METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REQUESTING AND RETRIEVING AIRCRAFT DATA DURING FLIGHT OF AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20140309820A1
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: O'Dell, Robert, Gallagher, Jim, Conzachi, Keith, Britt, Nolle, Kerekesh, William, Geary, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,725,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to methods 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.

Claims

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.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

processing, at the ground-based computer, data transmitted from an aircraft that is in flight;

providing the processed data to another computer that is remote from the ground-based computer and coupled to the ground-based computer; and

determining, based on the processed data, relevant parameters to be measured at the aircraft.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the aircraft has a plurality of sub-systems, and further comprising:

generating, at the aircraft that is in flight, a crew alerting system (CAS) message file that comprises unprocessed data, wherein the CAS message file automatically indicates that measured data for a sub-system of the aircraft is outside one or more threshold limits and that an abnormal condition has been detected;

opening 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;

communicating the CAS message file from the aircraft over the first satellite communication link to the satellite;

communicating the CAS message file from the satellite over the second satellite communication link to the gateway; and

communicating the CAS message file from the gateway to a ground support network that includes the ground-based computer; and

wherein the step of processing, at a ground-based computer, data that was transmitted from an aircraft that is in flight, comprises;

processing, at the ground-based computer, the unprocessed data from the CAS message file to generate the processed data.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of providing the processed data to another computer that is coupled to the ground-based computer, comprises:

communicating the processed data from the ground-based computer of the ground support network to a server that serves as a portal to the ground support network; and

communicating the processed data from the server to the computer 122.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the step of determining, based on the processed data, relevant parameters that are to be measured at the aircraft, comprises:

determining, based on analysis of the processed data, that additional parametric data 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, and determining relevant parameters, corresponding to the additional parametric data, that are to be measured at the aircraft to provide the additional parametric data.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step of communicating the parameter request message to the aircraft over satellite communication links, comprises:

communicating the parameter request message to a server;

communicating the parameter request message from the server to a ground-based computer of a ground support network;

communicating the parameter request message from the ground support network to a gateway;

communicating the parameter request message from the gateway via a satellite communication link to the satellite; and

communicating the parameter request message to the aircraft via another satellite communication link.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein the parameter file comprises:

the relevant parameters that are to be measured and recorded at the aircraft to provide the additional parametric data, wherein each relevant parameter is influences or affects data that is to be measured by the aircraft; and

a duration value for each relevant parameter, wherein each duration value specifies how long parametric data for that particular relevant parameter are to be measured and recorded.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the step of measuring data for each relevant parameter and recording the measured data in a data file, comprises:

receiving, at an on-board computer of the aircraft, the parameter request message;

extracting the parameter file from the parameter request message at the on-board computer of the aircraft, and from the parameter file, determining the relevant parameters and the corresponding duration values for each of the relevant parameters; and

measuring parametric data for each relevant parameter for a corresponding duration value and recording the measured parametric data in the data file at the on-board computer, 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.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the data file from the aircraft, comprises:

communicating the data file from the aircraft over the first satellite communication link to the satellite;

communicating the data file from the satellite over the second satellite communication link to the gateway;

communicating the data file from the gateway to the ground support network;

communicating the data file from the ground support network to a server;

communicating the data file from the server to the other computer for display on a computer interface; and

further comprising;

using the measured data for each of the relevant parameters to identify the one or more sources that are causing an abnormal condition, wherein the abnormal condition is detected when the measured data is determined to be outside of the one or more threshold limits.

10. A method, comprising:

communicating, from an aircraft to a ground-based computer, a crew alerting system (CAS) message file comprising unprocessed data, wherein the CAS message file automatically indicates that measured parametric data from a sub-system of an aircraft is outside one or more threshold limits and that an abnormal condition has been detected;

processing the unprocessed data in the CAS message file to generate processed data;

determining, based on the processed data, relevant parameters that are to be measured and recorded at the aircraft to provide additional parametric data, wherein each of the relevant parameters correspond to additional parametric data that is needed from the aircraft to identify one or more sources that are causing the abnormal condition and that caused the CAS message file to be generated;

receiving, at an on-board computer of the aircraft, a parameter request message that includes a parameter file that specifies the relevant parameters, extracting the parameter file, and determining the relevant parameters from the parameter file; and

measuring parametric data for each relevant parameter of the parameter file, wherein the measured parametric data for each of the of relevant parameters comprises;

a data stream for that particular relevant parameter.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

communicating, to a gateway, the parameter request message that includes the parameter file that specifies the relevant parameters that are to be measured and recorded at the aircraft

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein communicating, to the gateway, a parameter request message that includes the parameter file that specifies the relevant parameters that are to be measured and recorded at the aircraft comprises:

generating a parameter request message that includes a parameter file that specifies the relevant parameters that are to be measured and recorded at the aircraft;

communicating the parameter request message to a gateway for transmission to the aircraft over a satellite communication link.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

opening, at the on-board computer, a communication path that includes a first satellite communication link between the aircraft and a satellite and a second satellite communication link between the satellite and the gateway; and

communicating the CAS message file from the aircraft over the first satellite communication link to the satellite while the aircraft is in flight.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

communicating, from the satellite, the CAS message file over the second satellite communication link to the gateway, and

communicating, from the gateway, the CAS message file to a ground support network that includes the ground-based computer.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

communicating, from the ground-based computer of the ground support network, the processed data to a server that serves as a portal to the ground support network; and

communicating the processed data to another computer.

16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

communicating the parameter request message to a server;

communicating the parameter request message from the server to the ground support network;

communicating the parameter request message from the ground support network to the gateway;

communicating the parameter request message from the gateway via the second satellite communication link to the satellite; and

communicating the parameter request message to the aircraft via the first satellite communication link.

17. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

recording the measured parametric data in a data file, and

communicating the data file from the aircraft to the satellite for delivery to the ground-based computer.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein transmitting the data file from the aircraft to the satellite for delivery to the ground-based computer, comprises:

communicating the data file from the aircraft to the satellite over a first satellite communication link; and

further comprising;

communicate the data file from the satellite over the second satellite communication link to the gateway;

communicating the data file from the gateway to the ground support network;

communicating the data file from the ground support network to a server; and

communicating the data file from the server to another computer for display on a computer interface.

19. A method according to claim 10, wherein the relevant parameters are determined based on analysis of the processed data, and wherein each relevant parameter influences or affects data that is to be measured by the aircraft.

20. A method according to claim 10, wherein determining comprises:

determining, based on the processed data, relevant parameters that are to be measured and recorded at the aircraft to provide additional parametric data and a duration value for each relevant parameter, wherein each of the relevant parameters correspond to additional parametric data that is needed from the aircraft to identify one or more sources that are causing the abnormal condition and that caused the CAS message file to be generated, wherein each duration value specifies how long parametric data for that particular relevant parameter are to be measured and recorded;

wherein receiving comprises;

receiving, at an on-board computer of the aircraft, a parameter request message that includes a parameter file that specifies the relevant parameters, extracting the parameter file, and determining the relevant parameters and the corresponding duration values for each of the relevant parameters from the parameter file; and

wherein measuring comprises;

measuring parametric data for each relevant parameter of the parameter file for a corresponding duration value, 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.