AIRCRAFT FLIGHT DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20080039997A1
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Aeromechanical Services Limited
• Inventors: KOLB, Kurt, JACOBS, Kent, JACOBS, Darryl
• Application Number:
  US11/681,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20080039997A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/00 Traffic control systems for aircraft , e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft

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. 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.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving the email at a ground centre and storing the summary file in a database.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of forwarding the email to a user.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of creating and transmitting a second email to a user containing or attaching a data file.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing the flight data file onto a removeable non-volatile memory.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the removeable non-volatile memory comprises a solid-state memory card.

7. The method of claim 1 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.

8. The method of claim 7 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.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of encrypting the summary file.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing user access for the summary file by Internet (HTTP or HTTPS), private network or VPN.