# US 12,762,964 B2 · Reduction of fuel use by aircraft > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,762,964 B2 - Document ID: US12762964B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 19/071,416 - Filed: 2025-03-05 - Published: 2026-09-10 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2025-03-05 - Assignees: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - Applicants: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - Inventors: Bryan Morris; Mauro Robbe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12762964B2 ## CPC - G08G 5/34: for flight plan modification - G08G 5/76: for monitoring atmospheric conditions - G05D 1/644: Optimisation of travel parameters, e.g. of energy consumption, journey time or distance - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A method for reducing fuel use by aircraft includes piloting the aircraft along a current path including a scheduled arrival time; measuring actual wind conditions experienced by the aircraft at a current location, including wind direction and speed; calculating current expected fuel consumption based on the actual conditions, the scheduled arrival time, and the planned distance; obtaining a measured condition from another aircraft, including wind direction and speed; providing the measured condition to the processor; calculating for each location in a group of possible locations, a plurality of modified paths to the destination, wherein each includes a respective location and a modified distance, and the scheduled arrival time; calculating for each modified path, a modified expected fuel consumption based on the respective condition and modified distance, and the scheduled arrival time; and identifying a preferred path based on the current expected fuel consumption and the modified expected fuel consumptions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for reducing fuel use by an aircraft, the method comprising: piloting the aircraft along a current flight path to a destination, wherein the current flight path includes a scheduled arrival time and a planned distance; measuring an actual wind condition experienced by the aircraft at a current location, including wind direction and wind speed; calculating, via a processor, a current expected fuel consumption based on the actual wind conditions, the scheduled arrival time, and the planned distance; obtaining a measured wind condition from another aircraft, including a wind direction and a wind speed; providing the measured wind condition to the processor; calculating, via the processor, for each location in a group of possible locations, a plurality of modified flight paths to the destination, wherein each modified flight path includes a respective location and a modified distance, and the scheduled arrival time; calculating, via the processor, for each modified flight path, a modified expected fuel consumption based on the respective wind condition and modified distance, and the scheduled arrival time; and identifying, via the processor, a preferred flight path based on the current expected fuel consumption and the modified expected fuel consumptions; and when the preferred flight path is not the current flight path, communicating, via the processor, a signal to an operator of the aircraft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the signal to the operator of the aircraft comprises communicating, via the processor, a message to a pilot, and wherein the method further comprises piloting the aircraft along the modified flight path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the signal to the operator of the aircraft comprises communicating, via the processor, an instruction to an autopilot module, and wherein the method further comprises piloting the aircraft along the modified flight path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising removing from the group of possible locations each location associated with a measured wind condition from a time earlier than a threshold time period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising removing from the group of possible locations each location located at a distance from the aircraft greater than a threshold distance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising removing each location associated with a measured wind condition from a time earlier than a threshold time period from the group of possible locations. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining reports of turbulence from other aircraft at turbulent locations within the vicinity of the aircraft; providing the reports of turbulence to the processor; and removing the turbulent locations from the group of possible locations. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining measured humidity and temperature data from other aircraft at the locations within the vicinity of the aircraft; providing the measured humidity and temperature data to the processor; determining, via the processor, that contrails are likely to form at certain locations based the measured humidity and temperature data; and removing the certain locations from the group of possible locations. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein calculating, for each location in the group of possible locations, a modified flight path to the destination and calculating, for each modified flight path, a modified expected fuel consumption comprises: calculating a heading of each location; calculating a headwind for each location; calculating a distance matrix from each location to each location; calculating a direction matrix from each location to each location; calculating an altitude difference matrix from each location to each location; calculating a time difference matrix from each location to each location; calculating a headwind matrix from each location to each location; and calculating a headwind benefit from each location to each location. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the current expected fuel consumption is calculated based on a current altitude on the current flight path; and the modified expected fuel consumption is calculated based on modified altitude on the modified flight path. ### Claim 11 A system for reducing fuel use by an aircraft, the system comprising: one or more sensors configured to measure an actual wind condition, including wind direction and wind speed, at the aircraft at a current location along a current flight path to a destination, wherein the current flight path includes a scheduled arrival time and a planned distance; a processor coupled to the one or more sensors, and configured to facilitate: calculating a current expected fuel consumption based on the actual wind conditions, the scheduled arrival time, and the planned distance; obtaining measured wind conditions from other aircraft, including wind directions and wind speeds; calculating for each location in a group of possible locations, a modified flight path to the destination, wherein each modified flight path includes a respective location and modified distance, and the scheduled arrival time; calculating for each modified flight path, a modified expected fuel consumption based on the respective wind condition and modified distance, and the scheduled arrival time; and identifying a preferred flight path based on the current expected fuel consumption and the modified expected fuel consumptions; and communicating a signal to an operator of the aircraft when the preferred flight path is not the current flight path. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to communicate a message to a pilot. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to communicate an instruction to an autopilot module configured to pilot the aircraft along modified flight path. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to remove from the group of possible locations each location associated with a measured wind condition from a time earlier than a threshold time period and to remove from the group of possible locations each location located at a distance from the aircraft greater than a threshold distance. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to obtain reports of turbulence from other aircraft at turbulent locations within the vicinity of the aircraft; and to remove the turbulent locations from the group of possible locations. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to obtain measured humidity and temperature data from other aircraft at the locations within the vicinity of the aircraft; to determine that contrails are likely to form at certain locations based the measured humidity and temperature data; and to determine remove the certain locations from the group of possible locations. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to facilitate: calculating a heading of each location; calculating a headwind for each location; calculating a distance matrix from each location to each location; calculating a direction matrix from each location to each location; calculating an altitude difference matrix from each location to each location; calculating a time difference matrix from each location to each location; calculating a headwind matrix from each location to each location; and calculating a headwind benefit from each location to each location. ### Claim 18 An aircraft comprising: one or more sensors configured to measure an actual wind condition, including wind direction and wind speed, at the aircraft at a current location along a current flight path to a destination, wherein the current flight path includes a scheduled arrival time and a planned distance; a processor coupled to the one or more sensors, and configured to at least facilitate: calculating a current expected fuel consumption based on the actual wind conditions, the scheduled arrival time, and the planned distance; obtaining measured wind conditions from other aircraft, including wind directions and wind speeds; calculating for each location in a group of possible locations, a modified flight path to the destination, wherein each modified flight path includes a respective location and modified distance, and the scheduled arrival time; calculating for each modified flight path, a modified expected fuel consumption based on the respective wind condition and modified distance, and the scheduled arrival time; and identifying a preferred flight path based on the current expected fuel consumption and the modified expected fuel consumptions; and communicating a signal to an operator of the aircraft when the preferred flight path is not the current flight path. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The aircraft of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to facilitate: obtaining reports of turbulence from other aircraft at turbulent locations within the vicinity of the aircraft; and removing the turbulent locations from the group of possible locations. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The aircraft of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to facilitate: obtaining measured humidity and temperature data from other aircraft at the locations within the vicinity of the aircraft; determining, via the processor, that contrails are likely to form at certain locations based the measured humidity and temperature data; and removing the certain locations from the group of possible locations.