Vehicle data collection system and method

• US 10,290,160 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Scheid, Paul Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweeney, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US15/344,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20180130270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 701 296
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing

Abstract

A method of data collection for a vehicle includes defining a first data acquisition definition file at a data collection and reporting hub based on a first vehicle build configuration, the first vehicle build configuration based on first individual build configurations of one or more vehicle systems, and the first data acquisition definition file including parameters and measurements to be performed by a data acquisition system disposed at the vehicle. The first vehicle build configuration is changed to a second vehicle build configuration, and the first data acquisition definition file is automatically updated to a second data acquisition definition file corresponding to the second vehicle build configuration via the data collection and reporting hub.

Claims

1. A method of data collection for a vehicle comprising:

defining a first data acquisition definition file at a data collection and reporting hub based on a first vehicle build configuration, the first vehicle build configuration based on first individual build configurations of one or more vehicle systems, and the first data acquisition definition file including parameters and measurements to be performed by a data acquisition system disposed at the vehicle;

changing the first vehicle build configuration to a second vehicle build configuration; and

automatically updating the first data acquisition definition file to a second data acquisition definition file corresponding to the second vehicle build configuration via the data collection and reporting hub.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the second data acquisition definition file to a data acquisition system at the vehicle; and

collecting data at the vehicle based on the second data acquisition definition file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the change from the first vehicle build configuration to the second vehicle build configuration at the data collection and reporting hub; and

automatically changing the first data acquisition definition file to the second data acquisition definition file based on the detected change.

4. The method of claim 1, further producing a list of recommended changes to the first data acquisition definition file at the data collection and reporting hub to produce the second data acquisition definition file.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising reviewing the list of recommended changes at the data collection and reporting hub.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising accepting or rejecting individual changes of the recommended changes at the data collection and reporting hub.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically updating the first data acquisition definition file to a second data acquisition definition file is accomplished via an artificial intelligence module at the data collection and reporting hub.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle systems include one or more of an engine system, an auxiliary power unit system, an environmental control system, a flight control system, and/or a hydraulic system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle build configuration is defined by hardware and/or software versions disposed at the one or more vehicle systems.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

11. A data collection and reporting system for a vehicle comprising:

a data acquisition system disposed at a vehicle configured to detect a vehicle build configuration based on individual build configurations of one or more vehicle systems of the vehicle;

a data collection and reporting hub having a first data acquisition definition file defined thereat corresponding to a first vehicle build configuration, the first data acquisition definition file including parameters and measurements to be performed by a data acquisition system disposed at the vehicle;

wherein the data collection and reporting hub is configured to automatically change the first data acquisition definition file to a second data acquisition definition file upon detecting a change in vehicle build configuration from the first vehicle build configuration to a second vehicle build configuration.

12. The data collection and reporting system of claim 11, wherein the data collection and reporting hub is configured to communicate the second data acquisition definition file to the data acquisition system at the vehicle;

wherein the data acquisition collects data at the vehicle based on the second data acquisition definition file.

13. The data collection and reporting system of claim 11, wherein the data collection and reporting hub is configured to produce a list of recommended changes to the first data acquisition definition file to produce the second data acquisition definition file.

14. The data collection and reporting system of claim 13, wherein the list of recommended changes is reviewed at the data collection and reporting hub.

15. The data collection and reporting system of claim 11, wherein individual changes of the recommended changes are rejected or accepted at the data collection and reporting hub.

16. The data collection and reporting system of claim 11, wherein the automatically updating the first data acquisition definition file to a second data acquisition definition file is accomplished via an artificial intelligence module at the data collection and reporting hub.

17. The data collection and reporting system of claim 11, wherein the one or more vehicle systems include one or more of an engine system, an auxiliary power unit system, an environmental control system, a flight control system, and/or a hydraulic system.

18. The data collection and reporting system of claim 11, wherein the first vehicle build configuration is defined by hardware and/or software versions disposed at the one or more vehicle systems.

19. The data collection and reporting system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.