Data recording function

• US 10,431,014 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Schassler, Justin, Sunderland, Dean E., Drake, Paul R., Parkhurst, Kevin A., Goldstein, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US15/430,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20180053355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 701 327
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0075 Adaptations for use of electronic flight bags in aircraft; Supports therefor in the cockpit
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• 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: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically recording vehicle data are provided. The system comprises an electronic unit onboard a vehicle, a data recording function hosted in the electronic unit, and one or more electronic data producers in operative communication with the data recording function. The data recording function is operative to receive a request specifying data parameters that at least include an identified electronic data set to record, a duration for the data recording, and a destination for the data recording. The data recording function is also operative to process the request based on the data parameters to produce a set of real time recorded data from the one or more electronic data producers, and to send the set of recorded data to a data storage location based on the destination in the request.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically recording vehicle data, the system comprising:

an electronic unit onboard a vehicle;

a data recording function hosted in the electronic unit;

one or more electronic data producers in operative communication with the data recording function; and

a local area network (LAN) management unit onboard the vehicle in operative communication with the electronic unit through an electronic LAN, the LAN management unit hosting a file server that includes one or more data storage locations;

wherein the data recording function is configured to;

receive a request specifying data parameters, the specified data parameters including at least an identified electronic data set to record for a data recording, a duration for the data recording, and a destination for the data recording;

process the received request based on the specified data parameters to produce a set of real time recorded data from the one or more electronic data producers; and

send the set of real time recorded data to a data storage location of the one or more data storage locations of the file server based on the destination for the data recording in the request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data recording function is in operative communication with the file server.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data recording function is configured to receive the request from an application on a mobile device that is configured for wireless communication with the LAN management unit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the data storage location is provided by the file server.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the data recording function is configured to receive the request from an application residing in a cockpit display unit that operatively communicates with the electronic unit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the data storage location is provided by the file server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data recording function is configured to receive the request from an application at a ground station that is in operative communication with the LAN management unit.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the data recording function is configured to send the set of recorded data to a ground data storage location.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronic data producers are in operative communication with the data recording function through an electronic bus.

10. A method for dynamically recording vehicle data, the method comprising:

receiving, by a data recording function in an electronic unit of a vehicle, electronic data from one or more electronic data producers

receiving, by the data recording function, a request specifying data parameters, wherein the specified data parameters include an identified electronic data set to record, a commanded duration for recording the identified electronic data set, a destination for the recorded electronic data set, and a start/stop command for recording;

processing, by the data recording function, the received request based on the specified data parameters to produce a real time recorded data set; and

sending, by the data recording function, the real time recorded data set to a data storage location of one or more data storage locations of a file server hosted on a local area network (LAN) management unit onboard the vehicle based on the destination in the request.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the request is received from an application residing in a mobile device that is configured for wireless communication with the data recording function.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile device comprises a portable computing device, a tablet, a smart phone, or an electronic flight bag.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the request is received from an application residing in a cockpit display unit of the vehicle that operatively communicates with the electronic unit.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the request is received from an application residing at a ground station that is in operative communication with the electronic unit through a satellite communications unit.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for dynamically recording avionics data, the method comprising;

receiving, by a data recording function in an avionics unit of an aircraft, avionics bus data;

receiving, by the data recording function, a request specifying data parameters, wherein the specified data parameters include an identified avionics data set to record, a commanded duration for recording the identified avionics data set, a destination for the recorded avionics data set, and a start/stop command for recording;

processing, by the data recording function, the received request based on the specified data parameters to produce a real time recorded avionics data set; and

sending, by the data recording function, the real time recorded avionics data set to a data storage location of one or more data storage locations of a file server hosted on a local area network (LAN) management unit onboard the vehicle based on the destination in the request.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein during processing of the request, the method further comprising:

sending, by the data recording function, the destination to a transmit to destination module, which operatively communicates with the data storage location;

initiating, by the data recording function, a start clock module when a start command is given;

sending, by the data recording function, the identified avionics data set to a collect data subset module; and

sending, by the data recording function, the collected avionics data to the transmit to destination module for transmission to the data storage location.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein during processing of the request, the method further comprising:

after the start clock module is initiated, determining, by the data recording function, whether the commanded duration is exceeded;

if the commanded duration is not exceeded, continue sending, by the data recording function, the identified avionics data set to the collect data subset module;

if the commanded duration is exceeded, or an externally defined stop condition occurs, stopping, by the data recording function, collection of the avionics data set.