SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING NON-INTEGRATED CPDLC SYSTEMS FROM A FIRST CPDLC SYSTEM

• US 20140229093A1
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Judd, Thomas D., Judy, Vicki
• Granted Patent: US 10,055,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for implementing a non-integrated CPDLC solution is provided. The method includes monitoring a datalink router for messages from a first CPDLC application in a first one or more execution partitions, wherein the first one or more execution partitions are configured to implement a first CPDLC application and wherein messages from the first CPDLC application and a second CPDLC application in a second one or more execution partitions use the datalink router to interface with one or more radio transceivers. The method also includes when the second CPDLC application has an active current data authority (CDA) air traffic control (ATC) connection, inhibiting communication between the first CPDLC application and an ATC ground station by discarding downlink messages of the first CPDLC application from the datalink router.

Claims

1. A system for implementing a non-integrated controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) solution, the system comprising:

a first one or more execution partitions executing one or more first applications including a first CPDLC application;

a second one or more execution partitions executing one or more second applications including a second CPDLC application;

a datalink router for interfacing between the first and second CPDLC applications and one or more radio transceivers; and

a gatekeeper module that monitors messages in the datalink router corresponding to the first CPDLC application and inhibits communication between the first CPDLC application and any air traffic control (ATC) ground station when the second CPDLC application has an active current data authority (CDA) ATC connection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper module inhibits communication by causing the datalink router to discard downlink messages from the first CPDLC application such that the downlink messages are not transmitted to any ATC ground station, and to discard uplink messages to the first CPDLC application such that the uplink message are not routed to the first CPDLC application.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the gatekeeper module upon discarding a downlink message, is configured to generate and send one of an error message, abort message, or a disconnect message to the first CPDLC application, wherein the abort message and the disconnect message can be generated to emulate a message from an ATC ground station.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the datalink router and the gatekeeper module reside in the second one or more execution partitions, wherein the gatekeeper module coordinates with the second CPDLC application to determine whether the second CPDLC application has an active CDA ATC connection.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper module resides a third one or more execution partitions, the gatekeeper module is configured to determine when the second CPDLC application has an active CDA ATC connection based on messages in the datalink router.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second CPDLC application has an active CDA ATC connection when the second CPDLC application is logged-on or attempting to log-on to an ATC ground station.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper module is configured to allow messages from the first CPDLC application to pass through the datalink router and be transmitted by one of the one or more radio transceivers when the second CPDLC application does not have an active CDA ATC connection.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper module is configured to prevent the first CPDLC application and the second CPDLC application from logging-on to any ATC ground station when the other CPDLC CDA ATC connection is active.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper module is configured to give priority to the second CPDLC application such that when the first CPDLC application has an active CDA ATC connection, the gatekeeper module inhibits further communication between the first CPDLC application and any air traffic control (ATC) ground station when the second CPDLC application sends a log-on request.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper module is configured to give priority to a newly requested connection over an existing connection, regardless of whether the first CPDLC application or the second CPDLC application is the newly requested connection or the existing connection.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper module is configured to give priority to an existing connection over a newly requested connection, regardless of whether the first CPDLC application or the second CPDLC application is the existing connection or the newly requested connection.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more first CPDLC applications are one or more ATN CPDLC applications and the one or more second CPDLC application are one or more FANS CPDLC applications.

13. A method for implementing a non-integrated controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) solution, the method comprising:

monitoring a datalink router for messages from a first CPDLC application in a first one or more execution partitions, wherein the first one or more execution partitions are configured to implement a first CPDLC application and wherein messages from the first CPDLC application and a second CPDLC application in a second one or more execution partitions use the datalink router to interface with one or more radio transceivers; and

when the second CPDLC application has an active current data authority (CDA) air traffic control (ATC) connection, inhibiting communication between the first CPDLC application and an ATC ground station by discarding downlink messages of the first CPDLC application from the datalink router.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when the first CPDLC application has an active CDA ATC connection, restricting the second CPDLC application from establishing an active CDA ATC connection.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

determining when the first CPDLC application has an active CDA ATC connection based on messages in the datalink router.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein when the first CPDLC application has an active CDA ATC connection includes when the first CPDLC application is attempting to log-on and when the first CPDLC application is logged-on to an ATC ground station;

and

when the second CPDLC application has an active CDA ATC connection includes when the second CPDLC application is attempting to log on and when the second CPDLC application is logged-on to an ATC ground station.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising:

providing priority to the second CPDLC application such that when the first CPDLC application has an active CDA ATC connection, the gatekeeper module inhibits further communication between the first CPDLC application and any air traffic control (ATC) ground station when the second CPDLC application sends a log-on request.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first CPDLC application is a FANS CPDLC application and the second CPDLC application is an ATN CPDLC application.

19. A system for implementing a non-integrated FANS/ATN controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) solution, the system comprising:

a first one or more execution partitions executing an ATN CPDLC application;

a second one or more execution partitions in communication with the first one or more execution partitions, the second one or more execution partitions executing a FANS CPDLC application, wherein the first one or more execution partitions are configured to implement a datalink router for interfacing between the ATN and FANS CPDLC applications and one or more radio transceivers;

one or more Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) in communication with the first execution partition and the second execution partition, the one or more HMIs configured to display screens generated by the ATN CPDLC application and configured to display screens generated by the FANS CPDLC application; and

wherein the first one or more execution partitions includes a gatekeeper module that monitors messages in the datalink router corresponding to the FANS CPDLC application and causes downlink and uplink messages corresponding to the FANS CPDLC application to be discarded when the ATN CPDLC application is logged on, or attempting to establish, a current data authority (CDA) air traffic control (ATC) connection, and wherein the gatekeeper module is configured to allow uplink and downlink messages corresponding to the FANS CPDLC application to pass through the datalink router when the ATN CPDLC application is not logged-on to, or attempting to establish, a CDA ATN connection.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first one or more execution partitions includes a function manager module configured to restrict access to the ATN CPDLC application when the FANS CPDLC application is logged on to, or attempting to establish, a CDA ATC connection.