Methods, apparatus and systems for accessing vehicle operational data using an intelligent network router

• US 9,652,899 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Mahalingaiah, Pradeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Parsons, Theodore C
• Application Number:
  US12/421,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20100263024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,959 Days
• Field of Search: 726 4
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2528 Translation at a proxy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/256 NAT traversal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2592 using tunnelling or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that allow more efficient access to vehicle health maintenance information within a vehicle. In addition, it is desirable to provide remote access to the health information by a plurality of users.

Claims

1. A system for securely accessing a source of data of a vehicle by a remote communication device, comprising:

an intermediary computing device within an IP network and being disposed between the remote communication device and the vehicle, the intermediary computing device comprising;

a first storage device configured to store a first list of authorized internet protocol (IP) addresses, the authorized IP addresses are according to a first protocol;

a second storage device configured to store a second list of authorized IP addresses, the authorized IP addresses are according to a second protocol;

a third storage device configured to store a third list of authorized IP addresses, the authorized IP addresses are according to a third protocol; and

wherein the intermediary computing device is configured to authorize a connection request from the remote communication device having a first IP address based on the first list;

to communicate a second IP address to the remote communication device based on the second list and the connection request; and

to communicate a third IP address to the vehicle based on the third list, and

wherein the intermediary computing device further comprises a number X of registers, where X is an integer greater than 1, and wherein the intermediary computing device is further configured to manage a plurality of connection requests from a plurality of remote communication devices based on the number X of registers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote communication devices is limited by the number X.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the number X is based on a number of communication ports of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second intermediary computing device disposed between the first intermediary computing device and the source of data of the vehicle, the second intermediary computing device comprising:

a fourth storage device configured to store a fourth list of authorized IP addresses, the authorized IP addresses are according to the third protocol; and

wherein the second intermediary computing device is configured to authorize access to the data source based on the third IP address and the fourth list.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote communication device is a maintenance computing device and the vehicle is an aircraft.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first IP address is a static IP address assigned to the remote communication device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first IP address is a dynamic IP address assigned to the remote communication device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediary computing device is further configured to receive a destination address, and wherein the authorization is performed based on the destination address.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second list of IP address includes tunnel IP addresses.