Aircraft flight and voice data recorder system and method

• US 20030135311A1
• Filed: 01/17/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cubic Defense Systems, Inc. (Cubic Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cubic Defense Systems, Inc. (Cubic Corporation)
• Inventors: Levine, Howard B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,735,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/35
• 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: 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 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

An onboard portion of the system is located on an aircraft for monitoring a plurality of flight parameters and detecting a predetermined exceedence indicative of a potential problem. With regard to flight data, predetermined exceedences could include abnormal attitude, control surface actuator failure, low hydraulic fluid pressure, low fuel, near stall speed, excessive engine RPM, engine failure, cabin pressure loss, and so forth. With regard to voice data, predetermined exceedences could include excessive decibel levels, excessive static, overly long periods of silence, and other audible conditions indicative of cockpit intrusion. Flight data representative of the flight parameters is transmitted via RF signals upon the detection of the predetermined exceedence. A remote portion of the system receives the transmitted RF signals carrying the flight data and records the flight data for analysis.

Claims

1. A system for recording flight data from an aircraft during flight, comprising:

means onboard an aircraft for monitoring a plurality of flight parameters and detecting a predetermined exceedence indicative of a potential problem;

RF means for transmitting signals carrying flight data representative of the flight parameters upon the detection of the predetermined exceedence; and

means remote from the aircraft for receiving the transmitted signals and recording the flight data for analysis.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving and recording means converts the transmitted flight data into a predetermined flight data recorder format before recording the flight data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the RF transmitting means also transmits voice data representative of voice communications and other audible noise in the aircraft cockpit upon the detection of the predetermined exceedence and the system further includes means remote from the aircraft for receiving the transmitted voice data and recording the voice data for analysis.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the RF means includes a VHF multiplexer interposed between an existing VHF output and a VHF transmitter.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the RF means includes a HF multiplexer interposed between an existing HF output and a HF transmitter.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the RF means includes a cell phone multiplexer interposed between an existing cell phone output and a cell phone transmitter.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes a demultiplexer interposed between a VHF receiver and an existing VHF output.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes a demultiplexer interposed between a HF receiver and an existing HF output.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes a cell phone receiver.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes a signal analyzer that converts the transmitted signals into a conventional flight data format for recording by a conventional flight data recorder.

11. A method for recording flight data from an aircraft during flight, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of flight parameters onboard an aircraft and detecting a predetermined exceedence indicative of a potential problem;

transmitting via RF signals flight data representative of the flight parameters upon the detection of the predetermined exceedence; and

receiving the transmitted RF signals remote from the aircraft and recording the flight data for analysis.

The method of claim 11 wherein the predetermined exceedence is selected from the group consisting of abnormal attitude, control surface actuator failure, low hydraulic fluid pressure, low fuel, near stall speed, engine failure and cabin pressure loss.

13. The method of claim 11 and further comprising the step of also transmitting RF signals carrying voice data representative of voice communications and other audible noise in the aircraft cockpit upon the detection of the predetermined exceedence.

14. The method of claim 13 and further comprising the steps of receiving the transmitted RF signals representing the voice data and recording the voice data for analysis.

15. The method of claim 11 and further comprising the step of detecting a voice data exceedence selected from the group consisting of excessive decibel levels, excessive static, overly long periods of silence, and other audible conditions indicative of cockpit intrusion, and transmitting the flight data upon the detection of the predetermined voice data exceedence.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the transmitting step involves multiplexing the flight data with normal communications information before transmitting both via the RF signals.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the receiving and recording step further involves demultiplexing the received RF signals to separate the flight data from the normal communications information.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the receiving and recording step further involves the step of converting the flight data into a conventional flight data format and recording the converted flight data with a first flight data recorder of the same type as a second flight data recorder onboard the aircraft.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of receiving and recording further involves the step of detecting an exceedence in the received flight data.

20. A system for recording flight data from an aircraft during flight, comprising:

means onboard an aircraft for monitoring a plurality of flight parameters and detecting a predetermined exceedence indicative of a potential problem;

RF means for transmitting signals carrying flight data representative of the flight parameters and voice data representative of voice communications and other audible noise in the aircraft cockpit upon the detection of the predetermined exceedence, the RF means including a multiplexer interposed between a first existing RF output and an RF transmitter; and

means remote from the aircraft for receiving the transmitted signals and recording the flight data and the voice data for analysis, including a demultiplexer interposed between an RF receiver and a second existing RF output and a signal analyzer that converts the flight data and the voice data into a conventional flight data format and a conventional voice data format, and an FDR and a VDR that record the converted flight data and voice data.