Aircraft monitoring system and method of collecting data in an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11089106-B2
Application number	US-201816212118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2018
Priority date	Dec 6, 2018
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

An aircraft system that includes an aircraft and a detector assembly. The aircraft can include at least one data system coupled to at least one component. The at least one data system or the at least one component can communicate an output via a wireless network. Output information is collected and communicated to the detector assembly. The detector assembly can include a receiver and at least one of a memory, a controller, or a communication link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft system, comprising:
an aircraft, comprising:
at least one data system located within the aircraft and configured to aid in operation of the aircraft;
at least one component operably coupled with the at least one data system and providing an output related thereto; and
a wireless network including a plurality of wireless remote nodes located within the aircraft and operably coupled to the at least one component to receive the output therefrom the plurality of wireless remote nodes communicatively coupled to each other, the plurality of wireless remote nodes, comprising:
a primary wireless central node that defines a wireless access point located in the aircraft and boundaries of the wireless network, wherein the primary wireless central node is configured to gather the output of a set of the plurality of wireless remote nodes as collected data and transmit the collected data therein; and
at least one central-peripheral switch node included in the set of the plurality of wireless remote nodes wherein when the primary wireless central node is operable, the primary wireless central node is configured to gather the output of the set of the plurality of wireless remote nodes that includes the at least one central-peripheral switch node, as collected data and transmit the collected data therein and wherein when the primary wireless central node is not operable the at least one central-peripheral switch node defines a wireless access point located in the aircraft and the at least one central-peripheral switch node is configured to gather the output of a remainder of the set of the plurality of wireless remote nodes as collected data and transmit the collected data therein; and

a detector assembly, comprising:
a receiver configured for at least one-way communication of the collected data from the primary wireless central node or the at least one central-peripheral switch node on the aircraft; and
at least one of a memory, a controller, or a communication link operably coupled to the receiver;
wherein when the detector assembly is within the boundaries, the collected data transmitted from the primary wireless central node or the at least one central-peripheral switch node is received by the receiver and at least one of stored in the memory, processed via the controller, or relayed via the communication link.

2. The aircraft system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of wireless remote nodes are Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes.

3. The aircraft system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes is inaccessible within the aircraft.

4. The aircraft system of claim 3 wherein the receiver is a Bluetooth 5 data collector configured to obtain the collect data from the Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes when an unmanned aerial vehicle is proximate to the aircraft.

5. The aircraft system of claim 4 wherein the receiver is a transceiver configured for two-way communication.

6. The aircraft system of claim 4 , further comprising an airport outpost and wherein the communication link transmits the collected data to the airport outpost.

7. The aircraft system of claim 1 wherein the detector assembly is carried by an unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The aircraft system of claim 1 wherein a predetermined location of the primary wireless central node or the central-peripheral switch node is identified on an exterior of the aircraft.

9. The aircraft system of claim 1 wherein the detector assembly is located at an airport outpost.

10. The aircraft system of claim 1 wherein the receiver and the primary wireless central node or the central-peripheral switch node operating as a wireless central node are configured for two-way communication.

11. A method of collecting data in an aircraft, comprising:
collecting information from a primary wireless central node when the primary wireless central node is operable, wherein the primary wireless central node is configured to gather the output of a set of a plurality of wireless remote nodes that includes at least one central-peripheral switch node, as collected data and, when the primary wireless central node is not operable, collecting information from the at least one central-peripheral switch node operating as a wireless central node configured to gather the output of a remainder of the plurality of wireless remote nodes, as collected data, wherein at least one data system configured to aid in operation of the aircraft includes at least one component operably coupled and providing an output related thereto via the primary wireless central node, the at least one central-peripheral switch node, or the plurality of wireless remote nodes located within the aircraft; and
at least one of storing the collected data, processing the collected data, relaying the collected data, or transmitting the collected data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the collecting information is accomplished via a Bluetooth transceiver.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of wireless remote nodes are Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the Bluetooth transceiver is carried by an unmanned aerial vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the Bluetooth transceiver is a Bluetooth 5 data collector configured to collect data from the Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes when the unmanned aerial vehicle is proximate to the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the collected information is at least one of relayed or transmitted to a ground system.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising processing the collected data at the ground system and providing an indication on a display related to processed data.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the Bluetooth transceiver is located at an airport outpost.

19. An aircraft, comprising:
at least one data system associated with the aircraft and configured to aid in operation of the aircraft;
at least one component operably coupled with the at least one data system and providing an output related thereto; and
a Bluetooth network including a plurality of Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes located within a portion of the aircraft and operably coupled to the at least one component to receive the output therefrom, the plurality of Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes comprising:
a primary wireless central node operably coupled to a set of the plurality of Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes and communicatively coupled thereto and defining a Bluetooth access point located in the aircraft that defines boundaries of the Bluetooth network; and
a plurality of central-peripheral switch nodes included in the set of the plurality of Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes;
wherein when the primary wireless central node is operable, the primary wireless central node is configured to gather the output of the set of the plurality of Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes that includes the plurality of central-peripheral switch nodes as collected data and transmit data therein, and wherein, upon provision or a communication failure, fault, or obstruction of the primary wireless central node, any one or more of the plurality of central-peripheral switch nodes is configured to define a corresponding Bluetooth access point located in the aircraft, gather the output of a remainder of the plurality of Bluetooth low energy mesh networking nodes as collected data, and transmit the collected data within the boundaries of the Bluetooth n

Assignees

• Ge Aviation Systems Llc

Inventors

• Venugopalan Vigneshwaran
• Yallapalli Avichandra

Classifications

• G08G5/26 Primary

  Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

  Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration · CPC title

• G07C5/085

  using electronic data carriers · CPC title

• B64D47/00

  Equipment not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G07C5/008 Primary

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title