RU2744776C2 - Method and system for obtaining and presenting turbulence data via communication devices located on airplanes - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mechanical engineering.

SUBSTANCE: set of inventions relates to a method and a system for communicating with on-board communication devices. In order to implement the method, in an on-board central control device during the flight the turbulence data are obtained from the flight crew, from the crew’s communication devices which are self-authenticated on the basis of the flight crew’s safety authorization, is received and passengers’ communication devices after their authentication by a central control device of the passenger turbulence data accurateness, the turbulence map data are formed on the basis of the information obtained and are distributed to the communication devices for displaying the distributed turbulence map data thereon. The device comprises one or more processors, memory units and instructions stored in memory and executed by a processor for implementing the steps of said method.

EFFECT: ensured is obtaining a turbulence prognosis during the flight.

22 cl, 9 dwg

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from US Patent Application No. 62 / 360,818, filed July 11, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the use of shared resources, and in particular to obtaining turbulence data along a flight path through communication devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Before setting out the prior art of the invention, it may be useful to define certain terms that will be used hereinafter.

[0004] The term "turbulence" as used herein refers to rapid fluctuations in pressure and flow rate in space and time that affect aircraft during flight. Turbulence affects the comfort of passengers in flight and can also affect flight safety. In addition, turbulence can affect the fuel consumption of an aircraft. Clear air turbulence (CAT) is the turbulent movement of air masses in the absence of any visual indicators such as clouds, and occurs when air masses are encountered moving at very different speeds. Therefore, CAT events are much more difficult to detect.

[0005] The term "communications device" as used herein refers to any electronic device that is capable of both transmitting and receiving data, usually, but not exclusively, over a communications network. Communication devices can include user equipment (UE), such as portable mobile devices that are not integral and can be carried to and from aircraft, including, for example, smartphones, tablet personal computers (PCs), and laptop PCs. User equipment (UE) may be used, for example, by a pilot, flight crew member, or passenger, for example, removably secured to a cockpit dashboard mount such that the user equipment is generally fixed relative to the aircraft. Additionally or alternatively, the communications devices can be part of an aircraft's embedded communications systems that are embedded, non-removable, or part of the aircraft's devices. Embedded aircraft communications devices may include, for example, transponders such as Mode C transponders or Mode S transponders or Universal Access Transceivers (UAT). Communication devices can include or can be operatively coupled to one or more turbulence sensors, communication circuit (s) including antenna (s), one or more memory units, processor (s) and display (s), any combination which can be integrated into one housing as one device or can be divided into different devices. Data can be transmitted between user equipment, aircraft built-in communication devices, satellites, ground communication devices, or any combination of them over one or more wireless networks, including, for example, radio, satellite communications, Wi-Fi (for example, the IEEE 802.11 family), cellular communications such as 3G or Long Term Evolution (LTE), or any combination thereof.

[0006] Figure 1 is a map diagram depicting turbulence data obtained using prediction models. Map 10 shows areas that can be affected by turbulence. A darker pattern indicates the possibility of a relatively high level of turbulence, while a lighter pattern indicates the likelihood of a relatively moderate level of turbulence. Data derived from forecasting models can be regularly updated and is usually based on mathematical models. Data can be generated for different time intervals and altitude ranges so that the flight path can be planned and changed accordingly.

[0007] These maps are generated using prediction models generally based on weather conditions, but they are prone to high levels of inaccuracy due to the inability to correctly assess the effect of different weather conditions on turbulence. Firstly, not all clouds lead to turbulence, and secondly, various conditions such as clear air turbulence (CAT) cannot be accurately predicted. Therefore, currently available solutions for acquiring and reporting turbulence data tend to suffer from both “not detected” and “false alarm” scenarios, which in general undermine the reliability of turbulence monitoring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus, system and method for acquiring and processing turbulence data via aircraft-based communication devices. Turbulence data may be received, including several different levels of turbulence, within each of one or more regions of the turbulence map, obtained by a plurality of communication devices during flights aboard respective aircraft from a plurality of aircraft. The received turbulence data can be obtained, for example, by acquiring spatial acceleration data for each of a plurality of communication devices and converting the spatial acceleration data to turbulence data based on a conversion process. Turbulence map data can be generated, including accumulated space-time information about the turbulence of one level of turbulence for each of one or more regions, by superimposing turbulence data on one space-time frame of reference, including several different levels of turbulence within each from one or more regions received from a plurality of communication devices. Turbulence map data, including accumulated space-time turbulence information, may be distributed to one or more of a plurality of communication devices. The distributed turbulence map data may be displayed, for example, as a visualization of the turbulence map on a display of one or more of a plurality of communication devices.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus, system, and method for obtaining turbulence data by a communication device during flight aboard an aircraft. Turbulence data from communication devices can be transmitted to a remote location. Accumulated space-time information about turbulence can be received, which is formed at a remote location by superimposing turbulence data received from a communication device and turbulence data received from one or more other communication devices during flights on board other aircraft, onto one space - time frame of reference. Accumulated space-time turbulence information associated with areas surrounding the aircraft of communication devices and other aircraft may be displayed.

[0010] The system can use a distribution server connected to a plurality of communication devices through a common communication network. Communication devices thus serve both as sources of turbulence data and as receivers of accumulated turbulence data. The plurality of communication devices can include one or more portable user communication devices, for example, operated by a pilot (in "pilot" or "flight crew" mode) or by a passenger (in "passenger" mode), embedded communication devices of the aircraft, for example, integrated or aircraft integrated and / or additional communication devices to supplement the aforementioned main portable or built-in communication devices, for example, when the reception or accuracy of turbulence or position information deteriorates, such as information detected by a navigation system, for example, a global satellite navigation system ( GNSS) or Global Positioning System (GPS).

[0011] An apparatus, system, and method for generating turbulence map data are provided. Some embodiments of the invention can be used, for example, to generate turbulence map data with fewer or no "false positive" turbulence events.

[0012] In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of turbulence values can be received that are obtained as one or more aircraft pass through the same airspace within a predetermined period of time. At least two turbulence values can be different. Turbulence map data may be generated for an airspace region based on the minimum of the various turbulence values. Turbulence map data of at least an airspace region may be transmitted based on the minimum turbulence values to one or more communication devices.

[0013] In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a turbulence value that is received by the first communication device while flying on board the first aircraft while traveling through an airspace may be received. Embodiments of the invention may set a predetermined blocking period after the turbulence value is obtained, during which the turbulence value can only be decreased but not increased. During a predetermined blocking period, the turbulence value may be corrected based on a subsequently received turbulence value obtained by the same or another communication device while flying on board the same or another aircraft while traveling through the same airspace if (and for example, only if) the subsequent turbulence value is less than the turbulence value obtained by the first communication device. Turbulence map data, including a turbulence value specified for an airspace region, may be transmitted to one or more communication devices.

[0014] In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, turbulence values that are received by multiple communication devices during flights aboard the same or different aircraft flying through the same airspace within a predetermined period of time can be received. After receiving the first of the turbulence values, if the subsequently received turbulence values are less than the first turbulence value, the turbulence value for the airspace region may be set or reduced based on the subsequently received turbulence value, whereas if the first turbulence value is greater than the subsequently received turbulence value, the turbulence value for the airspace region may remain the same or may be set based on the first turbulence value. Turbulence map data of an airspace region may be transmitted to one or more communication devices based on the turbulence value set for the airspace region.

[0015] In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, there is provided an apparatus, system, and method for communicating with communication devices operating in flight crew mode or passenger mode while in aircraft flight. Flight crew turbulence data may be received at the centralized control device from a plurality of communication devices operated by flight crew members in flight crew mode while flying aboard their respective aircraft from a plurality of aircraft. Communication devices operating in flight crew mode may have flight crew safety credentials that self-authenticate the accuracy of flight crew turbulence data. Passenger turbulence data may be received in the centralized control device from a plurality of communication devices operated by passengers in passenger mode while flying aboard the respective aircraft from the plurality of aircraft. Communication devices operating in passenger mode may have passenger safety credentials that are not self-authenticating but require the centralized control device to authenticate the passenger turbulence data accuracy. Turbulence map data, including accumulated space-time information about turbulence, can be generated in the centralized control device by superimposing received flight crew turbulence data, self-identified based on flight crew safety credentials, and passenger turbulence data on one space-time frame. authenticated by the centralized management device. Turbulence map data can be distributed to one or more of a variety of communication devices to display distributed turbulence map data when operating in flight crew mode or in passenger mode.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] The subject matter of the invention, considered as the invention, is specifically indicated and clearly stated in the concluding part of the patent specification. The invention, however, both in terms of organization and method of operation, together with its objects, features and advantages, can be best understood by reference to the following detailed description when reading the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 is a map diagram depicting turbulence data obtained using prediction models;

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a system for tracking turbulence data in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3A is a flowchart depicting a method for tracking turbulence data in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3B is a flowchart depicting a method for receiving and transmitting turbulence data in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing a conversion process in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic drawing depicting a plurality of turbulence data measurements from multiple flight paths used to obtain coverage of a specific area with turbulence data, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 is a graphical diagram of an overlay of turbulence data received from a plurality of communication devices, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 is a map diagram depicting a visual representation of turbulence data in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 is a flow diagram depicting a method for correcting "false positive" turbulence events in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and

[0026] Figure 9 is a flow diagram depicting a method for communicating with a plurality of communication devices operating in "flight crew mode" or "passenger mode" in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] It should be understood that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. In addition, where appropriate, reference numbers may be repeated between figures to indicate corresponding or similar elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0028] In the following description, various aspects of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will also be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details set forth herein. In addition, known features may be omitted or simplified so as not to obscure the understanding of the present invention.

[0029] Unless specifically stated otherwise, as is apparent from the following description, it is understood that throughout the patent specification used terms such as "processing", "calculation", "determination" and the like. refer to the action and / or processes of a computer or computing system or similar electronic computing device that manipulates and / or transforms data represented as physical, for example, electronic quantities within the registers of a computing system and / or memory units into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the memory blocks of a computing system, registers, or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a system for tracking turbulence data in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The system may include a plurality of communication devices 30 (e.g., one or more devices 30a, 30b, and / or 30c) located, respectively, on a plurality of aircraft 10A-10F and configured to receive and transmit over the communication channel turbulence data related to a turbulence of 70 affecting the respective aircraft 10A-10F. Communications devices 30 may include or may be operatively coupled to a sensor or detector such as an accelerometer for collecting and recording turbulence data, a communications circuit having an antenna for communicating with other devices, one or more memory units 32 for storing data. turbulence and processing instructions, one or more processors 34 for executing instructions and / or a display for displaying turbulence data or maps. Communication devices 30 may include navigation or positioning systems such as Global Positioning System (GNSS), Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, and / or Beidou for positioning or positioning information. The communication devices 30 may be carried on board the aircraft by users, may be installed on the aircraft, or may be an integral part of the aircraft in embedded communications systems on board the aircraft. Communication devices 30a may include, for example, a portable mobile device or user equipment such as a tablet PC held by user 50 (eg, a pilot is holding or placing the device on a dashboard). The communication devices 30b may additionally or alternatively be part of an embedded aircraft communication system in one or more of the aircraft 10A-10F. Embedded aircraft communications systems may include multiple components (e.g. a transponder such as a Mode C transponder or a Mode S transponder, a universal access transceiver (UAT), memory, processor, display, weather radar, etc.) etc.), which can be packed in a single body or embedded in several different locations inside or outside the aircraft. Built-in communication devices 30d may provide information from internal sensors such as altimeter, clock, positioning module. The communication devices 30c may additionally or alternatively include one or more additional devices used in addition to the aforementioned portable communication devices 30a or built-in communication devices 30b to supplement or replace data collected from them. In some cases, the reception of the devices 30a held by the user is poor, resulting in a degradation in the accuracy of their navigation systems (eg, GPS). Additional communication devices 30c can supplement or replace data from devices with poor reception or accuracy, in particular portable communication devices 30a, with additional turbulence data and / or navigation / position data of higher accuracy. Additional communication devices 30c may be, for example, small (eg 16.4 cm ³ ) devices with an accelerometer, navigation system (eg GPS), communication circuitry, and antenna. Additional communication devices 30c may be detachably mounted to the aircraft (eg, detachable without significantly altering the connection surface) or non-detachably attached (eg, permanently attached such that an attempt to detach significantly alters the connection surface). Additional communication devices 30c may be mounted, for example, by glue or suction to the interior of an aircraft window to sense window vibrations and / or connected to a docking station on the aircraft dashboard. In one example, during operation, the auxiliary communication device 30c is fixed relative to the aircraft and located in a location with a relatively high level of reception (eg, in the cockpit) for navigation systems (eg, GPS). The above three different types of communication devices, portable 30a, embedded 30b, and optional 30c, may be physically separate devices having different shapes and / or functions, communicating with each other wirelessly and capable of working together in tandem or independently.

[0031] In some embodiments, the handheld device may collect sensor data from its own integrated sensors, from embedded sensors of aircraft systems associated with embedded communications devices, and / or from additional sensors associated with additional communications devices. In some embodiments, these different types of communication devices can generate different forms of information that the server 100 converts and integrates into a single format or protocol. For example, embedded communications devices can relay barometric pressure information (such as from other systems) to a server, which can convert pressure information to altitude coordinates in the same format as recorded by satellite navigation systems such as GPS in handheld and auxiliary devices. communication. In another example, the additional communications device may be configured with limited additional functionality, such as providing only location information (eg, GPS or GNSS), but not turbulence information.

[0032] In various embodiments, turbulence or position data from optional communications devices 30c may be used to verify, refine, replace, or combine with turbulence or position data from portable communications device 30a, or vice versa. In various embodiments, additional communication devices 30c may continuously or selectively and periodically measure and / or transmit turbulence or location data. In some embodiments, additional communication devices 30c may only measure and / or transmit turbulence or position data, or their data may only be used by remote server 100 to compute turbulence or the position of their aircraft if receiving data or accuracy from others (e.g., portable or embedded 30a and / or 30b) communication devices below the quality threshold. In various embodiments, turbulence or position data from additional communications devices 30c may supplement (eg, be used in conjunction with) or replace (eg, be used instead of) turbulence or position data from other communications devices 30a and / or 30b. In various embodiments, server 100 may compute turbulence with two or more communication devices 30 on board an aircraft (e.g., portable and optional 30a and / or 30c) by averaging the turbulence data from there (e.g., by taking into account the contribution weight of each device using a predetermined multiplier according to the device priority list related to their accuracy, or real-time measurement of data reception or accuracy) or (for example, exclusively or primarily) by using the smallest turbulence measurements from there (for example, because an incorrect turbulence reading is usually , leads to larger than actual, but rarely smaller than actual, turbulence measurements). In various embodiments, the server 100 may compute position or navigation information for an aircraft with two or more (e.g., portable and optional 30a and / or 30c) communication devices 30 by averaging the position information from there (e.g., by taking into account the contribution weight of each device by using a predetermined multiplier or real-time measurement of data reception or accuracy) or by (for example, exclusively or primarily) using location information from a device with the highest level of reception or accuracy. For example, server 100 may prefer or use navigation (eg, GPS) information from a navigation system receiver (eg, GPS) with a relatively higher level of reception (eg, in the cockpit) compared to navigation (eg, GPS) information from a navigation system receiver. (eg GPS) with a relatively lower level of reception (eg in the passenger compartment). In one example, accessory communication device 30c improves the average accuracy of position and navigation information from 85% accuracy (with handheld device 30a only) to nearly 100% accuracy (with both handheld and accessory devices 30a and / or 30c communication).

[0033] In some embodiments, the computational task of measuring turbulence and / or location data may be shared among multiple (eg, portable and optional) communication devices 30, thereby reducing the computational burden on any single device. For example, communication devices 30 of the first type (for example, portable) may be the only device on board the aircraft for measuring turbulence data, and the communication device 30 of the second type (for example, additional or integrated) with the highest level of reception of navigation (for example, GPS) information. or the greatest accuracy may be the only device on board an aircraft to measure the aircraft's position or navigation information. The communication devices 30 with the best reception level or accuracy can be determined by the devices themselves on board (for example, each device individually compares its reception level or accuracy against performance thresholds), multiple devices on board (for example, sharing and comparing their relative accuracy or reading information) or a remote server 100 (for example, using the readings of the measurements of the response to the request or passively received readings to determine one or more optimal devices). In embodiments where the server 100 remotely controls the optimal loggers 30, the server 100 may send a transmission to the optimally or sub-optimal devices on board the aircraft, respectively, to start or stop the measurement of all or specific data, for example, for a predetermined timeout or until the registration accuracy or the reception level reaches the threshold value. In some embodiments, each individual device 30 may store ranges of metric thresholds and may selectively measure when its turbulence information or position / navigation information is within those threshold ranges (e.g., when its turbulence data does not conflict with other measuring devices, when the fluctuations in turbulence levels are below the threshold, and / or when the position information is measured with an accuracy above the threshold or an error below the threshold) and can stop measurements when the information goes beyond these threshold ranges. Such selective measurement can also reduce the computational load and memory in the communication devices 30 by preventing the device from continuously measuring and storing data even when its data is sub-optimal data and cannot be used (or is used with negligible weights) by the server 100 to generate map data. turbulence.

[0034] Communication devices 30, such as portable user equipment, can communicate via a Wi-Fi access point 40, which can be accessed continuously or intermittently during flight of aircraft 10A (or after flight when the aircraft has landed). Access point 40 may communicate with communications satellite 20B, which in turn transmits data to ground station 80, which connects to remote server 100 over network 90, which may, although not necessarily, be the Internet. Additionally or alternatively, communication devices 30, such as transponders embedded in the aircraft's embedded communication systems, can transmit turbulence data to ground control devices via radio or satellite. Additionally or alternatively, additional communication devices 30 may relay turbulence and / or navigation data through other (eg, portable or built-in) communication devices 30, eg, via local communications such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. In other embodiments, additional communication devices 30 may transmit data directly through the Wi-Fi access point 40 to the remote server 100. Turbulence data may be transmitted over these communication channels, for example, periodically, when there is a threshold change in the detected turbulence values, and / or, if the connection is temporarily unavailable after the connection is restored. In some embodiments, additional communications devices 30 may transmit data continuously and / or upon receipt of a data request, such as from a companion communications device 30 or a remote server 100, such as when companion communications device 30 has suboptimal accuracy or reception below a threshold.

[0035] Although most aircraft 10A-10E transmit information via communications satellite 20A, some aircraft, such as 10F, may transmit information (possibly using an inter-aircraft communication system) via another aircraft 10E, which acts as a network node between aircraft 10F and satellite 20A communication. Additionally, some communication devices 33, 35, and 37 may be located remotely outside the aircraft, either as stationary data sources or as terminals (eg, weather stations, airline operating terminals, and / or ground control terminals) displaying data. In some embodiments, turbulence data can be obtained either manually or automatically from communication devices 33, 35 and / or 37, for example, as independent sources other than in-flight communication devices.

[0036] Remote server 100 may include one or more memory 102 or database (s) 110 for storing turbulence data and processing instructions, and one or more processors 104 for executing instructions. The remote server 100 may be configured to receive turbulence data from communication devices 30 on board aircraft 10A-10F over a communication channel. The remote server 100 may generate and thereafter update the space-time turbulence database 110 by overlaying (or mapping) turbulence data received from a plurality of communication devices 30 onto a single space-time frame of reference. Turbulence data can be presented, for example, as values indicating intensity, data source (manual or automatic), time, and additional metadata describing the turbulence data. In some embodiments, each turbulence data measurement recorded by communication devices 30 and / or received by remote server 100 may be indexed or identified by the coordinates of the location and time at which the data was recorded. For example, the database 110 may store information that is a four-dimensional dataset that maps the geographic coordinates of the global positioning system (x, y), altitude (z), and time (t) to turbulence data. Additionally or alternatively, the communication devices 30 may register, and the remote server 100 may receive a predetermined flight path, for example, for each individual linear or curved flight path at a constant speed and / or acceleration, and the time at which each recording was recorded from whereby the remote server 100 can calculate the location of each turbulence data sample. The remote server 100 can accumulate and combine readings from different trajectories and from different aircraft, for example, by rotating the axes of each set of values according to each individual trajectory about a common set of coordinate axes for alignment on a turbulence map or graph.

[0037] In some embodiments, communications devices 30 may measure raw turbulence data aboard aircraft 10A-10F and send the raw data to a remote server 100 (eg, a ground radio station) where the raw data is processed and aggregated with data from another aircraft and distributed back to communication devices 30 on board aircraft 10A-10F. In some embodiments, communications devices 30 may measure raw turbulence data and process the data (e.g., at the application layer) aboard aircraft 10A-10F and send the processed turbulence data to a remote server 100, where the processed data is aggregated (and, for example, subjected to additional processing). algorithmic refinement) and distributed back to communication devices 30 on board aircraft 10A-10F.

[0038] The remote server 100 may then distribute the accumulated turbulence data stored in the space-time database 110 back to the communication devices 30. Distributed data can be provided in various forms of processing. In one embodiment, the remote server 100 may distribute the entire turbulence dataset, eg, accumulated from communications devices 30 on all available aircraft 10A-10F, or for all available regions, times, and / or altitude ranges. In another embodiment, the remote server 100 may only distribute a subset of turbulence data stored in the database 110, for example, for a subset of aircraft 10A-10F, region, times and / or altitude ranges in response to a specified request made by one or more devices. 30 connections or only for new or changed measurements of turbulence data. For example, the remote server 100 can distribute a subset of turbulence data along the route of the aircraft in which the device is located (eg, which can be predefined and / or updated automatically upon redirection). In other embodiments, remote server 100 may distribute raw turbulence data from other communications devices back to communications devices 30, which may then locally accumulate the received turbulence data with its own stored turbulence data. An example of a data structure for storing turbulence data and their visual representation will be described in greater detail below.

[0039] Data can be securely transferred between communication devices 30, access points 40, satellites 20A-20B and / or ground station 80, for example, using data authentication or encryption mechanisms in the transmitting and / or receiving device, such as, for example, a secure password logon, public and private keys, encryption functions, digital signatures, digital certificates, firewalls or other security mechanisms. In one embodiment, turbulence data can be transmitted securely using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) communication (eg, where HTTPS communication is not available). Upon launching an application, a processor (eg, processor 34 or 104) may request and accept user credentials, such as a username and password entered by user 50. In some embodiments, memory (eg, memory 32, 102, or database 110) may store a list of one or more user IDs, device IDs, or flight IDs that the processor (eg, processor 34 or 104) pre-registers as allowed or denied. In some embodiments, the processor may request and receive the user's flight information and, for example, together with the username and password, may request the airline to verify the user's credentials and / or specific flight details, including route and waypoints against which location can be verified. user during the flight.

[0040] Figure 3A is a flow diagram depicting a method 300A for tracking turbulence data in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Method 300A may be performed by a processor (eg, server processor 104 of FIG. 2) that communicates and is located remotely from a plurality of in-flight communication devices (eg, communication devices 30 of FIG. 2).

[0041] In operation 310A, a processor (eg, processor 104 of FIG. 2) may receive turbulence data received by a plurality of communication devices (eg, communication devices 30 of FIG. 2) during flights aboard respective aircraft from a plurality of aircraft (eg, aircraft 10A- 10F of Figure 2). Each of the plurality of communication devices can independently receive or register turbulence affecting an aircraft in flight. The communication device can either receive turbulence data manually, through human input, or automatically by measuring the temporary acceleration forces applied to the sensors of the communication device.

[0042] In operation 320A, the processor may generate accumulated space-time turbulence information by superimposing turbulence data received from a plurality of communication devices onto a single space-time frame of reference.

[0043] In operation 330A, the processor may distribute the accumulated space-time information of the turbulence data back to one or more communication devices.

[0044] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the processor may distribute accumulated turbulence data to be displayed on communication devices. In some embodiments, the processor may partition and distribute flight and turbulence data across time segments. Each segment can represent one level of turbulence (e.g., in the range 0-5), and the processor can create a new segment if the processor detects a change in the level of turbulence and / or a change in course / direction of flight by more than a predetermined threshold (e.g., by 2 degrees). Each segment can include one or more of: start and end coordinates, start and end altitude, start and end timestamp, and direction. A segment can have a maximum duration (eg, 15 minutes), for example, to allow the processor to respond to requests that are based on time, such as "show turbulence in the past 45 minutes."

[0045] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the turbulence data may include, for example, the level of turbulence intensity, geographic coordinates or spatial location of the turbulence, flight path, turbulence altitude, and / or turbulence time.

[0046] Figure 3B is a flowchart depicting a method 300B for receiving and transmitting turbulence data in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Method 300B may be performed with a processor (eg, processor 34 of the communications apparatus of FIG. 2) that communicates and is located remotely from a centralized processing and distribution site (eg, server 110 of FIG. 2).

[0047] In operation 310B, a processor (eg, communication device processor 34 of FIG. 2) may obtain turbulence data during flight aboard an aircraft (eg, aircraft 10A of FIG. 2). Each of the plurality of communication devices can independently receive or record turbulence data while the aircraft is in flight. The communication device can either receive turbulence data manually, through human input, or automatically by measuring the temporary acceleration forces applied to the sensors of the communication device.

[0048] In operation 320B, the communication device (eg, communication device 30 of FIG. 2) may transmit turbulence data to a remote location (eg, server 110 of FIG. 2).

[0049] In operation 330B, communication devices (eg, communication device 30 of FIG. 2) may receive accumulated space-time turbulence information generated at a remote location (eg, server 100 of FIG. 2). The accumulated space-time turbulence information may be an overlay of turbulence data received from a communication device and turbulence data received from one or more other communication devices during flights aboard other aircraft (e.g. aircraft 10B-10F of Figure 2), on one space-time frame of reference (for example, as it was formed in operation 320A of Figure 3A).

[0050] In operation 340B, a display (eg, communication device 30 of FIG. 2) may display accumulated space-time turbulence information associated with areas surrounding or along the route of an aircraft of the communication device and / or other aircraft.

[0051] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, turbulence data may be generated, for example, by acquiring spatial acceleration data associated with communication devices, respectively, and converting the spatial acceleration data to turbulence data based on the transformation process described with with reference to figure 4.

[0052] Figure 4 is a flow diagram depicting a transform process 400 in which kinematic data such as acceleration is converted to turbulence values or levels in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Process 400 may be executed by a processor (eg, server processor 104 and / or client processor 34 of Figure 2).

[0053] In operation 410, a processor (eg, the processor 34 of the communication device of FIG. 2) may measure or the processor (eg, the processor 104 of the server of FIG. 2) may receive the spatial orientation data of the communication device (eg, the communication device 30 of FIG. 2).

[0054] In operation 420, the processor may use the measured attitude data over time to identify turbulence events or exclude non-turbulence events, such as movement of the communication device independently of and / or relative to the aircraft.

[0055] In operation 430, the processor may measure the spatial acceleration of the communication device during turbulence events.

[0056] In operation 440, the processor may determine a vector along which acceleration changes are maximal over time. In some embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the processor may preselect a fixed vector, eg, a vertical vector, relative to the plane's and / or Earth's coordinate space and determine the maximum change in acceleration along (only) that vector.

[0057] In operation 450, the processor may convert the maximum acceleration changes over time into a turbulence intensity level based on a predetermined match.

[0058] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, determining the vector along which the acceleration changes are maximum (step 440) may be performed to detect the full effect of turbulence, since turbulence events are characterized by chaotic changes in acceleration, and it may be desirable to detect the full amount of turbulence. to associate the correct intensity level with the transmitted turbulence data (operation 450). To accomplish this, the conversion process may include measuring or receiving the spatial orientation of the communication devices (operation 410), respectively, and determining changes in acceleration for the given measured spatial orientation (operation 430). It may happen that the turbulence events are vertical and thus some of the attitude measurements are aimed at determining the position of the acceleration components along the vertical axis of the aircraft.

[0059] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, one of the purposes of using the measured spatial orientation over time is to identify turbulence events or exclude non-turbulence events (step 420). Orientation changes during non-turbulence events may be due to the user moving the communication device regardless of the aircraft's movement. These movements usually have their own pattern of movement and their effect can be filtered out of the overall acceleration change to provide the correct turbulence value. In some embodiments, a processor (eg, communications device processor 34 or remote server processor 104 of Figure 2) may identify movements of the communications device (eg, communications device 30 of Figure 2) relative to an aircraft by measuring rapid changes in device orientation. At any given moment, the processor can request and / or receive information about its orientation in space, for example, including the angles along its three axes. When the communication device is stationary (characterized by very small changes in acceleration along all its axes), the processor measures the angles along its three axes. When the processor identifies that there is a change in one of the corners, it begins to measure time. When the change stops, the processor checks if one of the corners has changed by more than a predetermined configured threshold. If the change is greater, the processor checks the rate of change by measuring the time difference. If the speed is higher than the configured value, the processor can determine that the change is caused by the movement of the communication device and not the aircraft, and can be cleared as a non-turbulence event. Upon detecting a non-turbulence event, if the processor does not detect an ongoing change in orientation for at least a predetermined amount of time, the processor may determine that the device is stationary again. The processor may reset all turbulence data to "no turbulence" in a pre-configured period before identifying the first movement. The processor may also reset all turbulence data measurements after the end of travel to "no turbulence" for a pre-configured period. In one example, the communication device can lie flat, which causes the processor to detect angles equal to zero along the X and Y axes. If the user picks up the communication device and looks at it, this movement can change the angles from zero to approximately 30-40 degrees along the axis. Y for about 1 or 2 seconds. The processor identifies a rapid change in angle as a device motion event rather than a turbulent event. After the device is stationary for a predetermined time threshold (for example, 3 seconds), the processor can clear or discard turbulence data recorded for a predetermined elapsed time period (for example, 3 minutes) and / or a future time period (for example, 1 minute). In some cases, for example, if the predetermined elapsed time period is greater than the periodic transmission interval, the communication device may transmit non-turbulent motion data to the remote server before it is identified. The processor can then send a cancel signal to the remote server to delete or ignore the non-turbulence data segments. In some embodiments, the processor may recognize when a device is being secured or installed in an aircraft (eg, removably secured to a cockpit dashboard mount), and may deactivate or skip non-turbulent motion detection processes.

[0060] In accordance with some embodiments, in addition to or alternatively to the aforementioned embodiments, turbulence events can be distinguished from non-turbulence events (step 420) by comparing turbulence data from multiple communication devices. In one embodiment, a three-dimensional (3D) map may be broken up into cells, regions, or "cells" of airspace over geographic regions of the Earth. Cells can be 3D (for example, when viewed in perspective) or 2D (for example, when viewed along sections with constant height, sections with constant latitude, or sections with constant longitude). In one example, the airspace map can be broken up into volumetric (3D) or square (2D) cells, which vary in size depending on latitude (cells with lower latitude are smaller, for example, 24.14 km (15 mi) and cells with greater latitude are larger, for example, 56.33 km (35 mi)). In other embodiments, the cells may be cylindrical (3D) or circular (2D), rectangular prism (3D) or rectangular (2D), or any other shape. The sizes or aspect ratios of the cells can be fixed or given as an adjustable parameter for higher or lower resolution of the turbulence data. Turbulence data can be constant on each cell and can be set to discrete values (for example, levels 0-5) or continuous values. Turbulence data can be visualized on a turbulence map with a discrete or continuous color. Each communication device registers turbulence values for a cell, which is the area in which it is located, for example, assigning values or "coloring" the cells along its trajectory.

[0061] An embodiment of the invention can be used to correct for "false positive" turbulence events (eg, detecting turbulence when there is no turbulence, or detecting a higher level of turbulence than there is). False positive cases can occur, for example, when the recorder moves independently relative to the aircraft (for example, the speed of the device differs from the speed of the aircraft (V of the _{device самолета} V of the aircraft) and its independent movement simulates the turbulence of an aircraft). False positives can be caused, for example, by the movement of a person typing or playing games on the device, dropping the device, pushing the device, or otherwise moving the device during flight. Embodiments of the invention take into account that while false positive turbulent events are possible, "false negative" turbulent events are rare or impossible. During turbulence, it is difficult or impossible to stabilize the device to reduce or neutralize the turbulence. That is, it is impossible to simulate smooth motion when turbulence is present. Embodiments of the invention exploit this understanding by prioritizing or selectively reporting lower turbulence measurements over higher turbulence measurements.

[0062] A process (eg, operation 420) or processor (eg, processor 34 and / or 104) can set the turbulence value in each region or cell to the lowest or minimum reported turbulence value detected by all communications devices on board one or more aircraft. flying through this area within a predetermined period of time. In some embodiments, a process or processor may selectively update the region turbulence value (s), for example, only decreasing the value if a smaller value is subsequently reported, but not increasing this minimum value within an off or block period (eg, 1-30 minutes). In some embodiments, a process or processor may wait for a blockage period to expire and set the turbulence value for an airspace region equal to the minimum reported value for that region during the blockage period. In some embodiments, a process or processor may determine a turbulence value for an airspace region based on the absolute or weighted average of the reported values for that region over a predetermined period of time. The weighted average can assign relatively higher weights to relatively lower turbulence values and relatively lower weights to higher turbulence values. In another embodiment, the turbulence value may be averaged based on a subset of the reported values for that area, for example, averaging only values that are within a predetermined range for the lowest (or mid-range) reported turbulence value for that area within a predetermined period. time.

[0063] The length of the blocking period can be preset / fixed, or it can be adjustable / dynamic. The duration of the blocking period, for example, can be commensurate with the amount of time it takes for the airflow pattern to change, and can be a static preset duration of the change in typical or average airflow patterns, or it can be dynamic, for example, changing based on weather conditions in real time. ...

[0064] In accordance with some embodiments, a process or processor may selectively correct turbulence events by updating only turbulence events that decrease (do not increase) turbulence values for the same airspace over time. For example, a first aircraft that traverses an airspace over a period of time may have a communications device on board that detects a turbulence value (eg, Level 3 turbulence). The turbulence value for this airspace can be set (for example, level 3, indicated by the corresponding color on the turbulence map) immediately or after a period of time has elapsed. If the second aircraft crosses the airspace and has a communications device on board that detects a lower turbulence value (e.g., Level 1 turbulence) than that recorded on the first aircraft, the process or processor may downgrade or reduce the higher value of the first aircraft to the lower value of the second aircraft for this airspace. However, if the communication device on board the second aircraft registers a higher (or equal) turbulence value than the turbulence value of the first aircraft (for example, level 5 turbulence), the higher (or equal) value of the second aircraft will be ignored and will not replace the lower value of the first aircraft. aircraft. Replacement instructions can be executed by the processor or per process, for example, as follows:

// for two or more turbulence values measured by two or more communication devices on two or more relevant aircraft (or on board the same aircraft) in the same airspace over a predetermined period of time:

// if the second turbulence value measured by one communication device at a second later time is greater than or equal to the first turbulence value measured by another communication device at the first previous time, do not replace the first turbulence value (ignore the second turbulence value);

// if the second turbulence value is less than the first turbulence value, replace the first turbulence value with the second turbulence value;

// if the second turbulence value is equal to the first turbulence value, check the first turbulence value or do nothing.

Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can benefit from multiple communication devices for checking or replacing each other's turbulence data. Several communication devices can be on board different aircraft or on board the same (one) aircraft.

[0065] One device can also replace its own turbulence measurements. For example, over a period of time within the same airspace, a single communications device may detect or report multiple turbulence measurements. The process or processor can accept only the smallest of these measurements and ignore all larger or equal measurements (if all measurements are taken at once), or can selectively update the turbulence value for the region if (and, for example, only if) the subsequently measured value is less than the previously measured value. (if measurements are reported or detected sequentially).

[0066] In some embodiments, the time period may be constant (eg, reset every predetermined number of minutes). In other embodiments of the invention, the time period (s) may be reset after each new measurement (eg, lasting a predetermined duration from the most recent recording).

[0067] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the acquisition of turbulence data may be performed in response to manual input of appropriate communication device users. In such embodiments, a user (eg, a pilot) can report turbulence when they experience it. In other embodiments, manual input may include additional data related to potential interference in flight in addition to turbulence, such as cloud cover or wind shear.

[0068] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram depicting a plurality of multi-route turbulence data measurements used to obtain turbulence data covering a specific area in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 shows a map 500 with five different flight paths 510-550 representing flights during which turbulence data were collected in accordance with the embodiments described herein. Area 560 shows turbulence data accumulated from various flight paths 510-550 in order to provide turbulence data in a larger area than the area that would be provided using a single flight path. In the example of Figure 4, region 560 contains turbulence data values indicative of "4th level" turbulence. Turbulence data in region 560 can be used by an aircraft pilot on route 570 (solid line) to redirect to an alternate route (dashed line) and thus avoid turbulent region 560.

[0069] In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, a processor (eg, processor 34 and / or 104) may use turbulence data from multiple communication devices in different aircraft (or within the same aircraft) within the same airspace to checking or replacing each other's measurements, for example, to avoid "false positive" turbulence data. In the example of FIG. 5, if, following flight 520 that recorded a turbulence value (for example, 4th level) in area 560, area 560 crosses flight 570 and registers a lower turbulence value (for example, 3rd level) than flight 520, the processor will update the value turbulence for area 560 to the lower of several turbulence values (eg, level 3). However, if flight 570 registers a greater (or equal) turbulence value than flight 520 (eg, Level 5), the processor ignores the flight 570 measurement.

[0070] In some embodiments, turbulence data from various flights may be used to check turbulence values from nearby locations and data point values. It should be understood that a variety of turbulence data acquisition flights can be used to update the database on a remote server, both for accumulation and for additional analysis, as will be described below.

[0071] Figure 6 is a graphical diagram 600 for overlaying turbulence data received from a plurality of communication devices, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Plot 600 may be position data in the form of a three-dimensional array with x and y axes representing the latitude and longitude of geographic coordinates and a z axis representing altitude. Once the turbulence data is received, the data can be displayed in a common frame of reference, possibly in clusters of values 610, 620, and 630, each of which represents turbulence data from multiple flights in close proximity, either in space or in time. Each value is associated with several attributes such as turbulence intensity, altitude, and collection time. Other non-turbulence data such as cloudiness or visibility 640 and 650 may be stored. The legend in the lower left corner of Figure 6 shows illustrative and non-limiting attributes that may be associated with turbulence data values.

[0072] Figure 7 is a map diagram depicting a visual representation of turbulence data in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The map may be generated based on data distributed by a remote server (eg, server 100 of FIG. 2), and may be displayed on one or more communication devices (eg, communication device 30 of FIG. 2). The example of Figure 7 shows a flight path 740 included in a cluster of visual indicators 710, all of which have a low level of turbulence, while avoiding cluster 720 with a high level of turbulence. An area 770 of volcanic ash, possibly identified by independent sources, and cloud cover 730 with their respective heights may also be displayed.

[0073] Some embodiments of the invention may provide a "passenger mode" or "passenger version" of the functionality and safety restrictions intended for passengers on board an aircraft, and / or a "flight crew mode" or "flight crew version" of the functionality and safety restrictions intended for for pilots, flight attendants and other flight crew members on board. Pilots and other flight crew members are a limited group of members who can generally be trained and rely on to properly operate their communications devices and that they may have specialized equipment to optimize the operation of their communications devices (e.g. , a docking station in the cockpit for mounting the device substantially stationary relative to the aircraft). In contrast, passengers generally do not have docking stations on an aircraft and often create false turbulence events caused by the passenger's normal use of their device, such as typing or playing games, or moving around during flight. Logging these spurious turbulence events can reduce the reliability of the system by displaying excessive turbulence data, potentially causing pilots to choose suboptimal routes. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention may selectively receive or accumulate turbulence data only from authenticated, trusted sources, or otherwise verified data. In some embodiments, turbulence data received from flight crew version devices used by a pilot or other flight crew member may be trusted and automatically self-authenticated based on flight crew safety credentials, while turbulence data received from passenger version devices used by passengers may not be trusted based on passenger safety authority, or may require additional security or validation by server 100 to ensure the reliability of passenger turbulence data.

[0074] In some embodiments, server 100 may output the same complete view of turbulence map data (eg, see map data output in Figures 7) on both the passenger version and the flight crew version of the communication devices, but may input, trust or accept a more limited set of data from passenger devices than from flight crew devices (eg, see data entry in FIG. 6). In some embodiments, server 100 may compute aircraft turbulence information using all or only turbulence measurements received from pilot or flight crew version devices, but without or using a subset of turbulence measurements (e.g., rejecting at least some turbulence measurements) received from devices of the passenger version. In some embodiments, turbulence data from a flight crew version device may be trusted and used by the server only when the device is docked in the pilot's dock (and not, for example, when not docked) to ensure that the turbulence measurement is caused by motion. aircraft, not human movement. In various embodiments, a server or communication device can recognize when a device is properly docked, for example, using an electrical contact, active or passive transmitter in the docking station, which sends information to the communication device verifying that the device is properly docked. , or a code, biometrics or other confirmation manually entered by the pilot. In some embodiments, the device may add a docking station code or verification code (or a signature received from it) to verify that turbulence data is collected by a pinned device (otherwise, turbulence data transmitted without a pinned verification code may be ignored or less weight in turbulence calculations by the server). In some embodiments, the communication server or device can recognize when the communication device is not docked, such as when the orientation or angle (e.g., screen surface) of the communication device is within one or more threshold angle ranges (e.g., 0-30 ° relative to the horizon), outside of which turbulence is unlikely to be the cause. For example, a device oriented approximately horizontally (for example, 0-30 °) is most likely to be held by the user (not secured), because if it were fastened (for example, 90 ° relative to the aircraft's axis of motion), then such an extreme orientation would indicate, that the plane is crashing. In some embodiments, a server or communications device may measure the orientation or angle of the communications device by averaging or by taking a coarse (eg, relatively discontinuous) sample of orientation measurements used for turbulence data. In other embodiments, the server may use turbulence measurements from the flight crew version device whether it is pinned and / or received its pinning confirmation.

[0075] In some embodiments, although passengers can move portable devices, causing false turbulence events, the passenger's movement is limited to the aircraft cabin and thus does not significantly alter the aircraft's position information. Accordingly, server 100 may use passenger location information, but not passenger turbulence information (or, for example, a selective subset of passenger turbulence information), to generate turbulence map data (such as shown in Figure 7), while server 100 may use both flight crew location and turbulence information to generate turbulence map data. In some embodiments, since it is difficult to falsify no turbulence or low turbulence, server 100 may only use passenger turbulence information when it indicates no turbulence or less turbulence than turbulence recorded by other trusted devices, such as fixed flight crew devices embedded devices or additional installed devices.

[0076] In some embodiments, the passenger version of the communications device may receive passenger manually entered turbulence data, such as an indication as to whether there is a turbulence event and / or the level or intensity of the event in scale (eg, levels 1-4). While passengers are not affected by the tremors that induce false positives in passenger devices, passengers can suffer from human subjectivity. Each passenger may have a different tolerance or calm attitude towards turbulence, and thus passengers may be biased to report different estimates for the same turbulence levels. In addition, each person can perform a different number of movements (for example, the child's device can move much more than the adult passenger's device, and some adult passengers make more movements than others). To calibrate or normalize turbulence readings for each individual passenger, the server can correlate manually entered passenger turbulence levels and actual turbulence measurements by comparing the passenger levels assigned to events with actual turbulence readings, such as from accelerometers or sensors from trusted embedded or installed devices. Once the system establishes a predictable match or correlation between the individual passenger's score and the actual turbulence measurements, the system can adjust the passenger's score according to that match.

[0077] In some embodiments, each passenger may have a unique dynamic security profile or authority. In some embodiments, the more trusted the user is, the greater the weight of the passenger turbulence information will be when computing the turbulence map data. For example, a passenger's safety profile is improved or gradually increased when a passenger reports turbulence events that are corroborated by other trusted sources, such as a fixed pilot communication device, or an embedded or installed communication device. Conversely, the passenger's safety profile will decrease or gradually decrease each time a passenger reports a turbulence event or an indication that differs from that of trusted devices (for example, a passenger reports an event when a trusted device does not report, or a passenger reports a turbulence level, which is significantly higher or lower than that registered by the trusted device). In some embodiments, passengers with a safety level below the threshold may only be used to verify turbulence measurements from other trusted devices on board. However, when the passenger's safety level exceeds a certain threshold, the passenger device can become a trusted device and its data can be used as the only means of determining turbulence on the aircraft (for example, to set the level of turbulence when there is no other trusted device to verify this data). In some embodiments, a trusted passenger device may be used to verify device readings of other passengers or flight crew.

[0078] In various embodiments, turbulence data measured by a trusted device (eg, a flight crew device captured by a label flight crew device, a passenger device with a safety authority above a threshold, or an integrated or installed communication device) can verify the turbulence data measured an untrusted device (for example, a passenger device with a security authority below thresholds). In some embodiments, a trusted device may verify data from an untrusted device aboard the same aircraft, logged at substantially the same time period. In some embodiments, turbulence data measured by a trusted device aboard one aircraft may verify turbulence data measured by an untrusted device aboard another aircraft. For example, when two or more aircraft pass through substantially the same location, region, or zone within a predetermined time interval, turbulence data recorded by a device on board one of the aircraft can either confirm or deny data recorded by the device on on board another aircraft.

[0079] In some embodiments, the "passenger mode" or "passenger version" has a quorum feature such that when more than a threshold number of passengers on the same aircraft indicates substantially the same turbulence measurement, the measurement is valid. This and other thresholds can be adjusted to balance the need for a high level of security without excluding too much data.

[0080] In some embodiments, turbulence data collected from the passenger version may be rendered on the turbulence map using a different color or transparency than the turbulence data collected from the flight crew version (eg, passenger readings are translucent, flight crew device readings or embedded devices are opaque).

[0081] Figure 8 is a flow diagram depicting a method 800 for avoiding or correcting "false positive" turbulence events in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Method 800 may be performed by a processor (eg, server processor 104 of FIG. 2).

[0082] In operation 810, one or more processors (eg, server processor 104 of FIG. 2) may receive a variety of different turbulence values received by one or more communication devices (eg, communication device 30 of FIG. 2) during flights aboard one or more aircraft. (eg, aircraft 10A-F of FIG. 2) passing through the same area of airspace (eg, area 560 of FIG. 5) within a predetermined period of time (eg, blocking period). The plurality of turbulence values may be received as successive readings from one communication device aboard the same aircraft, from different communication devices aboard the same airplane, or from different communication devices aboard a corresponding plurality of different airplanes. If, prior to step 810, no turbulence values have been recorded for this airspace within a predetermined time period, the processor may set the turbulence value or level for that airspace based on the turbulence value received in step 810, for example, immediately or after expiration. a predetermined period of time.

[0083] In operation 820, one or more processors (eg, server processor 104 of Figure 2) may generate turbulence map data for an airspace region based on the minimum of the various turbulence values received in operation 810. In one embodiment, the processor may set the turbulence value for the airspace region equal to the minimum value taken over a predetermined period of time, and may, for example, based on only the minimum turbulence values, ignore any non-minimum turbulence values. In one embodiment, the processor may selectively update the turbulence value for an airspace region only by decreasing the turbulence value if a lower value is subsequently accepted, but not increasing the turbulence value if a higher value is subsequently accepted within a predetermined period of time. In one embodiment, the processor may wait for a predetermined period of time to elapse and set the turbulence value for the airspace region to the minimum of the turbulence values. For example, if the processor has already set the turbulence value for the airspace region equal to the first higher turbulence value, the processor may reduce the turbulence value assigned to the airspace region to a value equal to or derived from the subsequently received relatively lower turbulence value. If no turbulence value has been set for an airspace region within a predetermined time period, the processor may select the minimum turbulence value, i.e. the subsequent lower value, as the turbulence value for that airspace region, and may ignore or remove the previously accepted higher value. turbulence value. In one embodiment, the processor may generate turbulence map data based on the average of all or a subset of the plurality of turbulence values, eg, those values that are within a predetermined range of minimum turbulence values. The average can be a weighted average in which relatively higher weights are assigned to relatively lower turbulence values, and relatively lower weights are assigned to relatively higher turbulence values. In some embodiments, a subset of turbulence values may exclude the maximum turbulence value.

[0084] In operation 830, one or more processors (eg, server processor 104 of FIG. 2) may transmit turbulence map data of at least one airspace based on the minimum turbulence values generated in operation 820 to one or more communication devices (eg, the same or different than the communication devices from which the turbulence values were received in operation 810). The communications device (s) may display turbulence map data associated with areas surrounding or along the route of an aircraft of the communications device and / or other aircraft.

[0085] Figure 9 is a flow diagram depicting a method 900 for communicating with a plurality of communication devices operating in "flight crew mode" or "passenger mode" in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Method 900 may be performed with one or more processors (eg, one or more processors 104 of Figure 2) that may be located in a centralized management device (eg, server 100 of Figure 2). In other embodiments, some or all of the operations of method 900 may be performed on other processors (eg, processors 34 of communications device 30 of FIG. 2).

[0086] In operation 910, one or more processors (eg, server processor 104 of Figure 2) may receive flight crew turbulence data from a plurality of communication devices operated by flight crew members in flight crew mode while aboard their respective aircraft from a plurality of aircraft. Communication devices operating in flight crew mode may have flight crew safety credentials that self-authenticate the accuracy of flight crew turbulence data.

[0087] In operation 920, one or more processors may receive passenger turbulence data from a plurality of communication devices operated by passengers in passenger mode while flying aboard respective aircraft from a plurality of aircraft. Communication devices operating in passenger mode may have passenger security credentials that do not provide self-authentication, but require the centralized control device to authenticate the passenger turbulence data accuracy.

[0088] In operation 930, one or more processors may generate turbulence map data including accumulated space-time turbulence information by superimposing received flight crew turbulence data, self-authenticated based on flight crew safety credentials, onto a single space-time frame. , and passenger turbulence data authenticated by the centralized control device.

[0089] At 940, one or more processors may distribute turbulence map data to one or more of a plurality of communication devices to display distributed turbulence map data in flight crew or passenger mode.

[0090] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the visual representation may include a plurality of indicators overlaid on a map in accordance with the respective locations where turbulence data was acquired or recorded.

[0091] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the indicators make different levels of turbulence intensity visually distinguishable. This can be accomplished, as shown here, by using a predefined color scheme, patterns, or icons. The same scheme can be used for all communication devices, or different schemes can be used, or they can be changed for different respective communication devices.

[0092] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the indicators may further make visually distinct at least one of the timing of the turbulence data collection and whether the turbulence data was acquired manually or by measuring the acceleration of associated communication devices.

[0093] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the visual presentation may change in response to user selection, such as showing only indicators of a specified altitude range within a specified radius or flight path, or within a specified time period.

[0094] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, the visual presentation may change, possibly using a graphical user interface (GUI), in response to a user selection to show only indicators of a specified level, or a range of turbulence levels, or a specified range of heights ( a non-limiting example may include a GUI panel 750), or a specified time range (a non-limiting example may include a GUI panel 760).

[0095] Although the network connection between the communication devices and the remote server may be continuous, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, in the case where at least some of the communication devices cannot temporarily establish a communication channel with the remote site, or in the case where no communication is available during the entire flight, the transmission of turbulence data by at least some of the communication devices may be delayed until the communication channel becomes available (for example, when the aircraft access point is activated in flight or after landing when accessing communication networks). At this point, turbulence data can be transmitted to the server for the entire flight or only for periods of time when the connection was unavailable. The server can use past turbulence data to show turbulence in areas along flight paths where other aircraft are currently flying or will be flying.

[0096] In some embodiments, turbulence data measured by communication devices 30 on board aircraft 10A-10F may be accumulated and stored as a pool of data (eg, in database 110 or memory 102 of FIG. 2). The data pool can be used or can be associated with an airline or government organization such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The data pool can be accessed and / or updated by third-party users, for example, who have been granted access or who have sufficient credentials or appropriate credentials.

[0097] In the above description, an embodiment is one example or implementation of the inventions. Different cases of "one embodiment", "an embodiment" or "some embodiments" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments.

[0098] While various features of the invention may be described in the context of a single embodiment, features may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely, although the invention may be described herein in the context of separate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be implemented in a single embodiment.

[0099] Reference in the patent specification to "some embodiments", "an embodiment", "one embodiment" or "other embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in relation to the embodiments is included at least in some, but not necessarily all, embodiments of the invention.

[00100] It should be understood that the phraseology and terminology used in this description should not be construed as limiting and are used only for clarity.

[00101] The principles and applications of the ideas of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the accompanying description, figures and examples.

[00102] It should be understood that the details set forth in the present description are not limiting of the invention.

[00103] In addition, it should be understood that the invention may be embodied or practiced in various ways, and that the invention may be implemented in embodiments other than those described above.

[00104] It should be understood that the terms "including", "comprising", "consisting of" and their grammatical variants do not exclude the addition of one or more components, features, steps or systems or groups thereof, and that the terms should be interpreted as a definition components, features, steps or systems.

[00105] Where an “additional” element is mentioned in the patent specification or claims, this does not exclude that there may be more than one additional element.

[00106] It should be understood that where an element in the singular is mentioned in a claim or patent specification, such mention does not mean that there is only one element.

[00107] It should be understood that where the patent specification states that a component, feature, structure, or characteristic “may” be included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic need not be included.

[00108] Where applicable, although state diagrams, flowcharts, or both may be used to describe embodiments, the invention is not limited to these diagrams or related descriptions. For example, the flow does not have to go through every depicted rectangle or state, or in exactly the same order as depicted and described.

[00109] The methods of the present invention may be implemented manually, automatically, or as a combination of selected steps or tasks.

[00110] The descriptions, examples, methods and materials provided in the claims and patent specification are not to be construed as limiting, but rather only as illustrative.

[00111] The meanings of technical and scientific terms used in this description should be understood in the usual sense by those skilled in the art to which the invention belongs, unless otherwise indicated.

[00112] The present invention may be practiced or practiced with methods and materials equivalent or analogous to those described herein.

[00113] Although the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but rather as examples of some of the preferred embodiments. Other possible variations, modifications and applications are also within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be limited by what has been described above, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims (34)

1. A method for communicating with communication devices operating in flight crew mode or in passenger mode during flights on board aircraft, the method comprising the steps of: in the centralized control device: receive turbulence data from the flight crew from a plurality of communication devices operated by flight crew members in flight crew mode while flying aboard their respective aircraft from a plurality of aircraft, with the communication devices operating in flight crew mode having flight crew safety credentials that self-authenticate the accuracy of the turbulence data from the flight crew; receive passenger turbulence data from a plurality of communication devices operated by passengers in passenger mode while flying aboard the respective aircraft from a plurality of aircraft, while the communication devices operating in passenger mode have passenger security credentials that do not provide self-authentication, but require device authentication centralized control of the accuracy of passenger turbulence data; generate turbulence map data, including accumulated space-time information about turbulence, by superimposing on one space-time frame of reference the received turbulence data from the flight crew, self-identified based on the flight crew safety authority, and passenger turbulence data authenticated by the centralized device management; and distributing turbulence map data to one or more of the plurality of communication devices for displaying distributed turbulence map data when operating in flight crew mode or in passenger mode. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising authenticating passenger turbulence data in the centralized control device by comparing passenger turbulence data with turbulence data automatically measured by sensors of a trusted self-authenticated device. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the trusted self-authenticating device is selected from the group consisting of: a cockpit-mounted device, an aircraft-mounted device, an aircraft-integrated device, and a communication device operating in flight crew mode. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of authenticating the passenger turbulence data in the centralized control device comprises the step of determining that the passenger turbulence data reports a turbulence level that is less than or equal to the turbulence level reported by the data turbulence from a flight crew aboard the same aircraft or another aircraft at substantially the same location and at the same time. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of authenticating the passenger turbulence data by the centralized control device comprises the step of authenticating the passenger operating the communications device by determining that the passenger has passenger safety authority above a threshold. 6. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of increasing the passenger safety authority for the passenger each time the passenger communication device records passenger turbulence data that is confirmed by the turbulence data registered by a trusted self-authenticated device and decreases the passenger safety authority for the passenger each time when the passenger communication device registers passenger turbulence data that conflicts with the turbulence data recorded by a trusted self-authenticating device. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication devices operating in flight crew mode self-authenticate the accuracy of turbulence data from the flight crew only when the communication devices are installed in the flight crew docking station. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the turbulence map data is generated based on the position and turbulence information from the flight crew turbulence data and only the position information, but not the turbulence information from the passenger turbulence data. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the turbulence data from the flight crew is automatically measured by sensors operatively coupled to communication devices operating in flight crew mode. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein passenger turbulence data is automatically measured by sensors or manually entered by passengers into communication devices operating in passenger mode. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the turbulence map data comprises assigning weights to the passenger turbulence data based on the safety credentials of the respective passenger. 12. A system for communicating with communication devices operating in flight crew mode or in passenger mode during flights on board aircraft, and the system contains: one or more processors; one or more blocks of memory; and one or more instructions stored in memory and executed by a processor that, when executed, configure one or more processors: receive turbulence data from the flight crew from multiple communication devices operated by flight crew members in flight crew mode while in flight aboard their respective aircraft from multiple aircraft, while communication devices operating in flight crew mode have flight crew safety powers that self-authenticate the accuracy of the turbulence data from the flight crew; receive passenger turbulence data from a plurality of communication devices operated by passengers in passenger mode while flying aboard the respective aircraft from a plurality of aircraft, while communication devices operating in passenger mode have passenger security credentials that do not provide self-authentication, but require device authentication centralized control of the accuracy of passenger turbulence data; generate turbulence map data, including accumulated space-time information about turbulence, by superimposing on one space-time frame of reference the received turbulence data from the flight crew, self-identified based on the flight crew safety authority, and passenger turbulence data authenticated by the centralized device management; and distribute the turbulence map data to one or more of the plurality of communication devices to display the distributed turbulence map data when operating in flight crew mode or in passenger mode. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein one or more processors are configured to authenticate passenger turbulence data in the centralized control device by comparing passenger turbulence data with turbulence data automatically measured by sensors of a trusted self-authenticating device. 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the trusted self-authenticating device is selected from the group consisting of a cockpit-mounted device, an aircraft-mounted device, an aircraft-integrated device, and a communication device operating in flight crew mode. 15. The system of claim 12, wherein one or more processors are configured to authenticate the passenger turbulence data at the centralized control device by determining that the passenger turbulence data reports a turbulence level that is less than or equal to the turbulence level reported by the turbulence data from the flight crew aboard the same aircraft or another aircraft at substantially the same location and at the same time. 16. The system of claim 12, wherein one or more processors are configured to authenticate passenger turbulence data in the centralized control device by authenticating the passenger operating the communication device by determining that the passenger has passenger safety authority above the threshold. 17. The system of claim 12, wherein one or more processors are configured to increase the passenger safety authority for the passenger each time the passenger communication device registers passenger turbulence data, which is confirmed by the turbulence data recorded by a trusted self-authenticated device, and reduces the authority passenger safety for the passenger whenever the passenger communication device registers turbulence passenger data that conflicts with turbulence data recorded by a trusted self-authenticating device. 18. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication devices operating in flight crew mode self-authenticate the accuracy of turbulence data from the flight crew only when the communication devices are installed in the flight crew docking station. 19. The system of claim 12, wherein one or more processors are configured to generate turbulence map data based on location and turbulence information from turbulence data from the flight crew and only location information, but not turbulence information from passenger data. turbulence. 20. The system of claim 12, wherein the turbulence data from the flight crew is automatically measured by sensors operatively coupled to communication devices operating in flight crew mode. 21. The system of claim 12, wherein passenger turbulence data is automatically measured by sensors or manually entered by passengers into communication devices operating in passenger mode. 22. The system of claim 12, wherein one or more processors are configured to generate turbulence map data by assigning weights to passenger turbulence data based on the safety credentials of the respective passenger.

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