Hierarchical ATC Menu for Air Traffic Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air traffic control systems face difficulties in efficiently selecting the appropriate air traffic control center from a long list due to limited display resolution and lack of hierarchical organization, leading to increased pilot workload and downtime.
Innovation Solution
The method organizes and presents air traffic control center objects in a hierarchical manner based on geographic location, allowing pilots to select the desired center through a structured menu system that displays regions, countries, and individual centers, reducing the need for extensive scrolling and improving selection efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If ATC centers are listed in database storage order without hierarchical organization, then the system is simple to implement, but pilots must scroll through multiple screens to find the desired ATC center, increasing workload and selection time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the list of ATC centers into hierarchical categories (regions, countries, territories) rather than presenting them as a flat list. This segmentation allows pilots to navigate through organized groups, reducing the number of screens they must scroll through and making the selection process more efficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a hierarchical dimension to the traditional flat list of ATC centers. Instead of a single-level list, the system implements multiple levels of organization (region → country → ATC center), enabling pilots to navigate through structured categories and reduce search time.
2Quantity of substance
If the display shows a long list of ATC centers to provide complete options, then all available centers are visible, but the limited display resolution of 14 lines by 24 characters requires extensive scrolling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large list of ATC centers into manageable hierarchical groups. By organizing centers into regions, countries, and territories, the display can show fewer items per screen while still providing complete options, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary organization of ATC centers into hierarchical categories before presentation to the pilot. This pre-structuring allows the display to present information in an organized manner that reduces the time needed for selection without requiring the pilot to scroll through every individual center.
3Productivity
If the database is stored statically without hierarchical order, then the database structure is simple, but it cannot facilitate quick selection of ATC centers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements hierarchical segmentation in the database structure, organizing ATC centers into regions, countries, and territories. This segmented structure enables faster retrieval and presentation of relevant centers based on geographic criteria, improving selection speed while maintaining manageable database complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic querying capabilities that allow the system to adaptively retrieve and present ATC centers based on the pilot's current location and selection criteria. This dynamic approach enables quick selection of relevant centers without requiring the entire database to be reorganized, balancing productivity improvement with structural complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems for generating a data link air traffic control center menu are provided. In one implementation, a method comprises associating individual air traffic control center objects with at least one geographic area. Each air traffic control center object represents an air traffic control center having a name, and each geographic area has a name. The method further includes displaying the names of each geographic area and receiving a first input. The first input selects one of the geographic areas having a plurality of geographic sub-areas, with each geographic sub-area having a name. The method further includes displaying the names of the geographic sub-areas and receiving a second input. The second input selects one of the geographic sub-areas including one or more air traffic control centers. The method further includes displaying the names of the air traffic control centers and receiving a third input. The third input selects one of the air traffic control centers.