Method and apparatus for handling data and aircraft employing same

• US 7,888,812 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WARRIOR IP-1
• Original Assignee: Embedded Control Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Vlad, Ovidiu Gabriel, Stoner, Paul Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis; Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US12/775,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 284 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2808 using a mixing element which evenly distributes an input signal over a number of outputs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4298 coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/807 Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal

Abstract

These teachings present triple data transport redundancy in the form of three data bus interfaces that are each designed and manufactured independently from one another and compatible with a common data handling protocol. This protocol can be one that includes no error correction. These interfaces can each couple to a corresponding first, second, and third data bus that may comprise optical data busses. Information gauges can be realized through use a memory that stores a plurality of images comprising views of an information gauge (or gauges) of interest showing a variety of different readings. Upon receiving information regarding a monitored parameter of interest (via, for example, the aforementioned data busses and data bus interfaces), this information can be used to address the stored information gauge view that corresponds to the present parameter value. That particular view can be recalled and displayed to thereby provide the corresponding information to a viewer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in an aircraft;

providing a first data bus interface that is compatible with a data handling protocol;

providing a second data bus interface that is compatible with the data handling protocol, wherein the second data bus interface has been designed and manufactured independently from the first data bus interface;

providing a third data bus interface that is compatible with the data handling protocol, wherein the third data bus interface has been designed and manufactured independently from the first and the second data bus interface;

operably coupling the first data bus interface, the second data bus interface, and the third data bus interface to at least one aircraft component such that the at least one aircraft component can interface with at least one data bus via the data handling protocol via at least one of the first, second, and third data bus interfaces.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third data bus interfaces each comprise an optical data bus interface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the optical data bus interface comprises a polymer optical data bus interface.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the optical data bus interface comprises a full-duplex optical data bus interface.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the optical data bus interface comprises a ring interface.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the ring interface comprises a data bus interface that is configured and arranged to transmit substantially similar data in both directions on a ring-configured data bus substantially simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the ring interface comprises a data bus interface that is configured and arranged to transmit identical data in both directions on a ring-configured data bus substantially simultaneously.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein operably coupling the first data bus interface, the second data bus interface, and the third data bus interface to at least one aircraft component comprises operably coupling the first data bus interface, the second data bus interface, the third data bus interface, and the at least one aircraft component to a shared data processor.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the shared data processor is configured and arranged to consolidate incoming data from the first, second, and third data bus interfaces.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

using the shared data processor to substantially average the incoming data from the first, second, and third data bus interfaces to provide resultant averaged data to provide to the at least one aircraft component.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein using the shared data processor to substantially average the incoming data further comprises determining whether the incoming data from each of the first, second, and third data bus interfaces is within a predetermined range of one another, and not using incoming data from one of the data bus interfaces when incoming data from one of the first, second, and third data bus interfaces is not within the predetermined range.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the shared data processor comprises a softwareless shared data processor.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the shared data processor is configured and arranged such that the shared data processor is not compromised by a breakdown of either of an optical function and electrical function in any one of the data bus interfaces.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the data handling protocol makes no provision for error correction.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

connecting the first data bus interface to a first data bus that uses the data handling protocol;

connecting the second data bus interface to a second data bus that is discrete with respect to the first data bus and that uses the data handling protocol;

connecting the third data bus interface to a third data bus that is discrete with respect to the first and second data bus and that uses the data handling protocol.

16. An aircraft data bus interface comprising:

an aircraft component interface;

a first data bus interface that is operably coupled to the aircraft component interface, wherein the first data bus interface is compatible with a data handling protocol;

a second data bus interface that is operably coupled to the aircraft component interface, wherein the second data bus interface is compatible with the data handling protocol and wherein the second data bus interface has been designed and manufactured independently from the first data bus interface;

a third data bus interface that is operably coupled to the aircraft component interface, wherein the third data bus interface is compatible with the data handling protocol and wherein the third data bus interface has been designed and manufactured independently from the first and the second data bus interface;

such that the at least one aircraft component can interface with at least one data bus via the data handling protocol via at least one of the first, second, and third data bus interfaces.

17. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 16 wherein the first, second, and third data bus interfaces each comprise an optical data bus interface.

18. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 17 wherein the optical data bus interface comprises a full-duplex optical data bus interface.

19. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 17 wherein the optical data bus interface comprises a ring interface.

20. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 19 wherein the ring interface comprises a data bus interface that is configured and arranged to transmit substantially similar data in both directions on a ring-configured data bus substantially simultaneously.

21. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 20 wherein the ring interface comprises a data bus interface that is configured and arranged to transmit identical data in both directions on a ring-configured data bus substantially simultaneously.

22. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 16 further comprising:

a shared data processor operably disposed between the aircraft component interface and the first, second, and third data bus interface.

23. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 22 wherein the shared data processor is configured and arranged to consolidate incoming data from the first, second, and third data bus interfaces.

24. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 23 wherein the shared data processor is further configured and arranged to substantially average the incoming data from the first, second, and third data bus interfaces to provide resultant averaged data to the aircraft component interface.

25. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 24 wherein the shared data processor is further configured and arranged to determine whether the incoming data from each of the first, second, and third data bus interfaces is within a predetermined range of one another, and to not use incoming data from one of the data bus interfaces when incoming data from one of the first, second, and third data bus interfaces is not within the predetermined range.

26. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 22 wherein the shared data processor comprises a softwareless shared data processor.

27. The aircraft data bus interface of claim 16 wherein the aircraft data bus interface makes no provision for error correction.

28. A method of providing a triply redundant aircraft data bus interface comprising:

providing a first data bus interface that is compatible with a data handling protocol and that is designed by a first designer and manufactured using a first manufacturer;

providing a second data bus interface that is compatible with the data handling protocol and that is designed by a second designer that is wholly different from the first designer and manufactured using a second manufacturer that is wholly different from the first manufacturer such that the first and second data bus interfaces are unlikely to share a design or manufacture-based common mode failure susceptibility;

providing a third data bus interface that is compatible with the data handling protocol and that is designed by a third designer that is wholly different from the first and second designers and manufactured using a third manufacturer that is wholly different from the first and second manufacturer such that the first, second, and third data bus interfaces are unlikely to share a design or manufacture-based common mode failure susceptibility;

operably coupling the first data bus interface, the second data bus interface, and the third data bus interface to at least one aircraft component such that the at least one aircraft component can interface with at least one data bus via the data handling protocol via at least one of the first, second, and third data bus interfaces.

29. An aircraft comprising:

a plurality of data-based aircraft components;

a plurality of aircraft component interfaces, wherein at least one of each of the plurality of aircraft component interfaces is operably coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of data-based aircraft components such that the data-based aircraft components can communicate data via the aircraft component interfaces, and wherein each of the plurality of aircraft component interfaces comprises;

a first data bus interface that is operably coupled to the aircraft component interface, wherein the first data bus interface is compatible with a data handling protocol;

a second data bus interface that is operably coupled to the aircraft component interface, wherein the second data bus interface is compatible with the data handling protocol and wherein the second data bus interface has been designed and manufactured independently from the first data bus interface;

a third data bus interface that is operably coupled to the aircraft component interface, wherein the third data bus interface is compatible with the data handling protocol and wherein the third data bus interface has been designed and manufactured independently from the first and the second data bus interface.

30. The aircraft of claim 29 wherein the first, second, and third data bus interface each comprise an optical bus interface.

31. The aircraft of claim 30 further comprising at least one ring-configured optical bus that is operably coupled to each of the first, second, and third data bus interfaces of each of the plurality of aircraft component interfaces.

32. The aircraft of claim 31 wherein the at least one ring-configured optical bus comprises:

a first ring-configured optical bus that operably couples to each of the first data bus interfaces of each of the plurality of aircraft component interfaces;

a second ring-configured optical bus that is discrete from the first ring-configured optical bus and that operably couples to each of the second data bus interfaces of each of the plurality of aircraft component interfaces;

a third ring-configured optical bus that is discrete from the first and second ring-configured optical bus and that operably couples to each of the third data bus interfaces of each of the plurality of aircraft component interfaces.

33. The aircraft of claim 32 wherein the aircraft lacks any mechanical gauges for airspeed, altitude, and altimeter readings.

34. The aircraft of claim 32 wherein the aircraft lacks any standby mechanical gauges for airspeed, altitude, and altimeter readings.