Wireless spread spectrum ground link-based aircraft data communication system for updating flight management files
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for updating flight management files and providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising:
- a flight management computer positioned on board the aircraft that interfaces and provides flight critical data received from flight navigation database files to a plurality of aircraft navigation and operational components located throughout the aircraft, wherein the aircraft has a unique tail number identifier;
a ground data link unit that obtains flight performance data representative of aircraft flight performance during flight of the aircraft and updates flight navigation database files to the flight management computer, said ground data link unit comprising;
a) a data store operative to accumulate and store flight performance data during flight of the aircraft, b) a spread spectrum transceiver coupled to said data store, and comprising a transmitter that is operative after the aircraft completes its flight and lands at an airport to download the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by said data store during the flight over a spread spectrum communication signal, and a receiver for receiving uploaded navigation database files over a spread spectrum communication signal, c) a controller operatively connected to the data store, spread spectrum transceiver and the flight management computer for receiving the uploaded flight navigation database files from the spread spectrum transceiver and transferring the flight navigation database files to the flight management computer;
an airport based spread spectrum transceiver comprising a receiver that receives the spread spectrum signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain the flight performance data, and a transmitter that transmits flight navigation database files for uploading to the aircraft having a specific tail number over a second spread spectrum communication signal based on an aircraft tail number identifier.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method updates flight management files in accordance with the present invention and provides a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft. A flight management computer is positioned on board the aircraft and interfaces and provides flight critical data received from flight navigation database files to a plurality of aircraft navigation and operational components located throughout the aircraft. A ground data link unit includes a data store that accumulates and stores flight performance data. A spread spectrum transceiver coupled to the data store transmits the stored flight performance data and uploads navigation database files over a spread spectrum communication signal. A controller is operatively connected to the data store, spread spectrum transceiver and flight management computer and receives the uploaded flight navigation database files and transfers the database files to a flight management computer. The airport based spread spectrum transceiver includes a receiver that receives the spread spectrum signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain flight performance data. A transmitter transmits flight navigation database files to the aircraft over a second spread spectrum communication signal based on a unique tail number identifier.
-
Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A system for updating flight management files and providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising:
-
a flight management computer positioned on board the aircraft that interfaces and provides flight critical data received from flight navigation database files to a plurality of aircraft navigation and operational components located throughout the aircraft, wherein the aircraft has a unique tail number identifier;
a ground data link unit that obtains flight performance data representative of aircraft flight performance during flight of the aircraft and updates flight navigation database files to the flight management computer, said ground data link unit comprising;
a) a data store operative to accumulate and store flight performance data during flight of the aircraft, b) a spread spectrum transceiver coupled to said data store, and comprising a transmitter that is operative after the aircraft completes its flight and lands at an airport to download the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by said data store during the flight over a spread spectrum communication signal, and a receiver for receiving uploaded navigation database files over a spread spectrum communication signal, c) a controller operatively connected to the data store, spread spectrum transceiver and the flight management computer for receiving the uploaded flight navigation database files from the spread spectrum transceiver and transferring the flight navigation database files to the flight management computer;
an airport based spread spectrum transceiver comprising a receiver that receives the spread spectrum signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain the flight performance data, and a transmitter that transmits flight navigation database files for uploading to the aircraft having a specific tail number over a second spread spectrum communication signal based on an aircraft tail number identifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15)
-
-
12. A system for updating flight management files and providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising:
-
a flight management computer positioned on board the aircraft that interfaces and provides flight critical data received from flight navigation database files to a plurality of aircraft navigation and operational components located throughout the aircraft;
a ground data link unit that obtains flight performance data representative of aircraft flight performance during flight of the aircraft and updates flight navigation database files to the flight management computer, said ground data link unit comprising;
a) a data store operative to accumulate and store flight performance data during flight of the aircraft, and b) a spread spectrum transceiver coupled to said data store, and comprising a transmitter that is operative after the aircraft completes its flight and lands at an airport to download the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by said data store during the flight over a spread spectrum communication signal, and a receiver for receiving uploaded navigation database files over a spread spectrum communication signal, and c) a controller operatively connected to said data store, spread spectrum transceiver and the flight management computer for receiving the uploaded navigation database files from the spread spectrum transceiver;
an airport based spread spectrum transceiver comprising a receiver that receives the spread spectrum signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain the flight performance data, and a transmitter that transmits flight navigation database files for uploading to the aircraft over a second spread spectrum communication signal; and
an airport based server operatively connected to said airport based spread spectrum transceiver, said server including a navigation database file having records based on a tail number unique directory, wherein navigation database files are uploaded to an aircraft from the airport based spread spectrum transceiver based on the tail number identifier of the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method for updating flight management files and providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft having a unique tail number identifier comprising the steps of:
-
collecting data within a ground data link unit on the flight performance of the aircraft during flight of the aircraft;
accumulating and storing within a data store of the ground data link unit the flight performance data during flight of the aircraft;
after the aircraft lands at an airport at completion of the flight, downloading the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored during flight over a spread spectrum communication signal to an airport based spread spectrum transceiver;
demodulating the received spread spectrum signal to obtain the flight performance data;
obtaining updated flight management database files based on the identification of the aircraft by its tail number identifier;
transmitting flight navigation database files from the airport based spread spectrum transceiver to the ground data link unit over a second spread spectrum communication signal;
updating a flight management computer located on board the aircraft by transferring the files from ground data link unit to the flight management computer. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
Specification
-
- Resources
Litigation Campaign Assessment
Thank you for your request. You will receive a custom alert email when the Litigation Campaign Assessment is available.
×
-
Current AssigneeHarris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
-
Original AssigneeHarris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
-
InventorsWright, Thomas H., Delpak, Ramzi
-
Primary Examiner(s)Crosland, Donnie L.
-
Application NumberUS09/344,902Time in Patent Office564 DaysField of Search455/66, 455/67.1, 455/73, 455/431, 701/3, 701/13, 701/14, 701/29, 701/35, 340/945, 340/961, 340/971, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.15, 340/825.16, 375/200, 375/219, 375/220, 342/33, 342/34, 342/36US Class Current455/66.1CPC Class CodesH04B 7/18506 Communications with or from...
