Communication of avionic data

• US 9,420,595 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Beacham, William H. Jr., Scheid, Paul Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorowar, Golam
• Application Number:
  US14/578,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

An example avionic data communication method includes determining one or more available communication channels within a plurality of communication channel types, selecting one of the plurality of available communication channels using a channel controller, the channel controller configured to determine the quality of service of the available communication channels and to select one of the plurality of available communication channels having a cost threshold value that is not less than the cost threshold value of another channel type within the plurality of available channel types. The method further includes communicating data between an aircraft and a ground-based system using the selected one of the plurality of available channel types.

Claims

1. An avionic data communication method comprising:

determining one or more available communication channels within a plurality of communication channels;

selecting one of the plurality of available communication channels using a channel controller, the channel controller configured to determine a quality of service of the available communication channels and to select one of the plurality of available communication channels having a cost threshold value that is not less than the cost threshold value of another channel within the plurality of available communication channels; and

communicating data between an aircraft and a ground-based system using the selected one of the plurality of available channels, wherein the cost threshold value changes in response to changes in position of the aircraft relative to the ground-based system.

2. The avionic data communication method of claim 1, wherein a cost associated with communicating using each of the plurality of available channels are stored in a database that is accessed by a controller when initiating communication of the selected data.

3. The avionic data communication method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of available channels includes a channel selected from a group that comprises a cellular channel, an Ethernet channel, a WiFi channel, and a WiMax or LTE channel.

4. The avionic data communication method of claim 1, wherein the selected channel has a lower quality of service than another of the plurality of available communication channels.

5. The avionic data communication method of claim 1, wherein the cost threshold value is a cost-of-transmission threshold value.

6. The avionic data communication method of claim 1, including prioritizing the communication of critical data above other types of data.

7. The avionic data communication method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels are at a same geographical location.

8. The avionic data communication method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels are different types of communication channels.

9. The avionic data communication method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is stationary relative to the ground-based system during the communicating.

10. An avionic data communication arrangement, comprising:

a channel controller configured to select a communication channel from a plurality of available communication channels,

the channel controller configured to determine a quality of service of the plurality of available communication channels and to select one of the plurality of available communication channels having a cost threshold value that is not less than the cost threshold value of another channel within the plurality of available communication channels; and

a transmitter configured to communicate a selected data using the selected communication channel between an aircraft and a ground-based system,

a data controller module configured to select the selected data for transmission that has an associated cost-of-transmission that does not exceed a cost-of-transmission threshold for the selected communication channel, wherein the cost-of-transmission threshold changes in response to changes in position of the aircraft relative to the ground-based system.

11. The avionic data communication arrangement of claim 10, wherein the plurality of available communications channels are at a same geographical location.

12. The avionic data communication arrangement of claim 10, wherein the plurality of available communications channels are different types of communication channels.

13. The avionic data communication arrangement of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is configured to communicate the selected data between the aircraft that is stationary relative to the ground-based system.

14. The avionic data communication arrangement of claim 10, wherein the communication channel is selected from a group comprising that comprises a cellular channel, an Ethernet channel, a WiFi channel, and a WiMax or LTE channel.

15. The avionic data communication arrangement of claim 10, wherein a switcher module is configured to determine the plurality of available communication channels.