Method and passenger information system for providing flight information data

• US 9,964,638 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lufthansa Technik AG (Deutsche Lufthansa AG)
• Original Assignee: Lufthansa Technik AG (Deutsche Lufthansa AG)
• Inventors: Wende, Gerko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter M
• Application Number:
  US14/408,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20150123837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 342 60
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Method for providing flight information data for a passenger in an aircraft, wherein the flight information data are transmitted from a cockpit system in the aircraft to at least one passenger information system in the same aircraft, wherein the flight information data are transmitted as a secondary radar signal and/or monitoring signal and received by the at least one passenger information system.

Claims

1. A method for providing flight information data for one or more passengers in an aircraft, comprising:

transmitting a flight information data signal from a cockpit system of an aircraft to at least one passenger information system in the aircraft,

wherein the flight information data signal is a “

Mode-Selective”

standard signal,

wherein the at least one passenger information system is a cabin system,

wherein the at least one passenger information system is an in-flight entertainment system and/or in-flight information system,

wherein the flight information data signal comprises flight information data,

wherein the at least one passenger information system comprises at least one receiver module, and

wherein the at least one receiver module comprises a Mode-Selective receiver and/or an ADS-B receiver;

receiving the flight information data signal via the at least one receiver module; and

processing the flight information data signal via the at least one receiver module to produce flight information data,

wherein the flight information data signal comprises;

a secondary radar signal,

wherein the secondary radar signal is transmitted from the cockpit of the aircraft for a purpose other than reception via the at least one receiver module; and

/or

a monitoring signal,

wherein the monitoring signal is an Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS-B) signal,

wherein the monitoring signal is an automatic continuously transmitted signal that is part of an air traffic control system for displaying aircraft movements in the airspace, and

wherein the monitoring signal is transmitted from the cockpit of the aircraft for a purpose other than reception via the at least one receiver module.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the flight information data signal is the secondary radar signal.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the flight information data signal is the secondary radar signal and the monitoring signal.

4. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the flight information data signal is the monitoring signal.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one receiver module is a first receiver module,

wherein the at least one passenger information systems comprises a plurality of passenger information systems,

wherein each passenger information system of the plurality of passenger information systems receives the flight information data from the first receiver module;

wherein the method further comprises;

processing the flight information data via each passenger information system of the plurality of passenger information systems to produce a corresponding plurality of output flight information data; and

providing at least a portion of one or more output flight information data of the plurality of output flight information data to one or more passengers via a corresponding one or more passenger information systems of the plurality of passenger information systems.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein each passenger information system of the at least one passenger information system comprises a corresponding receiver module of the at least one receiver module, wherein the method further comprises:

processing the flight information data via the at least one passenger information system to produce output flight information data; and

providing at least a portion of the output flight information data to one or more passengers via the at least one passenger information system.

7. The method according to claim 6,

wherein the at least one receiver module comprises a corresponding plurality of receiver modules,

wherein receiving the flight information data signal via the at least one receiver module comprises:

receiving the flight information data signal via each receiver module of the plurality of receiver modules,

wherein the at least one passenger information system comprises a plurality of passenger information systems,

wherein processing the flight information data via the at least one passenger information system to produce output flight information data comprises;

processing the flight information data via each passenger information system of the plurality of passenger information systems to produce a corresponding plurality of output flight information data,

wherein providing at least a portion of the output flight information data to one or more passengers via the at least one passenger information system comprises;

providing at least a portion of one or more output flight information data of the plurality of output flight information data to one or more passengers via a corresponding one or more passenger information systems of the plurality of passenger information systems.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

retrieving additional flight information data from one or more of the following;

a database provided in the at least one passenger information system; and

an additional data connection;

wherein processing the flight information data via the at least one passenger information system to produce output flight information data comprises;

processing the flight information data and the additional flight information data via the at least one passenger information system to produce output flight information data.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the flight information data includes a flight number of the aircraft,

wherein the output flight information data includes a place of departure of the aircraft and a place of arrival of the aircraft.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

receiving one or more signals transmitted from the ground via at least one traffic information service; and

processing the one or more signals transmitted from the ground via at least one traffic information service to produce additional flight information data,

wherein processing the flight information data via the at least one passenger information system to produce output flight information data comprises;

processing the flight information data and the additional flight information data to produce output flight information data.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving the at least one additional flight information data signal transmitted from an additional cockpit system of a corresponding additional aircraft, wherein the at least one additional flight information data signal comprises one or more of the following;

an additional secondary radar signal; and

an additional Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS-B) signal emitted by the additional aircraft;

processing the at least one additional flight information data signal via the at least one receiver to determine second flight information data from the at least one additional flight information data signal.

12. A system for providing flight information data for one or more passengers in an aircraft, comprising:

a transmitter,

wherein the transmitter transmits a flight information data signal from a cockpit system of an aircraft to at least one passenger information system in the aircraft,

wherein the flight information data signal is a “

Mode-Selective”

standard signal,

wherein the at least one passenger information system is a cabin system,

wherein the at least one passenger information system is an in-flight entertainment system and/or in-flight information system,

wherein the flight information data signal comprises flight information data,

wherein the at least one passenger information system comprises a receiver module,

wherein the receiver module comprises a Mode-Selective receiver and/or an ADS-B receiver,

wherein the receiver module is configured to;

receive the flight information data signal,

wherein the flight information data signal comprises;

a secondary radar signal,

wherein the secondary radar signal is transmitted from the cockpit of the aircraft for a purpose other than reception via the at least one receiver module; and

/or

a monitoring signal,

wherein the monitoring signal is an Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS-B) signal,

wherein the monitoring signal is an automatic continuously transmitted signal that is part of an air traffic control system for displaying aircraft movements in the airspace, and

wherein the monitoring signal is transmitted from the cockpit of the aircraft for a purpose other than reception via the receiver module;

process the received flight information data signal to determine flight information data from the flight information data signal; and

output the flight information data.

13. The system according to claim 12,

wherein the flight information data signal is the monitoring signal, and

wherein the receiver module comprises an ADS-B receiver.

14. The system according to claim 12,

wherein the flight information data signal is the secondary radar signal, and

wherein the receiver module comprises a “

Mode-Selective”

receiver.

15. The system according to claim 12,

wherein the flight information data signal is the secondary radar signal and the monitoring signal,

wherein the receiver module comprises a “

Mode-Selective”

receiver, and

wherein the receiver module comprises an ADS-B receiver.

16. The system according to claim 12,

wherein the system is configured to:

retrieve additional flight information data from one or more of the following;

a database provided in the at least one passenger information system; and

an additional data connection;

wherein the system further comprises a processing unit,

wherein the processing unit

(i) receives the flight information data from the receiver module; and

(ii) processes the flight information data and the additional flight information data to produce output flight information data,

wherein the system is configured to provide at least a portion of the output flight information data to one or more passengers.

17. The system according to claim 13,

wherein the system is configured to:

retrieve additional flight information data from one or more of the following;

a database provided in the at least one passenger information system; and

an additional data connection;

wherein the system further comprises a processing unit,

wherein the processing unit

(i) receives the flight information data from the receiver module; and

(ii) processes the flight information data and the additional flight information data to produce output flight information data; and

wherein the system is configured to provide at least a portion of the output flight information data to one or more passengers.

18. The system according to claim 14,

wherein the system is configured to:

retrieve additional flight information data from one or more of the following;

a database provided in the at least one passenger information system; and

an additional data connection;

wherein the system further comprises a processing unit,

wherein the processing unit

(i) receives the flight information data from the receiver module; and

(ii) processes the flight information data and the additional flight information data to produce output flight information data,

wherein the system is configured to provide at least a portion of the output flight information data to one or more passengers.