Patents by Inventor Kirk A. Vining

Kirk A. Vining has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240428695
    Abstract: A method of optimizing flights of a fleet of aircraft is provided. The method includes accessing flight plans for flights of a fleet of aircraft through an air transportation network, tracking positions and trajectories of one or more aircraft of the fleet that are currently in-flight, and applying the flight plans and the positions and trajectories to a reinforcement learning model configured to determine maneuvers that achieves a respective maximum cumulative value of an operational efficiency metric across the flights of the fleet of aircraft, one or more of the maneuvers constituting a deviation from a respective flight plan. A comparison of respective maximum cumulative values of the operational efficiency metric is performed for the aircraft of the fleet of aircraft, one of the aircraft is selected based on the comparison, and a notification of the deviation from the respective flight plan is sent to the one of the aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2024
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Inventors: Kirk A. Vining, Alvin L. Sipe, Dragos D. Margineantu
  • Patent number: 12094349
    Abstract: A method of optimizing flights of a fleet of aircraft is provided. The method includes accessing flight plans for flights of a fleet of aircraft through an air transportation network, and applying the flight plans to a reinforcement learning model configured to determine maneuvers for each aircraft on a respective flight that achieves a respective maximum cumulative value of an operational efficiency metric across the flights of the fleet of aircraft, one or more of the maneuvers constituting a deviation from a respective flight plan. A comparison of respective maximum cumulative values of the operational efficiency metric is performed for the aircraft of the fleet of aircraft, one of the aircraft is selected based on the comparison, and a notification of the deviation from the respective flight plan is sent to the one of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Kirk A. Vining, Alvin L. Sipe, Dragos D. Margineantu
  • Publication number: 20220198943
    Abstract: A method is provided for optimizing a flight of an aircraft with at least one segment of formation flight. The method includes accessing flight plans for flights of a fleet, and transforming the flight plans into values of a set of features that describe segments of the flights. The values are applied to a machine learning model trained to predict the segment(s) during which the aircraft is within a region that includes at least one second aircraft of the fleet that is thereby capable of serving as a leading aircraft in the segment(s) of formation flight in which the aircraft is a trailing aircraft. A notification is sent to the aircraft of the segment(s) and the second aircraft capable of serving as the leading aircraft. And a second notification is sent to the second aircraft of the segment(s) and the aircraft capable of serving as the trailing aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Kirk A. Vining, Alvin L. Sipe, Dragos D. Margineantu, Tristan C. Flanzer
  • Publication number: 20220122472
    Abstract: A method of optimizing flights of a fleet of aircraft is provided. The method includes accessing flight plans for flights of a fleet of aircraft through an air transportation network, and applying the flight plans to a reinforcement learning model configured to determine maneuvers for each aircraft on a respective flight that achieves a respective maximum cumulative value of an operational efficiency metric across the flights of the fleet of aircraft, one or more of the maneuvers constituting a deviation from a respective flight plan. A comparison of respective maximum cumulative values of the operational efficiency metric is performed for the aircraft of the fleet of aircraft, one of the aircraft is selected based on the comparison, and a notification of the deviation from the respective flight plan is sent to the one of the aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Kirk A. Vining, Alvin L. Sipe, Dragos D. Margineantu
  • Patent number: 11164471
    Abstract: Systems and methods for enabling a pilot to select an automated response to an air traffic conflict alert. In accordance with one embodiment, the system includes updated displays, an updated autoflight mode control panel and high-level software logic in the autopilot, flight director and autothrottle to provide an expedited response. A mode control switch may be optionally included. In accordance with an additional option, the system may be configured to operate in a fully automated state in which the system responds automatically to the air traffic conflict event without needing the pilot to first accept the automated response before its execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Brian K. Rupnik, Patrick J. Moran, Sean J. Flannigan, Kirk A. Vining, Kerry D. Smith, Robert J. Myers