Apparatus and methods for providing network security on a mobile platform

• US 10,587,684 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Canada Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: C Series Aircraft Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Cote, Jean-Richard, Agagnier, Jayson
• Primary Examiner(s): Celani, Nicholas P
• Application Number:
  US15/102,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20170310748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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

Abstract

The disclosure describes components, apparatus and methods for providing network security between computing devices and/or networks on mobile platforms such as aircraft. One such apparatus may comprise: a first memory configured for data communication with a first computing device of the mobile platform; a second memory configured for data communication with a second computing device of the mobile platform; and a controller. The controller may be configured to detect a change in data stored In the first memory and cause the change in data stored in the first memory to be reflected in the second memory by causing data transfer from the first memory to the second memory. Data transfer between the first memory and the second memory may be conducted using a non-internet protocol.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising an apparatus for providing network security and allowing data transfer between at least two computing devices of a mobile platform, the apparatus comprising:

a first memory configured for data communication with a first computing device of the mobile platform;

a second memory configured for data communication with a second computing device of the mobile platform, the first memory and the second memory integrated into separate storage devices, wherein the first and second computing devices are associated with aircraft control; and

a controller configured to;

at a polling rate, poll the first memory to automatically detect a change in data stored in the first memory;

cause the change in data stored in the first memory to be reflected in the second memory by causing data transfer between the first memory and the second memory using a non-Internet protocol;

cause data synchronization of only the data of pre-defined data fields between the first memory and the second memory, wherein the data of the pre-defined data fields consists of parameters that are needed to be shared between the first and second devices in order to control the aircraft, the data synchronization based at least in part on the polling rate; and

prevent transfer of commands and functions from the first memory to the second memory, wherein;

a communication protocol used for the data communication between the first memory and the first computing device is different from the non-Internet protocol used between the first memory and the second memory,

a communication protocol used for the data communication between the second memory and the second computing device is different from the non-Internet protocol used between the first memory and the second memory, and

the polling rate is selected to cause the data synchronization of the second memory substantially in real-time.

2. The aircraft as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

detect a change in data stored in the second memory; and

cause the change in data stored in the second memory to be reflected in the first memory.

3. The aircraft as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause the change in data stored in the first memory to be reflected in a third memory configured for data communication with a third computing device of the mobile platform.

4. The aircraft as defined in claim 3, comprising data transfer between the first memory and the third memory using the non-Internet protocol.

5. The aircraft as defined in claim 1, wherein the non-Internet protocol comprises one of Advance Technology Attachment over Ethernet (ATAoE), Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), Infiniband, Serial Advance Technology Attachment (SATA), Parallel Advance Technology Attachment (PATA) and Universal Serial Bus (USB).

6. The aircraft as defined in claim 1, wherein the non-Internet protocol is configured to permit non-interactive communication between the first computing device and the second computing device.

7. The aircraft as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the first computing device and the second computing device comprises an electronic flight bag.