Systems and methods to distribute an aircraft operations communication (AOC) application to communication components in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10666764-B2
Application number	US-201615089348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2016
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

A system to distribute an Aircraft Operations Communication (AOC) application is provided. The system includes communication components in a vehicle, and an AOC database. The communication components include one of: a Communication Management Unit (CMU); or a Communication Management Function (CMF); and at least one of: at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and at least one cabin terminal. The AOC database includes an operational configuration for aircraft operations communication for the communication components in the vehicle. The AOC database is loaded into at least one of: the CMU, the CMF, the at least one EFB; the at least one cabin terminal; and a database device. The AOC database configures the operation of the communication components in the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system to distribute an Aircraft Operations Communication (AOC) application, the system comprising:
communication components in a vehicle, the communication components including
one of a Communication Management Unit (CMU) and a Communication Management Function (CMF); and
at least one of at least one electronic flight bag (EFB) and at least one cabin terminal; and

an AOC database, which includes an operational configuration for aircraft operations communication for the communication components in the vehicle, the AOC database distributed to at least one of the CMU, the CMF, the at least one EFB, the at least one cabin terminal, and a database device;
wherein the distributed AOC database is used to at least one of share and allocate the AOC application to the communication components in the vehicle and configure the operation of associated communication components in the vehicle;
wherein the one of the CMU or the CMF includes a master AOC in which the AOC database is loaded;
wherein the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal includes a respective at least one proxy AOC;
wherein the master AOC is communicatively coupled to the at least one proxy AOC to distribute the AOC application based on the operational configuration of the Aircraft Operations Communication for the proxy AOC;
wherein the AOC application is distributed to the master AOC based on the operational configuration of the Aircraft Operations Communication for the master AOC;
wherein the at least one proxy AOC provides access to the EFB data on the respective at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal to the one of the CMU or the CMF; and
wherein the at least one proxy AOC sends datalink messages to a human machine interface (HMI) of the respective at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the AOC database configures the operation of the communication components in the vehicle for at least one of: defining message formats for the communication components in the vehicle; displaying of uplinks in the communication components in the vehicle; displaying of uplinks in a cockpit display in the vehicle; displaying on an EFB display; interacting with the EFB HMI; displaying on a cabin terminal display; interacting with the cabin terminal HMI; displaying of downlinks in the communication components in the vehicle; displaying of data content; downlinking of messages from the communication components in the vehicle; and uplinking of messages to the communication components in the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one proxy AOC in the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal is communicatively coupled to: a human machine interface (HMI) of the respective at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal, the HMI including a display; and an access in the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal to an external communication system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one of the CMU or the CMF includes a communication management unit (CMU) AOC, a router, an access to at least one external communication system; and an interface to a human machine interface/display in the cockpit.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one of the CMU or the CMF includes a master AOC in which the AOC database is loaded, a router, and an access to at least one external communication system; and wherein the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal in the vehicle includes a respective at least one: proxy AOC, a human machine interface, a display, and an access to one of the at least one external communication systems.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one of the CMU or the CMF includes a communication management unit (CMU) AOC in which a first AOC database is loaded, and
wherein the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal includes a respective at least one EFB AOC in which a respective at least one second AOC database is loaded,
wherein the CMU AOC is communicatively coupled to the at least one EFB AOC and to a human machine interface/display in the cockpit,
wherein the CMU AOC distributes the AOC application based on the operational configuration of the one of the CMU or the CMF,
wherein the at least one EFB AOC distributes the AOC application based on the operational configuration of the respective at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the AOC database is loaded in the database device, wherein the database device is communicatively coupled to the one of the CMU or the CMF, wherein the AOC database distributes the AOC application to the one of the CMU or the CMF based on the operational configuration of the respective one of the CMU or the CMF.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one of the CMU or the CMF includes a master communication management unit (CMU) AOC,
wherein the at least one of: the at least one EFB; and the at least one cabin terminal includes a respective at least one proxy EFB AOC, wherein the master CMU AOC is communicatively coupled to the at least one proxy EFB AOC to distribute the AOC application based on the operational configuration of the Aircraft Operations Communication for the at least one proxy EFB AOC,
wherein the at least one proxy EFB AOC provides access to the EFB data on the at least one proxy EFB to the one of the CMU or the CMF,
wherein the at least one proxy AOC sends datalink messages to the at least one EFB human machine interface (HMI); and
wherein the AOC application is distributed to the master CMU AOC based on the operational configuration of the Aircraft Operations Communication for the master CMU AOC.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the database device is also communicatively coupled to the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal in the vehicle, wherein the AOC database distributes the AOC application to the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal based on the operational configuration of the respective at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal in the vehicle includes:
at least one cockpit EFB in a cockpit of the vehicle; and
at least one cabin EFB in a cabin of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal in the vehicle includes at least one of:
at least one cockpit EFB in a cockpit of the vehicle; and
at least one cabin terminal in a cabin of the vehicle.

12. A method to distribute an Aircraft Operations Communication (AOC) application in a vehicle, the method comprising:
distributing at least one AOC database into at least one of a database device in the vehicle; and
communication components in the vehicle, the communication components including:
one of a Communication Management Unit (CMU) and a Communication Management Function (CMF); and
at least one of at least one electronic flight bag (EFB) and at least one cabin terminal;

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Judd Thomas D
• Hill Kathryn Bates
• Mcguffin Thomas F

Classifications

• H04L67/34 Primary

  involving the movement of software or configuration parameters  (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416) · CPC title

• G06F17/00

  Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions (information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00) · CPC title

• H04L41/024

  using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL] · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G06F13/00

  Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units (interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 {; multiprogram control therefor  G06F9/46}; multiprocessor systems  G06F15/16 ) · CPC title