DATA RETRIEVAL SYSTEM IN AN AIRCRAFT WITH DATA STORED DURING A FLIGHT AND WIRELESSLY TRANSMITTED TO A GROUND SYSTEM AFTER LANDING AT A FREQUENCY IN THE RANGE OF 50-330 GHZ OR 22-24 GHZ

• US 20160119053A1
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: PESCOD, CHRISTOPHER RALPH, HYDE, LYDIA ANN, NAWAZ, SHAHBAZ, WADDINGTON, SHAUN WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US14/892,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119053A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform

Abstract

An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system and method, comprising: a data storage device (14) located in a aircraft (2) adapted to, during a flight, store data acquired during the flight; and wireless apparatus (18) adapted to wirelessly transmit, after the aircraft (2) has landed, the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system (6), at a frequency in a range selected from the following ranges: (i) 50-70 GHz, (ii) 110-120 GHz, (iii) 170-190 GHz, (iv) 310-330 GHz, (v) 22-24 GHz. for example in the range of 50-70 GHz or more particularly in the range of 55-65 GHz. The data storage device (14) may be located in an electromagnetically sealed bay (8) of the aircraft (2). An antenna (28) of the wireless apparatus (18) may be in a location, for example an undercarriage bay, that is in an open configuration, for a purpose other than retrieving the stored data, after the aircraft (2) has landed.

Claims

1. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system, comprising:

a data storage device located in an aircraft adapted to, during a flight, store data acquired during the flight; and

wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly transmit, after the aircraft has landed, the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system, at a frequency in a range selected from the following ranges;

(i) 50-70 GHz, (ii) 110-120 GHz, (iii) 170-190 GHz, (iv) 310-330 GHz, (v) 22-24 GHz.

2. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the frequency is in the range of 50-70 GHz.

3. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 2, wherein the frequency is in the range of 55-65 GHz.

4. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the data storage device is located in an electromagnetically sealed bay of the aircraft.

5. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the data storage device is located in an avionics bay of the aircraft.

6. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein:

the data storage device is located in a first location in the aircraft;

the wireless apparatus comprises an antenna, at least the antenna being located in a second location in the aircraft that is different to the first location;

the second location is a location that can have a closed or open configuration and which will be in the closed configuration for at least a majority of the flight and in the open configuration, for a purpose other than retrieving the stored data, after the aircraft has landed; and

when the second location is in the open configuration the second location is less electromagnetically sealed than the first location.

7. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission element in an external panel of the aircraft;

and wherein the wireless apparatus is further adapted to wirelessly transmit the stored data to the ground-side data retrieval system via the transmission element.

8. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1 wherein the system is for use on a military aircraft and the data storage device is located on a military aircraft.

9. A ground-side data retrieval system for use in conjunction with an aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system that includes:

a data storage device located in an aircraft adapted to, during a flight, store data acquired during the flight; and

wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly transmit, after the aircraft has landed, the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system, at a frequency in a range selected from the following ranges;

(i) 50-70 GHz, (ii) 110-120 GHz, (iii) 170-190 GHz, (iv) 310-330 GHz, (v) 22-24 GHz, the ground-side data retrieval system comprising;

wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly receive, at a frequency in a range selected from the following ranges;

(i) 50-70 GHz, (ii) 110-120 GHz, (iii) 170-190 GHz, (iv) 310-330 GHz, (v) 22-24 GHz, data acquired and stored by the aircraft-side data retrieval system during flight and transmitted after landing by the aircraft.

10. A ground-side data retrieval system according to claim 9, located in a hand-held terminal.

11. A ground-side data retrieval system according to claim 9, further comprising an antenna probe head arrangement adapted to capture the wireless transmission from the aircraft-side data retrieval system.

17. A ground-side data retrieval system according to claim 9, wherein the frequency is in the range of 50-70 GHz.

18. A ground-side data retrieval system according to claim 9, wherein the frequency is in the range of 55-65 GHz.

12. An aircraft data retrieval system, comprising:

an aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system and a ground-side data retrieval system;

the aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system comprising;

a data storage device located in an aircraft adapted to, during a flight, store data acquired during the flight; and

wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly transmit, after the aircraft has landed, the stored data to the ground-side data retrieval system, at a frequency in a range selected from the following ranges;

(i) 50-70 GHz, (ii) 110-120 GHz, (iii) 170-190 GHz, (iv) 310-330 GHz, (v) 22-24 GHz; and

the ground-side data retrieval system comprising;

wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly receive, at a frequency in a range selected from the following ranges;

(i) 50-70 GHz, (ii) 110-120 GHz, (iii) 170-190 GHz, (iv) 310-330 GHz, (v) 22-24 GHz, data acquired and stored by the aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system during flight and transmitted after landing by the aircraft using the aircraft-side data retrieval system comprising.

13. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval method, comprising:

during a flight by an aircraft, storing data acquired during the flight in a data storage device located in the aircraft; and

after the aircraft has landed, wirelessly transmitting the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system, at a frequency in a range selected from the following ranges;

(i) 50-70 GHz, (ii) 110-120 GHz, (iii) 170-190 GHz, (iv) 310-330 GHz, (v) 22-24 GHz.

19. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval method according to claim 13, wherein the frequency is in the range of 50-70 GHz.

20. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval method according to claim 13, wherein the frequency is in the range of 55-65 GHz.

14. A non-transitory computer program product including one or more computer readable mediums encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause an aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval process to be carried out, the process comprising:

during a flight by an aircraft, storing data acquired during the flight in a data storage device located in the aircraft; and

after the aircraft has landed, wirelessly transmitting the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system, at a frequency in a range selected from the following ranges;

(i) 50-70 GHz, (ii) 110-120 GHz, (iii) 170-190 GHz, (iv) 310-330 GHz, (v) 22-24 GHz.

15. A non-transitory computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the frequency is in the range of 50-70 GHz.

16. A non-transitory computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the frequency is in the range of 55-65 GHz.