WIRELESS ENGINE MONITORING SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED ENGINE WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK
First Claim
1. A monitoring system for an aircraft engine, comprising:
- a plurality of wireless engine sensors associated with the aircraft engine, each wireless engine sensor configured to sense an engine parameter as engine data based on an engine sampling algorithm and transmit wirelessly the engine data, wherein the wireless engine sensors are configured to receive a new engine sampling algorithm to change the engine parameter sensing and sample new engine data during flight and generate engine data based on the new engine sampling algorithm;
an engine monitoring module comprising;
a housing mounted at the aircraft engine,a wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver mounted within the housing and configured to receive the engine data regarding sensed engine parameters from the wireless engine sensors;
a first wireless transceiver carried by the housing,a memory carried by the housing,a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the memory, the wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver, and the first wireless transceiver and configured to;
collect and store in said memory the engine data;
transmit the engine data via the first wireless transceiver over a wireless communications signal into the aircraft; and
receive a new engine sampling algorithm and transmit it to the wireless engine sensors;
a wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit located within the aircraft and forming a wireless access point and wireless LAN within the aircraft;
a second wireless transceiver configured to receive the engine data from the wireless LAN and transmit the engine data from the aircraft during flight and receive a new engine sampling algorithm and transmit the new engine sampling algorithm to the engine monitoring module; and
a ground based control center that receives the engine data transmitted wirelessly from the aircraft and processes the engine data to generate engine performance reports based on phase of flight of the aircraft and generate and transmit to the aircraft a new engine sampling algorithm.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A monitoring system for an aircraft engine includes a plurality of wireless engine sensors that sense engine parameters based on an engine sampling algorithm. The wireless engine sensors receive a new engine sampling algorithm to change the engine parameter sensing and generate engine data based on the new engine sampling algorithm. An engine monitoring module is mounted at the aircraft engine and collects and stores in a memory the engine data and transmits the engine data over a wireless communications signal into the aircraft and receives a new engine sampling algorithm and transmits it to the wireless engine sensors. A wireless LAN is within the aircraft and receives the new engine sampling algorithm from a ground based control center and transmits the new engine sampling algorithm to the engine monitoring module.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A monitoring system for an aircraft engine, comprising:
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a plurality of wireless engine sensors associated with the aircraft engine, each wireless engine sensor configured to sense an engine parameter as engine data based on an engine sampling algorithm and transmit wirelessly the engine data, wherein the wireless engine sensors are configured to receive a new engine sampling algorithm to change the engine parameter sensing and sample new engine data during flight and generate engine data based on the new engine sampling algorithm; an engine monitoring module comprising; a housing mounted at the aircraft engine, a wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver mounted within the housing and configured to receive the engine data regarding sensed engine parameters from the wireless engine sensors; a first wireless transceiver carried by the housing, a memory carried by the housing, a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the memory, the wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver, and the first wireless transceiver and configured to; collect and store in said memory the engine data; transmit the engine data via the first wireless transceiver over a wireless communications signal into the aircraft; and receive a new engine sampling algorithm and transmit it to the wireless engine sensors; a wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit located within the aircraft and forming a wireless access point and wireless LAN within the aircraft; a second wireless transceiver configured to receive the engine data from the wireless LAN and transmit the engine data from the aircraft during flight and receive a new engine sampling algorithm and transmit the new engine sampling algorithm to the engine monitoring module; and a ground based control center that receives the engine data transmitted wirelessly from the aircraft and processes the engine data to generate engine performance reports based on phase of flight of the aircraft and generate and transmit to the aircraft a new engine sampling algorithm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A monitoring system for an aircraft engine, comprising:
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a plurality of wireless engine sensors associated with the aircraft engine, each wireless engine sensor configured to sense an engine parameter as engine data based on an engine sampling algorithm and transmit wirelessly the engine data, wherein the wireless engine sensors are configured to receive a new engine sampling algorithm to change the engine parameter sampling and sample new engine data during flight and generate engine data based on the new engine sampling algorithm; an engine monitoring module comprising; a housing mounted at the aircraft engine, a wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver mounted within the housing and configured to receive the engine data from the wireless engine sensors; a first wireless transceiver carried by the housing, a memory carried by the housing, a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the memory, the wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver, and the first wireless transceiver and configured to; collect and store in said memory the engine data; transmit the engine data and a data address linked to an identifier of the aircraft engine via the first wireless transceiver over a wireless communications signal into the aircraft; and receive a new engine sampling algorithm and transmit it to the wireless engine sensors; a wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit located within the aircraft and forming a wireless access point and wireless LAN within the aircraft; a second wireless transceiver configured to receive the engine data from the wireless LAN and transmit the engine data from the aircraft during flight and receive a new engine sampling algorithm and transmit the new engine sampling algorithm to the engine monitoring module; and a ground based control center that receives the engine data transmitted wirelessly from the aircraft and processes the engine data to generate engine performance reports based on phase of flight of the aircraft and generate and transmit to the aircraft a new engine sampling algorithm having instructions to change operation and fuel consumption of the aircraft engine. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of monitoring an aircraft engine, comprising:
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mounting a plurality of wireless engine sensors at the aircraft engine, each wireless engine sensor configured to sense an engine parameter as engine data based on an engine sampling algorithm and transmit wirelessly the engine data, wherein the wireless engine sensors are configured to receive a new engine sampling algorithm to change the engine parameter sensing and sample new engine data during flight and generate engine data based on the new engine sampling algorithm; mounting an engine monitoring module at the aircraft engine, said engine monitoring module comprising a housing mounted at the aircraft engine, a wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver mounted within the housing and configured to receive the engine data from the wireless engine sensors, a first wireless transceiver carried by the housing, a memory carried by the housing, a processor carried by the housing and coupled to the memory, the wireless sensor processor and wireless sensor transceiver, and the first wireless transceiver; forming a wireless local area network (LAN) within the aircraft having a wireless LAN communications unit comprising a wireless access point; collecting and storing in said memory of the engine monitoring module the engine data; transmitting the engine data via the first wireless transceiver and wireless LAN to a second wireless transceiver located within the aircraft; transmitting the engine data from the second wireless transceiver from the aircraft during flight to a ground based control center that receives and processes the engine data to generate engine performance reports based on phase of flight of the aircraft and generates to the aircraft a new engine sampling algorithm. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification