System and Method for Performing Real-Time Data Analysis

• US 20100152962A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Bennett, Peter, Shroy, Collin
• Granted Patent: US 8,509,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A data monitoring and analysis system suitable for performing real-time monitoring of vehicle information systems installed aboard a passenger vehicle fleet and methods for manufacturing and using same. The data monitoring and analysis system includes a loadscript system for establishing a communication channel with each vehicle information system. Continuously receiving performance data accumulated by the vehicle information systems, the loadscript system validates and parses the performance data and provides the resultant performance data to a database system for further analysis. The database system enables fleet operators to generate reports with consolidated performance data for the vehicle fleet, to stratify the performance data based upon one or more variables, and/or to drill down into subsets of the performance data to understand root causes underlying system performance. A large volume of performance data accumulated by the fleet thereby can be presented in a meaningful manner for rapid human intervention, as needed.

Claims

1. A method for performing data monitoring and analysis, comprising:

establishing communication connections with a plurality of vehicle information systems installed aboard respective passenger vehicles associated with a vehicle fleet;

receiving performance data accumulated by the vehicle information systems via the communication connections;

validating the received performance data;

parsing the validated performance data;

consolidating the parsed performance data for the vehicle fleet;

applying the consolidated performance data to generate an aggregate report for the vehicle information systems; and

applying selected subsets of the consolidated performance data to generate at least one lower-level report for analyzing a performance aspect of the vehicle information systems,

wherein the performance data accumulated by the fleet is presented in real-time for facilitating rapid human intervention as needed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing the communication connection comprises establishing a wireless communication connection with the vehicle information system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the performance data includes continuously receiving the performance data from the vehicle information systems.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the performance data includes manually receiving the performance data from a selected vehicle information system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the performance data includes receiving the performance data selected from a group consisting of aircraft Built In Test Equipment (BITE) data, repair shop data, original equipment manufacture (OEM) flight hour data, and observed fault and rectification data, and flight information from an external website.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the performance data includes receiving travel information from an external website.

3. The method of claim 3, wherein said establishing the wireless communication connections includes establishing a wireless communication connection with a selected vehicle information system via an intermediate communication system.

4. The method of claim 4, wherein said establishing the wireless communication connection comprises establishing the wireless communication connection via the intermediate communication system that is selected from a group consisting of a cellular modem communication system, a broadband satellite communication system, an ARINC Communications Addressing &

Reporting System, and a Data 3 communication system.

9. A computer program product for performing data monitoring and analysis, the computer program product being encoded on more or more machine-readable storage media and comprising:

instruction for establishing communication connections with a plurality of vehicle information systems installed aboard respective passenger vehicles associated with a vehicle fleet;

instruction for receiving performance data accumulated by the vehicle information systems via the communication connections;

instruction for validating the received performance data;

instruction for parsing the validated performance data;

instruction for consolidating the parsed performance data for the vehicle fleet;

instruction for applying the consolidated performance data to generate an aggregate report for the vehicle information systems; and

instruction for applying selected subsets of the consolidated performance data to generate at least one lower-level report for analyzing a performance aspect of the vehicle information systems,

wherein the performance data accumulated by the fleet is presented in real-time for facilitating rapid human intervention as needed.

10. A system for performing data monitoring and analysis, comprising:

a loadscript system for establishing communication connections with a plurality of vehicle information systems installed aboard respective passenger vehicles associated with a vehicle fleet. said loadscript system receiving, validating, and parsing performance data accumulated by the vehicle information systems via the communication connections; and

a database system for consolidating the parsed performance data for the vehicle fleet. said database system applying the consolidated performance data to generate an aggregate report for the vehicle information systems and applying selected subsets of the consolidated performance data to generate at least one lower-level report for analyzing a performance aspect of the vehicle information systems,

wherein the performance data accumulated by the fleet is presented in real-time for facilitating rapid human intervention as needed.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said database system comprises an Aircraft Ground Information System (AGIS) code database system.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said receiving the performance data is selected from a group consisting of aircraft Built In Test Equipment (BITE) data, repair shop data, original equipment manufacture (OEM) flight hour data, and observed fault and rectification data, and flight information from an external website.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the performance data includes travel information received from an external website.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle information systems comprise passenger entertainment systems.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the passenger vehicles comprise aircraft.

16. A vehicle information system suitable for installation aboard a passenger vehicle and for communicating with the system of claim 10.

17. The vehicle information system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle information system comprises a passenger entertainment system.

18. The vehicle information system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle information system comprises an in-flight entertainment system.

19. A passenger vehicle comprising vehicle information system suitable for installation aboard a passenger vehicle and for communicating with the system of claim 10.

20. The passenger vehicle of claim 19, wherein the passenger vehicle is selected from a group consisting of an aircraft, an automobile, a bus, a recreational vehicle, a boat, and a train.