Systems and method for wirelessly and securely updating a terrain awareness warning system database

• US 9,753,969 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Ceccom, Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUD, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US14/559,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20160335309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 3, 701 4, 701 14, 701 16, 340961, 340977
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for updating a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) database are disclosed. The systems request, by way of the first wireless communications device communicating by way of an avionics data transfer protocol, an update to the TAWS database, where the request is based upon flight path data, and receive and accept, by way of the first wireless communications device and by way of the avionics data transfer protocol and in response to the request, the update to the TAWS database.

Claims

1. A system for updating an onboard a-terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) database of an aircraft, the system comprising:

a first wireless communications device that is onboard the aircraft and that is configured to transfer data with a remote TAWS database that is remote from the aircraft; and

a TAWS system onboard the aircraft, the TAWS system communicatively coupled to the first wireless communications device, the TAWS system including the onboard TAWS database, and configured to;

(a) receive information relating to a flight path of the aircraft from an onboard flight management system,

(b) request, by way of the first wireless communications device communicating by way of an avionics data transfer protocol, an update of TAWS data in the onboard TAWS database and associated with the flight path of the aircraft, and

(c) receive and accept, from the remote TAWS database by way of the first wireless communications device and by way of the avionics data transfer protocol and in response to the request, the update to the TAWS data for the flight path of the aircraft.

2. The system of claim 1, the TAWS system further configured to update the TAWS data based upon the received update.

3. The system of claim 1, the TAWS system further configured to request the update to the TAWS data by way of at least one of a:

satellite wireless communications device, a VHF wireless communications device, an HF wireless communications device, or a GATELINK wireless communications device.

4. The system of claim 1, the TAWS system further configured to receive the update to the TAWS data by way of at least one of a:

satellite wireless communications device, a VHF wireless communications device, an HF wireless communications device, or a GATELINK wireless communications device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the TAWS system is configured to receive destination information relating to the flight path of the aircraft from the onboard flight management system;

and

wherein the TAWS system is further configured to request the update to the TAWS data based upon the destination information.

6. The system of claim 1, the TAWS system further configured to request at least one update to the TAWS data database at least one of:

during a flight of an aircraft or while the aircraft is on the ground.

7. The system of claim 1, the TAWS system further configured to periodically request updates to the TAWS data at least one of:

during a flight of an aircraft or while the aircraft is on the ground.

8. The system of claim 1, the TAWS system rejecting an update to the TAWS data that is not received in response to the request for the update.

9. A method for updating an onboard terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) database of an aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving information relating to a flight path of the aircraft from an onboard flight management system,

wirelessly requesting, by way of a first wireless communications device communicating by way of an avionics data transfer protocol, an update of TAWS data in the onboard TAWS database and associated with the flight path of the aircraft, and

wirelessly receiving and accepting, from a remote TAWS database by way of the first wireless communications device and by way of the avionics data transfer protocol and in response to the requesting, the update to the TAWS data for the flight path of the aircraft.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising updating, by the TAWS system, the TAWS data based upon the received update.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising requesting, by the TAWS system, the update to the TAWS data by way of at least one of a:

satellite communications link, a VHF wireless communications link, an HF wireless communications link, or a GATELINK wireless communications link.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving, by the TAWS system, the update to the TAWS data by way of at least one of a:

satellite communications link, a VHF wireless communications link, an HF wireless communications link, or a GATELINK wireless communications link.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving information relating to the flight path includes receiving destination information relating to the flight path of the aircraft from the onboard flight management system;

and

wherein wirelessly requesting the update includes wirelessly requesting, by the TAWS system, the update to the TAWS data based upon the destination information.

14. A system for updating an onboard terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) database, the system comprising:

a TAWS system onboard the aircraft, the TAWS system including the onboard TAWS database, the TAWS system configured to;

(a) receive information relating to a flight path of the aircraft from an onboard flight management system,

(b) periodically request an update to TAWS data in the TAWS database associated with the flight path of the aircraft by way of an aircraft wireless communications device,

(c) periodically receive, from a remote TAWS database in response to each periodic request, an update to the TAWS data in the onboard TAWS database by way of the aircraft wireless communications device, and

(d) periodically update, during the course of a flight of the aircraft, the TAWS data with the received update.