System and method for exchanging programs in aircraft computers
First Claim
1. An aircraft-based computer system in an aircraft, comprising:
- a physical data bus;
plural individual computers connected to said data bus;
a central controller connected to said data bus and adapted to communicate with said individual computers via said data bus; and
a central computer unit having a radio antenna;
wherein each one of said individual computers comprises a radio interface module connected to a radio antenna adapted to communicate with said radio antenna of said central computer unit via a radio link therebetween, a main active memory that is connected with said radio interface module via a data path connection and that is adapted to have a program loaded therein for execution, hardware storing and adapted to execute a base program that controls and/or monitors at least one of said radio interface module and said data path connection; and
wherein said central computer unit contains a new program that is to be loaded into at least one of said individual computers, said central computer unit is adapted to transmit said new program via said radio link to said radio interface module of said one of said individual computers, and said one of said individual computers is adapted to load said new program received by said radio interface module via said data path connection into said main active memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an aircraft, individual computers are connected by a data bus to a central controller system. To reprogram, i.e. load a new program into, any one of the computers, each computer is equipped with a radio interface module and a radio antenna to establish a radio link with a central computer unit that provides and transmits the new program via the radio link at a high data transfer rate, e.g. above 200 kByte per second. The relatively slow physical data bus is not used for transmitting or loading the new program. Each computer has a base system program loaded and executed therein, to control, monitor or otherwise support the process of loading the new program, and to test the new program once it has been loaded.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An aircraft-based computer system in an aircraft, comprising:
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a physical data bus; plural individual computers connected to said data bus; a central controller connected to said data bus and adapted to communicate with said individual computers via said data bus; and a central computer unit having a radio antenna; wherein each one of said individual computers comprises a radio interface module connected to a radio antenna adapted to communicate with said radio antenna of said central computer unit via a radio link therebetween, a main active memory that is connected with said radio interface module via a data path connection and that is adapted to have a program loaded therein for execution, hardware storing and adapted to execute a base program that controls and/or monitors at least one of said radio interface module and said data path connection; and wherein said central computer unit contains a new program that is to be loaded into at least one of said individual computers, said central computer unit is adapted to transmit said new program via said radio link to said radio interface module of said one of said individual computers, and said one of said individual computers is adapted to load said new program received by said radio interface module via said data path connection into said main active memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of programming individual computers connected to a central system via a physical data bus of a computer system in an aircraft, comprising the steps:
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a) providing a new program in a central computer unit; b) radio transmitting said new program via a radio link from said central computer unit to at least one of said individual computers; c) loading said new program received via said radio link into a main active memory of said one of said individual computers; and d) executing a base system program in said one of said individual computers, and thereby monitoring, controlling and/or supporting said radio transmitting and/or said loading of said new program, and testing said new program received by said one of said individual computers; wherein said one of said individual computers comprises a communication unit permanently physically incorporated therein, said communication unit comprises a radio interface module and a radio antenna connected thereto, and said communication unit participates in establishing said radio link and receives said new program by said radio transmitting. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification