Wireless, frequency-agile spread spectrum ground link-based aircraft data communication system with wireless unit in communication therewith

• US 6,522,867 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• 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:
  US09/723,340
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66, 455/73, 455/431, 455/67.1, 340/945, 340/961, 340/971, 340/825.69, 340/539, 340/825.72, 375/200, 375/219, 375/220, 375/130, 701/14, 701/35
• US Class Current: 455/66.1
• 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 5/0095 Aspects of air-traffic control not provided for in the other subgroups of this main group
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

A system and method provides a retrievable record of the flight performance of the aircraft and 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 is coupled to a data store and operative to download flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by the data store over a spread spectrum communication signal. A ground base spread spectrum transceiver receives the spread spectrum communication signal from the aircraft and demodulates the signal to obtain flight performance data. A wireless unit is operative with the ground data link unit. This wireless unit could be for inventory control of products during in-flight servicing of passengers.

Claims

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

a ground data link unit contained within an aircraft for obtaining 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 spread spectrum transceiver coupled to said data store and operative to download to a ground based spread spectrum transceiver flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by said data store during flight over a spread spectrum communication signal and upload data from said ground based spread spectrum transceiver; and

a hand-held unit operable in the aircraft and comprising an integrated wireless radio for wirelessly communicating data with said ground data link unit, and a data entry and retrieval circuit for entering or retrieving data related to at least one of aircraft contents, passenger data, aircraft departure and arrival, or passenger transactions.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said spread spectrum communication signal comprises a direct sequence spread spectrum communication signal.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said spread spectrum communication signal comprises a frequency hopping spread spectrum communication signal.

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

a ground data link unit contained within a aircraft for obtaining 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 spread spectrum transceiver coupled to said data store and operative to download to a ground based spread spectrum transceiver flight performance data that has been accumulated and stored by said data store during flight over a spread spectrum communication signal and upload data from said ground based spread spectrum transceiver; and

a hand-held unit within the aircraft and comprising an integrated wireless radio and communicating via said ground data link unit, and a manually operable data entry and retrieval circuit for entering or retrieving data related to at least one of aircraft contents, passenger data, aircraft departure and arrival or passenger transactions.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said wireless unit is operative to maintain inventory control of selected aircraft contents.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein said wireless unit is operative to maintain passenger data.

7. A system according to claim 4, wherein said wireless unit is operative to maintain data relating aircraft departure and arrival times.

8. A system according to claim 4, wherein said spread spectrum communication signal comprises a direct sequence spread spectrum communication signal.

9. A system according to claim 4, wherein said spread spectrum communication signal comprises a frequency hopping spread spectrum communication signal.

10. A system according to claim 4, wherein said spread spectrum communication signal comprises a chirp modulated signal.

11. A system according to claim 4, wherein said spread spectrum communication signal comprises a communication signal that has been modulated with a forward error correction.

12. A system according to claim 4, wherein said spread spectrum communication signal comprises a communication signal that is within 900 MHZ, 2.4 GHz, and 5.0 GHz spread spectrum communication bands.

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

communicating with the ground data link unit via a wireless hand-held unit while within the aircraft using an integrated wireless radio of the hand-held unit that communicates with the ground data link unit; and

manually entering or retrieving data on the hand-held unit related to at least one of aircraft contents, passenger data, aircraft departure and arrival, or passenger transactions.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the spread spectrum communication signal comprises a direct sequence spread spectrum communication signal.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the spread spectrum communication signal comprises a frequency hopping spread communication signal.

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; and

communicating with the ground data link unit via a hand-held unit while positioned within the aircraft using an integrated wireless radio of the hand-held unit that communicates with the ground data link unit; and

manually entering or retrieving data on the hand-held unit related to at least one of aircraft contents, passenger data, aircraft departure and arrival, or passenger transactions.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the spread spectrum communication signal comprises a frequency hopping spread communication signal.

18. A method according to claim 16, and further comprising the step of uploading web based Internet files.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein the wireless unit maintains inventory control of selected aircraft contents.

20. A method according to claim 16, wherein the wireless unit maintains passenger data.

21. A method according to claim 16, wherein the wireless unit maintains data relating to aircraft departure and arrival times.

22. A method according to claim 16, wherein the spread spectrum communication signal comprises a direct sequence spread spectrum communication signal.