System and method for building a link between an aircraft alert message and an electronic checklist on an off board device

1. A computer-implemented system for providing checklists on an aircraft, the system comprising:

a controller in onboard avionics equipment, the controller configured by programming instructions to:

encode, in an optical code, information pertaining to an aircraft alert message displayed on a cockpit display, wherein the optical code when decoded identifies the information pertaining to the displayed aircraft alert message;

cause a graphical element to be displayed that indicates that the optical code encoded with the information pertaining to the aircraft alert message is available for display; and

cause the optical code to be displayed in a dialog window; and

a mobile device comprising a mobile device controller configured by programming instructions to:

capture, using an optical code reader, a visual image of the displayed optical code;

decode, using the visual image, the optical code to identify the information pertaining to the displayed aircraft alert message;

retrieve a checklist containing instructions for responding in view of the information pertaining to the displayed aircraft alert message; and

cause the checklist to be displayed on a display on the mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical code comprises a one-dimensional or linear barcode that encodes information by varying the widths and/or spacings of parallel lines.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical code comprises a two-dimensional or matrix barcode that encodes information using squares, rectangles, dots, hexagons or other geometric patterns.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the matrix barcode comprises a Quick Response code (QR code).

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical code reader comprises a camera on the mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft alert message comprises a crew-alerting system (CAS) message.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the checklist is retrieved from a data store on the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the checklist is retrieved from a cloud-based data store.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive the selection of the graphical element and to cause the optical code to be displayed responsive to the selection of the graphical element.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller in the onboard avionics equipment is further configured to close the dialog window when:

a predetermined time period has elapsed,

the dialog window has been closed by flight crew action,

a cursor used for selecting the graphical element is clicked outside the dialog window,

the cursor hovers outside of the dialog window for a predetermined period time without click operation, and

a high priority event is sensed by an aircraft system.

11. A method in an aircraft for activating functions on external equipment based on aircraft data displayed on an aircraft cockpit display, the method comprising:

encoding, in an optical code, information pertaining to an aircraft alert message displayed on a cockpit display, wherein the optical code when decoded identifies information pertaining to the displayed aircraft alert message;

causing a graphical element to be displayed that indicates that the optical code encoded with the information pertaining to the aircraft alert message is available for display;

causing the optical code to be displayed in a dialog window;

capturing, by a mobile device using an optical code reader, a visual image of the displayed optical code;

decoding, by the mobile device using the visual image, the optical code to identify information pertaining to the displayed aircraft alert message;

retrieving, by the mobile device, a checklist containing instructions for responding in view of the information pertaining to the displayed aircraft alert message; and

causing, by the mobile device, the checklist to be displayed on a display on the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical code comprises a one-dimensional or linear barcode that encodes information by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical code comprises a two-dimensional or matrix barcode that encodes information using squares, rectangles, dots, hexagons or other geometric patterns.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the matrix barcode comprises a Quick Response code (QR code).

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the aircraft alert message comprises a crew-alerting system (CAS) message.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the checklist is retrieved from a data store on the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the checklist is retrieved from a cloud-based data store.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving the selection of the graphical element and causing the optical code to be displayed in a dialog window responsive to the selection of the graphical element.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising closing the dialog window when:

a predetermined time period has elapsed,

the dialog window has been closed by flight crew action,

a cursor used for selecting the graphical element is clicked outside the dialog window,

the cursor hovers outside of the dialog window for a predetermined period time without click operation, or

a high priority event is sensed by an aircraft system.

20. Non-transitory computer readable media encoded with programming instructions configurable to cause the performance of a method, the method comprising:

encoding, in an optical code, information pertaining to an aircraft alert message displayed on a cockpit display, wherein the optical code when decoded identifies information pertaining to the displayed aircraft alert message;

causing a graphical element to be displayed adjacent to the displayed aircraft alert message that indicates that the optical code encoded with the information pertaining to the aircraft alert message is available for display;

receiving the selection of the graphical element; and

causing the optical code to be displayed in a dialog window responsive to the selection of the graphical element;

wherein a mobile device captures a visual image of the displayed optical code using an optical code reader, decodes using the visual image the optical code to identify the information pertaining to the displayed aircraft alert message, retrieves a checklist containing instructions for responding in view of the information pertaining to the displayed aircraft alert message, and displays the retrieved checklist on a display on the mobile device.