AVIONICS SYSTEM ADAPTED FOR EMPLOYING SMARTPHONE TO INPUT-OUTPUT FLIGHT DATA

• US 20150032296A1
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Girard, William D., Tucker, Brian E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,275,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A system and method configured to monitor aircraft flight performance data. The system includes a wireless transmitter in data communication with an avionics system of the aircraft, a portable wireless transceiver associated with the wireless transmitter, and a wireless database associated with the wireless transmitter. The method includes sensing flight performance data with the sensor, transmitting sensed flight performance data to the wireless transmitter, wirelessly transmitting the sensed flight performance data to the wireless database, and monitoring flight performance data with a display operably associated with the wireless database.

Claims

1. An aircraft, comprising:

a sensor;

an avionics system associated with the sensor;

a wireless transmitter in data communication with the avionics system;

wherein the avionics system is configured to monitor aircraft flight performance data from the sensor; and

wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit aircraft flight performance data to the wireless database.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless transceiver in data communication with the wireless transmitter;

wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to receive and transmit aircraft flight performance data to the wireless database.

3. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein the wireless transceiver is portable.

4. The aircraft of claim 3, wherein the wireless transceiver is a smartphone.

5. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to transmit pilot identification to the wireless database.

6. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to upload data to the avionics system via the wireless transmitter.

7. The aircraft of claim 6, wherein the uploaded data is a flight planning data.

8. The aircraft of claim 2, wherein the wireless transmitter removably attaches to the wireless transceiver.

9. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter removably attaches to the avionics system.

10. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to receive and store aircraft flight performance data.

11. An aircraft flight performance monitoring system, comprising:

a wireless transmitter in data communication with an avionics system of the aircraft;

a portable wireless transceiver associated with the wireless transmitter; and

a wireless database associated with the wireless transmitter;

wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to receive and transmit flight performance data from the avionics system to the portable wireless transceiver, which in turn is transmitted to the wireless database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless transmitter removable attaches to the avionics system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to receive the wireless transmitter.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the portable wireless transceiver is a smartphone.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the portable wireless transceiver transmits pilot identification information to the wireless database.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a monitor conductively coupled to the wireless database;

wherein the monitor provides viewing access of flight performance data.

17. A method to monitor aircraft flight performance data, comprising:

sensing flight performance data with a sensor;

transmitting sensed flight performance data to a wireless transmitter;

wirelessly transmitting the sensed flight performance data to a wireless database; and

monitoring flight performance data with a display operably associated with the wireless database.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting the sensed data to a wireless transceiver operably associated with the database.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting pilot information to the database via the wireless transceiver.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

removably attaching the wireless transmitter to the wireless transceiver.