RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR ACARS MESSAGES EXCHANGE

• US 20100027461A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell-Collins France
• Original Assignee: Rockwell-Collins France
• Inventors: Bothorel, Alain Jean-Michel
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A radio communication system for ACARS messages exchange between an aircraft (2) and a ground centre (20) includes in the aircraft a communication management unit (4) having a plurality of interfaces for connecting communication equipments among VHF, HF and SATCOM communication equipments (6, 10, 14), the communication equipments being adapted via respective bi-directional channels to each communicate independently with the ground centre (20). The radio communication system further includes a communication unit (24) including emulating elements (44) for emulating a communication equipment when communicating with the communication management unit (4) and wireless access elements (50) for communication with a wireless access point (28) of a ground communication network (30).

Claims

1. A radio communication system for ACARS messages exchange between an aircraft (2) and a ground centre (20) comprising in the aircraft a communication management unit (4) having a plurality of interfaces for connecting communication equipments among VHF, HF and SATCOM communication equipments (6, 10, 14), the communication equipments being adapted via respective bi-directional channels to each communicate independently with the ground centre (20), characterized in that said radio communication system further comprises a communication unit (24) having a first interface (32) and a second interface (38), a first communication link (34) between said first interface (32) and an interface (36) of the communication management unit (4), and a second communication link (40) between said said second interface (38) and an interface (42) of an associated antenna means (26) for communication with the ground centre (20), said communication unit (24) including emulating means (44) for emulating a communication equipment when communicating with the communication management unit (4) and wireless access means (50) for communication with a wireless access point (28) of a ground communication network (30).

2. A radio communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that the ground communication network (30) is an Internet network.

3. A radio communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that the emulating means (44) is adapted to emulate one of a SATCOM communication equipment (14) and a HF communication equipment (6).

4. A radio communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises activating means for allowing activation of the communication unit (24) only when the aircraft is on ground.

5. A radio communication system according to claim 4, characterized in that the activating means is controlled by a control device receiving from a detector a signal based on a value of one or several of the following parameters:

weight-on-wheels, weight-off-wheels, brake, aircraft ground speed, aircraft air speed, flight information, time, door open or door closed.

8. A radio communication system according to claim 2, characterized in that the emulating means (44) is adapted to emulate one of a SATCOM communication equipment (14) and a HF communication equipment (6).

9. A radio communication system according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises activating means for allowing activation of the communication unit (24) only when the aircraft is on ground.

10. A radio communication system according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises activating means for allowing activation of the communication unit (24) only when the aircraft is on ground.

6. A communication unit (24) for a radio communication system for ACARS messages exchange between an aircraft (2) and a ground centre (20) comprising in the aircraft a communication management unit (4) having a plurality of interfaces for connecting communication equipments among VHF, HF and SATCOM communication equipments (6, 10, 14), said communication unit (24) including emulating means (44) for emulating a communication equipment when communicating with the communication management unit (4) and wireless access means (50) for communication through an associated antenna means (26) with a wireless access point (28) of a ground communication network (30).

7. A method of upgrading an already installed and operating radio communication system for ACARS messages exchange between an aircraft (2) and a ground centre (20), said radio communication system comprising in the aircraft a communication management unit (4) having a plurality of interfaces for connecting communication equipments among VHF, HF and SATCOM communication equipments (6, 10, 14), the communication equipments being adapted via respective bi-directional channels to each communicate independently with the ground operation control centre (20), in which at least one of the interfaces of the communication management unit (4) is not fitted with a communication equipment, wherein the upgrading comprises the step of adding on a non-fitted interface (36) of the communication management unit (4):

(i) a communication unit (24) having a first interface (32) and a second interface (38), through a first communication link (34) between said first interface (32) and the non-fitted interface (36) of the communication management unit (4),

(ii) a second communication link (40) between said said second interface (38) and an interface (42) of an associated antenna means (26) for communication with the ground centre (20),

said communication unit (24) including emulating means (44) for emulating a communication equipment when communicating with the communication management unit (4) and wireless access means (50) for communication with a wireless access point (28) of a ground communication network (30).