Methods and systems for an ad hoc network sensor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267587-B2
Application number	US-201916435669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2019
Priority date	Jun 10, 2019
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

An example real-time ad hoc network sensor system includes a plurality of sensors positioned at fixed locations on an aircraft, a plurality of mobile devices in an interior of the aircraft, and a computing device having one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions including receiving outputs from the plurality of sensors and from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices during the flight of the aircraft, mapping the outputs to a computer model of the aircraft for association with locations in the interior of the aircraft, and based on the mapping, creating a vehicle data-signature-map of the interior of the aircraft for at least one parameter of the aircraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A real-time ad hoc network sensor system comprising:
a plurality of sensors positioned at fixed locations on an aircraft;
a plurality of mobile devices in an interior of the aircraft, wherein the plurality of mobile devices include sensors;
a computing device having one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
receiving outputs from the plurality of sensors during a flight of the aircraft;
receiving outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices during the flight of the aircraft, wherein the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices are associated with a respective location of the plurality of mobile devices in the interior of the aircraft;
mapping the outputs from the plurality of sensors and the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices to a computer model of the aircraft for association with locations in the interior of the aircraft; and
based on mapping the outputs from the plurality of sensors and the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices to the computer model of the aircraft, creating a vehicle data-signature-map of the interior of the aircraft for at least one parameter of the aircraft.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interior of the aircraft includes a passenger compartment, and wherein the plurality of mobile devices include passenger-provided mobile devices.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
prompting the plurality of mobile devices with a request for permission to receive the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices; and
based on receipt of permission from the plurality of mobile devices, receiving the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices during the flight of the aircraft.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein mapping the outputs from the plurality of sensors and the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices to the computer model of the aircraft for association with locations in the interior of the aircraft comprises:
receiving, from the plurality of mobile devices, data indicative of a distance from an aircraft antenna; and
determining, based on the data indicative of the distance from the aircraft antenna, the respective location of the plurality of mobile devices in the interior of the aircraft.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein mapping the outputs from the plurality of sensors and the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices to the computer model of the aircraft for association with locations in the interior of the aircraft comprises:
receiving, from the plurality of mobile devices, user identifier information in response to a user logging into an account;
associating the user identifier information with a seat assignment in the aircraft based on ticketing information; and
using the seat assignment as the respective location for the plurality of mobile devices.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein creating the vehicle data-signature-map of the interior of the aircraft for the at least one parameter of the aircraft comprises:
creating the vehicle data-signature-map for at least one of an acceleration, an ambient light, an infrared, a tilt, a magnetometer, a barometric pressure, a gyroscope, a global positioning system (GPS), a heart rate sensor, a pedometer, a vibration, an audio, a temperature, and a humidity of a portion of the aircraft, wherein the vehicle data-signature-map is indicative of a distribution of the at least one parameter within the interior of the aircraft.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outputs from the plurality of sensors during the flight of the aircraft and the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices during the flight of the aircraft are each associated with a timestamp, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
based on mapping the outputs from the plurality of sensors and the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices to the computer model of the aircraft, creating the vehicle data-signature-map of the interior of the aircraft for the at least one parameter for a flight-leg of the flight for the aircraft, wherein the flight-leg is associated with the timestamp.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
receiving outputs from sensors of additional mobile devices during a subsequent flight of the aircraft, wherein the additional mobile devices are located in the interior of the aircraft and are associated with a respective location of the additional mobile devices in the interior of the aircraft;
aggregating the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices during the flight of the aircraft with the outputs from the sensors of the additional mobile devices during the subsequent flight of the aircraft based on the respective location of the plurality of mobile devices and the respective location of the additional mobile devices in the interior of the aircraft; and
based on aggregating the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices during the flight of the aircraft with the outputs from the sensors of the additional mobile devices during the subsequent flight of the aircraft, creating the vehicle data-signature-map of the interior of the aircraft for the at least one parameter of the aircraft.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
receiving outputs from sensors of additional mobile devices during multiple subsequent flights of the aircraft, wherein the additional mobile devices are located in the interior of the aircraft and are associated with a respective location of the additional mobile devices in the interior of the aircraft; and
based on a number of (i) the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices during the flight of the aircraft and (ii) the outputs from the sensors of the additional mobile devices during the multiple subsequent flights of the aircraft exceeding a threshold, creating the vehicle data-signature-map of the interior of the aircraft for the at least one parameter of the aircraft using all received outputs.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is a first aircraft, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
receiving outputs from sensors of additional mobile devices during a flight of a second aircraft, wherein the additional mobile devices are located in the interior of the second aircraft and are associated with a respective location of the additional mobile devices in the interior of the second aircraft, wherein the second aircraft is a same type of aircraft as the first aircraft;
aggregating the outputs from the sensors of the plurality of mobile devices during the flight of the first aircraft with the outputs from the sensors of the additional mobile devices during the flight of the second aircraft based on the respective location of the plurality of mobile devices and the respective location of the additional mobile devices in the interior of the first aircraft and the second aircraft; and
based on aggregati

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Glatfelter John W
• Laughlin Brian D
• Kelsey William D

Classifications

• H04Q2209/823

  where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm · CPC title

• G07C5/02

  Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only (apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00) · CPC title

• B64F5/60 Primary

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• H04W4/48

  for in-vehicle communication · CPC title

• H04W4/38

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title