Method of transmitting flight data recorded by a black box of an aircraft by a radioelectric beam whose directivity changes if a critical state of the aircraft is detected

• US 9,998,204 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense
• Original Assignee: Safran Electronics & Defense
• Inventors: Chiodini, Alain, Delville, Denis, Riviere, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US15/300,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20170141839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0065 Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

There is proposed a method of in-flight transmission of data recorded by a black box of an aircraft (1), the method comprising the emission (600) by the aircraft (1) of a radioelectric beam (F1, F2) transporting said data according to a first directivity (D1) if at least one predetermined parameter does not indicate a critical state of the aircraft (1), and according to a second directivity (D2) different from the first directivity (D1) if the predetermined parameter indicates a critical state of the aircraft (1).

Claims

1. A method for transmitting in flight data recorded by a black box of an aircraft, the method comprising emitting by the aircraft a radioelectric beam conveying said data along a first directivity if at least one predetermined parameter does not indicate a critical condition of the aircraft, and along a second directivity different from the first directivity if the predetermined parameter indicates a critical condition of the aircraft wherein the emitted radioelectric beam (F1, F2) is generated by:

activating a set of antennas (A1-An) of the aircraft, if the parameter does not indicate a critical condition of the aircraft, and

selectively activating a sub-set (Ai) of the set of antennas, if the parameter indicates a critical condition of the aircraft.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second directivity is smaller than the first directivity.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein emitting the radioelectric beam along the first directivity is applied in response to detecting a position of another aircraft in flight within radioelectric range, the emitted radioelectric beam then being oriented towards the detected position.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein emitting the radioelectric beam along the second directivity is repeated.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radioelectric beam along the second directivity is emitted in an omnidirectional way.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radio beam is emitted according to a first power if the parameter does not indicate a critical condition, and according to a second power greater than the first power if the parameter indicates a critical condition.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined parameter is emitted in the radioelectric beam.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein each antenna is an omnidirectional antenna.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising activating a plurality of antennas of the aircraft, each antenna generating a radioelectric signal conveying a copy of the data recorded by the black box if the parameter indicates a critical condition of the aircraft.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein each radioelectric signal is emitted in a distinct frequency channel.

11. The method according to claim 1, comprising splitting the data recorded by the black box into several data flows, and activating a plurality of antennas of the aircraft, wherein each antenna generates a radioelectric signal conveying one of the data flows if the parameter indicates a critical condition of the aircraft.

12. A transmission system for an aircraft comprising:

a flight recorder of the black box type,

an emitter of a radioelectric beam conveying data collected by the flight recorder,

the system being characterized in that it further comprises;

a diagnostic module configured for determining at least one parameter either indicating or not a critical condition of the aircraft, and

a control module configured for adjusting the directivity of the emitter according to the determined parameter wherein the emitter (A) comprises a plurality of antennas (A1-An),

and wherein the control module (C) is configured for;

activating the plurality of antennas (Ai-An) if the parameter does not indicate a critical condition of the aircraft, and

selectively activating a sub-set (Ai) of the plurality of antennas if the parameter indicates a critical condition of the aircraft.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the antennas are omnidirectional.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the sub-set consists of a single omnidirectional antenna.