Dynamic flight tracking system using airborne communications and ground data services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018082593-A1
Application number	US-201715437591-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 21, 2017
Priority date	Sep 19, 2016
Publication date	Mar 22, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for dynamic flight tracking of an aircraft comprises a ground center configured to communicate with a flight tracking application onboard an aircraft, wherein the flight tracking application is preloaded with default flight tracking preferences comprising a normal time rate interval for sending normal condition position reports to the ground center when a flight condition is normal; abnormal time rate intervals for sending abnormal condition position reports to the ground center when abnormal flight conditions are detected, with the abnormal time rate intervals less than the normal time rate interval; and abnormal flight condition criteria to determine which aircraft conditions to monitor for detecting abnormal flight conditions. The ground center receives flight tracking communications from the aircraft for monitoring flight conditions to determine if the aircraft is encountering abnormal flight conditions, and is operative to send an uplink request to the aircraft to change the default flight tracking preferences.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for dynamic flight tracking of an aircraft, the system comprising:
a ground center configured to communicate with a flight tracking application onboard an aircraft, wherein the flight tracking application is preloaded with default flight tracking preferences comprising:
a normal time rate interval for sending normal condition position reports to the ground center when a flight condition is normal;
one or more abnormal time rate intervals for sending abnormal condition position reports to the ground center when one or more abnormal flight conditions are detected, the one or more abnormal time rate intervals less than the normal time rate interval; and
abnormal flight condition criteria to determine which aircraft conditions to monitor for detecting abnormal flight conditions;
wherein the ground center is operative to receive flight tracking communications from the aircraft for monitoring of flight conditions to determine if the aircraft is encountering any abnormal flight conditions; wherein the ground center is operative to send an uplink request to the aircraft to change one or more of the default flight tracking preferences.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ground center comprises a flight tracking ground center that operatively communicates with the flight tracking application through an air/ground network.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the air/ground network is configured to support communications comprising very high frequency (VHF) communications, satellite communications (SATCOM), high frequency (HF) communications, datalink subnetwork communications, or combinations thereof.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the datalink subnetwork communications comprise WiFi communications, cellular communications, broadband SATCOM communications, AeroMACS, or combinations thereof.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the flight tracking ground center operatively communicates with an airline/operator ground computing center.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the airline/operator ground computing center is configured to directly communicate with the flight tracking application through the air/ground network.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the flight tracking ground center is configured to send alerts to the airline/operator ground computing center when abnormal condition position reports are received from the flight tracking application.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the airline/operator ground computing center is configured to send requests to the flight tracking ground center to receive abnormal condition position reports and to change one or more of the default flight tracking preferences.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight tracking preferences further comprise a cruise period criteria to determine a time period to monitor for abnormal flight conditions.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight tracking application comprises an airline operational communication (AOC) application, or an aircraft condition monitoring system (ACMS) application.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight tracking application is in operative communication with one or more avionics data sources.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more avionics data sources comprise a flight management computer (FMC), an ACMS or other onboard maintenance computer, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, one or more aircraft engines, one or more flight systems, or one or more flight sensors.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight tracking application is in operative communication with a flight tracking database, or a flight tracking software module.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the flight tracking database comprises a configurable AOC database, and the flight tracking software module comprises a hardcoded AOC software module.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight tracking application is implemented in a communications management unit (CMU), a communications management function (CMF), an air traffic services unit (ATSU), an aircraft communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS), an electronic flight bag, a cabin terminal, a flight crew device, or an ACMS.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the ACMS is in operative communication with an airline modifiable information (AMI) database.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight tracking application is configurable to use a single abnormal time rate interval for all abnormal conditions.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight tracking application is configurable to use different abnormal time rate intervals for different abnormal conditions.

19 . A method for dynamic flight tracking of an aircraft, the method comprising:
receiving at a ground center, flight tracking communications from a flight tracking application onboard the aircraft to monitor flight conditions of the aircraft, wherein the flight tracking application is preloaded with default flight tracking preferences comprising:
a normal time rate interval for sending normal condition position reports to the ground center when a flight condition is normal;
one or more abnormal time rate intervals for sending abnormal condition position reports to the ground center when one or more abnormal flight conditions are detected, the one or more abnormal time rate intervals less than the normal time rate interval; and
abnormal flight condition criteria to determine which aircraft conditions to monitor for detecting abnormal flight conditions;
determining whether the aircraft encounters any abnormal flight conditions; and sending an uplink request to the aircraft to change one or more of the default flight tracking preferences in the flight tracking application when one or more abnormal flight conditions are detected.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the flight tracking preferences further comprise a cruise period criteria to determine a time period to monitor for abnormal flight conditions.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Judd Thomas D
• Fessler Bradley
• Hill Kathryn Bates
• Redner Keith Hamilton
• Madaras Scott
• Weinhardt Sarah Baird

Classifications

• G01S5/0027

  of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile · CPC title

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• B64D45/0059

  by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members · CPC title

• H04W4/027 Primary

  using movement velocity, acceleration information · CPC title

• H04W24/10

  Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} · CPC title