Integrating portable electronic devices with electronic flight bag systems installed in aircraft

• US 20070055416A1
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Allen, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,732,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2207/10 Displays which are primarily used in aircraft or display aircraft-specific information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft

Abstract

An electronic flight bag apparatus includes an electronic flight bag (EFB) system installed in an aircraft and which interfaces with a ground network, and a portable EFB device connectible with the EFB system via a trusted secure connection. This apparatus makes it possible for a flight crew member to remove the portable device from the aircraft, enter flight information into the device in a convenient manner, and transfer the information to the installed EFB system. Auxiliary crew members may use the portable device during flight to assist the flight crew.

Claims

1. An electronic flight bag apparatus comprising:

an electronic flight bag (EFB) system installed in an aircraft and which interfaces with a ground network; and

a portable EFB device connectible with the EFB system via a trusted link and secure connection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable device is configured to provide a digital certificate to the EFB system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable EFB device comprises one of the following:

a laptop computer, and a pen tablet computer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the EFB system further comprises a plurality of electronic flight bags (EFBs), and the portable EFB device communicates with one or more of the EFBs via the secure connection.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the EFB system and the portable EFB device each comprise one or more application modules, and wherein a module for an application of the EFB device communicates with a module of the EFB system for the same application.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the modules communicate via a messaging client installed in the EFB device in communication with a messaging client installed in the EFB system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the modules for a given application are in communication only with one other via the messaging clients.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the application comprises one of the following:

an electronic logbook application, a terminal charts application, and an electronic document application.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the application module of the portable EFB device sends a message to the ground network via the EFB system.

10. An apparatus for transferring information between a portable electronic flight bag (EFB) device and an EFB system installed in an aircraft, the EFB system including a plurality of electronic flight bags (EFBs), the apparatus comprising:

a processor of the EFBs configured to provide a trusted link and secure connection between the portable EFB device and the EFB system;

a messaging client of at least one of the EFBs; and

a messaging client of the portable EFB device;

the messaging clients configured to provide messaging via the secure connection between a module for an application of at least one of the EFBs and a module of the portable EFB device for the same application.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a router/switch, the portable EFB device connectible with one or more EUs of the EFB system via the router/switch.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the messaging clients are further configured to provide messaging only among modules for the same application.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the application comprises one of an electronic documents (EDOCS) application, a terminal charts application, and an electronic logbook application.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an electronic logbook application for which the messaging clients are configured to provide a transfer of updated logbook records from the portable EFB device to the EFB system.

15. A method of providing information to an electronic flight bag (EFB) system installed in an aircraft, the method comprising:

entering the information into a portable EFB device, the entering performed while the portable device is not connected with the EFB system;

connecting the EFB portable device with the EFB system via a trusted link and secure connection; and

transferring the information to the EFB system using the EFB portable device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the EFB system is in communication with a ground network, the method further comprising transferring the information to the ground network using the EFB system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein entering the information into the portable device comprises using a module of the device for an application, the application module configured to communicate with a module of the EFB system for the same application.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein transferring the information comprises using a messaging client of the EFB portable device to communicate with a messaging client of the EFB system to provide the communication between the application modules.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the messaging clients allow an application module to communicate only with another application module for the same application.