PCMCIA card for remotely communicating and interfacing with aircraft condition monitoring systems
First Claim
1. A Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card for remotely communicating and interfacing with flight performance data on an aircraft, the PCMCIA card comprising:
- a central processing unit (CPU) providing processing power and wireless transmission functionality, wherein the PCMCIA card is capable of being plugged into an Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) using an existing card interface, the ACMS generating an ACMS report after one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled, and wherein the PCMCIA card uses the CPU to detect whether the ACMS report is generated;
a wireless interface controlled by the CPU, the wireless interface connecting the CPU to a wireless network; and
a memory coupled to the CPU through a communication bus, the memory storing flight performance data,wherein the CPU wirelessly transmits the flight performance data stored in the memory to a ground station through the wireless network after the one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled and the ACMS report is generated.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and corresponding system use a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card to remotely communicate and interface with flight performance data on an aircraft. The PCMCIA card can be plugged into an Aircraft Condition Monitoring Systems (ACMS) using a card interface. The method and system offer a global communication architecture that can be implemented with existing ACMS devices and with any flight data acquisition unit (FDAU) equipped with a storage card, such as a PCMCIA card. The PCMCIA card offers real-time wireless communication between the ACMS on an aircraft and a ground station without any hardware and/or software modifications to the ACMS.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card for remotely communicating and interfacing with flight performance data on an aircraft, the PCMCIA card comprising:
-
a central processing unit (CPU) providing processing power and wireless transmission functionality, wherein the PCMCIA card is capable of being plugged into an Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) using an existing card interface, the ACMS generating an ACMS report after one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled, and wherein the PCMCIA card uses the CPU to detect whether the ACMS report is generated; a wireless interface controlled by the CPU, the wireless interface connecting the CPU to a wireless network; and a memory coupled to the CPU through a communication bus, the memory storing flight performance data, wherein the CPU wirelessly transmits the flight performance data stored in the memory to a ground station through the wireless network after the one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled and the ACMS report is generated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19)
-
-
15. A Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card for remotely communicating and interfacing with flight performance data on an aircraft, the PCMCIA card capable of being plugged into an Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) using an existing card interface, the ACMS generating an ACMS report after one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled, the PCMCIA card comprising:
-
a central processing unit (CPU) providing processing power and wireless transmission functionality, wherein the PCMCIA card uses the CPU to detect whether the ACMS report is generated; a wireless interface controlled by the CPU, the wireless interface connecting the CPU to a wireless network; and a memory coupled to the CPU through a communication bus, the memory storing flight performance data, wherein the CPU wirelessly transmits the flight performance data stored in the memory to a ground station through the wireless network after the one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled and the ACMS report is generated, and wherein the ACMS report is generated when cargo doors of the aircraft are open.
-
-
16. A Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card for remotely communicating and interfacing with flight performance data on an aircraft, the PCMCIA card capable of being plugged into an Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) using an existing card interface, the ACMS generating an ACMS report after one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled, the PCMCIA card comprising:
-
a central processing unit (CPU) providing processing power and wireless transmission functionality, wherein the PCMCIA card uses the CPU to detect whether the ACMS report is generated; a wireless interface controlled by the CPU, the wireless interface connecting the CPU to a wireless network; and a memory coupled to the CPU through a communication bus, the memory storing flight performance data, wherein the CPU wirelessly transmits the flight performance data stored in the memory to a ground station through the wireless network after the one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled and the ACMS report is generated, and wherein the ACMS report is generated when a ground speed of the aircraft reaches zero.
-
-
17. A Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card for remotely communicating and interfacing with flight performance data on an aircraft, the PCMCIA card capable of being plugged into an Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) using an existing card interface, the ACMS generating an ACMS report after one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled, the PCMCIA card comprising:
-
a central processing unit (CPU) providing processing power and wireless transmission functionality, wherein the PCMCIA card uses the CPU to detect whether the ACMS report is generated; a wireless interface controlled by the CPU, the wireless interface connecting the CPU to a wireless network; and a memory coupled to the CPU through a communication bus, the memory storing flight performance data, wherein the CPU wirelessly transmits the flight performance data stored in the memory to a ground station through the wireless network after the one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled and the ACMS report is generated, and wherein the ACMS report is generated when an engine fuel flow reaches zero.
-
-
18. A Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card for remotely communicating and interfacing with flight performance data on an aircraft, the PCMCIA card capable of being plugged into an Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) using an existing card interface, the ACMS generating an ACMS report after one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled, the PCMCIA card comprising:
-
a central processing unit (CPU) providing processing power and wireless transmission functionality, wherein the PCMCIA card uses the CPU to detect whether the ACMS report is generated; a wireless interface controlled by the CPU, the wireless interface connecting the CPU to a wireless network; and a memory coupled to the CPU through a communication bus, the memory storing flight performance data, wherein the CPU wirelessly transmits the flight performance data stored in the memory to a ground station through the wireless network after the one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled and the ACMS report is generated, and wherein the ACMS report is generated when fuel valves of the aircraft are closed.
-
-
20. A Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card for remotely communicating and interfacing with flight performance data on an aircraft, the PCMCIA card comprising:
-
a central processing unit (CPU) providing processing power and wired transmission functionality, wherein the PCMCIA card is capable of being plugged into an Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) using an existing card interface, the ACMS generating an ACMS report after one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled, and wherein the PCMCIA card uses the CPU to detect whether the ACMS report is generated; an Ethernet interface coupled to the CPU, the Ethernet interface connecting the CPU to a wired network on the aircraft; and a memory coupled to the CPU through a communication bus, the memory storing flight performance data, wherein the CPU transmits the flight performance data stored in the memory to the wired network after the one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled and the ACMS report is generated, and wherein the wired network transmits the flight performance data to a ground station. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card for remotely communicating and interfacing with flight performance data on an aircraft, the PCMCIA card capable of being plugged into an Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) using an existing card interface, the ACMS generating an ACMS report after one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled, the PCMCIA card comprising:
-
a central processing unit (CPU) providing processing power and wired transmission functionality, wherein the PCMCIA card uses the CPU to detect whether the ACMS report is generated; an Ethernet interface coupled to the CPU, the Ethernet interface connecting the CPU to a wired network on the aircraft; and a memory coupled to the CPU through a communication bus, the memory storing flight performance data, wherein the CPU transmits the flight performance data stored in the memory to the wired network after the one or more exclusive conditions are fulfilled and the ACMS report is generated, wherein the one or more exclusive conditions include one of a group comprising cargo doors of the aircraft being open, a weight on wheels of the aircraft equaling one, a ground speed of the aircraft reaching zero, an engine fuel flow reaching zero, and fuel valves of the aircraft being closed, and wherein the wired network transmits the flight performance data to a ground station.
-
Specification