Communications installation for aircraft

• US 7,271,826 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lufthansa Technik AG (Deutsche Lufthansa AG)
• Original Assignee: Lufthansa Technik AG (Deutsche Lufthansa AG)
• Inventors: Muirhead, Andrew, Starke, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/188,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20040004661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/144, 348/148, 348/160
• US Class Current: 348/144
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An arrangement for audio, video and/or data communication between a ground station and an aircraft, having at least one communications channel and a monitoring device provided on board the aircraft includes at least one audio, video or flight data recording apparatus or combinations thereof, which can be activated either from on board the aircraft or by remote control from the ground station. The recording apparatus can be deactivated by remote control from the ground station and/or from on board the aircraft when it is on the ground. The arrangement also includes a memory for the data from the recording apparatus and a transmission apparatus for transmitting data from the recording apparatus and/or data read from the memory to the ground station. The transmission apparatus uses at least one communications channel in the arrangement for audio and/or video and/or data communication between the ground station and the aircraft.

Claims

1. A monitoring device for use on board an aircraft for audio, video or data communication between a ground station and an aircraft over at least one communications channel, comprising:

a) at least one cockpit audio data recording apparatus which is activated by remote control from the ground station by touch-tone signals sent over a VHF communications channel and is deactivated exclusively by remote control from the ground station by touch-tone signals sent over the same VHF communications channel as is used for the activation,

b) a memory for data from the recording apparatus,

c) a transmission apparatus for transmitting data from the recording apparatus or data read from the memory to the ground station, which transmission apparatus uses the same VHF communications channel as is used for communication between the ground station and the aircraft.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an apparatus which can be controlled by the ground station for the purpose of selecting the data to be transmitted using the transmission apparatus from among the data from the recording apparatus or stored data.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the data from the recording apparatus are stored in the memory with an identifier indicating the recording time and/or location.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the memory has the mechanical and thermal resistance of a cockpit voice recorder.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the memory is designed for filly recording the data from the recording apparatus in the monitoring device over a period of at least 15 min.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the memory is designed for fully recording the data from the recording apparatus in the monitoring device over a period of at least 30 min.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the memory is designed for fully recording the data from the recording apparatus in the monitoring device over a period of least 1 hour.

6. A monitoring device for use on board an aircraft, comprising:

a) at least one cockpit audio data recording apparatus which is activated by remote control from the ground station by touch-tone signals sent over a VHF communications channel and is deactivated exclusively by remote control from the ground station by touch-tone signals sent over a VHF communications channel,

b) a memory for data from the recording apparatus and

c) a transmission apparatus for transmitting data from the recording apparatus or data read from the memory over a VHF communications channel to the ground station, which is set up to use at least one communications channel in an on-board system for audio communication between the aircraft and a ground station.