Granted Patent B2

US 12,249,242 · App. 17/863,170 · Granted Mar 11, 2025

Inventor: Samantha A. Schwartz (Castle Pines, CO)

Assignee: The Boeing Company

G08G5/0021B64D45/08G08G5/0013G08G5/003G08G5/0078G08G5/0091G08G5/025H04W4/42B64D2045/0075

Abstract

Claims (78)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at an electronic flight bag (EFB), Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data using a wireless connection;

upon determining an aircraft containing the EFB is in a holding pattern, determining a queue position of the aircraft based on the ADS-B data;

estimating a landing time of the aircraft based on a landing rate of other aircraft in the holding pattern and the queue position;

displaying, in real time, in a graphical user interface (GUI) in the EFB the queue position and the landing time;

receiving, using the GUI, a selection of an alternate location made by a pilot;

in response to receiving the selection of the alternate location, determining a bingo fuel for the alternate location;

determining a time remaining until reaching the bingo fuel based on a fuel burn rate; and

displaying, in real time, in the GUI the alternate location, the bingo fuel, and the time remaining until reaching the bingo fuel.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining an estimated queue position of the aircraft based on a diversion rate and the queue position, wherein the diversion rate predicts a number of aircraft that will divert to a different location rather than landing at a destination location, wherein the estimated queue position is less than the queue position,

wherein the landing time is based on the estimated queue position.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

estimating a remaining fuel in the aircraft at landing and a landing weight of the aircraft based on the landing time and a fuel burn rate; and

displaying in the GUI the remaining fuel and the landing weight.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

updating the GUI in real time with an updated queue position and an updated landing time in response to receiving updated ADS-B data via the wireless connection.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, using the GUI, a selection of multiple alternate locations made by a pilot;

determining diversion information for each of the multiple alternate locations; and

displaying the diversion information for each of the multiple alternate location in the GUI at the same time.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving weather conditions for the multiple alternate locations;

determining congestion information for the multiple alternate locations indicating a remaining capacity of the multiple alternate locations; and

displaying the weather conditions and the congestion information for the multiple alternate location in the GUI at the same time.

7. An electronic flight bag (EFB), comprising:

a processor; and

memory including instructions that when executed by the processor enable the EFB to perform an operation, the operation comprising:

receiving, at the EFB, ADS-B data using a wireless connection;

upon determining an aircraft containing the EFB is in a holding pattern, determining a queue position of the aircraft based on the ADS-B data;

estimating a landing time of the aircraft based on a landing rate of other aircraft in the holding pattern and the queue position;

displaying, in real time, in a graphical user interface (GUI) in the EFB the queue position and the landing time;

receiving, using the GUI, a selection of an alternate location made by a pilot;

in response to receiving the selection of the alternate location, determining a bingo fuel for the alternate location;

determining a time remaining until reaching the bingo fuel based on a fuel burn rate; and

displaying, in real time, in the GUI the alternate location, the bingo fuel, and the time remaining until reaching the bingo fuel.

8. The EFB of claim 7 , wherein the operation further comprises:

determining an estimated queue position of the aircraft based on a diversion rate and the queue position, wherein the diversion rate predicts a number of aircraft that will divert to a different location rather than landing at a destination location, wherein the estimated queue position is less than the queue position,

wherein the landing time is based on the estimated queue position.

9. The EFB of claim 7 , wherein the operation further comprises:

estimating a remaining fuel in the aircraft at landing and a landing weight of the aircraft based on the landing time and a fuel burn rate; and

displaying in the GUI the remaining fuel and the landing weight.

10. The EFB of claim 7 , wherein the operation further comprises:

updating the GUI in real time with an updated queue position and an updated landing time in response to receiving updated ADS-B data via the wireless connection.

11. The EFB of claim 7 , wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving, using the GUI, a selection of multiple alternate locations made by a pilot;

determining diversion information for each of the multiple alternate locations; and

displaying the diversion information for each of the multiple alternate location in the GUI at the same time.

12. The EFB of claim 11 , wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving weather conditions for the multiple alternate locations;

determining congestion information for the multiple alternate locations indicating a remaining capacity of the multiple alternate locations; and

displaying the weather conditions and the congestion information for the multiple alternate location in the GUI at the same time.

13. A computing system, comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

memory including instructions that when executed by the processor enable the system to perform an operation, the operation comprising:

receiving ADS-B data using a wireless connection;

upon determining an aircraft containing the computing system is in a holding pattern, determining a queue position of the aircraft based on the ADS-B data;

estimating a landing time of the aircraft based on a landing rate of other aircraft in the holding pattern and the queue position;

displaying, in real time, in a graphical user interface (GUI) in the display the queue position and the landing time, wherein the queue position and the landing time are updated in real-time in the GUI using updated ADS-B data;

receiving, using the GUI, a selection of an alternate location made by a pilot;

in response to receiving the selection of the alternate location, determining a bingo fuel for the alternate location;

determining a time remaining until reaching the bingo fuel based on a fuel burn rate; and

displaying, in real time, in the GUI the alternate location, the bingo fuel, and the time remaining until reaching the bingo fuel.

14. The computing system of claim 13 , wherein the operation further comprises:

determining an estimated queue position of the aircraft based on a diversion rate and the queue position, wherein the diversion rate predicts a number of aircraft that will divert to a different location rather than landing at a destination location, wherein the estimated queue position is less than the queue position,

wherein the landing time is based on the estimated queue position.

15. The computing system of claim 13 , wherein the operation further comprises:

estimating a remaining fuel in the aircraft at landing and a landing weight of the aircraft based on the landing time and a fuel burn rate; and

displaying in the GUI the remaining fuel and the landing weight.

16. The computing system of claim 13 , wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving, using the GUI, a selection of multiple alternate locations made by a pilot;

determining diversion information for each of the multiple alternate locations; and

displaying the diversion information for each of the multiple alternate location in the GUI at the same time.

17. The computing system of claim 16 , wherein the operation further comprises:

receiving weather conditions for the multiple alternate locations;

determining congestion information for the multiple alternate locations indicating a remaining capacity of the multiple alternate locations; and

displaying the weather conditions and the congestion information for the multiple alternate location in the GUI at the same time.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (33)