System and method for crowd sourcing aircraft data communications
First Claim
1. A system for using a plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers to relay flight data from an aircraft to an operations center, the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers collectively creating a ground-based collection of receivers disposed along a flight path of the aircraft, said system comprising:
- an on-board communication hub communicatively interconnected to a digital flight data acquisition unit of an aircraft, said on-board communication hub comprising a computer processor, memory and a data storage device,said on-board communication hub comprising a data sorting module structured to receive flight data from the digital flight data acquisition unit, said data sorting module further structured to select a critical portion of the flight data for near real-time transmission to the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers,said on-board communication hub being communicatively interconnected to at least one radio-frequency data transmission device for transmitting said selected critical portion of said flight data during in-flight operations of the aircraft for receipt by at least some of the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers disposed in range for radio-frequency communication,wherein the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers are capable of interpreting only a limited amount of said critical portion of said flight data, wherein all of said critical portion of said flight data communicated to the crowd-sourced data receivers is relayed to the operations center.
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Abstract
To facilitate wireless, near real time, in-flight data collection this system and method presents a solution to universal aircraft data transmission and retrieval. The subject apparatus and corresponding system will be capable of universally integrating into thousands of aircraft globally regardless of type, model or series: an affordable alternative method of streaming critical flight data parameters in near real-time. This service will benefit maintenance providers, airports, aircraft lessors, airlines, airline operations centers, and government agencies such as the FAA, NTSB, and NWS, etc. The subject system, method and apparatus will not replace current aircraft flight data recorder systems, but rather integrate into them and enhance their capabilities while reducing the costs industry-wide.
37 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for using a plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers to relay flight data from an aircraft to an operations center, the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers collectively creating a ground-based collection of receivers disposed along a flight path of the aircraft, said system comprising:
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an on-board communication hub communicatively interconnected to a digital flight data acquisition unit of an aircraft, said on-board communication hub comprising a computer processor, memory and a data storage device, said on-board communication hub comprising a data sorting module structured to receive flight data from the digital flight data acquisition unit, said data sorting module further structured to select a critical portion of the flight data for near real-time transmission to the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers, said on-board communication hub being communicatively interconnected to at least one radio-frequency data transmission device for transmitting said selected critical portion of said flight data during in-flight operations of the aircraft for receipt by at least some of the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers disposed in range for radio-frequency communication, wherein the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers are capable of interpreting only a limited amount of said critical portion of said flight data, wherein all of said critical portion of said flight data communicated to the crowd-sourced data receivers is relayed to the operations center. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for the collection and transmission of aircraft data using a plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers collectively creating a ground-based collection of receivers disposed along a flight path of the aircraft, the method comprising:
- prior to departure of the aircraft along the flight path, defining at least one radio communication channel for a radio communication device to use during in-flight operations of the aircraft, the radio communication device being disposed on the aircraft and in communication with an on-board communication hub, synchronizing at least some of the crowd-sourced data receivers to operate on the at least one radio communication channel so that the synchronized crowd-sourced data receivers will communicate with the radio communication device on the aircraft when the aircraft and the synchronized crowd-sourced data receivers are in range with one another for radio communications, during in flight operations of the aircraft, receiving the aircraft data via an on-board communication hub, the on-board communication hub comprising a computer processor, memory and a data storage device, during in flight operations of the aircraft, transmitting at least a portion of the aircraft data to at least some of the synchronized crowd-sourced data receivers disposed in range for radiofrequency communication via the radio communication device, communicating the transmitted aircraft data from the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers to an operations center, the operations center comprising a computer processor, memory and a data storage device, and communicating the received aircraft data at the operations center to at least one end user.
- View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for using a plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers to relay flight data from an aircraft to an operations center, said system comprising:
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an on-board communication hub communicatively interconnected to a digital flight data acquisition unit of an aircraft, said on-board communication hub comprising a computer processor, memory and a data storage device, said on-board communication hub being communicatively interconnected to at least one radio-frequency data transmission device for transmitting at least a portion of said flight data during in-flight operations of the aircraft for receipt by at least some of the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers disposed in range for radio-frequency communication, wherein the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers define a ground-based collection of receivers disposed along a flight path of the aircraft, wherein as the aircraft travels along the flight path, some of the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers will come into range for radio communication with the aircraft and other ones of the plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers will go out of range for radio communication with the aircraft, and wherein said plurality of crowd-sourced data receivers are structured to communicate the flight data received from the on-board communication hub to an operations center.
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Specification