Patent ID: 9652888
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: G01C,G01W,G06T,G08G

Claim:
1. A method of providing visual depictions of predictive weather information for in-route aircraft trajectory planning, the method comprising: providing an onboard aircraft computer system having a processor and a graphical display; displaying current weather information for time T on the graphical display; displaying current aircraft position information for time T on the graphical display; displaying current aircraft trajectory information on the graphical display; selecting a predictive time interval X where X is expressed in terms of minutes, the predictive time interval X selected on the aircraft computer system; generating predictive weather information using the processor of the aircraft computer system, the predictive weather information extrapolated from known weather forecasts received by the onboard aircraft computer system, the predictive weather information generated for a plurality of time increments from time T to time T+X; generating predictive aircraft position information using the processor of the aircraft computer system, the predictive aircraft position information generated for each time increment from time T to time T+X; manipulating an user interface function on the aircraft computer system to sequentially display on the graphical display the current aircraft position information relative to the current weather information for time T and the predictive aircraft position information relative to the predictive weather information for each time increment from time T to time T+X; using a route assessment tool on the aircraft computer system to generate an in-flight trajectory change to the current aircraft trajectory information, the in-flight trajectory change based on predictive aircraft position information and predictive weather information such that the in-flight trajectory change avoids weather storms, the in-flight trajectory change displayed on the graphical display; and communicating the in-route trajectory change to a ground-based air route traffic controller.