METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REQUESTING AND RETRIEVING AIRCRAFT DATA DURING FLIGHT OF AN AIRCRAFT
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- generating a parameter request message that includes a parameter file that specifies the relevant parameters to be measured at an aircraft;
communicating the parameter request message to the aircraft over satellite communication links;
measuring data for each relevant parameter and recording the measured data in a data file at the aircraft; and
communicating the data file from the aircraft to a ground-based computer.
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Abstract
The disclosed embodiments relate to methods and systems for requesting and retrieving aircraft data during flight of an aircraft. This aircraft data can be used to perform additional monitoring of aircraft sub-systems to detect an abnormal condition, and/or to identify one or more sources that are causing the abnormal condition. In one embodiment, aircraft data for one or more relevant parameters can be requested from the ground, measured on-board the aircraft, and stored in a data file that is then communicated back to personnel on the ground. The real-time aircraft data for one or more relevant parameters can then be analyzed to identify the one or more sources that are causing the abnormal condition.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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generating a parameter request message that includes a parameter file that specifies the relevant parameters to be measured at an aircraft; communicating the parameter request message to the aircraft over satellite communication links; measuring data for each relevant parameter and recording the measured data in a data file at the aircraft; and communicating the data file from the aircraft to a ground-based computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system, comprising:
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a gateway; an aircraft; a satellite that is communicatively coupled to the aircraft and the gateway via satellite communication links; a ground support network comprising a ground-based computer; and a computer, coupled to the ground-based computer, that is configured to generate a parameter request message that includes a parameter file that specifies relevant parameters that are to be measured at the aircraft, and to communicate the parameter request message to the gateway for transmission to the aircraft over satellite communication links; wherein the aircraft comprises; an on-board computer that is configured to measure data for each relevant parameter of the parameter file and to record the measured data in a data file; and a transceiver configured to transmit the data file to the satellite for delivery to the other computer.
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11. A system according to claim 11, wherein the aircraft has a plurality of sub-systems, and wherein the data transmitted by the aircraft while in flight comprises a crew alerting system (CAS) message file generated by the on-board computer that comprises the unprocessed data, wherein the CAS message file automatically indicates that measured data from a sub-system of the aircraft is outside one or more threshold limits and that an abnormal condition has been detected, and
wherein the on-board computer is configured to open a communication path that includes a first satellite communication link between the aircraft and the satellite and a second satellite communication link between the satellite and a ground-based gateway, and to communicate the CAS message file from the aircraft over the first satellite communication link to the satellite, and wherein the satellite is configured to communicate the CAS message file over the second satellite communication link to the gateway, and wherein the gateway is configured to communicate the CAS message file to a ground support network that includes the ground-based computer.
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12. A system according to claim 12, wherein the ground-based computer of the ground support network is configured to process the unprocessed data from the CAS message file to generate the processed data, and to communicate the processed data to a server that serves as a portal to the ground support network and communicates the processed data to the other computer.
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13. A system according to claim 13, wherein the relevant parameters are determined based on analysis of the processed data, and correspond to additional parametric data that is needed from the aircraft to identify one or more sources that are causing an abnormal condition and that caused the CAS message file to be generated, wherein each relevant parameter influences or affects data that is to be measured by the aircraft.
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16. A system according to claim 16, wherein the on-board computer of the aircraft, after receiving the parameter request message, is configured to extract the parameter file from the parameter request message at the on-board computer of the aircraft, to determine the relevant parameters and the corresponding duration values for each of the relevant parameters from the parameter file, to measure parametric data for each relevant parameter for a corresponding duration value and to record the measured parametric data in the data file, wherein the measured parametric data for each of the of relevant parameters comprises a data stream for that particular relevant parameter that is measured for a particular corresponding duration value.
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18. A computer, comprising:
a processor that is configured to perform processing to;
generate a parameter request message comprising a parameter file that specifies relevant parameters that are to be measured at an aircraft and recorded in a data file, and communicate the parameter request message for transmission to the aircraft over satellite communication links.
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19. A computer according to claim 19, wherein the parameter request message is generated in response to processed data that was received from the aircraft while in flight,
wherein the relevant parameters are determined and selected based on analysis of the processed data, and correspond to additional parametric data that is needed from the aircraft to identify one or more sources that are causing an abnormal condition, wherein each relevant parameter influences or affects data that is to be measured by the aircraft.
Specification