Method and system for conserving operating data of a vehicle

• US 20120130585A1
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense
• Original Assignee: Sagem Defense Securite SA (Safran SA)
• Inventors: DECLETY, Benjamin, HEURTAUX, Frédéric, POTTIER, Gérard, VALETTE, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/31.7
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A method of conserving operating data of a vehicle, the method including the steps of collecting the operating data and recording it progressively on board the vehicle, detecting an event, as from a detection, transmitting to at least one external receiver firstly at least some of the data that is being collected and as it is being collected, and secondly at least some of the stored data in a chronological order that is the reverse of the order in which it was recorded, and recording the data received by said external receiver. A conservation system for implementing the method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of conserving operating data of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting the operating data and recording it progressively on board the vehicle;

detecting an event;

as from a detection, transmitting to at least one external receiver firstly at least some of the data that is being collected and as it is being collected, and secondly at least some of the stored data in a chronological order that is the reverse of the order in which it was recorded; and

recording the data received by said external receiver.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the event is a failure of a piece of equipment of the vehicle or an early-warning sign of such a failure.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the event is a command from an operator of the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data comprises data of various types and the data is transmitted in a priority order that takes data type into account.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the data comprises first information relating to the validity of the data coming from a particular piece of equipment and second information relating to operation of said equipment, the first information having priority over the second information so long as the second information does not reveal a malfunction of said equipment.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the priority order is determined as a function of the event itself;

an operating stage of the vehicle at the moment the event is detected;

or a characteristic of the telecommunications network(s) available for transmission.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collected and transmitted data includes sounds date, voice data, or images.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted data passes via at least one relay before reaching the receiver.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relay is one of the following elements:

a satellite;

a nearby vehicle;

a stationary terrestrial relay.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is a trusted third-party organization.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein data transmission cannot be deactivated before the vehicle has reached its destination or before a predetermined operating stage of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 1, including the step of encrypting the data before transmitting it.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted in frames in association with time information.

14. A system for conserving operation data of a vehicle, the system comprising a data processor unit connected to a data collection network and to a secure recorder module, wherein the processor unit is also connected to a memory having a transmitter unit connected thereto in order to transmit stored data out from the vehicle, the processor unit being programmed to send the data for recording to the secure recorder module and to the memory, the transmitter unit being arranged to transmit at least some of the data that is being collected progressively as it is being sent to the memory and also at least some of the stored data in an order that is the reverse of the order in which it was stored.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the processor unit comprises a first processor module and a second processor module that are independent from each other and that are both connected to the data collection network, the first processor module being connected to the secure recorder module and the second processor module being connected to the memory.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the amount of data sent to the memory is greater than the amount of data sent to the secure recorder module.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the memory and the transmitter unit are associated with at least one emergency battery.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the transmitter unit is programmed to transmit the data that is being collected progressively as it is being sent to the memory in real time over a first transmission channel, and the stored data in an order that is the reverse of the order in which it was stored over a second channel.