Methods, systems and apparatus for automated generation of a flight log and a squawk list file

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9972142-B2
Application number	US-201414906958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2014
Priority date	Jul 23, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to automated generation a flight log and a squawk list file. A computer records a preliminary flight log data file (PFLDF), and automatically generates a preliminary squawk list file (PSLF) that includes a plurality of squawk events recorded while an aircraft is in flight. A portable wireless communication device executes a software application, which can cause a display to display each squawk event from the PSLF for review. An input system receives an input for each particular squawk event. These inputs for each particular squawk event can be an edit input, an approval input, or a removal input. When all squawk events in the PSLF have been reviewed, the processor can generate a final flight log and a final squawk list file (FSLF) that includes each of the squawk events from the PSLF that have been reviewed and approved for inclusion in the final squawk list.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for automatic generation of a final flight log and a final squawk list, the method comprising:
recording flight log data for a flight in a preliminary flight log data file;
recording squawk events that occur while the aircraft is in flight;
automatically generating, at an on-board computer upon occurrence of a trigger event, a preliminary squawk list file comprising: a plurality of squawk events; and
executing, at a portable wireless communication device that is configured to communicate with the on-board computer over a communication link, a software application that is designed to generate a final flight log and a final squawk list file, wherein executing comprises:
presenting, at a graphical user interface of the portable wireless communication device, each squawk event from the preliminary squawk list file for review;
receiving inputs from an input system of the portable wireless communication device, wherein the inputs comprise: an input for each particular squawk event in the preliminary squawk list file comprising at least one of: an edit input to change content of that particular squawk event, an approval input that indicates that the particular squawk event has been approved for inclusion in the final squawk list file, or a removal input that indicates that the particular squawk event has not been approved for inclusion in the final squawk list file and is to be deleted from the preliminary squawk list file; and
when all squawk events in the preliminary squawk list file have been reviewed, generating a final flight log and the final squawk list file, wherein the final squawk list file comprises: each of the squawk events from the preliminary squawk list file that have been reviewed and approved for inclusion in the final squawk list file as squawk events to be investigated for corrective action after the flight.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein executing the software application further comprises:
extracting information from the preliminary flight log data file and information associated with each squawk event from the preliminary squawk list file; and
populating fields of the graphical user interface displayed at the portable wireless communication device with information from the preliminary flight log data file and with information associated with each squawk event from the preliminary squawk list file.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
in response to a request message communicated from the portable wireless communication device, communicating the preliminary flight log data file and the preliminary squawk list file from the aircraft to the portable wireless communication device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each squawk event is either:
a discrepancy that is observed by a human and manually entered into the preliminary squawk list file by the human either pre-flight before takeoff, during the flight, or post-flight after the aircraft has landed, wherein the discrepancy is flagged to be investigated for a corrective action after the flight; or
an event related to a Crew Alerting System (CAS) message that is automatically generated during flight and added to the preliminary squawk list file without human intervention, wherein the event related to the CAS message is detected, measured or observed during the flight and flagged to be investigated for a corrective action after the flight.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the final flight log comprises:
flight identification information for the flight that identifies one or more of: date of the flight, flight leg, pilot name, co-pilot name, origin airport, destination airport, block-in time and block-out time, takeoff time, landing time, indication of whether the flight was a day flight or a night flight; and
flight data information that indicates information regarding a state, a value, or a current cycle of any aircraft systems or sub-system.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
communicating the final flight log and the final squawk list file from the portable wireless communication device to a maintenance server.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein communicating the final flight log and the final squawk list file from the portable wireless communication device to the maintenance server, comprises:
communicating the final flight log and the final squawk list file from the portable wireless communication device to the on-board computer of the aircraft;
communicating the final flight log and the final squawk list file from the on-board computer of the aircraft to a ground support network; and
communicating the final flight log and the final squawk list file from the ground support network to the maintenance server, wherein the maintenance server automatically uploads and imports the final flight log and the final squawk list file into records associated with the aircraft.

8. A system for automatic generation of a final flight log and a final squawk list file, the system comprising:
an aircraft comprising an on-board computer configured to: record flight log data for a flight in a preliminary flight log data file; record squawk events that occur while the aircraft is in flight; and automatically generate, upon occurrence of a trigger event, a preliminary squawk list file comprising: a plurality of squawk events to be reviewed for potential inclusion in the final squawk list file; and
a portable wireless communication device configured to communicate with the on-board-computer over a communication link, wherein the portable wireless communication device comprises:
a processor configured to execute a software application;
a display configured to display a graphical user interface that presents each squawk event from the preliminary squawk list file for review and that allows a user to manually enter a new squawk event; and
an input system configured to receive inputs comprising: an input for each particular squawk event in the preliminary squawk list file comprising at least one of: an edit input to change content of that particular squawk event, an approval input that indicates that the particular squawk event has been approved for inclusion in the final squawk list file, or a removal input that indicates that the particular squawk event has not been approved for inclusion in the final squawk list file and is to be deleted from the preliminary squawk list file; and
when all squawk events in the preliminary squawk list have been reviewed, wherein the processor executes the software application to generate the final flight log and the final squawk list file that comprises: each of the squawk events from the preliminary squawk list file that have been reviewed and approved for inclusion in the final squawk list file as squawk events to be investigated for corrective action after the flight.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the processor executes the software application to establish a communication connection between the portable wireless communication device and the on-board computer of the aircraft, receive the preliminary flight log data file and the preliminary squawk list file at the portable wireless communication device from the on-board computer, extract information from the preliminary flight log data file and information associated with each squawk event from the preliminary squawk list file, and populate fields of the graphical user interface displayed at the portable wireless communication device with information from the preliminary flight log data file and with information associated with each squawk event from the preliminary squawk list file.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein

Assignees

• Gulfstream Aerospace Corp

Inventors

• O'Dell Robert
• Gallagher Jim
• Conzachi Keith
• Britt Noelle
• Claffy Kevin
• Kerekesh William

Classifications

• G07C5/085

  using electronic data carriers · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

  Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration · CPC title

• G07C5/008 Primary

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

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title