Device for transferring information from an avionics system of an aircraft to an independent computer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10516472-B2
Application number	US-201715650350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Jul 19, 2016
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

A device and system for transferring information from an avionics system of an aircraft to an independent computer. The device can be embedded onboard an aircraft for transferring information arising from an avionics system from the aircraft to a computer independent of the avionics system. The device includes at least one radiofrequency receiver configured to receive information which arises from the avionics system and is emitted destined for the ground or another aircraft, at least one transmitter, and a processing unit to command the transmission by the transmitter, to the computer, of at least some of the information received by the radiofrequency receiver.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device configured for embedding onboard an aircraft and configured for transferring information received from an avionics system of the aircraft to a computer independent of the avionics system, the device comprising:
at least one radiofrequency receiver configured to receive, when the device is embedded onboard the aircraft, information which arises from the avionics system and is emitted by a radiofrequency emitter of the aircraft destined for ground or another aircraft;
at least one sensor;
at least one transmitter; and
a processing unit configured to command transmission by the transmitter, to the computer independent of the avionics system, of at least some of the information received by the radiofrequency receiver;
wherein the device is independent of the avionics system of the aircraft;
wherein the processing unit is configured to acquire signals arising from the at least one sensor and to determine information in respect of position and/or attitude of the aircraft as a function of the signals; and
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine whether information in respect of position and/or attitude of the aircraft has been received by the at least one radiofrequency receiver more recently than a predetermined duration ago.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the radiofrequency receiver is a VHF type radiofrequency receiver.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the radiofrequency receiver is a ADS-B type radiofrequency receiver.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is a radiofrequency emitter of WiFi® type or of Bluetooth® type.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a VHF emitter and wherein the processing unit is configured to dispatch requests to the aircraft by a VHF emitter.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to command the transmission by the transmitter of at least some of the aircraft's position and/or attitude information received by the at least one radiofrequency receiver if information in respect of position and/or attitude of the aircraft has been received by the at least one radiofrequency receiver more recently than the predetermined duration ago; and
wherein the processing unit is further configured to command the transmission by the transmitter of at least some of the aircraft's position and/or attitude information determined as a function of the signals arising from the at least one sensor if information in respect of position and/or attitude of the aircraft has not been received by the at least one radiofrequency receiver more recently than the predetermined duration ago.

7. A system embedded onboard an aircraft and comprising a computer independent of avionics computers of the aircraft, as well as a device onboard the aircraft configured for transferring information received from an avionics system of the aircraft to the computer independent of the avionics system, the device comprising:
at least one radiofrequency receiver configured to receive, when the device is embedded onboard the aircraft, information which arises from the avionics system and is emitted by a radiofrequency emitter of the aircraft destined for ground or another aircraft;
at least one transmitter;
at least one sensor;
a processing unit configured to command transmission by the transmitter, to the computer independent of the avionics system, of at least some of the information received by the radiofrequency receiver; and
the computer being configured to acquire information relating to the aircraft, provided by the device;
wherein the device is independent of the avionics system of the aircraft;
wherein the processing unit is configured to acquire signals arising from the at least one sensor and to determine information in respect of position and/or attitude of the aircraft as a function of the signals; and
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine whether information in respect of position and/or attitude of the aircraft has been received by the at least one radiofrequency receiver more recently than a predetermined duration ago.

8. The system embedded onboard as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the computer independent of the avionics computers of the aircraft is a computer of EFB type.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to command the transmission by the transmitter of at least some of the aircraft's position and/or attitude information received by the at least one radiofrequency receiver if information in respect of position and/or attitude of the aircraft has been received by the at least one radiofrequency receiver more recently than the predetermined duration ago; and
wherein the processing unit is further configured to command the transmission by the transmitter of at least some of the aircraft's position and/or attitude information determined as a function of the signals arising from the at least one sensor if information in respect of position and/or attitude of the aircraft has not been received by the at least one radiofrequency receiver more recently than the predetermined duration ago.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas
• Airbus Sas

Inventors

• Scacchi Pierre
• Stanislawiak Thomas
• Audibert Marc
• RENIER Raphaël
• Depape Pierre
• Pohin Martial

Classifications

• H04W84/06

  Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04B7/18506 Primary

  Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service · CPC title

• H04H20/62

  for transportation systems, e.g. in vehicles · CPC title

• G08G5/0021

  Physics · mapped topic