System and methods for flight plan management
Systems and methods are provided for management of an active flight plan during operation of an aircraft. The systems include a flight management system, a communications system configured to receive flight mission data from external sources, a display device, and a controller. The controller is configured to, by a processor: receive the flight mission data that includes recommended updates to the active flight plan, generate an inactive flight plan including the active flight plan modified based on the recommended updates, access the inactive flight plan to determine an impact of the recommended updates on the active flight plan, render a graphical image on the display device that presents a contextual preview of the recommended updates and the impact thereof, and in response to acceptance of the recommended updates, modify the active flight plan based on the recommended updates or replace the active flight plan with the inactive flight plan.
1 . A system for an aircraft, the system comprising:
a flight management system, onboard the aircraft, configured for in-flight management of an active flight plan during operation of the aircraft and a position of the aircraft;
a communications system, onboard the aircraft, configured to receive flight mission data from external sources separate from the aircraft;
a display device, onboard the aircraft, configured to display the flight mission data of the active flight plan;
a controller, onboard the aircraft, operatively coupled with the flight management system, the communications system, and the display device, the controller configured to, by one or more processors:
receive the flight mission data from the external sources via the communications system during in-flight operation of the aircraft, wherein the flight mission data includes recommended updates to parameters of the active flight plan;
generate an inactive flight plan that includes a computer-readable copy of the active flight plan modified based on the recommended updates and store the computer-readable copy in a memory device onboard the aircraft;
maintain the inactive flight plan in an intermediate, inactive state to enable assessment and review of the inactive flight plan without implementing the recommended updates into the active flight plan;
assess the inactive flight plan to determine a potential impact of the recommended updates on the active flight plan including an estimated travel time to a destination and an estimated fuel on board upon arrival at the destination;
render a graphical image on the display device that presents a contextual preview that includes both the recommended updates and the potential impact of the recommended updates including the estimated travel time to the destination and the estimated fuel on board upon arrival at the destination;
in response to a user to request, predict and display expected messages that are predicted to be displayed to the user in the event that the recommended updates are implemented into the active flight plan, wherein the expected messages include one or more flight management advisory messages;
generate a warning in response to the potential impact of the recommended updates posing a risk to the aircraft;
provide validation of the recommended updates prior to insertion into the active flight plan; and
in response to acceptance of the recommended updates, generate activation data configured to either modify the active flight plan based on the recommended updates or replace the active flight plan with the inactive flight plan and thereby produce a new or updated flight plan, and transmit the activation data to other systems of the aircraft including the flight management system to cause the new or updated flight plan to be activated, wherein the flight management system navigates and controls the aircraft based on the new or updated flight plan.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, by the one or more processors:
render a popup window that includes a message configured to direct an operator's attention to the potential impact of the recommended updates.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the external sources include an airline operation controller, electronic flight bag, or cockpit mission manager.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, by the one or more processors:
render, on the display device, a graphical user interface that allows for a user to accept or reject the recommended updates via a human-machine interface, wherein the active flight plan is modified or replaced based on the recommended updates in response to the user accepting the recommended updates and the active flight plan remains the same in response to the user rejecting the recommended updates, wherein the graphical user interface allows for the user to request the expected messages.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the contextual preview includes a minimum fuel on board parameter and an extra fuel estimate.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the validation is configured to, at least in part, prevent insertion of malicious data.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the warning is audible and/or vibration.
8 . A method for in-flight management of an active flight plan during operation of an aircraft, the method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors on board the aircraft, flight mission data from an external source separate from the aircraft during in-flight operation of the aircraft, wherein the flight mission data includes recommended updates to parameters the active flight plan;
generating, by the one or more processors, an inactive flight plan that includes a computer-readable copy of the active flight plan modified based on the recommended updates and storing the computer-readable copy in a memory device onboard the aircraft;
maintaining the inactive flight plan in an intermediate, inactive state to enable assessment and review of the inactive flight plan without implementing the recommended updates into the active flight plan;
assessing, by the one or more processors, the inactive flight plan to determine a potential impact of the recommended updates on the active flight plan including an estimated travel time to a destination and an estimated fuel on board upon arrival at the destination;
rendering, by the one or more processors, a graphical image on a display device onboard the aircraft that presents a contextual preview that includes both the recommended updates and the potential impact of the recommended updates including the estimated travel time to the destination and the estimated fuel onboard upon arrival at the destination;
in response to a user to request, predicting and displaying, by the one or more processors, expected messages that are predicted to be displayed to the user in the event that the recommended updates are implemented into the active flight plan, wherein the expected messages include one or more flight management advisory messages;
generating a warning in response to the potential impact of the recommended updates posing a risk to the aircraft,
validating, by the one or more processors, the recommended updates prior to insertion into the active flight plan; and
in response to acceptance of the recommended updates, generating activation data configured to either modify, by the one or more processors, the active flight plan based on the recommended updates or replace, by the one or more processors, the active flight plan with the inactive flight plan and thereby produce a new or updated flight plan, and transmit the activation data to other systems of the aircraft including a flight management system of the aircraft to cause the new or updated flight plan to be activated, wherein the flight management system navigates and controls the aircraft based on the new or updated flight plan.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
rendering, by the one or more processors, a popup window that includes a message configured to direct an operator's attention to the potential impact of the recommended updates.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the external source includes an airline operation controller, electronic flight bag, or cockpit mission manager.
11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
rendering, one or more processors, on the display device a graphical user interface that allows for a user to accept or reject the recommended updates via a human-machine interface, wherein the active flight plan is modified or replaced based on the recommended updates in response to the user accepting the recommended updates and the active flight plan remains the same in response to the user rejecting the recommended updates, wherein the graphical user interface allows for the user to request the expected messages.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the contextual preview includes a minimum fuel on board parameter and an extra fuel estimate.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the validation is configured to, at least in part, prevent insertion of malicious data.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the warning is audible and/or vibration.
15 . An aircraft comprising:
a database, onboard the aircraft, having an active flight plan stored therein;
a flight management system, onboard the aircraft, configured for in-flight management of the active flight plan during operation of the aircraft and a position of the aircraft;
a communications system, onboard the aircraft, configured to receive flight mission data from external sources separate from the aircraft;
a display device, onboard the aircraft, configured to display the flight mission data of the active flight plan;
a controller onboard the aircraft and operatively coupled with the flight management system, the communications system, and the display device, the controller configured to, by one or more processors:
receive the flight mission data from the external sources via the communications system during in-flight operation of the aircraft, wherein the flight mission data includes recommended updates to parameters of the active flight plan;
generate an inactive flight plan that includes a computer-readable copy of the active flight plan modified based on the recommended updates and store the computer-readable copy in a memory device onboard the aircraft;
maintain the inactive flight plan in an intermediate, inactive state to enable assessment and review of the inactive flight plan without implementing the recommended updates into the active flight plan;
assess the inactive flight plan to determine a potential impact of the recommended updates on the active flight plan including an estimated travel time to a destination and an estimated fuel on board upon arrival at the destination;
render a graphical image on the display device that presents a contextual preview that includes both the recommended updates and the potential impact of the recommended updates including the estimated travel time to the destination and the estimated fuel on board upon arrival at the destination;
in response to a user to request, predict and display expected messages that are predicted to be displayed to the user in the event that the recommended updates are implemented into the active flight plan, wherein the expected messages include one or more flight management advisory messages;
generate a warning in response to the potential impact of the recommended updates posing a risk to the aircraft;
provide validation of the recommended updates prior to insertion into the active flight plan; and
in response to acceptance of the recommended updates, generate activation data configured to either modify the active flight plan based on the recommended updates or replace the active flight plan with the inactive flight plan and thereby produce a new or updated flight plan, and transmit the activation data to other systems of the aircraft including the flight management system to cause the new or updated flight plan to be activated, wherein the flight management system navigates and controls the aircraft based on the new or updated flight plan.
16 . The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the external sources include an airline operation controller, electronic flight bag, or cockpit mission manager.
17 . The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to, by the one or more processors:
render, on the display device, a graphical user interface that allows for a user to accept or reject the recommended updates via a human-machine interface, wherein the active flight plan is modified or replaced based on the recommended updates in response to the user accepting the recommended updates and the active flight plan remains the same in response to the user rejecting the recommended updates, wherein the graphical user interface allows for the user to request the expected messages.
18 . The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the contextual preview includes a minimum fuel on board parameter and an extra fuel estimate.
19 . The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the validation is configured to, at least in part, prevent insertion of malicious data.
20 . The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the warning is audible and/or vibration.