Automated integration of fault reporting

• US 8,316,225 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Yukawa, Steven J, Anstey, Tim W, Ecola, Steven R, Allen, David L
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAW, YIN CHEN
• Application Number:
  US11/191,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20070028089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,672 Days
• Field of Search: 455/98, 455/431, 455/66, 455/67.11, 342/36, 709224-225, 713/150, 713/151, 701/33.4
• US Class Current: 713/150
• 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. A method for establishing a communication link between a mobile platform and a remote computer system, said method comprising:

using a first electronic log book (ELB) component of a mobile platform onboard computer system (OCS) to obtain information pertaining to at least one of;

an itinerary of the mobile platform;

an operational parameter of the mobile platform; and

fault information concerning operation of a component of the mobile platform;

using the first ELB component to generate a data file from said information;

placing the data file into an outgoing queue of a communications management function of the OCS;

configuring the data file into a transmittable data file;

locating a second electronic log book (ELB) component on a remote central computer system (CCS);

selecting a type of communication channel between the OCS and the remote CCS from a plurality of different types of communication channels adapted to work with differing communications protocols, when the data file is placed into the outgoing queue, the selection being made based on expense of the selected type of communication channel and a value of the data contained in the data file;

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

using the second ELB component to provide information that may be transmitted at a desired time via the CCS to the OCS; and

wherein configuring the data file into the transmittable data file comprises at least;

generating a unique message identification for a message of the data file; and

encoding the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the message into the transmittable data file comprises all of:

parsing the message;

generating the unique message identification for the message; and

converting the message into an encoded data string.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the data file in the OCS if a desired communication channel is not available.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an acknowledgement message from the CCS to the OCS acknowledging receipt of the message.

5. The method of claim 1, 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.

6. A communications system for use with a mobile platform, the system comprising:

an electronic log book (ELB) application having a first ELB application and a second electronic log book (ELB) application;

an onboard computer system (OCS) carried on the mobile platform and including the first ELB application, for transmitting data to a remote central computer system (CCS);

the CSS including the second ELB application which is in communication with a CCS communication management application of the CCS;

the OCS further comprising;

a storage device;

the first ELB application residing on the storage device and being compatible with the second ELB application residing on the CCS;

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 different types of communication channels between the OCS and the CCS;

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

send a message containing data to be downloaded to the CCS from the OCS first ELB 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 type of communication channel from a plurality of available differing types of communication channels, the selection being based on expense of the selected type of communication channel and on a plurality of priority rules relating to a content of the message about to be transmitted;

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

the CCS being operable to transmit data obtained from the second ELB application to the OCS; and

wherein to configure the data message into the transmittable data file the OCS processor is adapted to execute the OCS first 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.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS first ELB 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 the priority rules included in the OCS communication management application.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS first ELB application and the OCS communication management application to establish a second secure link using a second available communication channel to send at least one of the messages based on the priority rules.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS communication management application to store the message in the OCS if a specific one of the plurality of available differing types of communication channels is not available.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the CCS is adapted to send an acknowledgement message to the OCS acknowledging receipt of the message.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the CCS is adapted to extract the data from the transmittable data file and store the data in a database of the CCS.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein to select the communication channel the OCS processor is adapted to execute the OCS first ELB 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.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein:

at least one of the plurality of priority rules relates to a cost or a value of the data of the message to be transmitted.

13. A mobile platform comprising:

an onboard computer system (OCS) having a first electronic log book (ELB) application, for transmitting data to a remote central computer system (CCS), wherein the CSS includes a CCS having a second ELB application and a CCS communication management application;

the OCS comprising;

a storage device;

the second ELB application residing on the storage device that is compatible with the CCS second ELB 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 first ELB application and the OCS communication management application to;

send a message containing data to be downloaded to the CCS from the OCS first ELB 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 type of communication channel from a plurality of different available types of communication channels, based on a plurality of priority rules concerning the content of the message and based on an expense of the selected communication channel;

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

receive a data file from the second ELB application via a signal sent from the CCS communication management application, via the selected channel; and

wherein to configure the message into the transmittable data file the OCS processor is adapted to execute the OCS first ELB 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.

14. The mobile platform of claim 13, wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS first ELB 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 the priority rules included in the OCS communication management application.

15. The mobile platform of claim 14, wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS first ELB application and the OCS communication management application to establish a second secure link using a second available communication channel to send at least one of the messages based on the priority rules.

16. The mobile platform of claim 13, wherein the OCS processor is further adapted to execute the OCS communication management application to store the message in the OCS if a selected one of the plurality of differing available types of communication channels is not available.

17. The mobile platform of claim 13, wherein to automatically select the communication channel the OCS processor is adapted to execute the OCS first ELB application and the OCS communication management application to determine and track at least one of the plurality of differing available types of communication channels available for communication between the OCS and the CCS.