SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SYNCHRONIZING VARIOUS TYPES OF DATA ON A SINGLE PACKET

• US 20130010812A1
• Filed: 07/06/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Berecz, Endre, Carro, Eduardo M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,467,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/503
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Data recording systems (100) and methods (400) for synchronizing data of a plurality of different data types on a single packet (300). The methods involve: receiving the data and an audio frame containing voice data and timing data communicated over a plurality of channels; generating, in response to the reception of the audio frame, a combined packet on which the audio frame and at least a portion of the data are time synchronized to each other; and substantially simultaneously storing the combined packet in a primary data store and a secondary data store of a data recorder for subsequent use in reconstructing events leading up to a crash of a land vehicle, aircraft or vessel. The portion of data may include data link data, flight data and/or image/video data. The channels may include a cockpit channel and a plurality of pilot channels.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing data of a plurality of different data types on a single packet, comprising:

receiving said data by an electronic circuit of a data recorder;

receiving, by said electronic circuit, an audio frame containing voice data and timing data communicated over a plurality of channels;

in response to the reception of said audio frame, generating a combined packet using said audio frame and at least a portion of said data; and

storing, substantially simultaneously, said combined packet in a primary data store and a secondary data store of said data recorder for subsequent use in reconstructing events leading up to a crash of a land vehicle, aircraft or vessel;

wherein said audio frame and said portion of data are time synchronized to each other on said combined packet.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data comprises at least one of data link data, flight data and image/video data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of channels comprises a cockpit channel and a plurality of pilot channels.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said combined packet is generated by encapsulating a packet payload with a packet header including a common clock time tag.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said packet header comprises information specifying at least one of said plurality of different data types, a current power up counter value, a packet number from a last power up, a number of milliseconds since a last time tag generation, a size of said audio frame, and a size of each type of data which has been buffered by said data recorder during a last “

N”

milliseconds.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said packet header comprises at least one of rotor speed data, Greenwich mean time data, data specifying a time of a last erasure of memory, and/or data specifying a data rate of inputs to said data recorder.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said packet payload comprises said audio frame and said portion of said data.

8. The method according to claim 4, where said portion of data comprises data link and timing data which was buffered by said data recorder during a last “

N”

milliseconds, flight and timing data which was buffered by said data recorder during a last “

N”

milliseconds, and an “

N”

millisecond fraction of a video frame defined by image/video and timing data buffered by said data recorder.

9. A method for synchronizing data of a plurality of different data types on a single packet, comprising:

receiving said data by an electronic circuit of a data recorder;

storing said data in a buffer of said data recorder;

receiving, by said electronic circuit, an audio frame containing voice data and timing data communicated over a plurality of channels;

in response to the reception of said audio frame, generating a combined packet using said audio frame and at least a portion of said data stored in said buffer, wherein said audio frame and said portion of data are time synchronized to each other on said combined packet; and

storing, substantially simultaneously, said combined packet in a primary data store and a secondary data store of said data recorder for subsequent use in reconstructing events leading up to a crash of a land vehicle, aircraft or vessel;

wherein said portion of data comprises data link data which was buffered by said data recorder during a last “

N”

milliseconds, flight data which was buffered by said data recorder during a last “

N”

milliseconds, and an “

N”

millisecond fraction of a video frame defined by image/video data buffered by said data recorder.

10. The data recorder according to claim 9, said plurality of channels comprises a cockpit channel and a plurality of pilot channels.

11. A data recorder, comprising:

an electronic circuit configured to

receive data of a plurality of different data types,

receive an audio frame containing voice data and timing data communicated over a plurality of channels,

generate a combined packet in response to the reception of said audio frame, said combined packet generated using said audio frame and at least a portion of said data, and

substantially simultaneously store said combined packet in a primary data store and a secondary data store of said data recorder for subsequent use in reconstructing events leading up to a crash of a land vehicle, aircraft or vessel;

wherein said audio frame and said portion of data are time synchronized to each other on said combined packet.

12. The data recorder according to claim 11, wherein said data comprises at least one of data link data, flight data and image/video data.

13. The data recorder according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of channels comprise a cockpit channel and a plurality of pilot channels.

14. The data recorder according to claim 11, wherein said combined packet is generated by encapsulating a packet payload with a packet header including a common clock time tag.

15. The data recorder according to claim 14, wherein said packet header comprises information specifying at least one of said plurality of different data types, a current power up counter value, a packet number from a last power up, a number of milliseconds since a last time tag generation, a size of said audio frame, and a size of each type of data which has been buffered by said data recorder during a last “

N”

milliseconds.

16. The data recorder according to claim 14, wherein said packet header comprises at least one of rotor speed data, Greenwich mean time data, data specifying a time of a last erasure of memory, and/or data specifying a data rate of inputs to said data recorder.

17. The data recorder according to claim 14, wherein said packet payload comprises said audio frame and said portion of said data.

18. The data recorder according to claim 14, where said portion of data comprises data link and timing data which was buffered by said data recorder during a last “

N”

milliseconds, flight and timing data which was buffered by said data recorder during a last “

N”

milliseconds, and an “

N”

millisecond fraction of a video frame defined by image/video and timing data buffered by said data recorder.

19. A data recorder, comprising:

a buffer; and

an electronic circuit configured to

receive data of a plurality of different data types,

store said data in said buffer;

receive an audio frame containing voice data and timing data communicated over a plurality of channels,

generate a combined packet in response to the reception of said audio frame, said combined packet generated using said audio frame and at least a portion of said data stored in said buffer, and

substantially simultaneously store said combined packet in a primary data store and a secondary data store of said data recorder for subsequent use in reconstructing events leading up to a crash of a land vehicle, aircraft or vessel;

wherein said audio frame and said portion of data are time synchronized to each other on said combined packet; and

wherein said portion of data comprises data link data which was buffered by said data recorder during a last “

N”

milliseconds, flight data which was buffered by said data recorder during a last “

N”

milliseconds, and an “

N”

millisecond fraction of a video frame defined by image/video data buffered by said data recorder.

20. The data recorder according to claim 19, said plurality of channels comprises a cockpit channel and a plurality of pilot channels.