# US 2014/0195077 A1 · Systems and Methods for Runway Condition Alert and Warning

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- Number: US 2014/0195077 A1
- Document ID: US20140195077A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/737,019
- Filed: 2013-01-09
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09
- Inventors: Trond Are Johnsen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195077A1

## CPC

- B64D 45/04: Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface
- B64D 2045/0075: {Adaptations for use of electronic flight bags in aircraft; Supports therefor in the cockpit}
- B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT

## Abstract

Systems and methods for runway condition alert and warning. The system can include a first measurement system disposed on a first aircraft, the first measurement system adapted to gather telemetry inputs associated with a braking action value of the first aircraft on an airport runway. The system can also include a second measurement system disposed on a second aircraft, the second measurement system adapted to gather telemetry inputs associated with a braking action value of the second aircraft on the airport runway. The system can also include a computer adapted to receive and sort the telemetry inputs from the first and second aircraft. The computer can be adapted to utilize the telemetry inputs to predict an expected future braking action value for a third aircraft scheduled to utilize the airport runway.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for alerting or warning aircraft, comprising:
a first measurement system disposed on a first aircraft, the first measurement system adapted to gather telemetry inputs associated with a braking action value of the first aircraft on an airport runway;
a second measurement system disposed on a second aircraft, the second measurement system adapted to gather telemetry inputs associated with a braking action value of the second aircraft on the airport runway; and
a computer adapted to receive and sort the telemetry inputs from the first and second aircraft, wherein the computer is adapted to utilize the telemetry inputs to predict an expected future braking action value for a third aircraft scheduled to utilize the airport runway and to selectively transmit, to a communication device, an alert notification if at least one alert threshold is met and a warning notification if at least one warning threshold is met,
wherein the computer is adapted to utilize a first data smoothing factor and a first trend smoothing factor to predict the expected future braking action value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is adapted to utilize the telemetry data to calculate the braking action value from at least the first aircraft.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is adapted to analyze the telemetry data to find the braking action value for at least the first aircraft.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the communications device is an enunciation device on board a third aircraft's flight deck, the third aircraft being designated for landing on the airport runway.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the communications device is a computer monitor displaying a software tool that selectively associates and displays the alert and warning for the airport runway with at least one aircraft that is then designated for landing on the airport runway.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the communications device is a hand held wireless display system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the communications device is a display mounted on a third aircraft's flight deck, the third aircraft being then designated for landing on the airport runway.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the communications device is an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) and/or an Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System on a third aircraft's flight deck, the third aircraft being then designated for landing on the airport runway.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is adapted to selectively associate the alert and/or warning notification with at least one aircraft being then designated for landing at a destination airport or an alternate airport that has an alert and/or warning condition.

### Claim 10

A method for communication of an airport runway condition, comprising:
comparing a first aircraft braking action value, for an airport runway, determined from a first telemetry input from a first aircraft, to a braking action alert threshold and a braking action warning threshold;
selectively transmitting, to a communications device, an alert notification if the first aircraft braking action value meets or exceeds the braking action alert threshold;
selectively transmitting, to the communications device, a warning notification if the first aircraft braking action value meets or exceeds the braking action warning threshold;
predicting an expected future braking action value for the airport runway based on the first telemetry input from the first aircraft and a second telemetry input from a second aircraft;
selectively transmitting the alert notification to the communications device if the expected future braking action value meets or exceeds the braking action alert threshold; and
selectively transmitting the warning notification to the communications device if the expected future braking action value meets or exceeds the braking action warning threshold.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein:
predicting the expected future braking action value comprises,
applying a first data smoothing factor to the first aircraft braking action value to generate a first forecasted braking action component value,
applying a first trend smoothing factor to the first aircraft braking action value to generate a first forecasted estimated trend component, and
calculating the expected future braking action value by summing the first forecasted braking action component value and the first forecasted estimated trend component.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein:
the first data smoothing factor has a value of from about 0 and about 1, and
the first trend smoothing factor has a value of from about 0 and about 1,

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, comprising:
searching one or more flight records for one or more destination airports and/or one or more alternate airports for a match between the one or more flight records and alert or warning notifications associated with a runway identifier;
selecting at least one flight record containing a match between a destination airport and/or an alternate airport, and the runway identifier;
updating the selected at least one flight record with an alert and/or warning notification in a field of the flight record;
selectively transmitting the updated flight record containing an alert or warning notification to a user application;
displaying the alert or warning notification to at least one user; and
selectively associating the alert and/or warning notification with at least one aircraft having then planned landings at the destination and/or the alternate airports that have alert or warning conditions.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the alert or warning condition is displayed only in proximity to an electronic representation of one or more aircraft that are then designated for landing on the destination and/or the alternate airports that have alert or warning conditions.

### Claim 15

A method for an aircraft operational monitoring system, comprising:
searching one or more flight records for one or more destination airports and one or more alert or warning notifications associated with one or more runway identifiers;
selecting one or more flight records containing a match between the destination airport and the one or more runway identifiers;
updating the selected one or more flight records with an alert or warning notification in a field of each of the selected one or more flight records;
transmitting one or more updated selected flight records to a user application; and
selectively displaying the alert or warning notification to users by associating the alert or yearning notification with aircraft having planned landings at the destination airport.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, comprising:
searching the one or more flight records for one or more alternate airports and one or more alert or warning notifications associated with the one or more runway identifiers;
selecting one or more flight records containing a match between the one or more alternate airports and the one or more runway identifiers;
updating the selected one or more flight records containing a match between the one or more alternate airports and the one or more runway identifiers with an alert or warning notification in a field of each of the selected one or more flight records containing a match between the one or more alternate airports and the one or more runway identifiers;
transmitting the updated one or more updated flight records containing a match between the one or more alternate airports and the one or more runway identifiers to the user application; and
selectively displaying the alert or warning notification to users by associating the alert or warning notification with aircraft having planned landings at the one or more alternate airports.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein selectively displaying the alert or warning notification comprises a pop-up window appearing in a screen on a monitor of a user application in combination with sound from the user application.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein selectively displaying the alert or warning notification comprises a change of color of a symbol illustrating a aircraft on a display system.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein selectively displaying the alert or warning notification comprises a change of color of the symbol illustrating the aircraft in a display system in combination with sound from a user application.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein selectively displaying the alert or warning notification comprises a pop-up window appearing in a screen on a communications device.