How AI Helps Pilots Talk to Flight Management Systems
A system that uses artificial intelligence to understand pilot requests and automatically trigger the right flight data or software services.
Original patent title: “Systems and methods for cognitive services of a connected FMS or avionics SaaS platform”
A system that uses artificial intelligence to understand pilot requests and automatically trigger the right flight data or software services. Granted to Honeywell International Inc in 2022 with 23 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a way to make flight management systems (FMS) smarter by using reinforcement learning—a type of AI that learns by trial and error. When a pilot or crew member sends a query, the system uses one AI model to figure out the intent, context, and even the emotion behind the request. A second AI model then decides which specific software tools, databases, or third-party services are needed to answer that request. For example, if a pilot asks about a specific maintenance issue, the system identifies the intent, pulls data from aircraft maintenance databases, and presents the relevant information back to the pilot.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover basic voice-to-text systems that lack reinforcement learning-based intent analysis.
- Does not cover systems that rely solely on hard-coded rules or decision trees rather than machine learning.
- Does not cover the physical hardware of the flight management system itself.
- Does not cover general-purpose AI assistants like Siri or Alexa that are not integrated with aviation-specific FMS data.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system uses reinforcement learning to treat pilot queries as a 'partially observable' problem, meaning it can make smart guesses about what a pilot needs even when the request is vague or incomplete.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Honeywell's connected aircraft platforms
Smart cockpit voice assistants
Automated flight planning software
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Aviation cockpits are increasingly complex, and pilots are often overwhelmed by data. This technology aims to reduce pilot workload by creating a conversational, intelligent interface for flight management, potentially making flight operations safer and more efficient.
Filed
February 28, 2020
Granted
November 1, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Honeywell is the primary developer here, integrating these cognitive services into their broader connected aircraft ecosystem. Other major avionics players like Collins Aerospace and Garmin are also actively working on similar AI-driven cockpit automation.
Market impact
This patent reflects a broader industry shift toward 'connected aircraft' where software-as-a-service (SaaS) models replace static, isolated cockpit systems. It helps establish a framework for how AI agents will interact with critical flight data in the future.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a way to make flight management systems (FMS) smarter by using reinforcement learning—a type of AI that learns by trial and error. When a pilot or crew member sends a query, the system uses one AI model to figure out the intent, context, and even the emotion behind the request. A second AI model then decides which specific software tools, databases, or third-party services are needed to answer that request. For example, if a pilot asks about a specific maintenance issue, the system identifies the intent, pulls data from aircraft maintenance databases, and presents the relevant information back to the pilot.
The clever bit
The system uses reinforcement learning to treat pilot queries as a 'partially observable' problem, meaning it can make smart guesses about what a pilot needs even when the request is vague or incomplete.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover basic voice-to-text systems that lack reinforcement learning-based intent analysis.
- Does not cover systems that rely solely on hard-coded rules or decision trees rather than machine learning.
- Does not cover the physical hardware of the flight management system itself.
- Does not cover general-purpose AI assistants like Siri or Alexa that are not integrated with aviation-specific FMS data.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$37K – $120K
Midpoint $75K · 13.7 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
23 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Janakiraman, K., Mohan, R., & Rajendran, R. (2022). How AI Helps Pilots Talk to Flight Management Systems (U.S. Patent No. 11,488,063). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11488063/chinchilla-scaling-laws
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How AI Helps Pilots Talk to Flight Management Systems cover?
A system that uses artificial intelligence to understand pilot requests and automatically trigger the right flight data or software services.
Who owns patent US 11488063?
Honeywell International Inc owns this patent, granted in 2022.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on November 1, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Aviation cockpits are increasingly complex, and pilots are often overwhelmed by data. This technology aims to reduce pilot workload by creating a conversational, intelligent interface for flight management, potentially making flight operations safer and more efficient.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover basic voice-to-text systems that lack reinforcement learning-based intent analysis.
Patent monitoring