AIRCRAFT FLIGHT DATA DELIVERY AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH EMERGENCY MODE

• US 20120191273A1
• Filed: 08/11/2010
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Aeromechanical Services Limited
• Inventors: Jacobs, Kent, Sumer, Murat, Bradley, Matthew, Hayden, Richard, MacKinnon, Alana, Juma, Zeynin
• Granted Patent: US 9,602,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0059 by communicating emergency situations to ground control or between crew members
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service

Abstract

An automated aircraft flight data and delivery management system and method operates in a normal state and a demand state. The demand state may be self-initiated or manually-initiated, and may be triggered during situations which include but are not limited to situations when the aircraft is in a potential or confirmed emergency situation. Data transmission increases in intensity when the system is in a demand state.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting flight data from an aircraft to a ground station server using an airborne data processing unit comprising data tables and instructions sets, the method comprising:

(a) during operation in a normal state, obtaining and analyzing flight data from an aircraft and periodically generating and transmitting a summary file containing a summary of the plurality of flight data to a ground station server; and

(b) in response to a pre-defined triggering event, entering a demand state and obtaining flight data from the aircraft and periodically transmitting the flight data to the ground station server, wherein the rate of data transmission is greater than in the normal state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the flight data is packed and/or compressed prior to transmission during the demand state.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing preview flight data from a user-defined period of time before the triggering event, and transmitting the preview flight data to the ground station server during the demand state.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-defined triggering event comprises a user command or a data parameter which is outside a user-defined range.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the data parameter which is outside a user-defined range is indicative of an abnormal state or a potential emergency state.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of accessing the airborne data processing unit from a ground station, and revising the data tables or instructions sets, either before or after a triggering event.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the 3 wherein the second rate comprises a more frequent rate of the same data as in the normal state, or the transmission of a greater of amount of data, or the transmission of a greater amount of data at a more frequent rate than in the normal state.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of returning to the normal state by activating a disarm trigger, which may be automatic or a user command.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the flight data being transmitted in the demand state is packed and compressed prior to transmittal.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the flight data is packed by minimizing or eliminating data commenting and formatting information and arranging in a manner identifiable by a pre-programmed user system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein all steps are automated.

18. A computer readable memory having thereon statements and instructions for execution by a data processing unit to carry out the method of any one of claims 1 to 11.

12. An aircraft data transmission system for transmitting data to a ground server station, the system comprising an airborne data processing unit having:

(a) a data acquisition module operative to obtain flight data from an aircraft;

(b) a communication module operative to transmit data to the ground server station;

(c) a memory comprising data tables and instruction sets;

(d) a processing unit operatively connected to the data acquisition module, the communication module and the memory and operative in accordance with the instruction sets to;

i. obtain, analyze and store flight data from an aircraft and periodically generate and transmit, using the communications module, a summary file containing a summary of the plurality of flight data to a ground station server, while in a normal state; and

ii. in response to a pre-defined or user-initiated triggering event, automatically obtain flight data from the aircraft and periodically transmit, using the communication module, the flight data to the ground station server, while in a demand state, wherein the rate of data transmission is greater during the demand state than the normal state.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein data transmissions are transmitted more frequently or the amount of data transmitted is greater, or both, during the demand state than during the normal state.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the processing unit is operative to pack data during the demand state in a data file format which may be decoded by a pre-programmed user system.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the processing unit is operative to pack data by minimizing or eliminating data commenting and formatting information and arranging in a manner identifiable by a pre-programmed user system.

16. The system of claim 12 further comprising a ground station server operative to receive data transmissions from the data processing unit and upon receiving a data transmission from the data processing unit in the demand state, and if necessary decode the data transmission, and send a notification or a data file, or both a notification and a data file, to at least one user.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the airborne data processing unit is fully automated.