System for the radio transmission of real-time airline flight information
A flight delivery system that utilizes an architectural structure and network that allows real-time digital signals to be stored, retrieved and converted to an audio signal for radio transmission to achieve nearly instantaneous transmission of real-time data. The system utilizes a computerized reservation system as a source of information and stores it on a database. The information is called up by a computer that converts the data to a digital audio signal. The digital audio signal is then broadcast over airport antennae. The system features programs that allow for a conversion from airport city codes to the common identification for local cities.
1 - 10 . (canceled)
11 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for audible announcement generation, the method comprising the steps of:
a) storing flight information in a signal conversion database;
b) retrieving flight information from the signal conversion database;
c) sorting retrieved flight information into a desired sequence;
d) differentiating different city codes in the flight information;
e) radio broadcasting the flight information in the desired sequence;
f) radio broadcasting standardized opening messages;
g) determining an end program sequence termination request; and
h) verifying that the flight information is current before storing the flight information in the signal conversion database.
12 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein determining an end program sequence termination request comprises:
determining whether a designated key has been depressed; and
terminating performance of the method based on a determination that the designated key has been depressed.
13 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the steps of verifying that the flight information is current comprises the substeps of:
determining whether flight information has been received from a flight information file server within a predetermined period of time;
establishing communications with the flight information file server based on a determination that flight information has not been received within a predetermined period of time; and
performing steps a) through g).
14 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising the step of retrieving the flight information from a computerized reservation system and said storing step comprises storing the flight information in the signal conversion database.
15 . The computer-readable medium of claim 14 further comprising the step of converting the flight information retrieved by said retrieving step from the computerized reservation system into an audio file format.
16 . The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein said differentiating step converts city codes into city names.
17 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for audible announcement generation, the method comprising the steps of:
a) receiving flight information from a computer reservation system and storing the flight information in a signal conversion database;
b) sorting retrieved flight information into a desired sequence;
c) converting the flight information in the signal conversion database into an audio format file such that the data is stored in the desired sequence;
c) providing the audio format file containing the flight information to an antenna; and
d) radio broadcasting the flight information in the audio format file in the desired sequence.
18 . The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein said converting step comprises sorting retrieved flight information into a desired sequence and radio broadcasting step comprises radio broadcasting the flight information in the desired sequence.
19 . The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein said radio broadcasting step comprises:
radio broadcasting the flight information in the desired sequence;
radio broadcasting standardized opening messages; and
determining an end program sequence termination request.
20 . The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:
verifying that the flight information is current before storing the flight information in the signal conversion database.
21 . The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein determining an end program sequence termination request comprises:
determining whether a designated key has been depressed; and
terminating performance of the method based on a determination that the designated key has been depressed.
22 . The computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the steps of verifying that the flight information is current comprises the substeps of:
determining whether flight information has been received from a flight information file server within a predetermined period of time; and
establishing communications with the flight information file server based on a determination that flight information has not been received within a predetermined period of time.
23 . The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising the step of retrieving the flight information from a computerized reservation system and storing the flight information in the signal conversion database.
24 . The computer-readable medium of claim 17 further comprising the step of differentiating different city codes in the flight information.
25 . The computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein said differentiating step converts city codes into city names.
26 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for audible announcement generation, the method comprising the steps of:
a) receiving flight information from a computer reservation system and storing the flight information in a signal conversion database;
b) differentiating different city codes in the flight information;
c) converting the flight information in the signal conversion database into an audio format;
e) providing the audio format file containing the flight information to an antenna; and
f) radio broadcasting the flight information in the audio format file.
27 . The computer-readable medium of claim 26 , wherein said converting step comprises sorting retrieved flight information into a desired sequence and radio broadcasting step comprises radio broadcasting the flight information in the desired sequence.
28 . The computer-readable medium of claim 26 , wherein said radio broadcasting step comprises:
radio broadcasting the flight information in the desired sequence;
radio broadcasting standardized opening messages; and
determining an end program sequence termination request.
29 . The computer-readable medium of claim 26 , wherein said differentiating step converts city codes into city names.