METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DATA PRIORITIZATION

• US 20070255850A1
• Filed: 05/01/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Galipeau, Steven, Kirkland, Carey, Small, Gregory, Gould, Kim
• Granted Patent: US 8,862,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/240
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

Methods and systems for data prioritization are described. In one example embodiment, the method includes the steps of assigning data an urgency and importance, and prioritizing the data using the assigned urgency and importance. In one specific example, such prioritization is then used in communicating, e.g., dispatching, the data. For example, such urgency and importance are used in prioritizing data to be communicated between an onboard aircraft system and a ground based system.

Claims

1. A system for aircraft/ground systems communications, comprising:

a processor based onboard the aircraft,

a ground based processor, and

at least one of said onboard processor and said ground based processor programmed to assign an urgency and an importance to data to be transmitted.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the data is captured in a message.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the urgency is assigned based on at least one of:

how quickly the usefulness of the data deteriorates,

how quickly a response to the data is required,

a need to have the data arrive prior to an event, and

a need for promptness of action.

4. A system according to claim 1 where the importance is assigned based on at least one of:

a degree to which the data will alter or enhance a significant decision,

a degree to which the data will cause a significant event, and

an impact if the data is not delivered.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said processors is further programmed to assign a priority to the data based on the assigned urgency and importance.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein a highest importance and highest urgency data has a highest priority.

7. A system according to claim 5 wherein the priority of data can change over time.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein data is assigned at least one of an initial urgency and an initial importance, and wherein at least one of the initial urgency and the initial importance of the data changes over time.

9. A system according to claim 1 comprising further processing the data based on the assigned urgency and importance.

10. A system according to claim 9 wherein said further processing comprises the step of interleaving small messages with segments of large messages.

11. A system according to claim 9 wherein said further processing comprises at least one of pausing transmission of at least one segment of the data, interleaving transmission of at least one segment of the data with another segment of the data, and terminating transmission of at least one segment of the data.

12. A system, comprising:

a memory for storing data, and

a processor coupled to said memory, said processor programmed to assign an urgency and an importance to data.

13. A system according to claim 12 wherein the data is in a message.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein the message comprises an urgency and an importance of the data.

15. A system according to claim 12 wherein the urgency is assigned based on at least one of:

how quickly the usefulness of the data deteriorates,

how quickly a response to the data is required,

a need to have the data arrive prior to an event, and

a need for promptness of action.

16. A system according to claim 12 where the importance is assigned based on at least one of:

a degree to which the data will alter or enhance a significant decision,

a degree to which the data will cause a significant event, and

an impact if the data is not delivered.

17. A system according to claim 12 further comprising a processor for further processing the data based on the assigned urgency and importance.

18. A system according to claim 17 where said further processing comprises assigning a priority to the data based on the assigned urgency and importance.

19. A system according to claim 18 wherein a highest importance and highest urgency data has a highest priority.

20. A system according to claim 18 wherein the priority changes over time.

21. A system according to claim 17 wherein said further processing comprises interleaving small messages with segments of large messages.

22. A system according to claim 17 wherein said further processing comprises at least one of pausing transmission of at least one segment of the data, interleaving transmission of at least one segment of the data with another segment of the data, and terminating transmission of at least one segment of the data.

23. A system according to claim 12 wherein data is assigned at least one of an initial urgency and an initial importance, and wherein at least one of the initial urgency and the initial importance of the data changes over time.

24. A method for processing data, said method comprising the steps of:

assigning an urgency and an importance to the data, and

further processing the data based on the assigned urgency and importance.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein the data is captured in a message.

26. A method according to claim 24 wherein the data is delivered within a network.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein the network includes a mobile device.

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein the mobile device is an airplane.

29. A method according to claim 24 wherein the urgency is assigned based on at least one of:

how quickly the usefulness of the data deteriorates,

how quickly a response to the data is required,

a need to have the data arrive prior to an event, and

a need for promptness of action.

30. A method according to claim 24 where the importance is assigned based on at least one of:

a degree to which the data will alter or enhance a significant decision,

a degree to which the data will cause a significant event, and

an impact if the data is not delivered.

31. A method according to claim 24 wherein processing the data based on the assigned urgency and importance comprises assigning a priority to the data.

32. A method according to claim 31 wherein a highest importance and highest urgency data has a highest priority.

33. A method according to claim 31 wherein the priority changes over time.

34. A method according to claim 24 wherein data is assigned at least one of an initial urgency and an initial importance, and wherein at least one of the initial urgency and the initial importance of the data changes over time.

35. A method according to claim 24 wherein further processing comprises the step of interleaving small messages with segments of large messages.

36. A method according to claim 24 wherein further processing comprises the step of at least one of pausing transmission of at least one segment of the data, interleaving transmission of at least one segment of the data with another segment of the data, and terminating transmission of at least one segment of the data.

37. A system comprising a plurality of processors, at least one of said processors programmed to assign an urgency and an importance to data, and at least one of said processors programmed to further process the data based on the assigned urgency and importance.

38. A system according to claim 37 wherein said processor is coupled within a network, and wherein said network comprises at least one mobile device.

39. A system according to claim 38 wherein said mobile device is an airplane.

40. A system according to claim 37 wherein the urgency is assigned based on at least one of:

how quickly the usefulness of the data deteriorates,

how quickly a response to the data is required,

a need to have the data arrive prior to an event, and

a need for promptness of action.

41. A system according to claim 37 where the importance is assigned based on at least one of:

a degree to which the data will alter or enhance a significant decision,

a degree to which the data will cause a significant event, and

an impact if the data is not delivered.

42. A system according to claim 37 wherein said further processing comprises assigning a priority to the data based on the assigned urgency and importance.

43. A system according to claim 42 wherein the priority changes over time.

44. A system according to claim 37 wherein data is assigned at least one of an initial urgency and an initial importance, and wherein at least one of the initial urgency and the initial importance of the data changes over time.

45. A system according to claim 37 wherein said processor that assigns the urgency and an importance to the data is a same processor that further processes the date based on the assigned urgency and importance.

46. A system according to claim 37 where a said processor that assigns the urgency and an importance to the data is a different processor than said processor that further processes the date based on the assigned urgency and importance.

47. A system, comprising:

a memory for storing data,

a processor coupled to said memory, said processor programmed to assign at least a first parameter and a second parameter to the data, and to utilize the parameters to assign a priority to the data.

48. A system according to claim 47 wherein one of the first and second parameters is urgency, and wherein urgency is assigned based on at least one of:

how quickly the usefulness of the data deteriorates,

how quickly a response to the data is required,

a need to have the data arrive prior to an event, and

a need for promptness of action.

49. A system according to claim 47 wherein one of the first and second parameters is importance, and wherein importance is assigned based on at least one of:

a degree to which the data will alter or enhance a significant decision,

a degree to which the data will cause a significant event, and

an impact if the data is not delivered.

50. A system according to claim 47 wherein the priority changes over time.

51. A system according to claim 47 wherein at least three parameters are assigned to the data.

52. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a responder, a request for data, the request including a requester-determined urgency and importance associated with the data, and

generating, at the responder, a response based on at least one of the requester-determined urgency and importance and a responder-determined urgency and importance.

53. A method for providing data to a subscriber, a publisher providing data to a publication function, a subscription/publication management function coupled to the publication function, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the subscription/publication management function, a request for data, the request including a subscriber determined urgency and importance,

the subscription/publication management function causing the requested data to be sent to the subscriber from the publication function based on at least one of the subscriber determined urgency and importance and a subscription/publication management function determined urgency and importance.

54. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a first application, a request for data, the request including a second application-determined urgency and importance associated with the data, and

generating, at the first application, a response based on at least one of the second application-determined urgency and importance and a first application-determined urgency and importance.