DATA RETRIEVAL SYSTEM IN AN AIRCRAFT WITH DATA STORED DURING A FLIGHT AND WIRELESSLY TRANSMITTED TO A GROUND SYSTEM AFTER LANDING USING A ELECTROMAGNETICALLY SEALED DEVICE WHICH CAN BE OPEN OR CLOSED

• US 20160214734A1
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: PESCOD, CHRISTOPHER RALPH, NAWAZ, SHAHBAZ, HYDE, LYDIA ANN, WADDINGTON, SHAUN WILLIAM
• Granted Patent: US 9,682,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system and method, comprising: a data storage device (14) located in a first location, for example a bay (8), in a aircraft (2) adapted to, during a flight, store data acquired during the flight; and wireless apparatus (18) comprising an antenna (28), at least the antenna (28) being located in a second location, for example an undercarriage bay, in the aircraft (2) that is different to the first location, the wireless apparatus (18) adapted to wirelessly transmit, after landing, the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system (6); the second location (10) being 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 (2) has landed.

Claims

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

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

wireless apparatus comprising an antenna, at least the antenna being located in a second location in the aircraft that is different to the first location, the wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly transmit, after the aircraft has landed, the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system;

wherein;

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.

2. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the first location is an electromagnetically sealed bay of the aircraft.

3. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the first location is an avionics bay of the aircraft.

4. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the second location is an undercarriage bay of the aircraft.

5. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1, further comprising apparatus adapted to provide a wireless bridge between the first location and the second location.

6. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless apparatus is 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) 50-330 GHz, (ii) 22-24 GHz.

7. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 6, wherein the frequency is in the range of 50-70 GHz.

8. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 6, wherein the frequency is 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.

9. 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 in a first location on a military aircraft.

10. A ground-side aircraft data retrieval system, comprising:

wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly receive data acquired and stored by an aircraft during flight and transmitted after landing by the aircraft from a location in the aircraft 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, using an aircraft-side data retrieval system according to claim 1.

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

12. An aircraft data retrieval system, comprising:

an aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1;

and a ground-side aircraft data retrieval system comprising;

wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly receive data acquired and stored by the aircraft during flight and transmitted after landing by the aircraft from a location in the aircraft 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, using the aircraft-side data retrieval system.

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

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

after the aircraft has landed, wirelessly transmitting the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system using an antenna located in a second location in the aircraft that is different to the first location;

wherein;

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.

14. An aircraft data retrieval method, comprising:

performing an aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval method according to claim 13; and

wirelessly receiving stored data transmitted during the performance of the aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval method according to claim 13.

15. 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 storage device located in a first location in the aircraft; and

after the aircraft has landed, wirelessly transmitting the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system using an antenna located in a second location in the aircraft that is different to the first location;

wherein;

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.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the first location is one of an electromagnetically sealed bay of the aircraft or an avionics bay of the aircraft and the second location is an undercarriage bay of the aircraft.

17. A computer program product according to claim 15, wherein wirelessly transmitting the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system includes wirelessly transmitting, 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) 50-330 GHz, (ii) 22-24 GHz.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the frequency is in the range of 50-70 GHz.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the frequency is 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.

20. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer program product is installed in a military aircraft.