Method for vehicle data collection

• US 10,375,147 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Inventors: Preissl, Robert, Hata, Kosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs, Lashonda T
• Application Number:
  US16/115,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• 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: B64U 60/10 specially adapted for use on water
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/003 Flight plan management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A vehicle data collection method is disclosed. The method comprises receiving vehicle data, determining that an internet connection is not available, storing the vehicle data, determining that an internet connection has become available, and transmitting the vehicle data based at least in part on the determination that an internet connection has become available.

Claims

1. A vehicle data collection method, comprising:

receiving vehicle data at a first device on a vehicle during vehicle operation;

transmitting a prescribed subset of the vehicle data to a second device, while the vehicle is in operation;

determining that an internet connection has become available to the second device; and

transmitting the vehicle data stored on the second device based at least in part on the determination that the internet connection has become available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device comprises a tablet, phone, or other portable connected device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is installed on the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a vehicle data recording device installed on the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the prescribed subset of vehicle is data to be transmitted to the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein stored vehicle data comprises time series data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein stored vehicle data comprises audio data, video data, or actuator parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle data is transmitted to the second device over a Bluetooth connection, over a local area network, or in absence of an internet or cellular connection.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising determining whether the internet connection is secured.

10. A vehicle data collection system, comprising:

a vehicle data recording device installed on a vehicle and configured to;

receive vehicle data during vehicle operation; and

transmit a prescribed subset of the vehicle data to a second device, while the vehicle is in operation;

wherein the second device is configured to determine that an internet connection has become available to the second device; and

to transmit the vehicle data stored on the second device based at least in part on the determination that the internet connection has become available.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the second device comprises a tablet, phone, or other portable connected device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle data recording device is further configured to determine the prescribed subset of vehicle data to be transmitted to the second device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the second device is further configured to determine the prescribed subset of vehicle data to be transmitted to the second device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein stored vehicle data comprises time series data.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein stored vehicle data comprises audio data, video data, or actuator parameters.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle data is transmitted to the second device over a Bluetooth connection, over a local area network, or in absence of an internet or cellular is connection.

17. The system of claim 10, comprising determining whether the internet connection is secured.

18. A computer program product to collect vehicle data, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving vehicle data at a first device on a vehicle during vehicle operation;

transmitting a prescribed subset of the vehicle data to a second device, while the vehicle is in operation;

determining that an internet connection has become available to the second device; and

transmitting the vehicle data stored on the second device based at least in part on the determination that the internet connection has become available.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the second device comprises a tablet, phone, or other portable connected device.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising computer instructions to determine the prescribed subset of vehicle data to be transmitted to the second device.