System and method of transmitting data from an aircraft
First Claim
1. A system for transmitting aircraft data from an aircraft, comprising:
- a wireless engine monitoring module mounted on the aircraft engine that collects engine data relating to operation of the aircraft engine and includes a wireless engine monitoring transceiver that transmits and receives the collected engine data over a first wireless communications signal;
a Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) that records aircraft data;
a PC card interfaced to the DAU, comprisinga memory that stores the aircraft data from the DAU;
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to retrieve aircraft data from the memory;
a first wireless transceiver controlled by the processor that receives and transmits the aircraft data over a second wireless communications signal;
a wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit configured as an access point and positioned within the aircraft that transmits and receives the first and second wireless communications signals to and from the respective wireless engine monitoring module and the PC card; and
a second wireless transceiver mounted within the aircraft that receives a third wireless communications signal containing aircraft data and the engine data from the wireless LAN communications unit and transmits the aircraft data and engine data from the aircraft.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for transmitting aircraft data from an aircraft includes a Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) that records aircraft data. A PC card is interfaced to the DAU and stores the aircraft data from the DAU. A processor retrieves aircraft data from the memory. A first wireless transceiver is controlled by the processor and receives and transmits the aircraft data along a wireless communications signal. A wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit is configured as an access point and positioned within the aircraft and transmits and receives wireless communications signals to and from the PC card. A second wireless transceiver is mounted within the aircraft and receives the wireless communications signal from the wireless LAN communications unit for transmitting the aircraft data from the aircraft.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A system for transmitting aircraft data from an aircraft, comprising:
-
a wireless engine monitoring module mounted on the aircraft engine that collects engine data relating to operation of the aircraft engine and includes a wireless engine monitoring transceiver that transmits and receives the collected engine data over a first wireless communications signal; a Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) that records aircraft data; a PC card interfaced to the DAU, comprising a memory that stores the aircraft data from the DAU; a processor coupled to the memory and configured to retrieve aircraft data from the memory; a first wireless transceiver controlled by the processor that receives and transmits the aircraft data over a second wireless communications signal; a wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit configured as an access point and positioned within the aircraft that transmits and receives the first and second wireless communications signals to and from the respective wireless engine monitoring module and the PC card; and a second wireless transceiver mounted within the aircraft that receives a third wireless communications signal containing aircraft data and the engine data from the wireless LAN communications unit and transmits the aircraft data and engine data from the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. An aircraft data communications system comprising:
-
an engine monitoring module configured to be mounted at an aircraft engine of the aircraft and comprising, a wireless engine monitoring transceiver, a first memory, a first processor coupled to the first memory and wireless engine monitoring transceiver and configured to; collect and store in the first memory engine data relating to at least one engine parameter sensed during operation of the aircraft engine, and transmit the engine data from the wireless engine monitoring transceiver over a first wireless communications signal; a Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) that records aircraft data; a PC card interfaced to the DAU, comprising a second memory that stores aircraft data from the DAU and engine data received from the engine monitoring module, a second processor coupled to the second memory and configured to retrieve aircraft data and engine data, and a first wireless transceiver controlled by the second processor that receives engine data transmitted from the engine monitoring module for storage within the second memory and wirelessly transmits the aircraft data and engine data along a second wireless communications signal, a wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit configured as an access point and positioned within the aircraft that transmits and receives first and second wireless communications signals to and from the engine monitoring module and the PC card; and a second wireless transceiver mounted within the aircraft that receives a third wireless communications signal containing aircraft data and engine data from the wireless LAN communications unit and transmits the aircraft data and engine data from the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method for transmitting aircraft data from an aircraft, comprising:
-
acquiring engine data within a wireless engine monitoring module that is mounted on the aircraft engine; wirelessly transmitting the engine data from a wireless engine monitoring transceiver within the wireless engine monitoring module along a first wireless communications signal; acquiring aircraft data within a memory of a PC card that is interfaced to a Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) of the aircraft; retrieving aircraft data from the memory; wirelessly transmitting from a first wireless transceiver the retrieved aircraft data along a second wireless communications signal; receiving the wireless communications signal within a wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit mounted within the aircraft and configured as a wireless access point; transmitting the aircraft data and engine data along a third wireless communications signal from the wireless LAN communications unit to a second wireless transceiver mounted within the aircraft; and transmitting the aircraft data and engine data from the second wireless transceiver out of the aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
Specification