Method and system for integrating offboard generated parameters into a flight management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10946977-B2
Application number	US-201815959485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2018
Priority date	Nov 20, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for integrating aircraft flight parameters generated by an offboard portable electronic device (PED) into an onboard flight management system (FMS). The method comprises selecting the aircraft flight parameters to be generated by the PED for use by the FMS. The current flight data is accessed for the aircraft with the FMS and providing the current flight data to the offboard PED. The rules for the aircraft flight parameters are computed with the offboard PED based on the current flight data for the aircraft and transmitted to a flight management (FM) adapter. The FM adapter confirms that the rules for the aircraft flight parameters comply with operational limits of the aircraft and then translates the rules of the aircraft flight parameters to aircraft operational targets for use by the onboard FMS. The aircraft operational targets are then loaded from the FM adapter into the FMS.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for integrating aircraft flight parameters generated by an offboard portable electronic device (PED) into an onboard flight management system (FMS), comprising:
selecting the aircraft flight parameters to be generated by the PED for use by the FMS;
accessing current flight data for the aircraft with the FMS and providing the current flight data to the offboard PED;
computing rules for the aircraft flight parameters with the offboard PED based on the current flight data for the aircraft;
transmitting the rules for the aircraft flight parameters to a flight management (FM) adapter;
confirming with the FM adapter that the rules for the aircraft flight parameters comply with operational limits of the aircraft;
translating with the FM adapter the rules of the aircraft flight parameters with the FM adapter to aircraft operational targets for use by the onboard FMS; and
loading the aircraft operational targets from the FM adapter into the FMS.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
confirming with input from an aircrew member of the aircraft that the aircraft operational targets loaded into the FMS are valid.

3. The method of claim 2 , where the air crew member may undo the loading of the aircraft operational targets into the FMS.

4. The method of claim 2 , where the validity of the aircraft operational targets is confirmed prior to loading into the FMS.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rejecting with the FM adapter the rules for the aircraft flight parameters that fall outside aircraft safety parameters.

6. The method of claim 1 , where the aircraft flight parameters generated by the PED comprise pre-flight planning parameters.

7. The method of claim 1 , where the aircraft flight parameters generated by the PED comprise in-flight optimization parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 , where the aircraft flight parameters generated by the PED comprise in trail procedures (ITP).

9. The method of claim 1 , where the aircraft flight parameters generated by the PED comprise updated maps.

10. The method of claim 1 , where the aircraft flight parameters generated by the PED are used for flight interval management (FIM).

11. The method of claim 1 , where the aircraft flight parameters generated by the PED are used for real time of arrival (RTA) management.

12. The method of claim 1 , where the rules of aircraft flight parameters are translated to aircraft operational targets and loaded into the FMS in real time.

13. The method of claim 1 , where the rules of aircraft flight parameters are translated into aircraft operational targets and loaded into the FMS periodically.

14. The method of claim 1 , where an aircrew member may manually suspend the translation of aircraft flight parameters for a specified time period.

15. A system for integrating aircraft flight parameters generated offboard an aircraft into an onboard management device, comprising:
a portable electronic device (PED) that retrieves selected current flight data from a flight data source, where the PED computes rules for selected aircraft flight parameters based on the current flight data;
a flight management (FM) adapter that receives the computed rules for the selected flight parameters from the PED, where the FM adapter confirms that the computed rules comply with the operational limits of the aircraft and translates the computed ruled into aircraft operational targets; and
a flight management system (FMS) that receives and loads the aircraft operational targets from the FM adapter.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a graphical display device that displays the aircraft operational targets loaded in the FMS.

17. The system of claim 15 , where the PED comprises an electronic flight bag (EFB).

18. The system of claim 15 , where the PED comprises an electronic tablet.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Mohan Rajeev
• K Sreenivasan Govindillam
• Jayathirtha Srihari
• Khan Kalimulla
• Udupa Ravish

Classifications

• G08G5/30

  Flight plan management · CPC title

• G08G5/21 Primary

  located onboard the aircraft · CPC title

• B64D43/00 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title

• B64D2045/0075

  Adaptations for use of electronic flight bags in aircraft; Supports therefor in the cockpit · CPC title

• G08G5/0021

  Physics · mapped topic