METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING VEHICLE SYSTEMS USING MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20160055685A1
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Lilly, David Daniel, Kemp, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 10,169,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2205/02 using a vehicle scan tool
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0825 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for presenting information pertaining to the health of one or more mechanical components of a vehicle. One exemplary method involves a client device initiating an ad hoc wireless connection with a monitoring system onboard the vehicle, requesting status information for the vehicle from the monitoring system via the ad hoc wireless connection, and receiving the status information for the vehicle from the monitoring system via the ad hoc wireless connection. The monitoring system generates the status information based at least in part on measurement data obtained from one or more sensor systems during operation of the vehicle and provides the status information in response the request. The client device processes the status information present the one or more graphical representations of the current condition of the one or more mechanical components of the vehicle on the client device.

Claims

1. A method of presenting information pertaining to a health of one or more mechanical components of a vehicle, the method comprising:

initiating, by a client device, an ad hoc wireless connection with a monitoring system onboard the vehicle;

requesting, by the client device via the ad hoc wireless connection, status information from the monitoring system, the monitoring system generating the status information based at least in part on measurement data obtained during operation of the vehicle;

receiving the status information from the monitoring system via the ad hoc wireless connection, the monitoring system providing the status information in response to the client device requesting the status information; and

processing, by the client device, the status information to present one or more graphical representations of a condition of the one or more mechanical components of the vehicle on the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring system analyzes the measurement data corresponding to operational characteristics of the one or more mechanical components of the vehicle to determine status data for the one or more mechanical components and creates a status summary file maintaining the status data;

receiving the status information comprises receiving a status summary file from the monitoring system via the ad hoc wireless connection; and

processing the status information comprises the client device displaying the status summary file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring system analyzes the measurement data corresponding to operational characteristics of the one or more mechanical components of the vehicle to determine status data for the one or more mechanical components, creates the one or more graphical representations based on the status data, and generates data or code executable to present the one or more graphical representations; and

processing the status information comprises the client device executing the data or code.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an ad hoc wireless network associated with the vehicle;

displaying, on the client device, a list of vehicle networks, the list including the ad hoc wireless network associated with the vehicle; and

receiving, at the client device, a user input indicative of selection of the ad hoc wireless network associated with the vehicle from the list, wherein;

initiating the ad hoc wireless connection with the monitoring system onboard the vehicle comprises the client device initiating a point-to-point connection over the ad hoc wireless network associated with the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting, by the client device via the ad hoc wireless connection, the measurement data from the monitoring system;

receiving, from the monitoring system via the ad hoc wireless connection, the measurement data obtained during operation of the vehicle, the monitoring system providing the measurement data in response to the client device requesting the measurement data; and

transmitting the measurement data from the client device to a destination device via a separate communications network.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the client device via the separate communications network, an acknowledgment from the destination device after transmitting the measurement data; and

transmitting, by the client device, the acknowledgement to the monitoring system via the ad hoc wireless connection.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the client device via the separate wireless network, feedback pertaining to the vehicle; and

updating the one or more graphical representations presented on the client device in a manner that is influenced by the feedback.

8. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processing system of the client device to perform the method of claim 1.

9. A system comprising:

one or more sensor systems to obtain measurement data corresponding to operational characteristics of one or more mechanical components of a vehicle;

a monitoring system coupled to the one or more sensor systems to determine status data indicative of a current condition of the one or more mechanical components based on the measurement data, establish an ad hoc wireless connection with a client device using a communications interface, and transmit the status data to the client device via the ad hoc wireless connection, wherein the status data is executable by the client device to present one or more graphical representations of the current condition of the one or more mechanical components of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a data storage element coupled to the monitoring system, the monitoring system creating a status summary file including the status data in the data storage element, wherein:

the monitoring system transmits the status summary file to the client device via the ad hoc wireless connection; and

the client device displays a graphical representation of the status summary file, the graphical representation of the status summary file including the one or more graphical representations of the current condition of the one or more mechanical components of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the monitoring system creates a flight log data structure including the measurement data in the data storage element; and

the monitoring system transmits the flight log data structure to the client device via the ad hoc wireless connection in response to receiving a request for the measurement data from the client device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitoring system marks the flight log data structure in the data storage element as being successfully uploaded in response to receiving an acknowledgment from the client device.

13. The system of claim 9, the monitoring system creating code executable to present the one or more graphical representations of the current condition of the one or more mechanical components of the vehicle, wherein the status data comprises the code.

14. The system of claim 9, the vehicle comprising a rotorcraft having a rotor assembly, wherein the measurement data corresponds to operational characteristics of the one or more mechanical components of the rotor assembly during flight.

15. The system of claim 9, the vehicle comprising a rotorcraft having a drive assembly, wherein the measurement data corresponds to operational characteristics of the one or more mechanical components of the drive assembly during flight.

16. A system comprising:

a monitoring system onboard a vehicle to obtain measurement data corresponding to operational characteristics of one or more mechanical components of the vehicle, determine status data indicative of a condition of the one or more mechanical components, and establish an ad hoc wireless network associated with the vehicle;

a client device to initiate a connection via the ad hoc wireless network, receive the status data from the monitoring system via the connection, and display one or more graphical representations indicative of the condition of the one or more mechanical components based on the status data.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a server coupled to the client device via a second communications network separate from the ad hoc wireless network, wherein the client device receives the measurement data from the monitoring system via the connection and uploads the measurement data to the server via the second communications network.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a ground-based station communicatively coupled to the server, wherein the server transmits the measurement data to the ground-based station.

19. The system of claim 18, the server receiving feedback regarding the vehicle from the ground-based station and transmitting the feedback to the client device via the second communications network, wherein in response to receiving the feedback, the client device updates the display of the one or more graphical representations in a manner that is influenced by the feedback.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the ad hoc wireless network comprises a wireless local area network; and

the second communications network comprises a cellular network.