Wireless ground link-based aircraft data communication system with roaming feature

• US 6,308,045 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wright, Thomas H., Ziarno, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/714,584
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66, 455/67.1, 455/54.1, 455/33.1, 455/431, 701/14, 701/35, 340/825.15, 340/825.27, 340/971, 340/825.28, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/945, 340/961, 375/130, 375/140, 375/132
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A system and method for providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of aircraft includes a ground data link unit that obtains flight performance data representative of aircraft flight performance during flight of the aircraft. A spread spectrum transceiver, such as a frequency hopping or direct sequence spread spectrum transceiver, is coupled to a data store. A transmitter is operative to download the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by the data store during flight over the spread spectrum communication signal. A ground based spread spectrum transceiver receives the spread spectrum communication signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain the flight performance data.

Claims

1. A system for providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising:

a ground data link unit that obtains flight performance data representative of aircraft flight performance during flight of the aircraft, said ground data link unit comprising;

a) an archival data store operative to accumulate and store flight performance data during flight of the aircraft, and

b) a frequency hopping spread spectrum transceiver coupled to said archival data store, and comprising a transmitter that is operative to download the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by said archival data store during flight over a frequency hopping spread spectrum communication signal;

a ground based spread spectrum transceiver comprising a receiver that receives the frequency hopping spread spectrum communication signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain the flight performance data;

a ground based archival data store coupled to said ground based spread spectrum transceiver that receives and stores said flight performance data; and

a ground based processor coupled to said archival data store for retrieving flight performance data from the ground based archival data store for further processing.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said wideband spread spectrum transceiver is operative to download the flight performance data after the aircraft completes its flight and loads at an airport.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the ground based wideband spread spectrum transceiver further comprises a wireless router that couples said wideband spread spectrum transceiver to said ground based archival data store.

4. A system for providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising:

a ground data link unit that obtains flight performance data representative of aircraft flight performance during flight of the aircraft, said ground data link unit comprising;

a) an archival data store operative to accumulate and store flight performance data during flight of the aircraft, and

b) a direct sequence spread spectrum transceiver coupled to said archival data store, and comprising a transmitter that is operative to download the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by said archival data store during flight over a direct sequence spread spectrum communication signal;

a ground based spread spectrum transceiver comprising a receiver that receives the direct sequence spread spectrum communication signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain the flight performance data;

a ground based archival data store coupled to said ground based spread spectrum transceiver that receives and stores said flight performance data; and

a ground based processor coupled to said archival data store for retrieving flight performance data from the ground based archival data store for further processing.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said wideband spread spectrum transceiver is operative to download the flight performance data after the aircraft completes its flight and lands at an airport.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein the ground based wideband spread spectrum transceiver further comprises a wireless router that couples said wideband spread spectrum transceiver to said ground based archival data store.

7. A system for providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising:

a ground data link unit that obtains flight performance data representative of aircraft flight performance during flight of the aircraft, 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 frequency hopping spread spectrum transceiver coupled to said data store, and comprising a transmitter that is operative to download the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by said archival data store during flight over a frequency hopping spread spectrum communication signal; and

a ground based spread spectrum transceiver comprising a receiver that receives the frequency hopping spread spectrum communication signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain the flight performance data.

8. The system according to claim 7, and further comprising a ground based data store coupled to said ground based spread spectrum transceiver that receives and stores said flight performance data;

and

a ground based processor coupled to said data store for retrieving flight performance data from the ground based archival data store for further processing.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the frequency hopping spread spectrum transceiver is operative after the aircraft completes its flight to download the flight performance data.

10. A system for providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising:

a ground data link unit that obtains flight performance data representative of aircraft flight performance during flight of the aircraft, 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 direct sequence spread spectrum transceiver coupled to said data store, and comprising a transmitter that is operative to download the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by said data store during flight over a direct sequence spread spectrum communication signal; and

a ground based spread spectrum transceiver comprising a receiver that receives the direct sequence spread spectrum communication signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain the flight performance data.

11. The system according to claim 10, and further comprising a ground based data store coupled to said ground based spread spectrum transceiver that receives and stores said flight performance data;

and

a ground based processor coupled to said data store for retrieving flight performance data from the ground based data store for further processing.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein the frequency hopping spread spectrum transceiver is operative after the aircraft completes its flight to download the flight performance data.

13. A method of providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising the steps of:

acquiring flight performance data of an aircraft during flight of the aircraft;

accumulating and storing within an archival memory of a ground data link unit the flight performance data during flight of the aircraft;

downloading the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored within the archival data store during the flight over a frequency hopping spread spectrum communication signal to a ground based spread spectrum receiver;

demodulating the received frequency hopping spread spectrum signal to obtain the flight performance data;

storing the demodulated flight performance data within a ground based archival data storage; and

retrieving the flight performance data via a ground based processor for further processing.

14. A method of providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising the steps of:

acquiring flight performance data of an aircraft during flight of the aircraft;

accumulating and storing within an archival memory of a ground data link unit the flight performance data during flight of the aircraft;

downloading the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored within the archival data store during the flight over a direct sequence spread spectrum communication signal to a ground based spread spectrum receiver;

demodulating the received spread spectrum signal to obtain the flight performance data;

storing the demodulated flight performance data within a ground based archival data storage; and

retrieving the flight performance data via a ground based processor for further processing.

15. A method of providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising the steps of:

acquiring flight performance data of an aircraft during flight of the aircraft;

accumulating and storing within a memory of a ground data link unit the flight performance data during flight of the aircraft;

downloading the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored within the archival data store during the flight over a frequency hopping spread spectrum communication signal to a ground based spread spectrum receiver; and

demodulating the received spread spectrum signal to obtain the flight performance data.

16. A method of providing a retrievable record of the flight performance of an aircraft comprising the steps of:

acquiring flight performance data of an aircraft during flight of the aircraft;

accumulating and storing within a memory of a ground data link unit the flight performance data during flight of the aircraft;

downloading the flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored within the data store during the flight over a direct sequence spread spectrum communication signal to a ground based spread spectrum receiver; and

demodulating the received spread spectrum signal to obtain the flight performance data.