Dual-architecture microserver card

• US 20050171651A1
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Loda, David C., Presper, John F., Cormier, Timothy A., Kennedy, Campbell
• Granted Patent: US 7,167,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 9/00 Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/11 to prolong engine life
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/44 active, predictive, or anticipative
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/54 by electronic means, e.g. electronic tubes, transistors or IC's within an electronic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/708 with comparison tables
• 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: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

An integrated system for monitoring a deployed product on a movable platform, gathering data about the deployed product, and disseminating the data about the deployed product is disclosed. The system includes a server located on the movable platform capable of communication with the server from a remote location. The server communicates with a source of data about the deployed product. The system further includes a portal onto which data gathered by the server may be downloaded and with which one can upload information to the server. The system includes a dual architecture card which may be mounted in an electronic controller of the deployed product. The dual architecture card may include a closed architecture section executing proprietary software, and an open architecture receiving processed data from the closed architecture section through a secured connection. One or both of the closed architecture section and closed architecture section may include a microserver.

Claims

1. A system for communicating with a deployed product, comprising:

an electronic controller operatively associated with the deployed product;

a dual-architecture card mounted in the electronic controller, the dual-architecture card including a closed architecture section and an open architecture section, the open architecture section including a microserver, the microserver generating a wireless system around the deployed product; and

a computing device remote from the deployed product, the computing device adapted to wirelessly communicate with the microserver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the microserver hosts a web page and the computing device accesses the web page through the Internet, the web page having an IP address available for a plurality of Internet protocols.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the microserver and computing device communicate wirelessly by way of a local area network.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the microserver and computing device communicate wirelessly by way of a cellular network.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the microserver and computing device communicate wirelessly by way of satellite.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the deployed product is an aircraft engine.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the deployed product is an aircraft.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the closed architecture section includes a smart signal conditioner.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the closed architecture section includes a microserver.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the closed architecture section includes a security connection between the closed architecture section and the open architecture section.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is selected from the group of computing devices consisting of desktop computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, cellular telephones, and wireless PC tablets.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the closed side executes proprietary, protected software.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the open side executes unprotected software.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the dual-architecture card performs as a client to the Internet.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the dual-architecture card performs as a server to the computing device remote from the deployed product.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the dual-architecture card generates a local wireless intranet in and around the deployed product capable to operating in conjunction with the Internet the local wireless intranet also being capable of operating independently of the Internet.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the dual-architecture card acts as a coordinating server in communication with other computing devices, servers, and systems onboard the deployed product.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the dual-architecture card hosts software tools for data analysis.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the software tools for data analysis are accessible from the computing device remote from the deployed product.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the dual-architecture card hosts technical publications about the deployed product.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the technical publications are accessible from the computing device remote from the deployed product.

22. A gas turbine engine comprising:

a compressor section;

a combustion section downstream of the compressor section;

a turbine section downstream of the combustion section;

a casing surrounding at least one of the compressor section, combustion section, and turbine section;

an electronic controller mounted to the casing, the electronic controller controlling and monitoring operation of the engine; and

a dual-architecture card mounted in the electronic control box, the dual-architecture card including an open architecture section and a closed architecture section, the open architecture section including a microserver.

23. The gas turbine engine of claim 22, wherein the microserver hosts a web page, the web page having an IP address available for a plurality of Internet protocols.

24. The gas turbine engine of claim 22, wherein the microserver generates a wireless system surrounding the engine and adapted to connect to the Internet.

25. The gas turbine engine of claim 22, wherein the closed architecture section of the dual-architecture card runs proprietary, engine-specific, algorithms inaccessible by the open architecture section.

26. The gas turbine engine of claim 25, further including a closed-loop control between the closed architecture section and other cards within the engine control box, the closed architecture section receiving raw engine data from the other cards of the engine control box, executing the engine-specific algorithms based on the raw engine data, and transmitting control signals to the other cards of the electronic control box to modify operation of the gas turbine engine.

27. The gas turbine engine of claim 22, wherein the closed architecture section includes a microserver.

28. The gas turbine engine of claim 22, wherein the dual architecture section includes a smart signal conditioner.

29. The gas turbine engine of claim 22, wherein the dual-architecture card further includes a high-security connector between the open architecture section and closed architecture section.

30. The gas turbine engine of claim 22, wherein the microserver connects to the Internet by way of a local area network.

31. The gas turbine engine of claim 22, wherein the microserver connects to the Internet by way of a cellular network.

32. The gas turbine engine of claim 22, wherein the microserver connects to the Internet by way of satellite.

33. A dual-architecture card for use in a deployed product, comprising:

a closed architecture section;

an open architecture section, the open architecture section including a microserver, the microserver generating a wireless system adapted to connect to the Internet; and

a security connection between the closed architecture section and the open architecture section, the security connection ensuring proprietary software and data in the closed architecture section is not communicated to the open architecture section.

34. The dual-architecture card of claim 33, wherein the closed architecture section includes a smart signal conditioner.

35. The dual-architecture card of claim 34, wherein the deployed product is an aircraft engine.

36. A method of communicating with a deployed product, comprising:

installing a dual-architecture card into an electronic controller of a deployed product, the dual-architecture card including a closed architecture section and an open architecture section;

executing proprietary software on the closed architecture section based on data received from the deployed product;

transferred processed data from the closed architecture section to the open architecture section for access from the Internet or local computing devices; and

wirelessly transmitting the processed data from the open architecture section to a remote computing device.

37. The method of claim 36, further including the step of providing a microserver on the open architecture section.

38. The method of claim 37, further including the step of hosting a web page on the microserver, the web page having an IP address available for a plurality of Internet protocols.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the web page is accessible through the Internet and a local area network.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the web page is accessible through the Internet and a cellular network.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the web page is accessible through the Internet and a satellite.

42. The method of claim 36, wherein the transferring step is performed through a security connection ensuring the proprietary software is not accessible by the open architecture section and the Internet.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein the deployed product is an aircraft engine.

44. The method of claim 36, wherein the remote computing device is selected from the group of remote computing devices including desktop computers, personal digital assistants, wireless PC tablets, cellular phones and laptop computers.

45. An electronic controller for an engine, comprising:

a closed architecture section for controlling and monitoring the engine;

an open architecture section including a microserver for generating a wireless system adapted to connect to the Internet; and

a security connection between the closed architecture section and the open architecture section.

46. The electronic controller of claim 45, wherein the engine is a gas turbine engine.