Device for communicating between aircraft flight personnel and the ground, and method implementing said device

• US 9,424,542 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Saugnac, Frederic, Renauldon-Dumain, Valerie
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, JELANI A
• Application Number:
  US13/060,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20110288759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,573 Days
• Field of Search: 340/313, 340/945, 340/963, 340/995.14, 342/455, 343/837, 370/316, 370/325, 370/328, 455/3.06, 455/3.01, 455/414.1, 455/431, 455/507, 455/519, 455/66.1, 455/98, 700/3, 701/14, 701/2, 701/3, 701/4, 701/528, 701/124, 704/246, 705/5, 705/16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system for communicating between a commercial aircraft and the base of the airline that chartered the same when the aircraft is itself located on the ground during the flight preparation phases and before unloading the commercial freight or passengers. A method implements such a communication system by the commercial flight staff and/or the aircraft captain to prepare a flight and the commercial freight unloading phase.

Claims

1. A communication system for an aircraft that includes a cockpit and a cabin served by a crew including a captain and a cabin crew, the communication system comprising:

a capture device on board the aircraft configured to receive as input flight preparation information corresponding to information related to a flight prior to departure of the aircraft, the flight preparation information including check-in information indicating a presence on board the aircraft of members of the cabin crew;

a communication device on board the aircraft configured to send and receive information items in one of digitized and digitalized form to and from an information network on the ground, and configured to send the flight preparation information, which includes the check-in information indicating the presence on board the aircraft of the members of the cabin crew, received as input by the capture device on board the aircraft, to the information network on the ground;

a first display device disposed in the cockpit of the aircraft and configured to display the information items; and

a second display device disposed in the cabin of the aircraft and configured to display the information items, which are also displayed by the first display device disposed in the cockpit of the aircraft, and display, in response to a member of the cabin crew being absent, a message from the information network on the ground regarding a new member that is a potential replacement for the absent member of the cabin crew.

2. The communication system for an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the first display device is for attention of the captain.

3. The communication system for an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the second display device is for attention of the cabin crew.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a device for saving the information items.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a digital signature device.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the digital signature device is a mobile terminal.

7. The communication system for an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein

the capture device on board the aircraft is configured to generate a check-in list based on the check-in information, and

the communication device on board the aircraft is configured to send the check-in list to the information network on the ground.

8. The communication system for an aircraft according to claim 7, wherein

the information items received by the communication device on board the aircraft include information on a type of the aircraft, a flight number, estimated flight time, and configuration of the cabin.

9. A flight preparation method for an aircraft that includes a communication system, which includes a capture device, a communication device, a first display device, and a second display device, the aircraft including a cockpit and a cabin served by a crew including a captain and a cabin crew, the flight preparation method comprising:

receiving as input, by the capture device on board the aircraft, flight preparation information, the flight preparation information including check-in information indicating a presence on board the aircraft of members of the cabin crew;

sending, by the communication device, the flight preparation information, received as input on board the aircraft by the capture device, to the information network on the ground;

receiving on board the aircraft, from the information network on the ground, information items necessary to a flight of the aircraft, the information items including documents;

communicating to the captain and the cabin crew, via the communication device, the information items necessary to the flight;

displaying, by the first display device disposed in the cockpit of the aircraft, the information items;

displaying, by the second display device disposed in the cabin of the aircraft, the information items, which are also displayed by the first display device disposed in the cockpit of the aircraft, and displaying, in response to a member of the cabin crew being absent, a message from the information network on the around regarding a new member that is a potential replacement for the absent member of the cabin crew;

approving the documents and validating the documents electronically by the captain;

updating and sending back to the information network on the ground a list of documents necessary for authorization for departure of the flight; and

receiving an acknowledgment of receipt from the information network on the ground to confirm that conditions for departure of the flight effectively were received and recorded by the information network on the ground.

10. The flight preparation method for an aircraft according to claim 9, further comprising:

communicating to the cabin crew information items relating to development of the flight for the communication device;

assigning tasks to the members of the cabin crew according to information items received from the communication device;

preparing the cabin of the aircraft for the flight according to information items received via the communication device; and

performing the communicating, the assigning, and the preparing in the cabin of the aircraft by the entire cabin crew present.

11. The flight preparation method for an aircraft according to claim 9, further comprising:

communicating to the cabin crew information items about commercial cargo after loading thereof and closing doors of the aircraft.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting an approved flight report to the information network on the ground after landing of the aircraft.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the flight report is validated by the captain of the aircraft by a digital signature device prior to the transmitting.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

communicating to the crew information items about a departure configuration of the aircraft after boarding of the passengers and loading of commercial cargo and closing a door of the aircraft; and

attesting to a good reception by the crew of the new conditions during a departure procedure.

15. A flight preparation method for an aircraft that includes a communication system, which includes a capture device, a communication device, a first display device, a second display device, and a digital signature device, the aircraft including a cockpit and a cabin served by a crew including a captain and a cabin crew, the flight preparation method comprising:

receiving as input, by the capture device on board the aircraft, flight preparation information, the flight preparation information including check-in information indicating a presence on board the aircraft of members of the cabin crew;

sending, by the communication device, the flight preparation information, received as input on board the aircraft by the capture device, to the information network on the ground;

receiving by the captain on board the aircraft, from the information network on the ground, documents in digital form;

displaying, by the first display device disposed in the cockpit of the aircraft, information items contained in the documents received in digital form;

displaying, by the second display device disposed in the cabin of the aircraft, information items, which are also displayed by the first display device disposed in the cockpit of the aircraft, and displaying, in response to a member of the cabin crew being absent, a message from the information network on the ground regarding a new member that is a potential replacement for the absent member of the cabin crew;

at least one of validating, completing, and modifying the information items;

validating by the captain, by the digital signature device, documents that are at least one of modified and completed;

sending the at least one of modified and completed documents via the communication device to the information network on the ground; and

receiving an acknowledgment of receipt from the information network on the ground for the documents sent.