WIRELESS AIRCRAFT SENSOR NETWORK

• US 20090243895A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Mitchell, Bradley J., Lim, Edwin C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,022,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/971
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/288 Satellite antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a sensor network in an aircraft for collecting data about the aircraft. The sensor network in the aircraft collects the data about the aircraft. The sensor network comprises a set of wireless sensors attached to a first set of locations for the aircraft, a set of wireless routers attached to a second set of locations for the aircraft, and a set of gateways connected to an aircraft data processing system. The set of wireless routers is capable of receiving the data in wireless signals transmitted by the set of wireless sensors. The set of gateways is capable of receiving data in the wireless signals from the set of wireless routers to form received data and is capable of transmitting the received data into the aircraft data processing system.

Claims

1. A sensor network in an aircraft for collecting data about the aircraft, the sensor network comprising:

a set of wireless sensors attached to a first set of locations for the aircraft;

a set of wireless routers attached to a second set of locations for the aircraft, wherein the set of wireless routers is capable of receiving data in wireless signals transmitted by the set of wireless sensors; and

a set of gateways connected to an aircraft data processing system, wherein the set of gateways is capable of receiving the data in the wireless signals from the set of wireless routers to form received data and capable of transmitting the received data into the aircraft data processing system.

2. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the set of wireless routers is located in a passenger cabin in the aircraft and a second portion of the set of wireless routers is located in an area below a passenger floor of the aircraft.

3. The sensor network of claim 2, wherein a third portion of the set of wireless sensors is located in a crown above the passenger cabin.

4. The sensor network of claim 1 further comprising:

a window plug capable of passing a wireless signal containing detected data originating from a selected wireless sensor in the set of wireless sensors through the window plug, wherein the selected wireless sensor is attached to a location in the first set of locations located outside of the aircraft; and

a wireless router coupled to the window plug, wherein the wireless router is capable of receiving the wireless signal containing the detected data passed by the window plug to form a received wireless signal and capable of transmitting the received wireless signal to another wireless router in the set of wireless routers.

5. The sensor network of claim 4, wherein the wireless router is connected to the another wireless router by a wired connection, the wireless router transmits the received wireless signal to the another wireless router as a signal over the wired connection, and the another wireless router transmits the signal to a third wireless router as another wireless signal.

6. The sensor network of claim 5, wherein the wire passes through a wireless signal opaque barrier configured to block the passage of wireless signals between areas outside and inside of the aircraft.

7. The sensor network of claim 4, wherein the window plug comprises:

a first pane of material that passes wireless signals; and

a second pane of material that blocks the wireless signals.

8. The sensor network of claim 7, wherein the first pane is attached to a fuselage of the aircraft and the second pane is connected to a sidewall within the aircraft, a gap is present between the first pane and the second pane, a seal is present between edges of the first pane and the second pane, and the wireless router is coupled to the seal.

9. The sensor network of claim 1 further comprising:

a wireless router located in an interior of the aircraft in a position allowing the wireless router to receive a wireless signal through a grill in the cabin sidewall to form a received wireless signal and allowing the wireless router to transmit received wireless signal to one of a second wireless router in the set of wireless routers and a gateway.

10. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein the set of gateways is capable of receiving the data through a wireless transmission from a wireless sensor in the set of wireless sensors.

11. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein a wireless sensor in the set of wireless sensors comprises:

a sensor;

a processor connected to the sensor;

a transmitter connected to the processor; and

a power source capable of providing power to the sensor, processor, and transmitter.

12. The sensor network of claim 11, wherein the power source is selecting from one of a battery, a capacitor and an energy harvesting device.

13. The sensor network of claim 12, wherein the energy harvesting device is selected from one of a photovoltaic device, a vibration harvesting device, and a thermoelectric device.

14. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the set of wireless routers is located outside of the aircraft and a second portion of the set of wireless routers is located inside the aircraft.

15. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein a gateway in the set of gateways is located in a lower lobe of the aircraft.

16. The sensor network of claim 1, wherein the aircraft data processing system is selected from one of a line replaceable unit, an in flight entertainment system, and an environmental control system.

17. A method for detecting data in an aircraft, the method comprising:

detecting the data using a set of wireless sensors attached to a first set of locations for the aircraft to form detected data;

sending the detected data in wireless signals from the set of wireless sensors to a set of wireless routers attached to a second set of locations for the aircraft, wherein the set of wireless routers is capable of receiving the data in the wireless signals transmitted by the set of wireless sensors;

routing the data through the set of wireless routers to a set of gateways connected to an aircraft data processing system to form routed data; and

transmitting the routed data from the set of gateways into the aircraft data processing system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the aircraft includes a first level and a second level separated by a floor wherein the routing step comprises:

transmitting the detected data from a first level of the aircraft to a second level of the aircraft a using a wireless router in the set of wireless routers located in a position allowing the wireless router to receive a wireless signal through an opaque section in a cabin sidewall to form a received wireless signal and allowing the wireless router to transmit the received wireless signal to a second wireless router in the set of wireless routers.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the routing step comprises:

receiving the detected data through a window plug in the aircraft from one of a wireless router in the set of wireless routers and a sensor.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the routing step comprises:

transmitting the detected data from an exterior of the aircraft to an interior of the aircraft.