft's speed and speed mode through the introduction of an advisory providing an optimized speed schedule for improved fuel efficiency and aircraft predictability. This system can also be deployed to improve flight efficiency and aircraft predictability in situations where time needs to be gained or lost, or air traffic needs to be sequenced. The real-time adaptive speed scheduler disclosed herein provides a datalink solution for loading directly into an aircraft's flight management system, for operation and display on a mobile device, as an advisory to an air traffic controller for instruction to the aircraft as a voice command, any authorized subscriber, and/or as an advisory to a dispatcher at an airline operations center.

Real-time adaptive speed scheduler

Automatic real-time flight plan updates

An adaptive weather interrogation system capable of determining whether currently available weather for a particular trajectory or portion thereof, a particular volume of space or geospatial point meets subscriber operations and requirements. More specifically, the system provides the capability to determine the 'best' weather information by evaluating the weather data and associated weather quality, accuracy or confidence attribute values against subscriber operations and requirements. If the weather data, quality, accuracy, and confidence do not meet the subscriber's requirements, the system is capable of interrogating weather data sources for additional or updated weather data to meet the subscriber's needs.

Adaptive weather interrogation system

Flight object communications system

Automated flight object procedure selection system

Flight path discontinuities

Flight analogous and projection system

A computer-based communications management system for managing multiple requests made by different users, in abstract or generalized formats, for data to be provided by various systems of interest. This computerized system is programmed to perform operations which ensure that requests from different users do not interfere with each other and that all information requested from the systems of interest is retrieved without missing or additional (i.e., not requested) information. Additionally, the system accommodates the functional differences between various systems of interest, and also uses relevant related data from other systems of interest to achieve greater data usefulness.

Multi-user disparate system communications manager

A time factor corresponding to an airspace delay or acceleration is communicated to an aircraft. A flight management computer or other computational device of the aircraft calculates a proposed change in trajectory in order to accommodate the time factor in an optimum or nearly optimum manner. One or more proposed changes in trajectory are subject to review by the pilot or other flight personnel. An operator-selected change in trajectory is then implemented in order to accommodate a new arrival time of the aircraft at its destination or a positional point.

Growing community of inventors

Covington, WA, United States of America

Louis J Bailey