IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,790,786
Granted Patent B2
US 11,790,786 · App. 18/070,353 · Granted Oct 17, 2023

Airspace management system for an airspace region

Inventor: Jeffrey Bosworth (Flower Mound, TX)
Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
G08G5/0017G08G5/0034G08G5/0039G08G5/0043G08G5/0095H04L9/0637H04L67/104G06Q50/30
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,790,786
App. No.
18/070,353
Granted
Oct 17, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods and non-transitory computer readable storage media for airspace management within an airspace region at a node of a peer to peer network having a plurality of nodes and maintaining a blockchain containing a current deconflicted flight schedule for the airspace region. One method includes receiving requests for airspace reservations, each including flight plan data, from other nodes over the peer to peer network, compiling the flight plan data to identify conflicts between the requests and the current deconflicted flight schedule, validating the flight plan data of the requests that do not conflict with the current deconflicted flight schedule to generate validated airspace reservations, creating a block containing the validated airspace reservations and interlinking the block with the blockchain such that the blockchain contains a new deconflicted flight schedule for the airspace region for broadcast to the other nodes over the peer to peer network.

Claims (33)

1. An airspace management system for an airspace region, the system configured to operate within a peer to peer network, the system including a blockchain containing a current deconflicted flight schedule for the airspace region, the system comprising:

a node including a computer-useable non-transitory storage resource and a processor communicably coupled to the storage resource, wherein the processor executes application code instructions stored in the storage resource, the node configured to:

generate a request for an airspace reservation in the airspace region, the request including flight plan data;

identify any conflicts between the flight plan data and the current deconflicted flight schedule;

generate a validated airspace reservation if no conflicts are identified;

create a block containing the validated airspace reservation; and

interlink the block with the blockchain such that the blockchain contains a new deconflicted flight schedule for the airspace region including the validated airspace reservation for broadcast over the peer to peer network.

2. The airspace management system as recited in claim 1 wherein the node is an aircraft node.

3. The airspace management system as recited in claim 2 wherein the aircraft node further comprises an unmanned aircraft.

4. The airspace management system as recited in claim 2 wherein the aircraft node further comprises a pilot operated aircraft.

5. The airspace management system as recited in claim 2 wherein the aircraft node further comprises a passenger aircraft.

6. The airspace management system as recited in claim 2 wherein the aircraft node further comprises a cargo aircraft.

7. The airspace management system as recited in claim 2 wherein the aircraft node further comprises an autonomous aircraft.

8. The airspace management system as recited in claim 2 wherein the aircraft node further comprises a remote controlled aircraft.

9. The airspace management system as recited in claim 2 wherein the aircraft node further comprises a flight control computer that includes the computer-useable non-transitory storage resource and the processor.

10. The airspace management system as recited in claim 1 wherein the application code instructions of the node further comprise an instance of a blockchain reservation application.

11. A node of an airspace management system, the node comprising:

a computer-useable non-transitory storage resource; and

a processor communicably coupled to the storage resource such that the processor executes application code instructions stored in the storage resource which configures the processor to:

generate a request for an airspace reservation in an airspace region, the request including flight plan data;

identify any conflicts between the flight plan data and a current deconflicted flight schedule for the airspace region stored in a blockchain;

generate a validated airspace reservation if no conflicts are identified;

create a block containing the validated airspace reservation; and

interlink the block with the blockchain such that the blockchain contains a new deconflicted flight schedule for the airspace region including the validated airspace reservation for broadcast over a peer to peer network.

12. The node as recited in claim 11 wherein the node further comprises an aircraft node.

13. The node as recited in claim 11 wherein the node further comprises an unmanned aircraft node.

14. The node as recited in claim 11 wherein the node further comprises a pilot operated aircraft node.

15. The node as recited in claim 11 wherein the node further comprises a passenger aircraft node.

16. The node as recited in claim 11 wherein the node further comprises a cargo aircraft node.

17. The node as recited in claim 11 wherein the node further comprises an autonomous aircraft node.

18. The node as recited in claim 11 wherein the node further comprises a remote controlled aircraft node.

19. The node as recited in claim 11 further comprises a flight control computer that includes the computer-useable non-transitory storage resource and the processor.

20. The node as recited in claim 11 wherein the application code instructions of the node further comprise an instance of a blockchain reservation application.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 30, 2022
From: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
To: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 061921/0912 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 28, 2022
From: BOSWORTH, JEFFREY
To: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.
Reel/Frame 061896/0394 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17159443 · Jan 27, 2021
Continuation 16992064 · Aug 12, 2020
Continuation 16691540 · Nov 21, 2019
Continuation 15877513 · Jan 23, 2018
Related Publication 20230121171A1 · Apr 20, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,444,311