IP Library Granted Patent US 9,886,862
Granted Patent B1
US 9,886,862 · App. 15/390,043 · Granted Feb 6, 2018

Automated air traffic communications

Inventors: James Burgess (Redwood City, CA); Chirath Thouppuarachchi (Mountain View, CA); Gregory Whiting (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: X Development LLC
G08G5/0069G06F3/167G07C5/008G08G5/0013G08G5/0026H04W4/028
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,886,862
App. No.
15/390,043
Granted
Feb 6, 2018
Kind
B1
Abstract

Apparatus and methods related to aviation communications are included. A computing device can receive position data indicating a position of an aerial vehicle. The position can include an altitude. The computing device can determine, from a plurality of possible airspace classifications, a first airspace classification at the position of the aerial vehicle, where each airspace classification specifies one or more communication parameters for communication within an associated airspace. The computing device can select, from a plurality of communication repositories, a first communication repository that is associated with the first airspace classification, where each communication repository specifies a set of pre-defined communication components for at least one associated airspace classification. The computing device can generate a communication related to the aerial vehicle using the first communication repository. The computing device can send the generated communication to at least one recipient.

Claims (45)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, position data indicating a position of an aerial vehicle, wherein the position comprises an altitude;

determining, from a plurality of possible airspace classifications, a first airspace classification at the position of the aerial vehicle, wherein each airspace classification specifies one or more communication parameters for communication within an associated airspace;

selecting, by the computing device, from a plurality of communication repositories, a first communication repository that is associated with the first airspace classification, wherein each communication repository specifies a set of pre-defined communication components for at least one associated airspace classification;

generating, by the computing device, a communication related to the aerial vehicle using the first communication repository; and

sending the generated communication to at least one recipient.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of pre-defined communication components specified by the first communication repository comprise one or more words.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first airspace classification is further associated with an airspace-related entity, and wherein selecting the first communication repository comprises selecting a communication repository from among the plurality of communication repositories based on the particular airspace classification and the airspace-related entity.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein generating the communication related to the aerial vehicle comprises generating a communication related to the aerial vehicle that is also associated with the airspace-related entity.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one recipient comprises the airspace-related entity.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein generating the communication related to the aerial vehicle that is also associated with the airspace-related entity comprises:

receiving a received communication from the airspace-related entity at the computing device; and

generating a response communication to the received communication using the first communication repository.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the communication related to the aerial vehicle using the first communication repository comprises generating a voice communication.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after sending the communication related to the aerial vehicle, receiving a voice response communication at the computing device; and

recognizing the voice response communication based on the first communication repository.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the voice response communication comprises receiving the voice response communication from the at least one recipient.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first airspace classification is associated with one or more legally-defined airspace volumes.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of communication repositories further comprise a common communication repository that stores one or more language segments associated with each of the plurality of airspace classifications.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the common communication repository stores at least one type of date item from the following types of data items: a language segment associated with a geographic position, a language segment associated with a route, a language segment associated with a direction, a language segment associated with a unit of measure, a language segment associated with a number, and a language segment associated with a meteorological condition.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position indicated by the position data is a future position of an aerial vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position indicated by the position data is a current position of an aerial vehicle.

15. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

data storage including at least computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving position data indicating a position of an aerial vehicle, wherein the position comprises an altitude;

determining, from a plurality of possible airspace classifications, a first airspace classification at the position of the aerial vehicle, wherein each airspace classification specifies one or more communication parameters for communication within an associated airspace;

selecting, from a plurality of communication repositories, a first communication repository that is associated with the first airspace classification, wherein each communication repository specifies a set of pre-defined communication components for at least one associated airspace classification;

generating a communication related to the aerial vehicle using the first communication repository; and

sending the generated communication to at least one recipient.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the set of pre-defined communication components specified by the first communication repository comprises one or more language segments.

17. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the first airspace classification is further associated with an airspace-related entity, and wherein selecting the first communication repository comprises selecting a communication repository from among the plurality of repositories based on the particular airspace classification and the airspace-related entity.

18. The computing device of claim 17 , wherein generating the communication related to the aerial vehicle comprises generating a communication related to the aerial vehicle that is also associated with the airspace-related entity.

19. The computing device of claim 18 , wherein generating the communication related to the aerial vehicle comprises generating a communication related to the aerial vehicle that is also associated with the airspace-related entity comprises:

receiving a received communication from the airspace-related entity; and

generating a response communication to the received communication using the first communication repository.

20. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein generating the communication related to the aerial vehicle using the first communication repository comprises generating a voice communication.

21. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the aerial vehicle is configured as an autonomous aerial vehicle.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions, that when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving position data indicating a position of an aerial vehicle, wherein the position comprises an altitude;

determining, from a plurality of possible airspace classifications, a first airspace classification at the position of the aerial vehicle, wherein each airspace classification specifies one or more communication parameters for communication within an associated airspace;

selecting, from a plurality of communication repositories, a first communication repository that is associated with the first airspace classification, wherein each communication repository specifies a set of pre-defined communication components for at least one associated airspace classification;

generating a communication related to the aerial vehicle using the first communication repository; and

sending the generated communication to at least one recipient.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2018
From: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
To: WING AVIATION LLC
Reel/Frame 047567/0433 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 27, 2017
From: BURGESS, JAMES; THOUPPUARACHCHI, CHIRATH; WHITING, GREGORY
To: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 041104/0438 →