Automated integration of fault reporting

• US 20070028089A1
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Allen, David, Ecola, Steven, Anstey, Tim, Yukawa, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,316,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/151
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A system and method are provided for establishing a communication link between an on onboard computer system (OCS) of a mobile platform and a central computer system (CCS) located remotely from the mobile platform. A message containing data to be downloaded from the OCS to the CCS is sent from a first portion of an electronic log book function (ELB1) of the OCS to a second portion of a communications management function (CMF2) of the OCS. The message is configured into a transmittable data file and placed into an outgoing queue of the CMF2. The CMF2 automatically selects at least one desired communication channel from a plurality of available communication channels utilizing a configuration file of the CMF2. The CMF2 establishes a secure link between the OCS and the CCS utilizing the automatically selected communication channel and sends the transmittable data file to the CCS, via the secure established link over the automatically selected channel.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method for establishing a communication link between a mobile platform and a remote computer system, said method comprising:

placing a data file into an outgoing queue of a communications management function of a mobile platform onboard computer system (OCS);

selecting a communication channel between the OCS and a remote central computer system (CCS) from a plurality of communication channels when the data file is placed into the outgoing queue; and

transmitting the data file from the OCS to the CCS, via the selected channel.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein placing the data file into the outgoing queue comprises:

sending a message containing data to be downloaded from the OCS to the CCS, from an electronic log book function of the OCS to the communications management function of the OCS; and

configuring the data message into a transmittable data file.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein configuring the message into the transmittable data file comprises:

parsing the message,

generating a unique message identification for the message, and

converting the message into an encoded data string.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising storing the data file in the OCS if a desired communication channel is not available.

27. The method of claim 23 further comprising sending an acknowledgement message from the CCS to the OCS acknowledging receipt of the message.

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

extracting metric and fault data from the data file, utilizing an electronic log book function of the CCS; and

storing the data in a database of the CCS.

29. An onboard computer system (OCS) of a mobile platform for transmitting data to a remote central computer system (CCS) including a CCS logbook application and a CCS communication management application, the OCS comprising:

a storage device;

an OCS logbook application residing on the storage device that is compatible with the CCS logbook application;

an OCS communication management application residing on the storage device that is compatible with the CCS communication application, and being configured to manage an outgoing queue and a plurality of communication channels between the OCS and the CCS;

an OCS processor in communication with the storage device and adapted to execute the OCS logbook application and the OCS communication management application to;

send a message containing data to be downloaded to the CCS from the OCS logbook application to the OCS communication management application;

configure the message into a transmittable data file;

place the transmittable data file into an outgoing queue of the OCS communication management application;

select at least one communication channel from a plurality of available communication channels; and

transmit the transmittable data file containing the data message from the OCS communication management application to the CCS communication management application, via the selected channel.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS logbook application and the OCS communication management application to place a plurality of messages on the OCS communication management application outgoing queue and send the messages to the CCS communication management application based on priority rules included in the OCS communication management application.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS logbook application and the OCS communication management application to establish a second secure link using a second available channel to send at least one of the messages based on the priority.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS communication management application to store the message in the OCS if a communication channel is not available.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the CCS is adapted to send an acknowledgement message to the CMF2 acknowledging receipt of the message.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the CCS is adapted to extract the data from the transmittable data file and store the data in a database of the CCS.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein to configure the message into the transmittable data file the OCS processor is adapted to execute the OCS logbook application and the OCS communication management application to:

parse the message,

generate a unique message identification for the message, and

convert the message into an encoded data string.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein to select the communication channel the OCS processor is adapted to execute the OCS logbook application and the OCS communication management application to determine and track at least one communication channel available for communication between the OCS and the CCS.

37. A mobile platform comprising:

an onboard computer system (OCS) for transmitting data to a remote central computer system (CCS) including a CCS logbook application and a CCS communication management application, the OCS comprising;

a storage device;

an OCS logbook application residing on the storage device that is compatible with the CCS logbook application;

an OCS communication management application residing on the storage device that is compatible with the CCS communication application, and being adapted to manage an outgoing queue and a plurality of communication channels between the OCS and the CCS;

an OCS processor in communication with the storage device and adapted to execute the OCS logbook application and the OCS communication management application to;

send a message containing data to be downloaded to the CCS from the OCS logbook application to the OCS communication management application;

configure the message into a transmittable data file;

place the transmittable data file into an outgoing queue of the OCS communication management application;

automatically select at least one communication channel from a plurality of available communication channels; and

transmit the transmittable data file containing the data message from the OCS communication management application to the CCS communication management application, via the selected channel.

38. The mobile platform of claim 37, wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS logbook application and the OCS communication management application to place a plurality messages on the OCS communication management application outgoing queue and send the messages to the CCS communication management application based on priority rules included in the OCS communication management application.

39. The mobile platform of claim 38, wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS logbook application and the OCS communication management application to establish a second secure link using a second available channel to send at least one of the messages based on the priority.

40. The mobile platform of claim 37 wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS communication management application to store the message in the OCS if a communication channel is not available.

41. The mobile platform of claim 37, wherein to configure the message into the transmittable data file the OCS processor is adapted to execute the OCS logbook application and the OCS communication management application to:

parse the message,

generate a unique message identification for the message, and

convert the message into an encoded data string.

42. The mobile platform of claim 37, wherein to automatically select the communication channel the OCS processor is adapted to execute the OCS logbook application and the OCS communication management application to determine and track at least one communication channel available for communication between the OCS and the CCS.