System and method for flight plan verification and automatic airline improvement

Abstract

Systems and methods for flight plan confirmation and automatic airline improvement, the method comprising: obtaining flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights; obtaining route data describing one or more pre-configured routes; for each of the first plurality of planned flights, selecting a set of feasible airlines from the airline data; obtaining verification data associated with each feasible course of each planned flight of the first plurality of planned flights; transmitting a request to an airline identification service based on a determination that there is no valid airline in the set of feasible airlines; receiving validated airline data describing one or more validated airlines associated with the planned flight; and generating a visual indication of a set of acknowledgement routes of the planned flight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for flight plan confirmation and automated route improvement. Background Art

[0002] As air traffic continues to increase, effective aircraft management becomes increasingly important. One aspect of aircraft management includes generating accurate flight plans for each planned flight. Determining effective routes for aircraft for planned flights is a key part of the flight planning process.

[0003] As the challenges of modern air traffic continue to increase, including increasing regulatory scrutiny, as well as pervasive complicating factors such as changing weather and air traffic controller disruptions, flight plan validation has correspondingly become more complex, while the timelines for creating a flight plan (and getting that flight plan approved) have remained the same or shortened. Inefficient flight planning procedures result in increased workload for airlines’ operations control centers (“OCCs”) and increased risk of delays due to air navigation service providers (“ANSPs”) rejecting submitted flight plans or forcing undesirable diversions. Reducing the amount of flight plans that are rejected due to the inclusion of invalid routes can improve the operational efficiency of an airline’s OCC by, for example, reducing fuel consumption for affected aircraft, reducing flight times, reducing delays, etc. Summary of the invention

[0004] In one specific implementation, a device includes one or more processors configured to obtain flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein, for each of the first plurality of planned flights, the flight plan data includes an origin, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time. The one or more processors are also configured to obtain route data describing one or more preconfigured routes. The one or more processors are also configured to select a set of feasible routes from the route data for each of the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to the origin of the planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to the arrival point of the planned flight. The one or more processors are also configured to obtain validation data associated with each feasible route of each of the first plurality of planned flights. The one or more processors are also configured to generate an indication associated with each of the first plurality of flights, wherein the indication of a particular flight in the first plurality of flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the validation data. The one or more processors are further configured to: based on a determination that no routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, transmit a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with the planned flight, and receive verified route data associated with the planned flight from the route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flight. The one or more processors are further configured to generate a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the verification data indicates that routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more verified routes.

[0005] In another specific implementation, a method includes obtaining flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein for each of the first plurality of planned flights, the flight plan data includes an origin, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time. The method also includes obtaining route data describing one or more preconfigured routes. The method also includes: for each of the first plurality of planned flights, selecting a set of feasible routes from the route data, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to an origin of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of the planned flight. The method also includes: obtaining validation data associated with each feasible route of each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights. The method also includes generating an indication associated with each flight in the first plurality of flights, wherein the indication of a particular flight in the first plurality of flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the validation data. The method also includes, based on a determination that there are no valid routes in the set of feasible routes, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including the flight plan data associated with the planned flight. The method also includes receiving verified route data associated with the planned flight from a route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flight. The method also includes generating a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the verification data indicates that routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more verified routes.

[0006] In another specific implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processor to: obtain flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein for each of the first plurality of planned flights, the flight plan data includes an origin, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time. The instructions also cause the processor to obtain route data describing one or more preconfigured routes. The instructions also cause the processor to select a set of feasible routes from the route data for each of the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to the origin of the planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to the arrival point of the planned flight. The instructions also cause the processor to obtain validation data associated with each feasible route of each of the first plurality of planned flights. The instructions also cause the processor to generate an indication associated with each of the first plurality of flights, wherein the indication of a particular flight in the first plurality of flights identifies whether one or more of the feasible routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the validation data. The instructions further cause the processor to: based on a determination that there are no valid routes in the set of feasible routes, transmit a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with the planned flight. Receive verified route data associated with the planned flight from the route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flight. The instructions further cause the processor to generate a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the verification data indicates that the routes in the set of feasible routes are valid and including one or more verified routes.

[0007] In another specific implementation, a device includes means for obtaining flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein for each of the first plurality of planned flights, the flight plan data includes an origin, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time. The device also includes means for obtaining route data describing one or more preconfigured routes. The device also includes means for selecting a set of feasible routes from the route data for each of the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to an origin of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of the planned flight. The device also includes means for obtaining validation data associated with each feasible route of each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights. The device also includes means for generating an indication associated with each flight in the first plurality of flights, wherein the indication of a particular flight in the first plurality of flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the validation data. The device also includes means for transmitting a request to a route identification service based on a determination that no route in the set of feasible routes is valid, the request including the flight plan data associated with the planned flight. The apparatus also includes means for receiving validated route data associated with the planned flight from a route identification service, wherein the validated route data describes one or more validated routes associated with the planned flight. The apparatus also includes means for generating a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the validation data indicates that routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more validated routes.

[0008] The features, functions, and advantages described herein can be achieved independently in various embodiments or may be combined in yet other embodiments further details of which can be found with reference to the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 An embodiment system for flight plan validation and automatic route improvement according to some examples of the present disclosure is shown.

[0010] Figure 2 An exemplary graphical representation of information associated with a set of confirmed routes for each of a plurality of planned flights is shown in accordance with some implementations of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 3 An exemplary dashboard interface for a user according to some implementations of the subject disclosure is depicted, the interface including a first visual representation of a count of a first set of flights that are all valid for a set of possible routes, a second visual representation of a count of a second set of flights that are some valid for the set of possible routes, and a third visual representation of a count of a third set of flights that are not valid for the set of possible routes.

[0012] Figure 4 is a flow chart of an example method for flight plan validation and automatic route improvement according to some examples of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a computing environment including a computing device configured to support aspects of computer-implemented methods and computer-executable program instructions (or code) according to some examples of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Inefficiencies in the flight planning process can lead to inefficient operations for airlines. For example, the relatively short notice time between the rejection of a flight plan arriving at an OCC and the scheduled flight departure may not allow the dispatcher to properly correct the rejected flight plan. One method for reducing inefficiencies in flight planning can include predictive diversions and route-based flight plan rejections. With this prediction, airlines gain more time to correct rejected flight plans, provide dispatchers with alternative routes that meet efficiency and verification requirements, etc.

[0015] The system and method disclosed herein can be used by flight dispatchers in their flight plan verification and submission process. For example, the dispatcher can continuously monitor the validity status of the routes of all airlines in the planned schedule and provide alternatives to those flights that are identified as problematic. The dispatcher can continuously check the status of all current and planned flights, see which flights need to be modified (e.g., divert, assign different tails, change departure time or cancel) and continuously improve company routes and schedules. Using the system and method disclosed herein, the dispatcher can do so in advance (allowing more time for planning) and in an automated data-driven manner, thereby allowing a more efficient program.

[0016] The technical advantages of the present disclosure are that it is possible to automatically and efficiently verify routes as part of the flight planning process, provide verified routes if there are no existing routes in the flight plan, automatically perform the analysis for all routes in the airline's schedule, and provide the airline's operations staff with a graphical interface-based insight into the analysis. Improving the flight planning process can improve the efficiency of aircraft operations, including reducing fuel use, reducing flight time, reducing waiting time, etc.

[0017] The accompanying drawings and the following description illustrate specific exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that those skilled in the art will be able to design various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles described herein and are included within the scope of the claims following this description. In addition, any examples described herein are intended to aid in understanding the principles of the present disclosure and are to be interpreted as not limiting. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments or examples described below, but is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

[0018] The detailed description is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, common features are represented by common reference numerals throughout the drawings. As used herein, different terms are used only for the purpose of describing a particular implementation and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, some features described herein are singular in some implementations and plural in other implementations. For illustration, Figure 1 Depicts a system including one or more processors ( Figure 1 106), indicating that in some implementations, the system 100 includes a single processor 106, and in other implementations, the system 100 includes multiple processors 106. For ease of reference herein, such features are generally introduced as "one or more" features, and are then referred to in the singular or optional plural (indicated by "(s)") unless aspects related to multiple features are being described.

[0019] The terms "comprise," "comprises," and "comprising" are used interchangeably with "include," "includes," or "including." Additionally, the term "wherein" is used interchangeably with the term "wherein." As used herein, "exemplary" indicates an instance, implementation, and / or aspect, and should not be construed as limiting or indicating a preference or preferred implementation. As used herein, ordinal terms (e.g., "first," "second," "third," etc.) used to modify an element (such as a structure, component, operation, etc.) do not, by themselves, indicate any priority or order of the element relative to another element, but merely distinguish the element from another element having the same name (but with respect to the use of the ordinal term). As used herein, the term "set" refers to a grouping of one or more elements, and the term "plurality" refers to a plurality of elements.

[0020] As used herein, "generate", "calculate", "use", "select", "access" and "determine" are interchangeable unless the context indicates otherwise. For example, "generate", "calculate" or "determine" a parameter (or signal) may refer to actively generating, calculating or determining a parameter (or signal) or may refer to using, selecting or accessing a parameter (or signal) that has been generated, such as by another component or device. As used herein, "connection" may include "communication connection", "electrical connection" or "physical connection", and may also (or alternatively) include any combination thereof. Two devices (or components) may be directly or indirectly connected (e.g., communicatively connected, electrically connected or physically connected) via one or more other devices, components, wires, buses, networks (e.g., wired networks, wireless networks, or combinations thereof), etc. Two electrically connected devices (or components) may be included in the same device or different devices, and may be connected via electronic devices, one or more connectors, or inductive connections, as illustrative, non-limiting examples. In some implementations, two devices (or components) that are communicatively coupled (e.g., in electrical communication) may directly or indirectly send and receive electrical signals (digital or analog), for example, via one or more wires, buses, networks, etc. As used herein, "directly coupled" is used to describe two devices that are coupled (e.g., communicatively coupled, electrically coupled, or physically coupled) without intermediary components.

[0021] Figure 1 An example system 100 for flight plan confirmation and automatic route improvement according to some examples of the present disclosure is shown. In some implementations, the system 100 includes a computing device 102 configured to communicate with one or more route identification services 104, one or more flight plan data sources 137, one or more validation data sources 127, and one or more route data sources 147. The computing device 102 may include one or more processors 106 coupled to a memory 109, the memory 109 including instructions that, when executed by the processor 106, cause the processor 106 to perform certain functions (such as those described in detail below). For example, the processor 106 may be configured to generate a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes 130 for a particular planned flight described by the flight plan data 136, wherein the set of confirmed routes 130 includes a set of feasible routes 110 (from the route data 146) that the validation data 128 has indicated as valid, and may also include one or more validated routes 139 described by the validated route data 152 received from the route identification service 104. In certain aspects, the data describing the validated routes 139 may be stored at the memory 109.

[0022] The processor 106 may include one or more components configured to perform one or more of those functions, including a feasible route selector 108, an indication generator 116, a visual indication generator 124, or some combination thereof. In some implementations, the processor(s) 106 may be configured to obtain flight plan data 136 from one or more flight plan data sources 137. The flight plan data 136 describes a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the flight plan data includes an origin 138, an arrival point 140, and at least one of a departure time 142 or an arrival time 144 for each of the first plurality of planned flights. For example, the flight plan data 136 may describe all flights planned by one or more of airline A and airline B. A particular planned flight of airline A may be described, for example, by the flight plan data 136 indicating that the particular planned flight is from London Gatwick Airport to Edinburgh at 8:00 a.m. GMT on Tuesday, July 18, 2023.

[0023] The processor 106 may also be configured to obtain route data 146 from one or more route data sources 147 describing one or more preconfigured routes 148. In some implementations, each planned flight may have one or more preconfigured routes 148 associated with it. For example, the exemplary flight from London to Edinburgh mentioned above may have five to ten routes associated with it. In some implementations, each preconfigured route 148 may include data describing a specific path that an aircraft may travel from the origin 138 to the arrival point 140.

[0024] In some implementations, the feasible route selector 108 may be configured to select a set of feasible routes 110 from the route data 146 for each of the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes 110 have a first waypoint 112 corresponding to the starting point 138 of the planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint 114 corresponding to the arrival point 140 of the planned flight. In some aspects, the feasible route 110 includes one or more additional waypoints between the first waypoint 112 and the second waypoint 114. For example, the above exemplary flight may have a first waypoint 112 associated with the portion of the London airport from which the flight will leave and a second waypoint 114 associated with the portion of the Edinburgh airport to which the flight is planned. Each of the feasible routes 110 associated with the flight may include one or more additional waypoints between London and Edinburgh, which identify the specific path of the flight to be flown. For a specific planned flight, this set of feasible routes 110 may be different in terms of the specific waypoints, altitude or other flight path parameters included between the starting point and the arrival point.

[0025] The processor 106 may also be configured to obtain validation data 128 from one or more validation data sources 127. The validation data 128 is associated with each feasible route 110 of each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights. In some aspects, the validation data 128 may include data indicating whether a particular feasible route 110 is valid at a particular point in time. In a specific aspect, the processor 106 may be configured to check each of the set of feasible routes 110 against a route rejection criterion associated with the validation data 128. The route rejection criterion may indicate, for example, that a waypoint for a particular route no longer exists, that a standard instrument departure at a starting point is closed, that traffic is prohibited for a portion of a particular route, that a portion of a particular route is closed for traffic, that a portion of a particular route cannot be flown at a desired flight altitude, etc. The validation data 128 may include data indicating whether a particular route is valid, a window during which a particular route is valid (or invalid), one or more reasons why a particular route is valid (or invalid), or some combination thereof.

[0026] The processor 106 may be configured to use the validation data 128 to determine whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes 110 for a particular planned flight are acceptable for the flight plan. In some implementations, the indication generator 116 may be configured to generate an indication 118 associated with each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication 118 for a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes 110 are valid based at least on the validation data 128. The indication 118 may include, for example, a text-based indication (e.g., “OK,” “PARTIAL,” “WRONG,” etc.), a graphic-based indication (e.g., one of a multi-color indication scheme), other appropriate indications, or some combination thereof. Refer to FIG. 1 for an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 Route indication 214 shows exemplary indication 118 .

[0027] In particular aspects, the indication 118 may include one or more visual indications. For example, the indication 118 may include a first color indicating that all of the one or more routes are valid, a second color indicating that some of the one or more routes are valid, a third color indicating that none of the one or more routes are valid, or some combination thereof.

[0028] In some implementations, the processor 106 may also be configured to transmit a request 150 to the route identification service 104 based on the determination 122 that no route in the set of possible routes 110 is valid, the request 150 including a portion of the flight schedule data 136 associated with the planned flight. The determination 122 may include data indicating, for example, a yes / no determination made by the processor 106 that no route in the set of possible routes 110 is valid. For example, the processor 106 may be configured to first determine 122 that no route in the set of possible routes 110 is valid, and if the determination 122 indicates that no route is valid, transmit the request 150 to the route identification service 104, wherein the request 150 includes the origin 138, the arrival point 140, and the departure time 142 of the particular planned flight.

[0029] The route identification service 104 may be configured to process the request 150 (e.g., by one or more processors 132 coupled to the memory 134) to determine one or more validated routes 139 associated with a particular planned flight and return validated route data 152 describing the one or more validated routes 139 to the computing device 102. The validated route data 152 may include data indicating that the route identification service 104 has indicated a valid route. The validated route data 152 may include, for example, data indicating a first waypoint corresponding to a departure point and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point for the particular planned flight. In some aspects, the route identification service 104 may be any suitable electronic device configured to receive the request 150 and return the validated route data 152, as described above. For example, the route identification service 104 may be a software as a service or an application programming interface provided to a backend service configured to provide the validated route data 152.

[0030] Processor 106 may also be configured to receive verified route data 152 associated with the planned flight from route identification service 104 , wherein verified route data 152 describes one or more verified routes 139 associated with the planned flight.

[0031] In some implementations, visual indication generator 124 can be configured to generate visual indication 126 of a set of confirmed routes 130 for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes 130 including routes in the set of possible routes 110 for which validation data 128 indicates that routes in the set of possible routes 110 are valid, and including one or more validated routes 139 when validated routes 139 are indicated by request 150 and validated route data 152. As described below with reference to Figures 2 to 5In more detail, visual indication 126 may include one or more graphical representations of an automatic analysis of a set of feasible routes 110 associated with a particular planned flight. For example, visual indication 126 may include a graphical list of a set of confirmed routes 130 for display on an input / output portion of computing device 102.

[0032] In some aspects, the processor 106 may be further configured to generate additional information associated with the set of confirmed routes 130. In particular aspects, the processor 106 may be configured to generate one or more key performance indicators for each of the set of confirmed routes 130. The key performance indicators may include, for example, a fuel usage metric, a departure time delay metric, and the like.

[0033] In some aspects, the processor(s) 106 may also be configured to generate a dashboard interface for a user that includes one or more visual representations associated with the validation data 128 for each of the one or more routes for each of the first plurality of planned flights. Figure 3 As shown, for example, one or more visual representations may include a visual representation of a count of a first set of flights for which all of the set of possible routes 110 are valid, a count of a second set of flights for which some of the set of possible routes 110 are valid, and a count of flights for which none of the set of possible routes 110 are valid.

[0034] In the same or alternative aspects, the processor 106 may also be configured to transmit a message including a textual interpretation associated with the verification data 128. As described below with reference to Figure 2 As shown in the additional information 216 of FIG. 2 , for example, the message may include a textual explanation associated with the analysis of one or more routes associated with the particular planned flight (eg, “no alternate routes are required,” a textual description of alternate routes, etc.).

[0035] Although the structure and functionality of the computing device 102 described above in detail have been described with reference to a single set of flights, the described systems and methods may be applied to multiple sets of flights without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. For example, a first plurality of flights may be associated with a first airline, and the processor 106 may be configured to obtain flight schedule data 136 indicating a second plurality of flights associated with a second airline, each of the second plurality of flights including an origin 138, an arrival point 140, and at least one of a departure time 142 and an arrival time 144; select a second set of feasible routes 110 from the route data 146 for each of the second plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes 110 have a first waypoint 112 corresponding to the origin 138 of a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint 114 corresponding to the arrival point 140 of a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; obtain validation data 128 associated with each feasible route 110 for each of the second plurality of planned flights; generate an indication 118 associated with each of the second plurality of flights, wherein the indication 118 for a particular flight in the second plurality of flights is at least Based on the verification data 128, identify whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes 110 are valid; based on the determination 122 that no routes in the second set of feasible routes 110 are valid, transmit a request 150 to the route identification service 104, the request 150 including flight schedule data 136 associated with a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; receive verified route data 152 associated with a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights from the route identification service 104, wherein the verified route data 152 describes one or more verified routes 139 associated with the planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; and generate a visual indication 126 of a second set of confirmed routes for the planned flights in the second plurality of planned flights, the set of confirmed routes 130 including routes in the set of feasible routes 110 for which the verification data 128 indicates that the routes in the second set of feasible routes 110 are valid, and including one or more verified routes 139 associated with the second plurality of planned flights.

[0036] The processor 106 can also be configured to generate a dashboard interface for a user, wherein the dashboard interface includes one or more visual representations associated with the validation data 128 for each of the one or more routes for each flight in the first plurality of flights and each flight in the second plurality of flights. In certain aspects, the dashboard interface can include one or more visual representations that compare the validation data 128 associated with the first plurality of flights to the validation data 128 associated with the second plurality of flights.

[0037] In some implementations, the computing device 102, the route identification service 104, the flight plan data source 137, the route data source 147, the verification data source 127, or some combination thereof may be associated with, integrated into, or otherwise included in a flight scheduler system. In such an implementation, the processor 106 may also be configured to submit the request 150 to an air traffic control approval system. The air traffic control approval system may be configured to provide verified route data 152. Obtaining an accurate, data-driven set of confirmed routes 130 may improve the efficiency of the air traffic control approval system.

[0038] The system 100 may also include Figure 1 Components not shown in the figure. For example, computing device 102 may also include a receiver configured to receive verified route data 152, flight plan data 136, route data 146, verification data 128, or some combination thereof. The receiver may be configured to receive data, for example, via a radio frequency link. As additional examples, system 100 may also include one or more input / output interfaces, one or more network interfaces, etc. In addition, although Figure 1 The memory 109 of the system 100 is shown as storing certain data, but more, less, and / or different data may be present within the memory 109 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0039] In addition, although Figure 1 Certain operations are shown occurring within computing device 102, but these operations may be performed by other components of system 100 without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. For example, one or more components external to computing device 102 may be configured to host or otherwise incorporate some or all of feasible route selector 108, indication generator 116, visual indication generator 124, or some combination thereof. Such components may be located remotely from computing device 102 and accessed via a modem of computing device 102. As a specific example, determination 122, confirmed route 130, or some combination thereof may be stored in one or more databases external to computing device 102.

[0040] Further, although Figure 1 Computing device 102 and route identification service 104 are shown as separate, but other configurations are possible without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. For example, computing device 102 and route identification service 104 may be integrated into an air traffic control approval system, a flight planning system, etc. As an additional example, one or more components of computing device 102 may be distributed across multiple computing devices (e.g., a group of servers). In addition, although Figure 1Flight plan data source 137, route data source 147, and verification data source 127 are shown as being separate from the computing device, but one or more of these data sources may be integrated with each other, with computing device 102, or some combination thereof without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. For example, flight plan data source 137, route data source 147, and verification data source 127 may be integrated into a single database that may be integrated into and / or in communication with computing device 102.

[0041] Figure 2 A set of confirmed routes (e.g., Figure 1 130). The graphical representation 200 includes one or more rows 202, each row 202 being associated with a particular planned flight. In each row 202, a plurality of information fields provide additional information about the planned flight. Figure 2 In the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 2 , the information fields include flight number 204, origin airport code 206, arrival airport code 208, departure time 210, arrival time 212, route indication 214, and additional information 216. Typically, route indication 214 is Figure 1 An exemplary implementation of indication 118 is described in more detail above.

[0042] In the exemplary graphical representation 200, the origin airport code 206 provides language indicating the origin airport associated with a particular planned flight (e.g., Figure 1 The code may include, for example, a three-letter code provided by the International Air Transport Association for airports, a four-letter code provided by the International Civil Aviation Organization for airports, some other language identifying an airport of origin, or some combination thereof. In a similar manner, an arrival airport code 208 identifies the intended arrival airport for a particular scheduled flight (e.g., Figure 1 Departure time 210 and arrival time 212 may indicate a planned departure time (eg, departure time 142) and arrival time (eg, arrival time 144), respectively, for a particular scheduled flight.

[0043] In the exemplary graphical representation 200, the route indications 214 provide a text-based indication of whether one or more preconfigured routes associated with a particular planned flight are valid. For example, the route indication 214 of row 202A states "OK", indicating that all preconfigured routes associated with flight AAA1111 are valid. The route indication 214 of row 202B lists "PARTIAL", indicating that at least one of the preconfigured routes associated with flight AAA1112 is valid. The route indication 214 of row 202E lists "WRONG", indicating that none of the preconfigured routes associated with flight AAA1115 are valid. As described above, Figure 1 As described in more detail, the indication 118 for a particular planned flight identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes 110 are valid based at least on the validation data 128 received from the validation data source 127. The route indication 214 can present the indication 118 in the form of a graphical representation 200 that is more easily understood by a human user, computing device 102, or the like.

[0044] In the exemplary graphical representation 200, the additional information 216 includes a textual explanation associated with the route indication 214. For example, the additional information 216 includes a textual explanation of "No Alternative Routes Required" for rows 202A-202D, 202F. This textual explanation is provided when the route indication 214 states "OK" or "PARTIAL". In these cases, the particular planned flight has at least one valid preconfigured route, so no additional routes are required. When the route indication states "Error", that is, all preconfigured routes for the particular flight are invalid, the additional information 216 includes a description of one or more alternative routes that can be used for the particular planned flight. For example, the additional information 216 of row 202E includes a description of Route A, Route B, Route C, Route D, and Route E for flight AAA1115.

[0045] Although the example graphical representation 200 includes specific information presented in a specific order, different information presented in more, less, and / or in a different manner may be used without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. For example, the graphical representation 200 may include only one of the departure time 210 and the arrival time 212. As an additional embodiment, the additional information 216 may include a hyperlink to another location where the additional information may be found. As a further embodiment, the graphical representation 200 may include additional information, such as an explanation of why each route is invalid, waypoints associated with a particular route, etc.

[0046] In some implementations, the graphical representation 200 can be represented by Figure 1The graphical representation 200 may be generated by one or more components of the system 100. For example, the processor(s) 106, the indication generator 116, the visual indication generator 124, or some combination thereof may be configured to generate the graphical representation 200 for the user.

[0047] Figure 3 An exemplary dashboard interface 300 for a user according to some implementations of the subject disclosure is depicted, including a first visual representation 314 of a count of a first set of flights (for which all of the set of possible routes are valid), a second visual representation 312 of a count of a second set of flights (for which some of the set of possible routes are valid), and a third visual representation 310 of a count of a third set of flights (for which no routes in the set of possible routes are valid).

[0048] The example dashboard interface 300 includes three sets of information 302 indicating a count 308 of scheduled flights analyzed for a particular weekday 318. Each set of information 302 includes a count 308 for that weekday 318, a first visual representation 314, a second visual representation 312, and a third visual representation 310. For example, on weekday 1 (e.g., as indicated at 318A), 2,871 flights were analyzed (e.g., at 308A). Of the 2,871 flights, 12.5% ​​had an associated set of preconfigured routes that were all valid (e.g., at 314A), 40.0% had an associated set of preconfigured routes of which at least one was valid (e.g., at 312A), and 47.5% had a set of preconfigured routes that were all invalid (e.g., at 310A). As conditions change over time, the number of active routes may change, as indicated by fields 302B, 302C, which occurs on the weekday after weekday 1 (eg, as indicated at 318B, 318C).

[0049] A technical advantage of providing a dashboard interface is that it allows a user to more efficiently understand the status of valid routes for a set of planned flights. By making the process more efficient, flight planners can make more data-driven, efficient decisions about which routes to include in flight plans. Figure 1 , by improving the number of flight plans that are rejected due to including invalid routes, the overall efficiency of flight planning is improved. This can result in, for example, reduced flight delays.

[0050] In some implementations, the dashboard interface 300 can be Figure 1 The dashboard interface 300 may be generated by one or more components of the system 100. For example, the processor(s) 106, the indication generator 116, the visual indication generator 124, or some combination thereof can be configured to generate the dashboard interface 300 for the user.

[0051] Figure 44 is a flow chart of an example method 400 for flight plan confirmation and automatic route improvement according to some examples of the present disclosure. The method 400 may be initiated, executed, or controlled by one or more processors executing instructions, such as a processor executing instructions from memory 109. Figure 1 The processor 106 initiates, executes or controls the process.

[0052] In some implementations, method 400 includes: at 402, obtaining flight schedule data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the flight schedule data includes at least one of an origin, an arrival point, and a departure time and an arrival time for each of the first plurality of planned flights. For example, Figure 1 The processor 106 may obtain flight plan data 136 describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the flight plan data 136 includes an origin point 138, an arrival point 140, and at least one of a departure time 142 and an arrival time 144 for each of the first plurality of planned flights.

[0053] exist Figure 4 In the example of , method 400 may also include obtaining route data describing one or more preconfigured routes at 404. For example, Figure 1 The processor 106 may obtain route data 146 describing one or more preconfigured routes 148 .

[0054] exist Figure 4 In the example of , method 400 may also include: at 406, for each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, selecting (406) a set of feasible routes from the route data, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to the origin of the planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to the arrival point of the planned flight. For example, Figure 1 The processor 106 may select a set of feasible routes 110 from the route data for each of the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint 112 corresponding to a departure point of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint 114 corresponding to an arrival point of the planned flight.

[0055] exist Figure 4 In the example of , method 400 may also include: at 408, obtaining verification data associated with each feasible route of each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights. Figure 1 The processor 106 may obtain the validation data 128 associated with each feasible route 110 for each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights.

[0056] exist Figure 4In an example of , method 400 may also include: at 410, generating an indication associated with each of the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication for a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the validation data. For example, Figure 1 The processor 106 may generate an indication 118 associated with each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication 118 of a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes 110 are valid based at least on the validation data 128.

[0057] exist Figure 4 In the example of , method 400 may also include: at 412, based on the determination that no route in the set of feasible routes is valid, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including flight schedule data associated with the planned flight. For example, Figure 1 The processor 106 may transmit a request 150 including the flight plan data 136 associated with the planned flight to the route identification service 104 based on determining 122 that no route in the set of feasible routes 110 is valid.

[0058] exist Figure 4 In the example of , method 400 may also include: at 414, receiving verified route data associated with the planned flight from a route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flight. For example, Figure 1 The processor 106 may receive verified route data 152 associated with the planned flight from the route identification service 104 , wherein the verified route data 152 describes one or more verified routes 139 associated with the planned flight.

[0059] exist Figure 4 In the example of , method 400 may also include: at 416, generating a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which validation data indicates that the routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more validated routes. For example, Figure 1 The processor 106 may generate a visual indication 126 of a set of confirmed routes 130 for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes 130 including routes in the set of feasible routes 110 for which validation data 128 indicates that routes in the set of feasible routes 110 are valid and include one or more validated routes.

[0060] More, fewer, and / or different steps may be included in the method 400 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the method 400 may obtain route data for a first subset of the first plurality of planned flights and verify the pre-configured routes of the first subset before obtaining route data for a second subset of the first plurality of planned flights and verifying the pre-configured routes of the second subset.

[0061] As another example, in certain aspects, portions of method 400 may be repeated for a second plurality of flights. For example, the first plurality of flights may be associated with a first airline, and the second plurality of flights may be associated with a second airline. After analyzing the preconfigured routes for each of the first plurality of flights and the second plurality of flights, method 400 can optionally include generating a dashboard interface for a user, wherein the dashboard interface includes one or more visual representations comparing validation data associated with the first plurality of flights to validation data associated with the second plurality of flights.

[0062] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a computing environment 500 including a computing device 510 configured to support various aspects of computer-implemented methods and computer-executable program instructions (or codes) according to some examples of the present disclosure. For example, the computing device 510 or a portion thereof is configured to execute instructions to initiate, execute, or control the above-referenced Figure 1-Figure 4 In particular aspects, the computing device 510 may include, correspond to, or include Figure 1 The computing device 102, the route identification service 104, the flight plan data source 137, the route data source 147, the verification data source 127, one or more servers, one or more virtual devices, or a combination thereof.

[0063] The computing device 510 includes one or more processors 520. In certain aspects, the processor 520 corresponds to Figure 1 106. The processor 520 is configured to communicate with a system memory 530, one or more storage devices 550, one or more input / output interfaces 540, one or more communication interfaces 560, or any combination thereof. The system memory 530 includes volatile memory devices (e.g., random access memory (RAM) devices), non-volatile memory devices (e.g., read-only memory (ROM) devices, programmable read-only memory, and flash memory), or both. The system memory 530 stores an operating system 532, which may include a basic input / output system for starting the computing device 510 and a complete operating system that enables the computing device 510 to interact with users, other programs, and other devices. The system memory 530 stores system (program) data 538, such as Figure 1 The confirmed route is 130.

[0064] System memory 530 includes one or more applications 534 (eg, instruction sets) that can be executed by processor 520. As an example, one or more applications 534 include instructions 536 that can be executed by processor 520 to initiate, control, or execute a process. Figure 1-Figure 4 For illustration, one or more applications 534 include instructions 536 that can be executed by processor 520 to initiate, control, or perform the operations described in reference Figure 1 One or more operations of selecting a set of feasible routes 110 , generating indications 118 , and generating visual indications 126 are described.

[0065] In a specific implementation, the system memory 530 includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., a computer-readable storage device) storing instructions 536, which, when executed by the processor 520, cause the processor 520 to initiate, perform, or control operations for flight plan validation and automatic route improvement. The operations include obtaining flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the flight plan data includes an origin, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time for each of the first plurality of planned flights. The operations also include obtaining route data describing one or more preconfigured routes. The operations also include: for each of the first plurality of planned flights, selecting a set of feasible routes from the route data, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to the origin of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to the arrival point of the planned flight. The operations also include obtaining validation data associated with each feasible route of each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights. The operations also include generating an indication associated with each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication of a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in a set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the validation data. The operations also include: based on the determination that no routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with the planned flight. The operations also include receiving verified route data associated with the planned flight from the route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flight. The operations also include generating a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the verification data indicates that routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more verified routes.

[0066] One or more storage devices 550 include non-volatile storage devices, such as magnetic disks, optical disks, or flash memory devices. In a particular example, storage devices 550 include both removable and non-removable memory devices. Storage devices 550 are configured to store operating systems, images of operating systems, applications (e.g., one or more applications 534), and program data (e.g., program data 538). In a particular aspect, system memory 530, storage devices 550, or both include tangible computer-readable media. In a particular aspect, one or more storage devices 550 are external to computing device 510.

[0067] One or more input / output interfaces 540 enable the computing device 510 to communicate with one or more input / output devices 570 to facilitate user interaction. For example, the one or more input / output interfaces 540 may include a display interface, an input interface, or both. For example, the input / output interface 540 is suitable for receiving input from a user, receiving input from another computing device, or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the input / output interface 540 conforms to one or more standard interface protocols, including a serial interface (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) interface or an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) interface standard), a parallel interface, a display adapter, an audio adapter, or a custom interface ("IEEE" is a registered trademark of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers of Piscataway, New Jersey). In some implementations, the input / output device 570 includes one or more user interface devices and displays, including some combination of buttons, keyboards, pointing devices, displays, speakers, microphones, touch screens, and other devices. In a specific configuration, the input / output device 570 may be configured to display Figure 2 Graphical representation of 200, Figure 3 Dashboard interface 300 or some combination thereof.

[0068] Processor 520 is configured to communicate with device or controller 580 via one or more communication interfaces 560. For example, one or more communication interfaces 560 may include a network interface. Device or controller 580 may include, for example, route identification service 104, flight plan data source 137, route data source 147, Figure 1 verification data source 127, or some combination thereof.

[0069] In some implementations, a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., a computer-readable storage device) stores instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to initiate, perform, or control operations to perform some or all of the functionality described above. For example, the instructions may be executed to implement Figure 1 and Figure 4 In some implementations, Figure 1and Figure 4 Part or all of one or more of the operations or methods of may be implemented by one or more processors (e.g., one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs)) that execute instructions, by dedicated hardware circuits, or any combination thereof.

[0070] In conjunction with the described implementation, an apparatus includes means for obtaining flight schedule data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the flight schedule data includes at least one of an origin, an arrival point, and a departure time and an arrival time for each of the first plurality of planned flights. For example, the means for obtaining the flight schedule data includes Figure 1 A computing device 102, (one or more) processors 106, (one or more) route identification services 104, a flight plan data source 137, and one or more other circuits or components configured to obtain flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the flight plan data includes at least one of an origin, an arrival point, and a departure time and an arrival time for each of the first plurality of planned flights, or any combination thereof.

[0071] The apparatus also includes means for obtaining route data describing one or more preconfigured routes. For example, the means for obtaining route data describing one or more preconfigured routes includes Figure 1 The computing device 102, the processor 106, the route data source 147, one or more circuits or components configured to obtain route data describing one or more preconfigured routes, or any combination thereof.

[0072] The apparatus also includes means for selecting a set of feasible routes from the route data for each of the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to a planned departure point of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of the planned flight. For example, the apparatus for selecting a set of feasible routes from the route data for each of the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to a planned departure point of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of the planned flight includes Figure 1 A computing device 102, a processor 106, a feasible route selector 108, one or more circuits or components configured to select a set of feasible routes from the route data for each of the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to a departure point of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of the planned flight, or any combination thereof.

[0073] The apparatus also includes means for obtaining validation data associated with each feasible route of each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights. For example, the means for obtaining validation data associated with each feasible route of each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights includes Figure 1 The computing device 102, the processor 106, the verification data source 127, one or more circuits or components configured to obtain verification data associated with each feasible route for each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, or any combination thereof.

[0074] The apparatus also includes means for generating an indication associated with each of the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication of a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more of the set of feasible routes is valid based at least on the validation data. For example, the means for generating the indication includes Figure 1 A computing device 102, (one or more) processors 106, an indication generator 116, and one or more circuits or components configured to generate an indication associated with each planned flight in a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication of a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the validation data or any combination thereof.

[0075] The apparatus also includes means for transmitting a request to a route identification service based on a determination that no route in the set of feasible routes is valid, the request including flight schedule data associated with the planned flight. For example, the means for transmitting the request includes Figure 1 The computing device 102, the processor(s) 106, one or more circuits or components, or any combination thereof, wherein the one or more circuits or components are configured to transmit a request to a route identification service based on determining that no route in a set of feasible routes is valid, the request including flight plan data associated with a planned flight.

[0076] The apparatus also includes means for receiving verified route data associated with the planned flight from a route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flight. For example, the means for receiving the verified route data includes Figure 1 A computing device 102, a processor(s) 106, a route identification service 104, one or more circuits or components, or any combination thereof, wherein the one or more circuits or components are configured to receive verified route data associated with a planned flight from the route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flight.

[0077] The apparatus also includes means for generating a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which validation data indicates that routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more validated routes. For example, the means for generating the visual indication includes Figure 1 The computing device 102, the processor(s) 106, the visual indication generator 124, one or more circuits or components, the one or more circuits or components configured to generate a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which validation data indicates that routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more validated routes, or any combination thereof.

[0078] The illustrations of the examples described herein are intended to provide an overall understanding of the structures of different implementations. These illustrations are not intended to serve as a complete description of all elements and features of the devices and systems utilizing the structures or methods described herein. After reviewing the present invention, many other examples may be apparent to those skilled in the art. Other implementations may be utilized and derived from the present disclosure, so that structural and logical replacements and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, method operations may be performed in an order different from the order shown in the figure or one or more method operations may be omitted. Therefore, the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive.

[0079] In addition, although specific examples have been shown and described herein, it should be understood that any subsequent arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar results may replace the specific implementation shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all subsequent adaptations or variations of different implementations. Combinations of the above implementations and other implementations not specifically described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing this description.

[0080] Submitting the abstract of the present disclosure, it should be understood that it is not used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the aforementioned specific embodiments, for the purpose of streamlining the present disclosure, different features can be combined together or described in a single implementation. The above examples illustrate but do not limit the present disclosure. It should also be understood that many modifications and variations are possible according to the principles of the present invention. As reflected in the following claims, the subject matter claimed for protection may be directed to features that are less than all the features of any disclosed example. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is limited by the attached claims and their equivalents.

[0081] Furthermore, the present disclosure includes implementations according to the following examples:

[0082] According to Example 1, a method includes:

[0083] obtaining flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the flight plan data includes at least one of an origin point, an arrival point, and a departure time and an arrival time for each of the first plurality of planned flights;

[0084] obtaining route data describing one or more preconfigured routes;

[0085] selecting, for each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, a set of feasible routes from the route data, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to a departure point of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of the planned flight;

[0086] obtaining validation data associated with each feasible route for each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights;

[0087] generating an indication associated with each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication of a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in a set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the validation data;

[0088] Based on a determination that no route in the set of feasible routes is valid, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with the planned flight;

[0089] receiving, from a route identification service, validated route data associated with the planned flight, wherein the validated route data describes one or more validated routes associated with the planned flight; and

[0090] A visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight is generated, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which validation data indicates that routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more validated routes.

[0091] According to Example 2, including the method of Example 1, further comprising generating one or more key performance indicators for each of the set of confirmed routes.

[0092] Example 3 includes the method of Example 2, wherein the particular key performance indicator of the one or more key performance indicators is a fuel usage metric.

[0093] The method according to Example 4 includes Example 2 or Example 3, wherein the particular key performance indicator of the one or more key performance indicators is a departure time delay metric.

[0094] According to Example 5, the method of any of Examples 1 to 4 is included, wherein at least one of the one or more validated routes has been validated based on at least a route rejection criterion associated with the validation data.

[0095] According to Example 6, including the method of Example 5, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that a waypoint for the particular route no longer exists.

[0096] Example 6b includes the method of Example 6, wherein a standard instrument departure at the origin is closed, traffic is prohibited for a portion of the particular route, traffic is closed for a portion of the particular route, or a portion of the particular route of the flight cannot be flown at a desired flight altitude.

[0097] The method according to example 7 includes example 5 or example 6 or example 6b, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that a standard instrument departure at the origin is off.

[0098] The method according to Example 8 includes any one of Examples 5 to 7, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that traffic is prohibited for a portion of the particular route.

[0099] The method according to Example 9 includes any of Examples 5 to 8, wherein the route denial criteria indicates closing traffic for a portion of the particular route.

[0100] The method according to Example 10 includes any of Examples 5 to 9, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that a portion of the particular route cannot be flown at the desired flight level.

[0101] Example 11 includes the method of any one of Examples 1 to 10, wherein the indication includes a visual indication including a first color indicating that all of the one or more routes are valid; a second color indicating that some of the one or more routes are valid; or a third color indicating that none of the one or more routes are valid.

[0102] According to Example 12, the method of any one of Examples 1 to 11 is included, and further includes transmitting a message including a textual interpretation associated with the verification data.

[0103] Example 13 includes the method of any of Examples 1 to 12, and further includes generating a dashboard interface for a user, the dashboard interface including one or more visual representations associated with validation data for each of the one or more routes of each of the first plurality of planned flights.

[0104] Example 14 includes the method of Example 13, wherein the one or more visual representations include a first visual representation of counts of a first group of flights in the set of possible routes for which all are valid, a second visual representation of counts of a second group of flights in the set of possible routes for which some are valid, and a third visual representation of counts of a third group of flights in the set of possible routes for which no flights are valid.

[0105] Example 15 includes a method according to any one of Examples 1 to 14, wherein a first plurality of planned flights are associated with a first airline, and wherein the method further includes obtaining flight schedule data indicating a second plurality of planned flights associated with a second airline, each of the second plurality of planned flights including an origin, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time; and selecting a second set of feasible routes from the route data for each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to an origin of a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; obtaining validation data associated with each feasible route for each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; generating an indication associated with each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights, wherein an indication of a particular flight in a second plurality of planned flights identifying whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the verification data; based on a determination that no routes in the second set of feasible routes are valid, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; receiving verified route data associated with a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights from the route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; and generating a second set of visual indications of confirmed routes for the planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the verification data indicates that the routes in the second set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more verified routes associated with the second plurality of planned flights.

[0106] Example 16 includes the method of Example 15, and also includes generating a dashboard interface for a user, the dashboard interface including one or more visual representations associated with verification data for each of one or more routes for each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights.

[0107] According to Example 17 including the method of Example 16, wherein the dashboard interface includes one or more visual representations comparing validation data associated with the first plurality of planned flights to validation data associated with the second plurality of planned flights.

[0108] According to Example 18, a system includes: a memory; and one or more processors configured to obtain flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the flight plan data includes a starting point, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time for each of the first plurality of planned flights; obtain route data describing one or more preconfigured routes; for each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, select a set of feasible routes from the route data, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to a starting point of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of the planned flight; obtain verification data associated with each feasible route of each planned flight of the first plurality of planned flights; generate a preconfigured route associated with the first plurality of planned flights; The invention relates to a method of providing a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for a planned flight, wherein the indication of a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the verification data; based on a determination that no routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with the planned flights; receiving verified route data associated with the planned flights from the route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flights; and generating a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flights, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the verification data indicates that the routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more verified routes.

[0109] According to Example 19, including the system of Example 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate one or more key performance indicators for each of the set of confirmed routes.

[0110] The system according to Example 20 includes Example 19, wherein the particular key performance indicator of the one or more key performance indicators is a fuel usage metric.

[0111] According to Example 21, including the system of Example 19 or Example 20, wherein the particular key performance indicator of the one or more key performance indicators is a departure time delay metric.

[0112] According to Example 22, the system of any of Examples 18 to 21, wherein at least one route of the one or more validated routes has been validated based on at least route rejection criteria associated with the validation data.

[0113] According to Example 23, including the system of Example 22, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that a waypoint for the particular route no longer exists.

[0114] The system according to Example 24 including Example 22 or Example 23, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that a standard instrument departure at the origin is off.

[0115] According to Example 25, the system of any one of Examples 22 to 24, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that traffic is prohibited for a portion of the particular route.

[0116] The system according to Example 26 including any of Examples 22 to 25, wherein the route denial criteria indicates closing traffic to a portion of the particular route.

[0117] The system according to Example 27 including any of Examples 22 to 26, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that a portion of the particular route cannot be flown at the desired flight altitude.

[0118] According to Example 28, the system includes any of Examples 18 to 27, wherein the indication includes a visual indication including a first color indicating that all of the one or more routes are valid; a second color indicating that some of the one or more routes are valid; or a third color indicating that none of the one or more routes are valid.

[0119] According to Example 29, the system of any of Examples 18 to 28 is included, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transmit a message including a textual interpretation associated with the verification data.

[0120] Example 30 includes a system of any of Examples 18 to 29, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate a dashboard interface for a user, the dashboard interface comprising one or more visual representations associated with validation data for each of one or more routes of each of the first plurality of flights or planned flights.

[0121] According to Example 31, the system of Example 30 includes one or more visual representations including a first visual representation of counts of a first group of flights for which all of the set of possible routes are valid, a second visual representation of counts of a second group of flights for which some of the set of possible routes are valid, and a third visual representation of counts of a third group of flights for which no of the set of possible routes are valid.

[0122] Example 32 includes a system of any of Examples 18 to 31, wherein a first plurality of planned flights are associated with a first airline, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to obtain flight schedule data indicating a second plurality of planned flights associated with a second airline, each of the second plurality of planned flights including an origin, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time; and select a second set of feasible routes from the route data for each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to an origin of a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; obtain validation data associated with each feasible route for each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; generate an indication associated with each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights , wherein an indication of a particular flight in a second plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on validation data; based on a determination that no routes in the second set of feasible routes are valid, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; receiving verified route data associated with a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights from the route identification service, wherein the validated route data describes one or more validated routes associated with the planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; and generating a visual indication of a second set of confirmed routes for the planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the validation data indicates that the routes in the second set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more validated routes associated with the second plurality of planned flights.

[0123] Example 33 includes a system of Example 32, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate a dashboard interface for a user, the dashboard interface comprising one or more visual representations associated with validation data for each of the first plurality of planned flights and each of the one or more routes of each of the second plurality of planned flights.

[0124] According to Example 34 including the system of Example 33, wherein the dashboard interface comprises one or more visual representations comparing validation indicators associated with the first plurality of planned flights to validation data associated with the second plurality of planned flights.

[0125] According to Example 35, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to obtain flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the flight plan data includes a starting point, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time for each of the first plurality of planned flights; obtain route data describing one or more preconfigured routes; for each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, select a set of feasible routes from the route data, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to a starting point of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of the planned flight; obtain verification data associated with each feasible route for each planned flight of the first plurality of planned flights; generate a preconfigured route associated with the first plurality of planned flights; an indication associated with each planned flight in a plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication of a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on validation data; based on a determination that no routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with the planned flight; receiving verified route data associated with the planned flight from the route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flight; and generating a visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the validation data indicates that the routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more verified routes.

[0126] According to example 36, the non-transitory computer readable medium of example 35, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to generate one or more key performance indicators for each route in a set of confirmed routes.

[0127] According to example 37, the non-transitory computer readable medium includes example 36, wherein the particular key performance indicator of the one or more key performance indicators is a fuel usage metric.

[0128] According to Example 38, the non-transitory computer readable medium includes Example 36 or Example 37, wherein the particular key performance indicator of the one or more key performance indicators is a departure time delay metric.

[0129] According to Example 39, the non-transitory computer readable medium of any one of Examples 35 to 38 is included, wherein at least one route of the one or more validated routes has been validated based on at least route rejection criteria associated with the validation data.

[0130] According to example 40, the non-transitory computer readable medium of example 39 is included, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that a waypoint for the particular route no longer exists.

[0131] The non-transitory computer readable medium according to Example 41 including Example 39 or Example 40, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that a standard instrument departure at the origin is off.

[0132] According to example 42, the non-transitory computer readable medium includes any one of examples 39 to 41, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that traffic is prohibited for a portion of the particular route.

[0133] According to example 43, the non-transitory computer readable medium of any one of examples 39 to 42, wherein the route denial criteria indicates closing traffic to a portion of the particular route.

[0134] According to example 44, the non-transitory computer readable medium includes any one of examples 39 to 43, wherein the route rejection criteria indicates that a portion of the particular route cannot be flown at the desired flight altitude.

[0135] According to Example 45, the non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of Examples 35 to 44 includes a visual indication comprising a first color indicating that all of the one or more routes are valid; a second color indicating that some of the one or more routes are valid; or a third color indicating that none of the one or more routes are valid.

[0136] According to example 46, the non-transitory computer readable medium of any one of examples 35 to 45, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to transmit a message including a textual interpretation related to the verification data.

[0137] According to example 47, the non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of examples 35 to 46 is included, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to generate a dashboard interface for a user, the dashboard interface including one or more visual representations associated with validation data for each of one or more routes of each of the first plurality of planned flights.

[0138] According to Example 48, the non-transitory computer-readable medium of Example 47 includes one or more visual representations including a first visual representation of counts of a first group of flights for which all of the set of possible routes are valid, a second visual representation of counts of a second group of flights for which some of the set of possible routes are valid, and a third visual representation of counts of a third group of flights for which no of the set of possible routes are valid.

[0139] According to Example 49, a non-transitory computer-readable medium including any one of Examples 35 to 48, wherein a first plurality of planned flights are associated with a first airline, and wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to obtain flight schedule data indicating a second plurality of planned flights associated with a second airline, each of the second plurality of planned flights including an origin, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time; and select a second set of feasible routes from the route data for each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to an origin of a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; obtain validation data associated with each feasible route for each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; generate a second set of feasible routes associated with each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights. an indication associated with a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication of a particular flight in a second plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the verification data; based on a determination that no routes in the second set of feasible routes are valid, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; receiving verified route data associated with a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights from the route identification service, wherein the verified route data describes one or more verified routes associated with the planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; and generating a second set of visual indications of confirmed routes for the planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the verification data indicates that the routes in the second set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more verified routes associated with the second plurality of planned flights.

[0140] According to example 50, the non-transitory computer-readable medium of example 49 is included, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to generate a dashboard interface for a user, the dashboard interface including one or more visual representations associated with validation data for each of the first plurality of planned flights and each of the one or more routes of each of the second plurality of planned flights.

[0141] According to example 51 the non-transitory computer readable medium of example 50 is included, wherein the dashboard interface includes one or more visual representations comparing validation indicators associated with the first plurality of planned flights to validation data associated with the second plurality of planned flights.

Claims

1. A method for flight plan confirmation, comprising: obtaining flight schedule data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein the flight schedule data includes at least one of an origin point, an arrival point, and a departure time and an arrival time for each of the first plurality of planned flights; obtaining route data describing one or more preconfigured routes; selecting, for each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, a set of feasible routes from the route data, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to the origin of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to the arrival point of the planned flight; obtaining validation data associated with each feasible route for each planned flight of the first plurality of planned flights; generating an indication associated with each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication of a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the validation data; Based on a determination that no route in the set of feasible routes is valid, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with the planned flight; receiving, from the route identification service, validated route data associated with the planned flight, wherein the validated route data describes one or more validated routes associated with the planned flight; and A visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight is generated, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the validation data indicates that routes in the set of feasible routes are valid and including the one or more validated routes.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: One or more key performance indicators are generated for each heading in a set of valid routes.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: A particular key performance indicator of the one or more key performance indicators is a fuel usage metric or a departure time delay metric.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: At least one of the one or more validated routes is validated based at least on route rejection criteria associated with the validation data.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The route denial criteria indicate that a waypoint for the particular route no longer exists, a standard instrument exit at the origin is closed, traffic is prohibited for a portion of the particular route, traffic is closed for a portion of the particular route, or a portion of the particular route cannot be flown at a desired flight altitude.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The indication comprises a visual indication comprising a first color indicating that all of the one or more routes are valid, a second color indicating that some of the one or more routes are valid, or a third color indicating that none of the one or more routes are valid.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: A message is transmitted including a textual interpretation associated with the verification data.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: A dashboard interface is generated for a user, the dashboard interface including one or more visual representations associated with the validation data for each of the one or more routes of each of the first plurality of planned flights.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The one or more visual representations include visual representations of counts of a first set of flights for which all of the set of possible routes are valid, counts of a second set of flights for which some of the set of possible routes are valid, and counts of a third set of flights for which no of the set of possible routes are valid.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The first plurality of planned flights are associated with a first airline, and wherein the method further comprises: obtaining second flight schedule data indicating a second plurality of planned flights associated with a second airline, each of the second plurality of planned flights including an origin, an arrival point, and at least one of a departure time and an arrival time; and selecting a second set of feasible routes from the route data for each of the second plurality of planned flights, wherein a feasible route in the second set of feasible routes has a first waypoint corresponding to a planned departure point of a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to a planned arrival point of a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; obtaining second validation data associated with each feasible route for each planned flight of the second plurality of planned flights; generating a second indication associated with each planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights, wherein the second indication of a particular flight in the second plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the second set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the second validation data; based on a determination that no route in the second set of feasible routes is valid, transmitting a second request to the route identification service, the second request including flight plan data associated with a planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; receiving, from the route identification service, second validated route data associated with the planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights, wherein the second validated route data describes one or more validated routes associated with the planned flight in the second plurality of planned flights; and Generate a second visual indication of a second set of confirmed routes for the planned flights in the second plurality of planned flights, the second set of confirmed routes including routes in the second set of feasible routes for which the second verification data indicates that the routes in the second set of feasible routes are valid, and including one or more verified routes associated with the second plurality of planned flights.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: A dashboard interface is generated for a user, the dashboard interface including one or more visual representations associated with validation data for each of the one or more routes of each of the first plurality of planned flights and each of the second plurality of planned flights.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The dashboard interface includes one or more visual representations comparing the validation data associated with the first plurality of planned flights to the second validation data associated with the second plurality of planned flights.

13. A system for flight plan confirmation, comprising: Memory; as well as One or more processors configured to: obtaining flight plan data describing a first plurality of planned flights, wherein for each of the first plurality of planned flights, the flight plan data includes at least one of an origin point, an arrival point, and a departure time and an arrival time; obtaining route data describing one or more preconfigured routes; selecting, for each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, from the route data, a set of feasible routes, wherein the feasible routes have a first waypoint corresponding to a departure point of a planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights and a second waypoint corresponding to an arrival point of the planned flight; obtaining validation data associated with each feasible route for each planned flight of the first plurality of planned flights; generating an indication associated with each planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights, wherein the indication for a particular planned flight in the first plurality of planned flights identifies whether one or more routes in the set of feasible routes are valid based at least on the validation data; Based on a determination that no route in the set of feasible routes is valid, transmitting a request to a route identification service, the request including flight plan data associated with the planned flight; receiving, from the route identification service, validated route data associated with the planned flight, wherein the validated route data describes one or more validated routes associated with the planned flight; as well as A visual indication of a set of confirmed routes for the planned flight is generated, the set of confirmed routes including routes in the set of feasible routes for which the validation data indicates that routes in the set of feasible routes are valid, and including the one or more confirmed routes.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the one or more validated routes is validated based at least on route rejection criteria associated with the validation data.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

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