Avionic aviation system with an earth station for automatically eliminating operating malfunctions occurring in airplanes, and corresponding method

• US 8,244,414 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swiss Reinsurance Company
• Original Assignee: Swiss Reinsurance Company
• Inventors: Fok, Marcel, Shirai, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/524,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/3, 701/14, 701/15, 701/16, 701/29.3, 701/27.7, 701/31.3, 701/31.5
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06

Abstract

An avionic aviation system, and a corresponding method, with an earth station for automatically eliminating operating malfunctions occurring in airplanes. The avionic aviation system is connected to a plurality of airplanes via a wireless interface of the avionics. If, by sensor, an operating malfunction is detected on an airplane, a dedicated operating malfunction usage device is selected to automatically eliminate the malfunction by a filter module, and a switching device of the earth station is specifically enabled to activate the operating malfunction usage device.

Claims

1. An avionic aviation system with an earth station for automatically eliminating operating malfunctions occurring in aircraft, the avionic aviation system being connected to multiple aircraft via a wireless interface of aircraft avionics, and it being possible to activate dedicated operating malfunction intervention devices for automatic elimination of operating malfunctions by a switching device of the earth station if an operating malfunction occurs and is detected by sensors, comprising:

detection devices which are integrated into the avionics of the aircraft for electronic capture of executed takeoff and/or landing units of an aircraft, log parameters, which are assigned to an aircraft, of the executed takeoff and/or landing units being transmitted by the detection devices via the wireless interface to the earth station,

wherein

the earth station includes an interface for access to one or more databases with land-base-specific data records each takeoff and/or landing unit which is detected by the detection device and recorded as a log parameter being assigned to at least one land-base-specific data record, and the log parameters being weighed by a weighting module on the basis of the assigned land-base-specific data record,

the earth station includes, for every aircraft, an incrementable first stack memory with a readable stack memory level value, the stack memory level value of the first stack memory being incrementable by a counter module on the basis of filtered takeoff and/or landing units of the transmitted log parameters of a relevant aircraft,

the counter module reads the stack memory level value of the first stack memory, and the earth station includes a filter module, by which filter module, for a specified time window, a memory threshold value to enable the activation of the operating malfunction intervention device is determined dynamically on the basis of the stack memory level value of the first stack memory,

the earth station includes a second stack memory of a protected memory module to capture activation parameters of the aircraft the activation parameters being transmitted to the earth station on the basis of the current memory threshold value, and the second stack memory being incrementable in steps corresponding to the transmitted activation parameters, and

by a counter module of the earth station a stack memory level value of the second stack memory is cumulatively captured, and when the dynamically determined memory threshold value is reached with the stack memory level value of the second stack memory, by the filter module the switching device is released for dedicated activation of the operating malfunction intervention devices when operating malfunctions occur.

2. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 1, wherein when an operating malfunction is detected by the sensors, the operating malfunction intervention devices are selected by the filter module, corresponding to the operating malfunction which has occurred and/or the affected aircraft type, and activated by the switching device.

3. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 2, wherein when an operating malfunction is detected by the sensors, the operating malfunction intervention devices are selected by the filter module, additionally on the basis of the second stack memory level value, and activated by the switching device.

4. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 1, wherein the log parameters additionally include measured value parameters of a Flight Management System and/or of inertial navigation system and/or of fly-by-wire sensors and/or flight monitoring devices of the aircraft, the memory threshold value being generated dynamically by the filter module for the relevant time window, on the basis of the first stack memory level value and the additional log parameters.

5. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 4, wherein the avionics of the aircraft include altimeter sensors and/or an air speed indicator and/or a variometer and/or a horizon gyro and/or a turn indicator and/or an accelerometer and/or stall warning sensors and/or external temperature sensors and/or a position finding device, the log parameters additionally including measured parameters of at least one of the sensors, and the memory threshold value being generated dynamically by the filter module for the relevant time window, on the basis of the first stack memory level value and the additional log parameters.

6. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 1, wherein by the avionics of the aircraft or a communication unit of a land base, ATIS measured parameters based on an Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) of the land base being approached are transmitted automatically to the earth station for every landing and takeoff unit, the memory threshold value being generated dynamically for the relevant time window, on the basis of the first stack memory level value and the transmitted ATIS measured parameters.

7. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 1, wherein by the filter module of the earth station, dynamically determined first activation parameters are transmitted to the avionics of the aircraft and/or to a supplementary on-board system which is assigned to the relevant aircraft, and to increment the second stack memory, protected second activation parameters are generated by the avionics or the assigned supplementary on-board system and transmitted to the earth station.

8. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 7, wherein the protected second activation parameters include a uniquely assignable identification number.

9. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 1, wherein the assigned log parameters are transmitted directly to the earth station via a satellite-based network by the wireless interface of the avionics of the aircraft.

10. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 1, wherein the assigned log parameters are transmitted to the earth station by the wireless interface of the avionics of the aircraft, via a wireless communication network of a land base which is being approached.

11. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 1, wherein the aviation system dynamically updates the one or more databases with land-base-specific data records, the land-base-specific data records being updated periodically and/or on request.

12. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 1, wherein the one or more databases are assigned in a decentralized manner to a land base for aircraft data from the land base being transmitted to the earth station by an interface, unidirectionally and/or bidirectionally.

13. An avionic aviation system with an earth station for automatically eliminating operating malfunctions occurring in aircraft, the avionic aviation system being connected to multiple aircraft via a wireless interface of aircraft avionics, and dedicated operating malfunction intervention devices for automatic elimination of operating malfunctions being activated by a switching device of the earth station if an operating malfunction occurs and is detected by sensors, comprising:

integrated detection devices of the avionics of an aircraft that electronically capture executed takeoff and/or landing units of the aircraft, log parameters, which are assigned to the aircraft, of the executed takeoff and/or landing units being transmitted by the detection devices via the wireless interface to the earth station,

a counter module of the earth station that increments a first stack memory level value of an incrementable first stack memory on the basis of filtered takeoff and/or landing units of the transmitted log parameters of the relevant aircraft,

a counter module that reads the first stack memory level value, and by a filter module of the earth station, for a specified time window, a memory threshold value to enable the activation of the operating malfunction intervention device is determined dynamically on the basis of the first stack memory level value,

a second stack memory of a protected memory module of the earth station that captures activation parameters of the aircraft, which are transmitted to the earth station, the activation parameters being transmitted to the earth station on the basis of the current memory threshold value, and the second stack memory being incremented in steps corresponding to the transmitted activation parameters, and

a counter module of the earth station that cumulatively captures a stack memory level value of the second stack memory, and when the dynamically determined memory threshold value is reached with the stack memory level value of the second stack memory, by the filter module the switching device is released for dedicated activation of the operating malfunction intervention devices when operating malfunctions occur.

14. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 13, wherein when an operating malfunction is detected by the sensors, the operating malfunction intervention devices are selected by the filter module, corresponding to the operating malfunction which has occurred and/or the affected aircraft type, and activated by the switching device.

15. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 14, wherein when an operating malfunction is detected by the sensors, the operating malfunction intervention devices are selected by the filter module, additionally on the basis of the activation stack memory level value, and activated by the switching device.

16. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 13, wherein the log parameters additionally include measured value parameters of a Flight Management System (FMS) and/or of inertial navigation system (INS) and/or of fly-by-wire sensors and/or flight monitoring devices, the memory threshold value being generated dynamically by the filter module for the relevant time window, on the basis of the first stack memory level value and the additional log parameters.

17. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 16, wherein by the avionics of the aircraft include altimeter sensors and/or an air speed indicator and/or a variometer and/or a horizon gyro and/or a turn indicator and/or an accelerometer and/or stall warning sensors and/or external temperature sensors and/or a position finding device, the log parameters additionally including measured parameters of at least one of the sensors, and the memory threshold value being generated dynamically and correspondingly by the filter module for the relevant time window, on the basis of the first stack memory level value and the additional log parameters.

18. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 13, wherein by the avionics of the aircraft or the communication unit of a land base, ATIS measured parameters based on an Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) of the land base being approached are transmitted automatically to the earth station for every landing and takeoff unit, the memory threshold value being generated dynamically by the filter module for the relevant time window, on the basis of the first stack memory level value and the transmitted ATIS measured parameters.

19. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 13, wherein by the filter module of the earth station, dynamically determined first activation parameters are transmitted to the avionics of the aircraft and/or to a supplementary on-board system which is assigned to the relevant aircraft, and to increment the activation stack memory, protected second activation parameters are generated by the avionics or the assigned supplementary on-board system and transmitted to the earth station.

20. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 19, wherein the protected second activation parameters include a uniquely assignable identification number.

21. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 13, wherein the assigned log parameters are transmitted directly to the earth station via a satellite-based network by the wireless interface of the avionics of the aircraft.

22. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 13, wherein the assigned log parameters are transmitted to the earth station by the wireless interface of the avionics of the aircraft, via a wireless communication network of a land base which is being approached.

23. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 22, wherein the aviation system the one or more databases with land-base-specific data records are updated dynamically, the land-base-specific data records being updated periodically and/or on request.

24. The avionic aviation system with an earth station according to claim 17, wherein the one or more databases are assigned in a decentralized manner to a land base for aircraft, data being transmitted from the land base to the earth station by an interface of the land base, unidirectionally and/or bidirectionally.