Wireless network selection

• US 10,470,114 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2017
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Lee, Kyeongtae Kent, Scholten, Michael Clay, Schliem, Richard Joseph, Furlong-Petsch, Kevin Michael James
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Mong-Thuy T
• Application Number:
  US15/634,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20180007623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 455431
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• 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: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for recording and communicating engine data are provided. One example aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a wireless communication unit. The wireless communication unit includes one or more memory devices. The wireless communication unit includes one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to access data indicative of one or more transmission parameters, each of the one or more transmission parameters being associated with an aerial vehicle. The one or more processors are configured to select one wireless network of a plurality of wireless networks based on the accessed data. The one or more processors are configured to connect with the selected wireless network. The one or more processors are configured to transmit engine data from the wireless communication unit to a ground system via the selected wireless network.

Claims

1. A wireless communication unit comprising:

one or more memory devices for receiving data from an electronic engine controller of an aerial vehicle, wherein the wireless communication unit and the electronic engine controller are located within a nacelle housing an engine of the aerial vehicle;

an antenna positioned within the nacelle, the antenna configured for communicating with a ground system, wherein the nacelle defines one or more gaps, the antenna being positioned at or near one of the one or more gaps; and

one or more processors configured to;

access data indicative of one or more transmission parameters, each of the one or more transmission parameters being associated with the aerial vehicle;

select one wireless network of a plurality of wireless networks based on the accessed data;

connect with the selected wireless network; and

transmit, via the antenna, engine data from the wireless communication unit to the ground system via the selected wireless network.

2. The wireless communication unit of claim 1, wherein the selected wireless network comprises a cellular network.

3. The wireless communication unit of claim 1, wherein the selected wireless network comprises a satellite network.

4. The wireless communication unit of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of one or more transmission parameters comprises data indicative of an airport.

5. The wireless communication unit of claim 4, wherein the data indicative of the airport is determined using a flight management system of the aerial vehicle.

6. The wireless communication unit of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of one or more transmission parameters comprises data indicative of a location of the aerial vehicle.

7. The wireless communication unit of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of one or more transmission parameters comprises data indicative of an airline carrier associated with the aerial vehicle.

8. The wireless communication unit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of subscriber identification module chips.

9. The wireless communication unit of claim 8, wherein selecting one wireless network of a plurality of wireless networks further comprises the one or more processors further configured to select one subscriber identification module chip of the plurality of subscriber identification module chips.

10. The wireless communication unit of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a directional antenna and the one or more gaps defined by the nacelle are configured to permit the antenna to communicate directionally outside of the nacelle.

11. A method for communicating with a ground system comprising:

disposing a wireless communication unit and a single electronic engine controller within an engine of an aircraft;

accessing, by one or more processors associated with the wireless communication unit, data indicative of one or more transmission parameters from the single electronic engine controller in communication with the wireless communication unit, each of the one or more transmission parameters being associated with the aircraft;

calculating, by the one or more processors, a cost associated with transmitting engine data over respective ones of a plurality of wireless networks based at least in part on the accessed data indicative of the one or more transmission parameters;

selecting, by the one or more processors, one wireless network of the plurality of wireless networks based at least in part on the calculated costs associated with transmitting the engine data over respective ones of the plurality of wireless networks;

connecting, by the one or more processors, with the selected wireless network; and

transmitting, by an antenna communicatively coupled with the one or more processors, the engine data from the wireless communication unit to the ground system via the selected wireless network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected wireless network comprises a cellular network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected wireless network comprises a satellite network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless network selected by the one or more processors is a lowest cost option.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the data indicative of one or more transmission parameters comprises data indicative of at least one roaming charge associated with an airport.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the antenna is integrated into the wireless communication unit.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the data indicative of one or more transmission parameters comprises data indicative of an airline carrier associated with the aircraft.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting, by the one or more processors, a subscriber identification module chip of a plurality of subscriber identification module chips.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the selected subscriber identification module chip is associated with the selected wireless network.

20. A system comprising:

a wireless communication unit in communication with an electronic engine controller, wherein the wireless communication unit and the electronic engine controller are located within an engine of an aircraft;

an antenna integrated into the wireless communication unit;

one or more memory devices; and

one or more processors configured to;

access data indicative of one or more transmission parameters from the single electronic engine controller, each of the one or more transmission parameters being associated with the aircraft;

calculate a cost associated with transmitting engine data over respective ones of a plurality of wireless networks based at least in part on the accessed data indicative of the one or more transmission parameters;

select one wireless network of a plurality of wireless networks based at least in part on the calculated costs associated with transmitting the engine data over respective ones of the plurality of wireless networks;

connect with the selected wireless network; and

transmit, by the antenna communicatively coupled with the one or more processors, the engine data from the wireless communication unit to a ground system via the selected wireless network.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more processors transmit, by the antenna, the engine data upon an occurrence of one or more trigger conditions, wherein the one or more trigger conditions are based at least in part on a flight phase transition.