System and methods for providing secure data connections in an aviation environment

• US 10,412,100 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Mitchell, Timothy, Letney, Gordon Edward, Luschei, Kevin James, Anstey, Timothy William, Bush, John, Magnuson, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lakhia, Viral S
• Application Number:
  US15/225,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20180034834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 713151, 726 2- 7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A secure communication management (SCM) computer device for providing secure data connections in an aviation environment which, includes safety of flight information, is provided. The SCM computer device includes a processor in communication with a memory. The processor is programmed to receive, from a first user computer device, a first data message for a first aircraft. The first data message is in a standardized data format. The processor is also programmed to analyze the first data message for potential cybersecurity threats. If the determination is that the first data message does not contain a cybersecurity threat, the processor is further programmed to convert the first data message into a first data format associated with the first aircraft and transmit the converted first data message to the first aircraft using a first communication protocol associated with the first aircraft.

Claims

1. A secure communication management (SCM) computer device for providing secure data connections to a plurality of aircraft, said SCM computer device comprising a processor in communication with a memory, wherein said SCM computer device is remote from the plurality of aircraft and wherein said SCM computer device is ground-based, said processor programmed to:

receive, from a user computer device, a first data message for a first aircraft and a second aircraft of the plurality of aircraft, wherein the first aircraft and the second aircraft are remote from the user computer device and said SCM computer device, wherein the first aircraft is located in a first geographic region and the second aircraft is located in a second geographic region, wherein the first geographic region and the second geographic region are different, and wherein the first data message is in a standardized data format;

analyze the first data message for potential cybersecurity threats; and

if the analysis is that the first data message does not contain a cybersecurity threat, the processor is programmed to;

convert the first data message into a first data format associated with the first aircraft;

transmit, via a remote connection with the first aircraft, the converted first data message to the first aircraft using a first communication protocol associated with the first aircraft;

convert the first data message into a second data format associated with the second aircraft; and

transmit, via a remote connection with the second aircraft, the converted first data message to the second aircraft using a second communication protocol associated with the second aircraft, wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are different.

2. A SCM computer device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first aircraft is associated with a first airline and wherein the second aircraft is associated with a second airline.

3. A SCM computer device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a second data message from the first aircraft;

analyze the second data message for potential cybersecurity threats;

if the determination is that the second data message does not contain a cybersecurity threat, convert the second data message into the standardized data format; and

transmit the converted second data message to the user computer device.

4. A SCM computer device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a communication protocol and data format associated with the corresponding aircraft.

5. A SCM computer device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a plurality of data from a plurality of aircraft;

analyze the plurality of data to determine one or more trends; and

transmit the determined one or more trends to the user computer device.

6. A SCM computer device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a plurality of data from the first aircraft where the first aircraft is at a gate;

analyze the plurality of data for potential cybersecurity threats;

if the determination is that the plurality of data does not contain any cybersecurity threats, convert the plurality of data into the standardized data format; and

transmit the converted plurality of data to the user computer device.

7. A SCM computer device in accordance with claim 6, wherein the plurality of data includes one or more operating conditions of the corresponding aircraft.

8. A SCM computer device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first aircraft is in flight.

9. A SCM computer device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the user computer device is associated with at least one of an airline associated with the first aircraft and at least one maintenance system associated with the first aircraft.

10. A method for providing secure data to a plurality of aircraft, said method implemented using a secure communication management (SCM) computer device, said SCM computer device comprising a processor in communication with a memory, wherein said SCM computer device is remote from the plurality of aircraft and wherein said SCM computer device is ground-based, said method comprising:

receiving, from a user computer device, a first data message for a first aircraft and a second aircraft of the plurality of aircraft, wherein the first aircraft and the second aircraft are remote from the user computer device and the SCM computer device, wherein the first aircraft is located in a first geographic region and the second aircraft is located in a second geographic region, wherein the first geographic region and the second geographic region are different, and wherein the first data message is in a standardized data format;

analyzing, by the SCM computer device, the first data message for potential cybersecurity threats; and

if the analysis is that the first data message does not contain a cybersecurity threat, the method further comprises;

converting, by the SCM computer device, the first data message into a first data format associated with the first aircraft;

transmitting, via a remote connection between the SCM computer device and the first aircraft, the converted first data message to the first aircraft using a first communication protocol associated with the first aircraft;

converting the first data message into a second data format associated with the second aircraft; and

transmitting, via a remote connection with the second aircraft, the converted first data message to the second aircraft using a second communication protocol associated with the second aircraft, wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are different.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a second data message from the first aircraft;

analyzing the second data message for potential cybersecurity threats;

if the determination is that the second data message does not contain a cybersecurity threat, converting the second data message into the standardized data format; and

transmitting the converted second data message to the user computer device.

12. The method in accordance with claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a plurality of data from the first aircraft where the first aircraft is at a gate;

analyzing the plurality of data for potential cybersecurity threats;

if the determination is that the plurality of data does not contain any cybersecurity threats, converting the plurality of data into the standardized data format; and

transmitting the converted plurality of data to the user computer device.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the plurality of data includes one or more operating conditions of the corresponding aircraft.

14. A system for providing secure data connections in an aviation environment, said system comprising:

a first aircraft including at least one computer system that communicates via a first communication protocol;

a second aircraft including at least one computer system that communicates via a second communication protocol, wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol, wherein the first aircraft is located in a first geographic region and the second aircraft is located in a second geographic region, wherein the first geographic region and the second geographic region are different;

a secure communication management (SCM) computer device comprising a processor in communication with a memory, wherein said SCM computer device is remote from said first aircraft and said second aircraft, and wherein said SCM computer device is ground-based, said SCM computer device configured to;

receive, from a user computer device, a first data message for said first aircraft and said second aircraft, wherein said first aircraft and said second aircraft are remote from the user computer device, wherein the first data message is in a standardized data format;

analyze the first data message for potential cybersecurity threats; and

if the analysis is that the first data message does not contain a cybersecurity threat, said SCM computer device configured to;

convert the first data message into a first data format associated with said first aircraft;

transmit, via a remote connection with said first aircraft, the converted first data message to said first aircraft using the first communication protocol;

convert the first data message into a second data format associated with said second aircraft; and

transmit, via a remote connection with said second aircraft, the converted first data message to said second aircraft using the second communication protocol.

15. A system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said SCM computer device is further configured to:

receive a second data message from said first aircraft;

analyze the second data message for potential cybersecurity threats;

if the determination is that the second data message does not contain a cybersecurity threat, convert the second data message into the standardized data format; and

transmit the converted second data message to the user computer device.