Patent ID: 7462098

Claim:
In an aircraft having a source of cabin pressurizing fluid for pressurizing an aircraft cabin, a computer readable medium for setting a target cabin altitude in the aircraft cabin during and after aircraft take-off from a take-off altitude, comprising: program code for determining whether the cabin pressurizing fluid is flowing into the aircraft cabin; program code for setting the target cabin altitude to (i) at least a first predetermined minimum altitude value below the take-off altitude if the cabin pressurizing fluid is flowing into the aircraft cabin or (ii) at least a second predetermined minimum altitude value above the take-off altitude if the cabin pressurizing fluid is not flowing into the aircraft cabin; and program code for determining a landing field altitude value, the landing field altitude value corresponding to an altitude of a landing destination of the aircraft; program code for determining actual aircraft altitude; program code for determining a scheduled cabin altitude value based on the determined actual aircraft altitude; program code for comparing the landing field altitude value to the first predetermined minimum value to determine which is larger in value; program code for comparing the larger of the landing field altitude value and the first predetermined minimum altitude value to the scheduled cabin altitude value to determine which is largest in value; and if the cabin pressurizing fluid is flowing into the aircraft cabin, program code for controlling air flow through an outflow valve to set the target cabin altitude to the altitude value that is largest in value, wherein the target cabin altitude corresponds to a desired cabin altitude.