Scheduled synchronous data transmission for scheduled mobile platforms

• US 8,437,699 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Pollock, Bruce K., Allen, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US11/934,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20100041342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66, 455/67.1, 455/431, 455/463, 701/14, 701/29, 701/35, 340/3.5, 340/945, 340/825.15, 340/825.72, 370/310, 370/465, 709/246, 709/230, 375/200, 375/219
• US Class Current: 455/66.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A system for automatically synchronizing and communicating data between a mobile platform and a remote system, where the remote system has a backoffice repository and a scheduler application controlled by an entity operating said platform, includes: a backoffice interface manager for interfacing with said repository and said application, to communicate scheduling information between said platform and said application; and a computer controlled support system located remote from said platform and in communication with said backoffice interface manager, and further including a common data store system for holding said data and synchronizing the communication of said data between at least one mobile subsystem on said application, to ensure communication of said data between said mobile subsystem and said remote system within a predetermined time of executing an operational procedure with said platform.

Claims

1. A system for automatically synchronizing and communicating data between a mobile platform and a remote system, where the remote system has a backoffice data repository and a backoffice scheduler application controlled by an entity operating said mobile platform, the system comprising:

a backoffice interface manager for interfacing with said data repository and said scheduler application, to communicate data between said mobile platform and said data repository, and to communicate scheduling information between said mobile platform and said scheduler application, the backoffice interface manager further configured to convert a plurality of formats of the data from the backoffice data repository and the scheduling information from the backoffice scheduler into a common format; and

a computer controlled support system located remote from said mobile platform and in communication with said backoffice interface manager, and further including a common data store (CDS) ground component system for holding said data and synchronizing the communication of said data between at least one mobile subsystem carried on said mobile platform, in accordance with scheduling instructions received from said scheduler application, to ensure communication of said data between said mobile subsystem and said remote system within a predetermined time of executing an operational procedure with said mobile platform.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer controlled support system comprises a computer controlled ground support system that includes an electronic communications management file “

eCMF”

for coordinating and transmitting multi-network communications between said mobile subsystem of said mobile platform and said remote system being operated by said entity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer based control system comprises a data synchronizer responsive to said CDS ground component system for assisting in synchronizing and transmitting said data received from said CDS subsystem to said mobile ground component system of said mobile platform.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said computer controlled support system comprises a workflow manager/event scheduler for controlling when scheduling information is to be transmitted to said data synchronizer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said CDS ground component comprises:

a data aggregator;

an aggregated data store for storing data generated by said backoffice data repository controlled by the entity, where the backoffice data repository generates data pertaining to different functions affecting operation of said mobile platform; and

a workflow data store for storing scheduling instructions received from said scheduler application that generates scheduling information pertaining to the operation of said mobile platform,

wherein said data aggregator coordinates the storage of said data in said aggregated data store and said scheduling instructions in said workflow data store.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said computer controlled support system includes an event/service bus for interfacing said workflow manager/event scheduler with said data synchronizer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said mobile platform includes an on-board common data store (COS) and an electronic communication management function (eCMF) application for managing the storage of said data in said on-board CDS.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein said workflow event scheduler includes a configuration the that is accessed by said data synchronizer, and that provides instructions to said data synchronizer on when to notify said entity operating said mobile platform that a specific message sent to said mobile platform was not received by said mobile platform.

9. A system for automatically providing and synchronizing data to a mobile platform, prior to dispatch of the mobile platform, from a remotely located dispatch system having a data repository and a scheduler application, the system comprising:

a backoffice interface manager for interfacing with said data repository and said scheduler application, to receive data from said data repository and scheduling information from said scheduler application; and

a computer controlled support system located remote from said mobile platform and in communication with said backoffice interface manager, and further including a common data store (CDS) ground component subsystem for holding said data and synchronizing the supply of said data to at least one mobile subsystem carried on said mobile platform, in accordance with scheduling instructions received from said scheduler application, to ensure delivery of said data to said mobile subsystem on said mobile platform within a predetermined time prior to dispatch of said mobile platform;

said computer controlled support system including an electronic communications management file “

eCMF”

for coordinating and transmitting multi-network communications between said mobile subsystem of said mobile platform and said dispatch system being operated by said entity;

a workflow manager/event scheduler operated by said entity, and adapted to determine when to transmit scheduling information to said mobile platform;

a ground based common data store system for storing said data and said scheduling information;

a data synchronizer that interfaces with said workflow manager/event scheduler and said ground based common data store system for determining when to transmit wireless messages including said data to said mobile platform; and

said data synchronizer further adapted to monitor return wireless transmissions from said mobile platform and to determine when to report to a remote, ground based operator of said mobile platform that said message was not received by said mobile platform.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said data repository comprises a backoffice data repository.

11. The system of claim 9, where said scheduler application comprises a backoffice scheduler application.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein:

said data application comprises a backoffice data repository;

said scheduler application comprises a backoffice scheduler application; and

said backoffice interface manager adapted to coordinate communications between said workflow manager/event scheduler and both of said backoffice data repository and said backoffice scheduler.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said computer controlled support system includes:

a data aggregator in communication with said backoffice interface manager for coordinating the storage of data and scheduling information from said backoffice data repository and said backoffice scheduler.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising an event/service bus for interfacing said workflow manager/event scheduler with said data synchronizer.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said mobile platform includes an electronic communications management function “

eCMF”

application that communicates with the computer controlled support system and sends a message to said computer controlled support system to verify receipt of a message therefrom.

16. A method for automatically synchronizing and communicating data between a mobile platform and a remote system, where the remote system has a backoffice data repository and a backoffice scheduler application both controlled by an entity operating said mobile platform, the method comprising:

using backoffice interface manager to interface with said data repository and said scheduler application;

further using the backoffice interface manager to convert a plurality of differing formats of the data from the backoffice data repository and the scheduling information from the backoffice scheduler into a common format; and

using a computer controlled support system located remote from said mobile platform and in communication with said interface manager, and having a common data store “

CDS”

subsystem, to hold data and to synchronize the communication of said data between at least one mobile subsystem carried on said mobile platform and said data repository to facilitate communication between said at least one mobile subsystem and said scheduler application, and to ensure communication of said data between said mobile subsystem and said remote system within a predetermined operational event pertaining to said mobile platform.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein using said computer controlled support system comprises using a computer controlled ground support system that includes an electronic communications management function “

eCMF”

for coordinating and transmitting multi-network communications between said mobile subsystem of said mobile platform and said remote system being operated by said entity.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein using said computer controlled support system comprises using a data synchronizer responsive to said CDS subsystem for assisting in synchronizing and transmitting said data received from said CDS subsystem to said mobile subsystem of said mobile platform.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein using said computer controlled support system comprises using a workflow manager/event scheduler to control when scheduling information is to be transmitted to said data synchronizer.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein using a computer controlled support system comprises using a data aggregator to control the storage of said data in an aggregated data store, and the storage of scheduling information in a workflow data store.