# 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.

- **Patent:** US 11488063
- **Original title:** Systems and methods for cognitive services of a connected FMS or avionics SaaS platform
- **Owner:** Honeywell International Inc
- **Granted:** 2022
- **Status:** Active
- **Times cited:** 0
- **Field:** aerospace, ai_ml, software

## What it does

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.

## 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.

## 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.

## Real-world examples

1. Honeywell's connected aircraft platforms
2. Smart cockpit voice assistants
3. Automated flight planning software

## Why it matters

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.

## 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.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11488063/chinchilla-scaling-laws

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US11488063

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._