Systems, methods, and apparatus for collaborative aircraft checklists

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12112642-B2
Application number	US-202217698711-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2022
Priority date	Jun 10, 2021
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for collaborative aircraft checklists. An example apparatus includes at least one memory including instructions and at least one processor to execute the instructions to at least launch actions of a checklist on a user interface of a first client device, the actions including a first action to be completed in sequence to execute a flight stage of a flight project, the flight project to be accessed by the first, second, and third client devices, in response to an update of the first action by the first client device, generate a first message including the update, in response to the second client device validating the update, distribute a second message including the update to the third client device to update the checklist on the third client device, and cause the aircraft to execute the flight stage based on the update.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one memory;
machine-readable instructions; and
at least one processor circuit to execute the machine-readable instructions to at least:
launch actions of a checklist on a user interface of a first client device, the actions including a first action to be completed in sequence to execute a flight stage of a flight project, the flight project associated with flight of an aircraft, the flight project to be accessed by client devices via a network, the client devices including the first client device, a second client device, and a third client device;
in response to an update of the first action by the first client device, generate a first message including the update;
in response to a validation of the update by the second client device, distribute a second message including the update to the third client device to update the checklist on the third client device; and
cause the aircraft to execute the flight stage based on the update.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actions are first actions, the checklist is a first checklist, the flight stage is a pre-flight stage, and one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to:
generate the flight project based on an identifier of the aircraft;
identify flight stages based on the flight project, the flight stages including the pre-flight stage, an in-flight stage, and a post-flight stage, the in-flight stage including at least one of a take-off or landing of the aircraft;
generate checklists based on the flight stages and the identifier, the checklists including the first checklist, a second checklist, and a third checklist, the first checklist including the first actions based on the pre-flight stage, the second checklist including second actions based on the in-flight stage, and the third checklist including third actions based on the post-flight stage;
identify flight project roles based on the checklists, the flight project roles to execute at least one of the first actions, the second actions, or the third actions; and
associate at least one of the flight project, the identifier, the flight stages, the checklists, or the flight project roles in one or more databases.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first client device, the second client device, or the third client device is a portable device, the portable device including a handheld device or a wearable device, the wearable device including a head-mounted display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the checklist is a first checklist, the actions are first actions including a second action, the flight stage is a first flight stage, and one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to:
identify the first flight stage and a second flight stage based on the flight project;
launch the first checklist corresponding to the first flight stage;
in response to an update of the second action, validate the second action based on a measurement from the aircraft; and
in response to a determination that the first flight stage is complete after an update of the first actions, launch a second checklist corresponding to the second flight stage.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actions are second actions, the user interface is a first user interface, and one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to:
detect a first flight project role based on a first type of the first client device;
identify the second actions based on the first flight project role and the checklist, the first flight project role to cause an execution of the first action, the launch of the second actions based on the identification;
detect a second flight project role based on a second type of the second client device; and
identify third actions based on the second flight project role and the checklist, the third actions including a fourth action to be executed by the second flight project role.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to:
launch a second user interface including the third actions on the second client device;
in response to an execution of the first action by the first flight project role, update the first action on the checklist by the first client device; and
in response to the distribution of the second message, enable the fourth action on the checklist on the second client device, the enablement of the fourth action to cause the fourth action to be executed by the second flight project role.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the update is a first update, and one or more of the at least one processor circuit is to:
in response to a generation of the first message, transmit the first message to at least one server, the first message to cause the at least one server to:
store the first update in a first database at a first time;
determine whether the first update is in conflict with a second update, the second client device to transmit a third message to the at least one server, the third message including the second update to the first action, the at least one server to store the second update in the first database at a second time after the first time; and
in response to a determination that the first update is in conflict with the second update:
update the checklist with the first update based on the first time, the checklist stored in a second database; and
generate an alert indicative of a rejection of the second update.

8. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions that cause at least one processor circuit to at least:
launch actions of a checklist on a user interface of a first client device, the actions including a first action to be completed in sequence to execute a flight stage of a flight project, the flight project associated with flight of an aircraft, the flight project to be accessed by client devices via a network, the client devices including the first client device, a second client device, and a third client device;
in response to an update of the first action by the first client device, generate a first message including the update;
in response to a validation of the update by the second client device, distribute a second message including the update to the third client device to update the checklist on the third client device; and
cause the aircraft to execute the flight stage based on the update.

9. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the actions are first actions, the checklist is a first checklist, the flight stage is a pre-flight stage, and the machine-readable instructions are to cause one or more of the at least one processor circuit to:
generate the flight project based on an identifier of the aircraft;
identify flight stages based on the flight project, the flight stages including the pre-flight stage, an in-flight stage, and a post-flight stage, the in-flight stage including at least one of a take-off or landing of the aircraft;
generate checklists based on the flight stages and the identifier, the checklists including the first checklist, a second checklist, and a third checklist, the first checklist including the first actions based on the pre-flight stage, the second checklist including second actions based on the in-flight stage, and the third checklist including third actions based on the post-flight stage;
identify flight project roles based on the checklists, the flight project roles to execute at least one of the first actions, the second actions, or the third actions; and
associate at least one of the flight project, the identifier, the flight stages, the checklists, or the flight project roles in one or more databases

Assignees

• Insitu Inc

Inventors

• Davidson Darcy
• Benton John M
• Watermeyer Kelly
• Trowbridge Kendrick
• Macy Pamela
• Legleiter Cameron

Classifications

• G08G5/26 Primary

  Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations · CPC title

• G08G5/22

  located on the ground · CPC title

• G08G5/53

  for cruising · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/50

  Navigation or guidance aids · CPC title