IP Library Granted Patent US 10,891,867
Granted Patent B2
US 10,891,867 · App. 15/706,282 · Granted Jan 12, 2021

Digital copilot

Inventors: Steven L. Estes (Savannah, GA); John R. Helleberg (Centreville, VA); Kevin M. Long (Ashburn, VA); Matthew E. Pollack (Falls Church, VA); Marco Quezada (Silver Spring, MD); Jeffrey Stein (Washington, DC)
Assignee: The MITRE Corporation
G08G5/0021G08G5/003G08G5/0013G08G5/0034G08G5/0039G08G5/0065G08G5/0078G08G5/025
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,891,867
App. No.
15/706,282
Granted
Jan 12, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to providing pilots with timely information to allow for better decision making and improved safety during the piloting of a flight. The systems and methods described herein can employ a collection of algorithms that can take disparate information, process it, and synthesize it into meaningful information for a pilot, flight crew, other flight systems, and/or other algorithms to consume.

Claims (33)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

receiving a destination airport for an aircraft;

determining whether visibility at the destination airport is below a threshold visibility;

in response to a determination that the visibility at the destination airport is below a threshold visibility, providing, via the electronic device, the aircraft with a visibility notification;

determining whether ceiling at the destination airport is below a threshold ceiling;

in response to a determination that the ceiling at the destination airport is below the threshold ceiling, providing, via the electronic device, the aircraft with a ceiling notification;

determining a phase of flight for the aircraft, wherein the phase of flight for the aircraft comprises arrival;

in response to determining the phase of flight for the aircraft, providing the aircraft with at least one notification based on the phase of flight for the aircraft;

determining whether the aircraft distance to the destination airport is less than a threshold distance;

determining whether the tower at the destination airport is open or closed;

in response to determining that the aircraft distance to destination airport is less than a threshold distance and that the tower at the destination airport is open, providing, via the electronic device, the aircraft with a tower frequency notification; and

in response to determining that the aircraft distance to destination airport is less than a threshold distance and that the tower at the destination airport is closed, providing, via the electronic device, the aircraft with a CTAF notification.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the phase of flight for the aircraft comprises takeoff or landing.

3. The device of claim 2 , further comprising instructions for determining remaining distance to runway end.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one notification based on the phase of flight for the aircraft is a runway remaining notification.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for:

in response to determining that the aircraft distance to destination airport is less than a threshold distance, providing the aircraft with an ATIS frequency notification.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for:

determining an approach airport for the aircraft;

determining if the approach airport is the same as the destination airport for the aircraft; and

in response to a determination that the approach airport is not the same as the destination airport for the aircraft, providing the aircraft with a wrong airport notification.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for:

determining an approach runway for the aircraft;

determining one or more conditions of one or more runways from NOTAM data;

determining if the approach runway is subject to the one or more conditions; and

in response to determining that the approach runway is subject to the one or more conditions, providing the aircraft with a notification relating to the one or more conditions.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the phase of flight comprises downwind.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the phase of flight comprises short final.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one notification based on the phase of flight for the aircraft is a GUMPS notification.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the visibility notification, the ceiling notification, and/or the at least one notification are an aural, tactile, and/or visual notification.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2018
From: STEIN, JEFFREY
To: THE MITRE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044904/0731 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 15, 2017
From: ESTES, STEVEN L.; HELLEBERG, JOHN R.; LONG, KEVIN M.; POLLACK, MATTHEW E.; QUEZADA, MARCO
To: THE MITRE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043607/0555 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62395205 · Sep 15, 2016
Related Publication 20180075757A1 · Mar 15, 2018