AIRCRAFT FLIGHT DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20040260777A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Aeromechanical Services Limited
• Inventors: Kolb, Kurt, Jacobs, Kent, Jacobs, Darryl
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A flight data collection and transmission system includes a data interface for receiving digital flight data, means for formatting the data as a binary or text file, means for incorporating the data file into an email, means for transmitting the email using a communication system. A method of collecting and transmitting aircraft data includes the steps of receiving and storing digital flight data, creating a data file and transmitting the data as part of an email upon the happening of a defined event.

Claims

1. An aircraft data transmission system comprising:

(a) means for monitoring and collecting aircraft data;

(b) means for formatting the data or a portion of the data as a binary or text file;

(c) means for incorporating the binary or text file into an email message;

(d) means for transmitting the email; and

(e) communication means for carrying the email transmission to a ground station.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a GPS receiver.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the communication means comprises a satellite modem and transceiver.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for monitoring and collecting aircraft data comprises at least one aircraft databus interface.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the means for monitoring and collecting aircraft data further comprises at least one discrete input interface.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the binary or text file comprises a summary of the aircraft data or a portion of the aircraft data.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the means for formatting the data or a portion of the data as a binary or text file comprises means for encrypting the binary or text file.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for monitoring and collecting data comprises random access memory and a removeable non-volatile memory.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a rules database comprising a plurality of aircraft data conditions and related actions, means for monitoring aircraft data and comparing aircraft data to the rules database.

9. The system of claim 9 wherein the removeable non-volatile memory comprises a solid-state memory card.

11. A method of transmitting aircraft data from an aircraft comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving digital flight data from an aircraft data bus or a discrete input or both;

(b) storing the data to a flight data file;

(c) creating a summary file upon a specified event or command;

(d)transmitting the summary file in the form of an email or attached to an email via a radio transmitter.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of receiving the email at a ground centre and storing the summary file in a database.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of forwarding the email to a user.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of creating and transmitting a second email to a user containing or attaching a data file.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of storing the flight data file onto a removeable non-volatile memory.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the removeable non-volatile memory comprises a solid-state memory card.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of

(a) monitoring aircraft data and comparing aircraft data to a rules database wherein the rules database defines at least one aircraft data condition and a related action;

and

(b) taking the action upon the aircraft data matching the aircraft data condition.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the action to be taken is chosen from the group consisting of:

creating a data file, recording data to a data file, closing a data file, saving a data file to a memory, or creating and sending an data file by email.

19. An aircraft data collection and transmission system comprising:

(a) means for monitoring aircraft data;

(b) a rules database defining at least one aircraft data condition and a related action;

(c) means for comparing the aircraft data to the rules database; and

(d) means for implementing the action upon the aircraft data meeting an aircraft data condition.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the means for implementing the action comprises one or more of the following:

(a) means for creating a data file;

(b) means for recording data to a data file;

(c) means for closing a data file;

(d) means for saving a data file to a memory; and

(e) means for sending a data file by email, including an email client.