Methods for generating multiple data reports in vehicles

• US 9,336,632 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Prabhakara, Ashwin, Mahalingaiah, Pradeep, Williams, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US14/462,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20160049019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33.4, 701/34.2, 701/34.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate generally to generating multiple, multivariant prognostic data reports in aircraft. A plurality of data collection requests, one from each of a plurality of stakeholders, is received at the aircraft. A unique portion of onboard memory is associated with each of the data collection requests. Concurrently, according to the associated data collection requests, parametric data is collected and recorded as a report into each one of the unique portions of memory associated with each data collection request.

Claims

1. A method for collecting data for a vehicle having an onboard memory and onboard processor, the method comprising:

receiving, by the processor onboard the vehicle, and prior to operation of the vehicle, a primary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request from a primary ground base station tool;

associating, by the processor, the primary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request with a unique portion of the onboard memory;

receiving, by the processor, and prior to operation of the vehicle, a secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request from a second ground base station tool;

associating, by the processor, the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request with a unique portion of the onboard memory;

and

concurrently collecting and recording data into a primary data report responsive to the primary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request, and a secondary data report responsive to the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request, wherein the primary data report and secondary data report are each stored into their associated unique portions of memory, and wherein the concurrent collection and recordation of data is performed by the processor during vehicle operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the primary stakeholder, a primary report configuration file representative of the primary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request;

generating, by the secondary stakeholder, a secondary report configuration file representative of the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request; and

transmitting the primary and secondary report configuration files to the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of associating a portion of the memory further comprises generating a unique instance of an airline condition monitoring function (ACMF) that is representative of each report configuration file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of collecting and recording data comprises utilizing the unique a plurality of instances of ACMFs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting and recording parametric data comprises collecting data during at least one of:

taxi operations, take-off operations, cruise operations, and landing operations.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising a stakeholder extracting, after vehicle operations have ended, a data report associated with the respective stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising a stakeholder extracting, during any vehicle operation, a data report associated with the respective stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a data collection request further comprises instructing on what data to collect and when to collect the data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning data to a priority category according to a predefined criticality scale.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the primary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request and the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request further comprises receiving at least one redundant datum collection request.

11. A method for providing a stakeholder with a report of parametric data collected while a vehicle is in-service, the method comprising:

receiving, at a processor onboard the vehicle, prior to vehicle service, a primary report configuration file from a primary ground base station tool, the primary report configuration file representative of a primary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request;

by the processor onboard the vehicle;

generating an airline condition monitoring function (ACMF) representative of the primary report configuration file;

associating a unique portion of an onboard memory with the primary stakeholder'"'"'s ACMF;

receiving, prior to vehicle service, a secondary report configuration file from a second ground base station tool, the secondary report configuration file representative of a secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request;

generating an airline condition monitoring function (ACMF) representative of the secondary report configuration file;

associating, a unique portion of an onboard memory with the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s ACMF;

concurrently collecting data according to the primary stakeholder'"'"'s ACMF and secondary stakeholder'"'"'s ACMF when the vehicle is in service; and

checking collected data for completeness and concurrently recording collected data into (i) the memory associated with the primary stakeholder as the primary stakeholder'"'"'s data report, and (ii) the memory associated with the secondary stakeholder as the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data report.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising extracting, by the primary stakeholder, the primary stakeholder'"'"'s data report.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising extracting, by the secondary stakeholder, the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data report.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the the primary report configuration file and secondary report configuration file comprise at least one redundant datum request.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a plurality of instances of ACMFs.

16. A system for providing a stakeholder with a data report of parametric data collected from a vehicle, the system comprising:

a primary ground base station tool for providing a primary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request;

a second ground base station tool coupled to the vehicle for providing a secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request;

a vehicle coupled to the primary ground base station tool and second ground base station tool, comprising;

a memory device;

a processor coupled to the memory device and configured to;

     1) receive, prior to operation of the vehicle, the primary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request

     2) generate an airline condition monitoring function (ACMF) representative of the primary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request

     3) associate a unique portion of the memory device with the primary stakeholder'"'"'s ACMF;

     4) collect and record data into the memory associated with the primary stakeholder'"'"'s ACMF as the primary data report, according to the primary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request; and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

     1) receive, prior to operation of the vehicle, the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request;

     2) generate an ACMF representative of the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request;

     3) associate a unique portion of the memory device with the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s data collection request;

     4) collect and record data into memory associated with the secondary stakeholder'"'"'s ACMF as the secondary data report concurrent with the collection and storage of data into the primary data report.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit to the primary stakeholder the primary data report and to transmit to the secondary stakeholder the secondary data report.