Patent ID: 6789011
Filing Date: 2004-09-07
Classification: G08G

Abstract:
A computer program product in a computer readable memory for controlling a processor to allow an aviation system to temporally allocate aircraft slot times during a specified period for the flow of a plurality of aircraft toward a specified fix point, based upon specified data pertaining to said aircraft, said fix point and associated system resources, and specified criteria for allocating said slot times, said computer program comprising:a means for collecting and storing said specified data and criteria, a means for processing said specified data applicable to each of said aircraft and associated resources so as to predict an arrival fix time for each of said aircraft at said specified fix point, a means for assigning to each of said plurality of aircraft a figure of merit whose value is a measure of how likely it is that said predicted arrival fix time will be achieved by said aircraft, wherein said figure of merit having a specified value, which, when exceeded, implies that said predicted arrival time is sufficiently reliable so as to warrant said aircraft to be considered for an allocation of one of said slot times, a means for accepting and storing a request by said operator of each of said aircraft for one of said slot times, a means for accepting and storing a request by a system operator to create slack time in said specified period, a means, utilizing said slot and slack time requests and the predicted arrival fix times for any of said plurality of aircraft for which a slot time request was not made, for predicting the demand for said slot times, a means, based upon specified data that is applicable to said specified period and fix point, for predicting the availability of said slot times within said specified period, and a means, based upon said operator requests, predicted demand for and availability of said slot times and said slot time allocation criteria, for allocating said slot times.