System for the radio transmission of real-time airline flight information

Abstract

A flight delivery system that utilizes an architectural structure and network that allows real-time digital signals to be stored, retrieved and converted to an audio signal for radio transmission to achieve nearly instantaneous transmission of real-time data. The system utilizes a computerized reservation system as a source of information and stores it on a database. The information is called up by a computer that converts the data to a digital audio signal. The digital audio signal is then broadcast over airport antennae. The system features programs that allow for a conversion from airport city codes to the common identification for local cities.

1 - 10 . (canceled)  
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for audible announcement generation, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) storing flight information in a signal conversion database;    b) retrieving flight information from the signal conversion database;    c) sorting retrieved flight information into a desired sequence;    d) differentiating different city codes in the flight information;    e) radio broadcasting the flight information in the desired sequence;    f) radio broadcasting standardized opening messages;    g) determining an end program sequence termination request; and    h) verifying that the flight information is current before storing the flight information in the signal conversion database.    
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein determining an end program sequence termination request comprises: 
 determining whether a designated key has been depressed; and    terminating performance of the method based on a determination that the designated key has been depressed.    
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the steps of verifying that the flight information is current comprises the substeps of: 
 determining whether flight information has been received from a flight information file server within a predetermined period of time;    establishing communications with the flight information file server based on a determination that flight information has not been received within a predetermined period of time; and    performing steps a) through g).    
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11  further comprising the step of retrieving the flight information from a computerized reservation system and said storing step comprises storing the flight information in the signal conversion database.  
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14  further comprising the step of converting the flight information retrieved by said retrieving step from the computerized reservation system into an audio file format.  
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein said differentiating step converts city codes into city names.  
     
     
         17 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for audible announcement generation, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) receiving flight information from a computer reservation system and storing the flight information in a signal conversion database;    b) sorting retrieved flight information into a desired sequence;    c) converting the flight information in the signal conversion database into an audio format file such that the data is stored in the desired sequence;    c) providing the audio format file containing the flight information to an antenna; and    d) radio broadcasting the flight information in the audio format file in the desired sequence.    
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein said converting step comprises sorting retrieved flight information into a desired sequence and radio broadcasting step comprises radio broadcasting the flight information in the desired sequence.  
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein said radio broadcasting step comprises: 
 radio broadcasting the flight information in the desired sequence;    radio broadcasting standardized opening messages; and    determining an end program sequence termination request.    
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17  further comprising: 
 verifying that the flight information is current before storing the flight information in the signal conversion database.    
     
     
         21 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein determining an end program sequence termination request comprises: 
 determining whether a designated key has been depressed; and    terminating performance of the method based on a determination that the designated key has been depressed.    
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the steps of verifying that the flight information is current comprises the substeps of: 
 determining whether flight information has been received from a flight information file server within a predetermined period of time; and    establishing communications with the flight information file server based on a determination that flight information has not been received within a predetermined period of time.    
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17  further comprising the step of retrieving the flight information from a computerized reservation system and storing the flight information in the signal conversion database.  
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17  further comprising the step of differentiating different city codes in the flight information.  
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein said differentiating step converts city codes into city names.  
     
     
         26 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a data processing system to perform a method for audible announcement generation, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) receiving flight information from a computer reservation system and storing the flight information in a signal conversion database;    b) differentiating different city codes in the flight information;    c) converting the flight information in the signal conversion database into an audio format;    e) providing the audio format file containing the flight information to an antenna; and    f) radio broadcasting the flight information in the audio format file.    
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein said converting step comprises sorting retrieved flight information into a desired sequence and radio broadcasting step comprises radio broadcasting the flight information in the desired sequence.  
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein said radio broadcasting step comprises: 
 radio broadcasting the flight information in the desired sequence;    radio broadcasting standardized opening messages; and    determining an end program sequence termination request.    
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein said differentiating step converts city codes into city names.