Method and system of transmitting and receiving data originating from an aircraft black box

• US 9,221,551 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus, Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus
• Inventors: Leroy, Amaury, Vermande, Sverine
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, YUEN H
• Application Number:
  US13/891,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20130317673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 701/14, 340/945
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/42 for mass transport vehicles, e.g. buses, trains or aircraft

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for transmitting data, characterized in that it includes a step of transmitting in-flight data between a first aircraft and at least a second aircraft, the data transmitted being data stored in at least one black box on board the first aircraft.

Claims

1. An aircraft data transmission method, the method comprising:

encrypting data collected on a first aircraft in flight, wherein the encrypted data comprises flight data, sound data and optionally visual data;

storing the encrypted data in at least one black box on board the first aircraft; and

transmitting, by a transmitter, the encrypted data from the at least one black box of the first aircraft which is in flight to at least a second aircraft that is also in flight, wherein the first aircraft is related to the second aircraft, the encrypted data in the at least one black box on board the first aircraft is confidential and unintelligible to the second aircraft, and the second aircraft is unable to decrypt the transmitted encrypted data in the at least one black box on board the first aircraft.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data originating from the at least one black box requires for its transmission a bandwidth of at least 100 kbits/s.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting one communication network from a plurality of communication networks.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of communication networks comprise radio, satellite or any other wireless communication network.

5. The method according to one of claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted on a communication network comprising a set of mobile communication nodes that include aircrafts in flight.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising selecting in flight at least one non-predetermined mobile communication node, the at least one node being selected from the set of mobile communication nodes in the network as a function of at least one predetermined selection criterion.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one predetermined selection criterion is at least one of the following criteria:

the second aircraft producing a signal-to-noise ratio above a predetermined threshold, the second aircraft having a similar or identical flight plan(s), the second aircraft belonging to a same airline or a same alliance of several airlines, the second aircraft within communication range, the second aircraft farthest away from the first aircraft, and the second aircraft in descent phase.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising requesting establishment of a connection with the at least one selected non-predetermined best node, prior to transmitting the data.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one predetermined selection criterion further comprises the second aircraft being made by a same manufacturer.

10. An aircraft data receiving method, the method comprising:

encrypting data collected on a first aircraft in flight, wherein the encrypted data comprises flight data, sound data and optionally visual data;

storing the encrypted data in at least one black box on board the first aircraft in flight; and

receiving, on board by a receiver at least a second aircraft also in flight, the encrypted data stored in the at least one black box of the first aircraft, wherein the first aircraft is related to the second aircraft, the encrypted data in the at least one black box on board the first aircraft is confidential and unintelligible to the second aircraft, and the second aircraft is unable to decrypt the received encrypted data in the at least one black box on board the first aircraft.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising checking availability of a storage space on board the second aircraft with a view to storing the data to be received.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising storing the data received either in an available storage space or in a reserved storage space.

13. An aircraft data transmission system, comprising:

a transmitter on board a first aircraft configured to transmit encrypted data from the first aircraft to at least one second aircraft, wherein the encrypted data comprises flight data, sound data and optionally visual data; and

at least one black box on board the first aircraft configured to store the encrypted data of the first aircraft for the transmission of the encrypted data from the first aircraft to the at least one second aircraft, wherein the first aircraft is related to the at least one second aircraft, the encrypted data in the at least one black box on board the first aircraft is confidential and unintelligible to the at least one second aircraft, and the at least one second aircraft is unable to decrypt the transmitted encrypted data in the at least one black box on board the first aircraft,

wherein both the first aircraft and the at least one second aircraft are in flight.

14. An aircraft data receiving system, comprising:

a receiver on board at least a second aircraft in flight configured to receive encrypted data from a first aircraft to the second aircraft, wherein the encrypted data comprises flight data, sound data and optionally visual data; and

at least one black box configured to store the encrypted data on board the first aircraft which is also in flight, wherein the first aircraft is related to the second aircraft, the encrypted data in the at least one black box on board the first aircraft is confidential and unintelligible to the second aircraft, and the second aircraft is unable to decrypt the received encrypted data in the at least one black box on board the first aircraft.