Systems and methods of recording events onboard a vehicle

• US 7,356,336 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Righi, Luigi P., Talbot, Mark A., Perez, Ralph S., Sunio, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US10/752,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20050148327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/11.1, 455/427, 455/445, 455/13.1, 455/569.2, 455/95, 455/98, 455/99, 455/344, 455/345
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications

Abstract

A system is provided that comprises a vehicle (e.g., aircraft) including a plurality of modules (e.g., line-replaceable units—LRU'"'"'s) capable of communicating over a plurality of buses (e.g., Mil-Std-1553 buses). The system also includes an advanced wireless open data controller (AWOC) capable of receiving data output onto the buses of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle, such as during flight of an aircraft. The AWOC is also capable of comparing the output data to a database of known events of the modules. Then, when the output data matches a known event for at least one module, the AWOC is capable of identifying an event. The AWOC can package event data including the identified event. A data unit, also included within the system, is capable of transmitting the packaged event data external to the vehicle at least partially over a wireless communication link.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a vehicle including a plurality of modules configured to communicate over a plurality of buses; and

an advanced wireless open data controller (AWOC) configured to receive and record data output by the modules onto the buses of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle, wherein the AWOC is also configured to compare the output data to a database of known events of the modules, and when at least a portion of the output data matches a known event for at least one module, identify an event, and package event data including the identified event, the respective portion of the output data for the identified event and at least a portion of the output data for a given time period before and after the identified event, the AWOC being configured to separately record the data output by the modules and package event data for the identified event, and wherein

the vehicle includes a module comprising a data unit configured to transmit the packaged event data to a destination external to the vehicle at least partially over a wireless communication link.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an aircraft including a plurality of line-replaceable units (LRU'"'"'s) configured to communicate over a plurality of Mil-Std-1553 buses, and wherein the AWOC is configure to receive data output onto the buses of the aircraft during a flight of the aircraft.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the AWOC is configured to package event data including being configured to at least one of compress event data or remove at least one extraneous data field of the event data based upon a format of the event data.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the AWOC is further configured to record the output data after receiving the output data.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the AWOC is configured to identify an event when the output data matches a known event for at least one module, and the output data is independent of an induced event.

6. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a user processor configured to receive the packaged event data, unpackage the packaged event data, and present the unpackaged event data, wherein the user processor is configured to receive the packaged event data, unpackage the packaged event data and present the unpackaged event data during operation of the vehicle.

7. A system comprising:

a plurality of vehicles each including a plurality of modules configured to communicate over a plurality of buses;

a plurality of advanced wireless open data controllers (AWOC'"'"'s), wherein each AWOC is associated with a vehicle and is configured to receive and record data output onto the buses of the associated vehicle, wherein each AWOC is also configured to compare the respective output data to a database of known events of the modules of the respective vehicle, and when at least a portion of the output data matches a known event for at least one respective module, identify an event, and package event data including the identified event, the respective portion of the output data for the identified event and at least a portion of the output data for a given time period before and after the identified event, the AWOC being configured to separately record the data output by the modules and package event data for the identified event,

wherein each vehicle includes a module comprising a data unit configured to transmit the packaged event data at least partially over a wireless communication link; and

a user processor located external to the vehicles, wherein the user processor is configured to receive at least one of the output data or the event data from each of the AWOC'"'"'s.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the user processor is also configured to send, to at least one AWOC, at least one of the output data or the event data from at least one other AWOC.

9. A method of recording events onboard a vehicle comprising:

receiving and recording data output from a plurality of modules of the vehicle, the data being output onto a plurality of buses during operation of the vehicle;

comparing the output data to a database of known events of the modules; and

when at least a portion of the output data matches a known event for at least one module,

identifying an event;

packaging event data including the identified event, the respective portion of the output data for the identified event and at least a portion of the output data for a given time period before and after the identified event, the event data being packaged separate from recording the output data; and

transmitting the packaged event data to a destination external to the vehicle at least partially over a wireless communication link.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein receiving data comprises receiving data output onto a plurality of Mil-Std-1553 buses from a plurality of line-replaceable units (LRU'"'"'s) of an aircraft during a flight of the aircraft.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein packaging event data comprises at least one of compressing event data or removing at least one extraneous data field of the event data based upon a format of the event data.

12. A method according to claim 9 further comprising recording the output data after receiving the output data.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein identifying an event comprises identifying an event when the output data matches a known event for at least one module, and the output data is independent of an induced event.

14. A method according to claim 9 further comprising:

receiving the packaged event data;

unpackaging the packaged event data; and

presenting the unpackaged event data,

wherein receiving the packaged event data, unpackaging the packaged event data and presenting the unpackaged event data occur during operation of the vehicle.

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein packaging event data comprises packaging event data further including data output by the respective at least one module for a given time period before and after the identified event.

16. A method of recording events onboard a plurality of vehicles, the method comprising:

transmitting packaged event data from the vehicles, wherein transmitting packaged event data from each vehicle comprises;

receiving and recording data output from a plurality of modules of the vehicle, the data being output onto a plurality of buses during operation of the vehicle;

comparing the output data to a database of known events of the modules; and

when at least a portion of the output data matches a known event for at least one module,

identifying an event;

packaging event data including the identified event, the respective portion of the output data for the identified event and at least a portion of the output data for a given time period before and after the identified event, the event data being packaged separate from recording the output data; and

transmitting the packaged event data to a destination external to the vehicle at least partially over a wireless communication link; and

receiving at least one of the output data recorded or the event data packaged for each of the plurality of vehicles.

17. A method according to claim 16 further comprising sending to at least one vehicle at least one of the output data recorded or the event data packaged for at least one other vehicle.

18. An advanced wireless open data controller (AWOC) for recording events onboard a vehicle comprising:

a memory configured to store a database of known events of a plurality of modules of the vehicle; and

a processor configured to receive and record data output onto a plurality of buses from the modules of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle, wherein the processor is also configured to compare the output data to the database of known events of the modules, and when at least a portion of the output data matches a known event for at least one module, identify an event, and package event data including the identified event, the respective portion of the output data for the identified event and at least a portion of the output data for a given time period before and after the identified event, the processor being configured to separately record the data output by the modules and package event data for the identified event, and the processor being configured to package the event for transmission data to a destination external to the vehicle at least partially over a wireless communication link.

19. An AWOC according to claim 18, wherein the memory is configured to store a database of known events of a plurality of line-replaceable units (LRU'"'"'s) of an aircraft, and wherein the processor is configured to receive data output onto a plurality of Mil-Std-1 553 buses from the LRU'"'"'s during a flight of the aircraft.

20. An AWOC according to claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to package event data including being configured to at least one of compress event data or remove at least one extraneous data field of the event data based upon a format of the event data.

21. An AWOC according to claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to record, and the memory configured to store, the output data after the processor receives the output data.

22. An AWOC according to claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to identify an event when the output data matches a known event for at least one module, and the output data is independent of an induced event.

23. An AWOC according to claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to package event data such that the event data can be further received, unpackaged and presented during operation of the vehicle.