TRACKING AIRCRAFT WITH OLDER VERSION OF SOFTWARE/DATABASE AND INITIATING AUTOLOAD OF LATEST VERSION OF SOFTWARE/DATABASE WHEN AIRCRAFT IS IN SAFE STATE FOR DATALOAD

• US 20180121188A1
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Divya Swarup Giriyappa, Goldstein, David B., Mathews, Dilip, Rao, Karthik, Rajendran, Satish Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 10,664,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A method for updating aircraft data is provided. The method comprises: receiving one or more messages at a ground system that one or more aircraft is in a safe state on the ground; selecting one or more aircraft in the safe state to receive a software or database update from the ground system; verifying that the selected one or more aircraft in the safe state is in need of the software or database update; initiating a remote loading of the software or database update to the verified selected one or more aircraft in the safe state; and receiving one or more messages at the ground system from the verified selected one or more aircraft indicating a status of the remote loading.

Claims

1. A method for updating aircraft data, the method comprising:

receiving one or more messages at a ground system that one or more aircraft is in a safe state on the ground;

selecting one or more aircraft in the safe state to receive a software or database update from the ground system;

verifying that the selected one or more aircraft in the safe state is in need of the software or database update;

initiating a remote loading of the software or database update to the verified selected one or more aircraft in the safe state; and

receiving one or more messages at the ground system from the verified selected one or more aircraft indicating a status of the remote loading.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ground system comprises one or more database sources, and an operations center where a data loading software application is located.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ground system is in operative communication with a ground infrastructure comprising one or more Wi-Fi access points, a cellular communications infrastructure, or a satellite communications infrastructure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the ground infrastructure is configured for operative communication with the one or more aircraft in the safe state on the ground.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more aircraft includes an aircraft gateway, which is configured to communicate with the ground infrastructure through a wireless connection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the aircraft gateway is in operative communication with an on-board data storage, which operatively communicates with one or more onboard target avionics.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a message received at the ground system that an aircraft is in a safe state on the ground, is sent from the aircraft gateway through the ground infrastructure.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the remote loading of the software or database update is initiated by the data loading software application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the software or database update is received by the aircraft gateway and is sent to the on-board data storage.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the software or database update is sent from the on-board data storage to the one or more onboard target avionics.

11. A system for updating aircraft data, the system comprising:

at least one processor located in a ground operations center; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform a method for updating aircraft data comprising;

receiving one or more messages that one or more aircraft is in a safe state on the ground;

selecting one or more aircraft in the safe state to receive a software or database update;

verifying that the selected one or more aircraft in the safe state is in need of the software or database update;

initiating a remote loading of the software or database update to the verified selected one or more aircraft in the safe state; and

receiving one or more messages from the verified selected one or more aircraft indicating a status of the remote loading.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the ground operations center includes at least one database provider.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the ground operations center is in operative communication with a ground infrastructure comprising one or more Wi-Fi access points, a cellular communications infrastructure, or a satellite communications infrastructure.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the ground infrastructure is configured for operative communication with the one or more aircraft in the safe state on the ground.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more aircraft comprises:

an onboard gateway configured to wirelessly communicate with the ground infrastructure;

a data loader in operative communication with the onboard gateway; and

an avionics system comprising;

a communications management function in operative communication with the onboard gateway and the data loader; and

one or more line replaceable units in operative communication with the communications management function and the data loader.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote loading of the software or database update is initiated by a data loading software application located in the ground operations center.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote loading of the software or database update comprises:

sending an auto update command from the ground operations center to the communications management function through a datalink message;

forwarding the auto update command from the communications management function to a line replaceable unit for which the software or database update is needed;

saving the auto update command at the line replaceable unit until a maintenance mode for the line replaceable unit is entered; and

when the maintenance mode is entered, sending a request from the line replaceable unit to the data loader to start the software or database update at the line replaceable unit.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote loading of the software or database update comprises:

sending a dataload update command from the ground operations center to the communications management function through a datalink message; and

forwarding the dataload update command from the communications management function to the data loader to start the software or database update at a line replaceable unit for which the software or database update is needed.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the remote loading of the software or database update comprises:

sending a dataload update command from the ground operations center to the onboard gateway through the ground infrastructure; and

forwarding the dataload update command from the onboard gateway to the data loader to start the software or database update at a line replaceable unit for which the software or database update is needed.

20. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for updating aircraft data comprising;

receiving one or more messages that one or more aircraft is in a safe state on the ground;

selecting one or more aircraft in the safe state to receive a software or database update;

verifying that the selected one or more aircraft in the safe state is in need of the software or database update;

initiating a remote loading of the software or database update to the verified selected one or more aircraft in the safe state; and

receiving one or more messages from the verified selected one or more aircraft indicating a status of the remote loading.