Self-contained flight data recorder with wireless data retrieval
First Claim
1. A method of recording aircraft position data comprising:
- providing an onboard flight data recorder unit and a ground-based data retrieving station, wherein said onboard flight data recorder unit is comprised of a single physical enclosure containing a central processing unit, a plurality of sensors for monitoring an aircraft'"'"'s condition, a global position system (GPS) receiver, a non-volatile memory for recording flight data and a wireless communications transceiver for retrieving said data, said flight data recorder mounted on an aircraft floor or wall;
providing a GPS communications antenna;
connecting the recorder to the aircraft power supply and ignition switch; and
computing the difference between current and previous coordinates generated by the GPS receiver and then storing the difference instead of the coordinates thereby saving memory space.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flight recorder designed for small aircraft captures various onboard flight data in real-time and stores it in non-volatile memory. Recorded data includes aircraft'"'"'s instantaneous position, altitude, attitude, engine RPM, G forces, flap position, cockpit voice and others. These data are obtained from various sensors which are integrated into the recorder. At the end of a flight the recorded data is downloaded into a computer using a wireless communications data transceiver also integrated into the recorder. It does not require removal or attaching any equipment to be able to download data. In addition to accident investigation, applications include training, preventive maintenance and asset monitoring.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A method of recording aircraft position data comprising:
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providing an onboard flight data recorder unit and a ground-based data retrieving station, wherein said onboard flight data recorder unit is comprised of a single physical enclosure containing a central processing unit, a plurality of sensors for monitoring an aircraft'"'"'s condition, a global position system (GPS) receiver, a non-volatile memory for recording flight data and a wireless communications transceiver for retrieving said data, said flight data recorder mounted on an aircraft floor or wall;
providing a GPS communications antenna;
connecting the recorder to the aircraft power supply and ignition switch; and
computing the difference between current and previous coordinates generated by the GPS receiver and then storing the difference instead of the coordinates thereby saving memory space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification