Mobile local delivery server

• US 9,998,946 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Lentz, Robert L., Chisholm, Fraser R., Zogg, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Charles C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kavleski, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US14/529,354
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A mobile local delivery server (MLDS) may include a system controller configured to determine an anticipated location of an aircraft based on information received from one or more flight information sources and a data loading processor communicably coupled with the system controller and configured to execute one or more software applications. The one or more software applications may configure the MLDS to exchange data with the aircraft. The MLDS may further include a mass storage device communicably coupled with the data loading processor and configured to store data exchanged between the MLDS and the aircraft.

Claims

1. A mobile local delivery server (MLDS), comprising:

a communication router;

a communication interface comprising;

a first communication protocol configured to receive one or more flight information sources; and

a second communication protocol configured to transmit the one or more flight information sources to the communication router, wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol;

a system controller communicably coupled with the communication router and configured to operate the MLDS, the system controller being configured to determine an anticipated location of an aircraft based on information received from the one or more flight information sources;

a data loading processor communicably coupled with the system controller and configured to execute one or more software applications, the one or more software applications configuring the MLDS to exchange the data with the aircraft;

a mass storage device communicably coupled with the data loading processor and configured to store data exchanged between the MLDS and the aircraft;

a sensor unit configured to receive one or more signals, wherein the communication router automatically exchanges data with the aircraft based on the one or more signals received by one or more sensors connected to the sensor unit, the one or more signals being indicative of the arrival of the aircraft at the anticipated location;

one or more antennas configured to exchange the data between the MLDS and the aircraft; and

a hand-held chassis containing each of the communication router, the communication interface, the system controller, the data loading processor, the mass storage device, the sensor unit, and the one or more antennas.

2. The MLDS of claim 1, wherein the anticipated location of the aircraft is an airport gate at which the aircraft will be parked.

3. The MLDS of claim 1, wherein the anticipated location of the aircraft is on an airport apron.

4. The MLDS of claim 1, wherein the MLDS is configured to exchange data with the aircraft via a direct communication link with the aircraft.

5. The MLDS of claim 1, wherein the one or more flight information sources include at least one of:

air traffic control, flight dispatch, flight schedules, or gate assignments.

6. The MLDS of claim 1, wherein the system controller is further configured to determine an anticipated time for which the aircraft will be at the anticipated location.

7. The MLDS of claim 6, wherein, based on at least one of the anticipated location or anticipated time, the system controller is configured to obtain at least a portion of the data to be loaded on the aircraft prior to the aircraft arriving at the anticipated location.

8. The MLDS of claim 1, wherein the one or more software applications are aircraft specific.

9. The MLDS of claim 1, wherein the one or more software applications are aircraft manufacturer specific.

10. The MLDS of claim 1, wherein the data is exchanged using the one or more antennas of the MLDS and a Terminal Wireless LAN Unit on board the aircraft.

11. The MLDS of claim 1, wherein the communication router is configured to receive the information from the one or more flight information sources through the communication interface, and configured to exchange data with the aircraft.

12. A method of operating a mobile local delivery server (MLDS), the method comprising:

receiving information from one or more flight information sources using a first communication protocol;

transmitting the received information to a communication router using a second communication protocol, the communication router being contained in the hand-held chassis of the MLDS;

determining, using a system controller contained in the hand-held chassis and configured to operate the MLDS, an anticipated location of an aircraft based on the received information;

obtaining at least a portion of data to be loaded on the aircraft;

storing the obtained data on a mass storage device contained in the hand-held chassis of the MLDS;

receiving one or more signals in a sensor unit from one or more sensors connected to the sensor unit, the one or more signals being indicative of the arrival of the aircraft at the anticipated location, and the sensor unit being contained in a hand-held chassis of the MLDS;

executing, using a data loading processor contained in the hand-held chassis of the MLDS, one or more software applications that configure the MLDS to load the obtained data on the aircraft; and

automatically exchanging the obtained data with the aircraft based on the one or more signals received by the one or more sensors connected to the sensor unit.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining at least a portion of data to be loaded on the aircraft prior to the aircraft arriving at the anticipated location.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the anticipated location of the aircraft is an airport gate at which the aircraft will be parked.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining an anticipated time for which the aircraft will be at the anticipated location.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more software applications are at least one of aircraft specific and aircraft manufacturer specific.

17. A computer-program product for operating a mobile local delivery server (MLDS), the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon and which when executed by one or more processors of a computer via which the computer-readable medium is accessed cause the computer to:

receive information from one or more flight information sources using a first communication protocol;

transmit the received information to a communication router using a second communication protocol, the communication router being contained in the hand-held chassis of the MLDS;

determine, using a system controller contained in the hand-held chassis and configured to operate the MLDS, an anticipated location of an aircraft based on the received information;

obtain at least a portion of data to be loaded on the aircraft prior to the aircraft arriving at the anticipated location;

store the obtained data on a mass storage device contained in the hand-held chassis of the MLDS;

receive one or more signals in a sensor unit from one or more sensors connected to the sensor unit, the one or more signals being indicative of the arrival of the aircraft at the anticipated location, and the sensor unit being contained in a hand-held chassis of the MLDS;

execute, using a data loading processor contained in the hand-held chassis of the MLDS, one or more software applications that configure the MLDS to load the obtained data on the aircraft; and

automatically exchange the obtained data with the aircraft based on the one or more signals received by the one or more sensors connected to the sensor unit.

18. The computer-program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

determine an anticipated time for which the aircraft will be at the anticipated location.

19. The computer-program product of claim 17, wherein the one or more software applications are at least one of aircraft specific and aircraft manufacturer specific.