Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to flight simulation training for aircraft operations and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing data to client devices for flight simulation, and performing flight simulations on client devices using data provided by a remote server system
In order to conduct flight missions safely and efficiently (or effectively), pilots require adequate training in operating aircraft. Insufficient training may result in aviation incidents. Additionally, flight management systems and other aircraft technologies evolve over time to provide new features that improve safety and efficiency. Pilots who are inadequately trained on recent technologies may be unable to reap the benefits of such technological advancements.
Therefore, there is a need for systems and methods to provide for effective flight simulation, for purposes of training pilots in operating aircraft, on easily accessible computing devices. There is also a need for flight simulations executed on such computing devices to utilize server-hosted resources in a way that does not impair the effectiveness of the flight simulation for training purposes.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art, or suggestions of the prior art, by inclusion in this section.
According to certain aspects of the disclosure, systems and methods are disclosed providing data to client devices for flight simulation, and performing flight simulation using data obtained provided by a remote server system.
In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method is disclosed for streaming avionic simulation. The computer-implemented method may comprise: receiving, from an user device, a request for flight management service functions by a user; determining the flight management service functions registered to the user based on the request; determining a device setup configuration associated with the user; selecting one or more user device based on the device setup configuration; receiving streaming data corresponding to a simulation of the flight management service functions; and transmitting the streaming data corresponding to the flight management service functions to one or more user devices, wherein the streaming data provides the simulation of the flight management service functions.
In accordance with another embodiment, a computer-implemented system is disclosed for streaming avionic simulation. The computer-implemented system may comprise: a memory having processor-readable instructions stored therein; and at least one processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor configures the processor to perform functions for: receive, from an user device, a request for flight management service functions by a user; determine the flight management service functions registered to the user based on the request; determine a device setup configuration associated with the user; select one or more user device based on the device setup configuration; receive streaming data corresponding to a simulation of the flight management service functions; and transmit the streaming data corresponding to the flight management service functions to one or more user devices, wherein the streaming data provides the simulation of the flight management service functions.
In accordance with another embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is disclosed for streaming avionic simulation. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may comprise instructions for: receiving, from an user device, a request for flight management service functions by a user; determining the flight management service functions registered to the user based on the request; determining a device setup configuration associated with the user; selecting one or more user device based on the device setup configuration; receiving streaming data corresponding to a simulation of the flight management service functions; and transmitting the streaming data corresponding to the flight management service functions to one or more user devices, wherein the streaming data provides the simulation of the flight management service functions.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.
Due to the increase in demand for new pilots, there exists a need for a training solution that provides efficiency for both instructor and trainee, and flexibility for rearranging display windows on multiple display devices. The present disclosure describes a solution that employs cloud based streaming techniques to enhance the pilot training experience. For example, the present disclosure may allow a trainee to configure and arrange avionics display windows and control panels onto multiple display devices, thereby reducing inefficiencies related to cluttered displays. As will be discussed in more detail below, the functions of a flight management system (FMS) used for flight simulation may be hosted on a server system in a cloud. The server system in the cloud may also store a client device configuration indicating the types of avionics displays to be presented on one or more client devices. Accordingly, the FMS may execute avionics simulations and transmit streaming packets for avionics related display windows and panels to each of the client devices used for training.
The subject matter of the present description will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments. An embodiment or implementation described herein as “exemplary” is not to be construed as preferred or advantageous, for example, over other embodiments or implementations; rather, it is intended to reflect or indicate that the embodiment(s) is/are “example” embodiment(s). Subject matter can be embodied in a variety of different forms and, therefore, covered or claimed subject matter is intended to be construed as not being limited to any exemplary embodiments set forth herein; exemplary embodiments are provided merely to be illustrative. Likewise, a reasonably broad scope for claimed or covered subject matter is intended. Among other things, for example, subject matter may be embodied as methods, devices, components, or systems. Accordingly, embodiments may, for example, take the form of hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof (other than software per se). The following detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be taken in a limiting sense.
Throughout the specification and claims, terms may have nuanced meanings suggested or implied in context beyond an explicitly stated meaning. Likewise, the phrase “in one embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and the phrase “in another embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment. It is intended, for example, that claimed subject matter include combinations of exemplary embodiments in whole or in part.
The terminology used below may be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific examples of the present disclosure. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Description section. Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the features, as claimed.
In this disclosure, the term “based on” means “based at least in part on.” The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context dictates otherwise. The term “exemplary” is used in the sense of “example” rather than “ideal.” The term “or” is meant to be inclusive and means either, any, several, or all of the listed items. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” or other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, or product that comprises a list of elements does not necessarily include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Relative terms, such as, “substantially” and “generally,” are used to indicate a possible variation of ±10% of a stated or understood value.
Referring now to the appended drawings,
The cloud FMS server service module 111 may be initiated based on a user configuration and platform when a user logs into the cloud streaming service. One or more functionalities may be registered to the cloud FMS server service module 111 and executed by the module 111 when requested by the user. The one or more functionalities registered may include at least a flight planning function, a performance function, a navigation function, and a datalink function. The flight planning function may enable the user to string a flight plan and modify the flight plan, and to be able visualize the plan on the display screen of the device. The performance function may enable a prediction capability, which may provide the predicted time and fuel information over the flight plan. The navigation function may provide guidance and navigation module of an aircraft. The datalink function may provide digital communication between the air crew and ground dispatcher.
The cloud simulation service module 112 may operate in combination with the cloud FMS server service module 111 to provide simulation services to the user devices 101A and 101B. Cloud simulation may include collection of various flight deck displays as well as flight deck panels interfaced and/or driven with cloud avionics services. The cloud simulation service module 112 may provide simulation to the full versions of avionics executed by cloud FMS server service module 111 to ensure simulations may be transmitted downstream to user devices 101A and 101B.
The cloud streaming service module 113 may determine the display windows and simulation and control panel windows available to the user based on the aircraft configuration selected by the user. For example, the user may select a certain aircraft by model or type that the user would like to receive training on and the cloud streaming service module 113 may determine the displays available for the selected aircraft (i.e. Multi-Function Control and Display Unit (MCDU), Navigation Display (ND), Primary Flight Display (PFD), Vertical Situation Display (VSD)) and the simulation and control panels available for the selected aircraft (i.e. Mode Control Panel (MCP), Electronic Flight Instrumentation System Control Panel (ECP)) to ensure that the user receives training based on simulation of the appropriate aircraft. The cloud streaming service module 113 may also periodically build streaming packets for all the display windows and simulation panels and place the streaming packets in a priority queue for transmission to one or more user devices.
The streaming adapter 114 may be a hardware or software module that routes the streaming packets received from the cloud streaming service 113 to the appropriate streaming devices according to a configuration file. The adapter 114 may also filter out any streaming windows or panels that a user is not subscribed to or registered for. For example, if a user is registered for MCDU but not ND, the streaming adapter 114 may filter out the streaming packets related to ND such that the ND window is not shown to the user. The streaming adapter 114 may also be configured to prioritize one or more user devices so that those devices may be refreshed at a faster rate. For example, the streaming adapter 114 may prioritize the streaming packets destined for high priority user devices so that the high priority user devices are refreshed with lowest possible latency.
The streaming splitter 115 may be a hardware or software module that may function to split the streaming packets to various devices. As illustrated in
Streaming devices 116 may correspond to user devices 101A and 101B and may include the user devices 101A and 101B or may be in addition to user devices 101A and 101B. The streaming devices 116 may be tablet devices or any other personal device (i.e., smartphone, PDA, laptop, desktop) that is capable of executing user application and receive data from cloud streaming service module 113. The devices 116 may be used by the trainee to learn flight management functions of an aircraft running on the cloud FMS server service 111 or used by instructors via the streaming adapter 114.
As indicated above,
The number and arrangement of modules, devices, and networks shown in
Although
Although
If programmable logic is used, such logic may be executed on a commercially available processing platform or a special purpose device. One of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can be practiced with various computer system configurations, including multi-core multiprocessor systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, computers linked or clustered with distributed functions, as well as pervasive or miniature computers that may be embedded into virtually any device.
For instance, at least one processor device and a memory may be used to implement the above-described embodiments. A processor device may be a single processor or a plurality of processors, or combinations thereof. Processor devices may have one or more processor “cores.”
Various embodiments of the present disclosure, as described above in the examples of
As shown in
Device 500 also may include a main memory 540, for example, random access memory (RAM), and also may include a secondary memory 530. Secondary memory 530, e.g., a read-only memory (ROM), may be, for example, a hard disk drive or a removable storage drive. Such a removable storage drive may comprise, for example, a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a flash memory, or the like. The removable storage drive in this example reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit in a well-known manner. The removable storage unit may comprise a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, etc., which is read by and written to by the removable storage drive. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the relevant art, such a removable storage unit generally includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data.
In alternative implementations, secondary memory 530 may include other similar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into device 500. Examples of such means may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM, or PROM) and associated socket, and other removable storage units and interfaces, which allow software and data to be transferred from a removable storage unit to device 500.
Device 500 also may include a communications interface (“COM”) 560. Communications interface 560 allows software and data to be transferred between device 500 and external devices. Communications interface 560 may include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot and card, or the like. Software and data transferred via communications interface 560 may be in the form of signals, which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable of being received by communications interface 560. These signals may be provided to communications interface 560 via a communications path of device 500, which may be implemented using, for example, wire or cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, an RF link or other communications channels.
The hardware elements, operating systems and programming languages of such equipment are conventional in nature, and it is presumed that those skilled in the art are adequately familiar therewith. Device 500 also may include input and output ports 550 to connect with input and output devices such as keyboards, mice, touchscreens, monitors, displays, etc. Of course, the various server functions may be implemented in a distributed fashion on a number of similar platforms, to distribute the processing load. Alternatively, the servers may be implemented by appropriate programming of one computer hardware platform.
The systems, apparatuses, devices, and methods disclosed herein are described in detail by way of examples and with reference to the figures. The examples discussed herein are examples only and are provided to assist in the explanation of the apparatuses, devices, systems, and methods described herein. None of the features or components shown in the drawings or discussed below should be taken as mandatory for any specific implementation of any of these the apparatuses, devices, systems, or methods unless specifically designated as mandatory. For ease of reading and clarity, certain components, modules, or methods may be described solely in connection with a specific figure. In this disclosure, any identification of specific techniques, arrangements, etc. are either related to a specific example presented or are merely a general description of such a technique, arrangement, etc. Identifications of specific details or examples are not intended to be, and should not be, construed as mandatory or limiting unless specifically designated as such. Any failure to specifically describe a combination or sub-combination of components should not be understood as an indication that any combination or sub-combination is not possible. It will be appreciated that modifications to disclosed and described examples, arrangements, configurations, components, elements, apparatuses, devices, systems, methods, etc. can be made and may be desired for a specific application. Also, for any methods described, regardless of whether the method is described in conjunction with a flow diagram, it should be understood that unless otherwise specified or required by context, any explicit or implicit ordering of steps performed in the execution of a method does not imply that those steps must be performed in the order presented but instead may be performed in a different order or in parallel.
Throughout this disclosure, references to components or modules generally refer to items that logically can be grouped together to perform a function or group of related functions. Like reference numerals are generally intended to refer to the same or similar components. Components and modules can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The term “software” is used expansively to include not only executable code, for example machine-executable or machine-interpretable instructions, but also data structures, data stores and computing instructions stored in any suitable electronic format, including firmware, and embedded software. The terms “information” and “data” are used expansively and includes a wide variety of electronic information, including executable code; content such as text, video data, and audio data, among others; and various codes or flags. The terms “information,” “data,” and “content” are sometimes used interchangeably when permitted by context.
It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.