Method and apparatus for dynamic air traffic trajectory synchronization

A system to maintain trajectory synchronization, the system comprising:

• a computer executing an interface to exchange data between an aircraft and a ground system, wherein the exchanged data relates to a series of points associated with various flight path points or trajectory change points for an aircraft;
• and
• a processor coupled to a memory, wherein the memory comprises program instructions that cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• comparing an active trajectory with a synchronized trajectory, wherein the comparison is triggered by at least one disturbance, periodic trigger, communication event between different trajectory systems, or downlink/uplink event;
• if the comparing indicates a difference between the active trajectory and the synchronized trajectory, then performing the actions of:
• updating the synchronized trajectory with the active trajectory;
• and
• transferring the synchronized trajectory or sending a command to modify a flight plan to an external system.

A non-transitory machine-accessible medium that provides instructions to maintain trajectory synchronization between an aircraft system and a ground system, which when accessed, cause a machine to perform operations, the non-transitory machine-accessible medium comprising:

• code for causing at least one aircraft computer to perform the action of when a disturbance or a communication is received from a ground system comparing an active trajectory with a synchronized trajectory, and if the comparing indicates a difference between the active trajectory and the synchronized trajectory, then performing the actions of:
• updating the synchronized trajectory with the active trajectory and downlinking the synchronized trajectory;
• and
• code for causing at least one ground computer to perform the action of when a downlink is received, initiating a comparison process where the downlink is compared to a downlinked synchronized trajectory and a ground predicted trajectory for the aircraft, and if the comparison indicates a difference between the synchronized trajectory and the ground predicted trajectory, then initiating a synchronization process, else a local synchronized trajectory is updated with the downlinked synchronized trajectory;
• wherein the disturbance is at least one of a change detected by an aircraft, change data from an external source, or a periodic trigger;
• wherein the change detected by an aircraft is at least one of atmospheric condition change, pilot input change, airline input change, or other state measurement;
• wherein the change data from an external source is at least one of flow management, a separation from other aircraft command, change in convective weather, a special use airspace command, a scheduling requirement, a trajectory downlink, or a command uplink;
• wherein comparing the downlinked synchronized trajectory with a ground predicted trajectory is matching a plurality parameters comprising ground route, lateral route, altitude restrictions, and speed restrictions;
• wherein the synchronization process performs ground initiated amendment to a flight plan and uplinking of a command to the aircraft to modify its plan only after a substantial or all discrepancies between the flight plan and the downlinked synchronized trajectory are resolved.