Onboard electronic distribution system

• US 8,442,751 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kimberly, Greg A., Fuchs, Ludwin, Gould, Todd William, McLain, Fred J., Morgan, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivera, Anibal
• Application Number:
  US12/276,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0739 in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for transferring information with an aircraft. A connection is established between an onboard electronic distribution system executing in an aircraft data processing system in the aircraft and an on ground component. Responsive to a request for a command from the on ground component, the command for execution is identified. The identified command is sent to the onboard electronic distribution system from an on ground component. A transaction identifier is assigned to the command. A transaction associated with the command is maintained on the onboard electronic distribution system and the on ground component using the transaction identifier. An uplink is initiated by the on ground component. An aircraft software part is sent to the onboard electronic distribution system from the on ground component to perform the uplink. A status of a transfer of the aircraft software part on ground component is stored.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for transferring information with an aircraft, the computer implemented method comprising:

establishing a connection between an onboard electronic distribution system executing in an aircraft data processing system in the aircraft and an on ground component;

determining whether metadata for an aircraft software part is correct, the metadata stored in database of a library, and the aircraft software part stored in the library;

responsive to determining that the metadata is correct, registering a temporary entry in the database of the library, the temporary entry comprising a status of a sending of the aircraft software part, the status identifies the aircraft software part and a portion of the aircraft software part that has actually been sent;

responsive to a request for a command from the on ground component made through the connection, identifying the command for execution by the onboard electronic distribution system to form an identified command;

sending the identified command to the onboard electronic distribution system from the on ground component;

assigning a transaction identifier to the command;

maintaining the status of a transaction associated with the command on the onboard electronic distribution system and the on ground component using the transaction identifier;

initiating an uplink by the on ground component;

sending an aircraft software part to the onboard electronic distribution system from the on ground component to perform the uplink;

storing the status of a transfer of the aircraft software part at the on ground component; and

using the portion to resume the sending after an interruption of the sending occurs.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to another request to send a downlink file to the on ground component sent from the onboard electronic distribution system to the on ground component, determining whether to send the downlink file; and

responsive to a determination to send the downlink file to the on ground component, sending the downlink file to the on ground component.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending the aircraft software part comprises:

sending an unsent portion of the aircraft software part to the onboard electronic distribution system if the status indicates that an unsent part of the aircraft software part is present.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the step of sending the downlink file to the on ground component comprises:

sending an unsent portion of the downlink file to the on ground component; and

appending the unsent portion of the downlink file received by the on ground component to a partial downlink file corresponding to the downlink file.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4 further comprising:

identifying the unsent portion of the downlink file using a corresponding status of transfer for the downlink file.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the aircraft software part in a storage device in the aircraft data processing system on which the onboard electronic distribution is located.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the downlink file comprises data generated by a line replaceable unit in the aircraft.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the line replaceable unit is selected from one of a flight management system, an autopilot, an in flight entertainment system, a communications system, a navigation system, a flight controller, a flight recorder, and a collision avoidance system.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft software part is for use in a line replaceable unit in the aircraft.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the command is selected from one of an uplink command, a downlink command, and a delete command.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer recordable storage media;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for establishing a connection between an onboard electronic distribution system executing in an aircraft data processing system in the aircraft and an on ground component;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for determining whether metadata for an aircraft software part is correct, the metadata stored in database of a library, and the aircraft software part stored in the library;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, responsive to determining that the metadata is correct, for registering a temporary entry in the database of the library, the temporary entry comprising a status of a sending of the aircraft software part, the status identifies the aircraft software part and a portion of the aircraft software part that has actually been sent;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, responsive to a request for a command from the onboard electronic distribution system made through the connection, for identifying the command for execution by the onboard electronic distribution system to form an identified command;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for sending the identified command to the onboard electronic distribution system from the on ground component;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for assigning a transaction identifier to the command;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for maintaining the status of a transaction associated with the command on the onboard electronic distribution system and the on ground component using the transaction identifier;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for initiating an uplink by the onboard electronic distribution system;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for sending an aircraft software part to the onboard electronic distribution system from the on ground component to perform the uplink;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for storing the status of a transfer of the aircraft software part; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for using the portion to resume the sending after an interruption of the sending occurs.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, responsive to another request to send a downlink file to the on ground component sent from the onboard electronic distribution system to the on ground component, for determining whether to send the downlink file; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, responsive to a determination to send the downlink file to the on ground component, for sending the downlink file to the on ground component.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for sending the aircraft software part to the onboard electronic distribution system from the on ground component to perform the uplink comprises:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for sending an unsent portion of the aircraft software part to the onboard electronic distribution system if the status indicates that an unsent part of the aircraft software part is present.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for sending the downlink file to the on ground component comprises:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for sending an unsent portion of the downlink file to the on ground component; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for appending the unsent portion of the downlink file received by the on ground component to a partial downlink file corresponding to the downlink file.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for identifying the unsent portion of the downlink file using a corresponding status of transfer for the downlink file.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage media, for storing the aircraft software part in a storage device in the aircraft data processing system on which the onboard electronic distribution is located.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the downlink file comprises data generated by a line replaceable unit in the aircraft.

18. An apparatus comprising:

an on ground component configured to determine whether metadata for an aircraft software part is correct, the metadata stored in database of a library, and the aircraft software part stored in the library; and

responsive to determining that the metadata is correct, registering a temporary entry in the database of the library, the temporary entry comprising a status of a sending of the aircraft software part, the status identifies the aircraft software part and a portion of the aircraft software part that has actually been sent;

an onboard electronic distribution system capable of receiving a command from the on ground component;

requesting an aircraft software part corresponding to an uplink command in response to receiving the uplink command from the on ground component receiving the aircraft software part from the on ground component in response to requesting the aircraft software part to form a received aircraft software part; and

storing the software aircraft part;

a data processing system, wherein the on ground component executes on the data processing system; and

an aircraft data processing system, wherein the onboard electronic distribution system executes on the aircraft data processing system.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the onboard electronic distribution system is capable of sending the request to the on ground component to send a downlink file to the on ground component and sending the downlink file to the on ground component in response to an indication that the on ground component is capable of receiving the downlink file.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

an aircraft network in an aircraft, wherein the aircraft data processing system is located in the aircraft network.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

a set of line replaceable units in the aircraft, wherein the aircraft software part is for use in one of a line replaceable unit in the set of line replaceable units in the aircraft.