Secure wireless dataloading using in-flight entertainment connectivity systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11526282-B2
Application number	US-202016780538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	Feb 3, 2020
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods for enhancing aircraft maintenance are disclosed. An exemplary method for improving dataloading in an airplane includes retrieving, from an in-flight entertainment connectivity (IFEC) system, at least one avionics software, the IFEC system comprising a mass storage device comprising a first storage segment and a second storage segment, the first storage segment being a secure storage segment configured to store the at least one avionics software, and the second storage segment being configured to store media content, and loading, using a wireless network converter coupled to a wired legacy port, the at least one avionics software onto a target avionics system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for improving dataloading in an airplane, comprising:
logically separating, in a mass storage device of an in-flight entertainment connectivity (IFEC) system, a first storage segment of the mass storage device from a second storage segment of the mass storage device, wherein the logically separating the first storage segment from the second storage segment comprises (a) configuring the first storage segment differently than the second storage segment and (b) operating the first storage segment independently from the second storage segment;
receiving, by the first storage segment of the mass storage device of the IFEC system, at least one encrypted avionics software;
retrieving, from the first storage system, the at least one encrypted avionics software, wherein the first storage segment is a secure storage segment configured to store the at least one encrypted avionics software, and wherein the second storage segment is configured to store media content;
decrypting the at least one encrypted avionics software to generate at least one decrypted avionics software; and
loading, using a wireless network converter coupled to a wired legacy port, the at least one decrypted avionics software onto a target avionics system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting the target avionics system based on mechanical control of a multi-position rotary switch.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one decrypted avionics software comprises an attribute, and wherein the method further comprises:
selecting the target avionics systems based on the attribute and electronic control of a multi-position rotary switch, wherein the electronic control is configured to bypass mechanical control of the multi-position rotary switch.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure storage segment comprises an encrypted virtual disk that uses a variant of an advanced encryption standard (AES).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wired legacy port comprises an ARINC 615A dataload port, and wherein the wireless network converter is a wireless access point (WAP) of the IFEC system.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, based on a maintenance log or an engineering order database, the at least one decrypted avionics software; and
updating, subsequent to loading and verification thereof, the maintenance log.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the maintenance log comprises a software version of the at least one decrypted avionics software, a timestamp associated with the loading, or one or more configuration details associated with a wireless access point (WAP) of the IFEC system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the loading the at least one decrypted avionics software comprises the wireless network converter emulating a dataloading capability.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one encrypted avionics software is received from a ground storage via a free space optical (FSO) link.

10. A device for improving dataloading in an airplane, comprising:
a processor and a memory including instructions stored thereupon, wherein the instructions upon execution by the processor cause the processor to:
logically separate, in a mass storage device of an in-flight entertainment connectivity (IFEC) system, a first storage segment of the mass storage device from a second storage segment of the mass storage device, wherein logically separating the first storage segment from the second storage segment comprises (a) configuring the first storage segment differently than the second storage segment and (b) operating the first storage segment independently from the second storage segment;
receive, by the first storage segment of the mass storage device of the IFEC system, at least one encrypted avionics software;
retrieve, from the first storage system, the at least one encrypted avionics software, wherein the first storage segment of the plurality of storage segments is a secure storage segment configured to store the at least one encrypted avionics software, and wherein the second storage segment of the plurality of storage segments is configured to store media content;
select, using a multi-position rotary switch, a target avionics system of the airplane;
decrypt the at least one encrypted avionics software to generate at least one decrypted avionics software; and
load, using a wireless access point (WAP) of the IFEC system that is coupled to a wired legacy port, the at least one decrypted avionics software onto the target avionics system.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein a functionality of the multi-position rotary switch is based on a type of the airplane.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein selecting the target avionics systems is based on mechanical control of the multi-position rotary switch.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one decrypted avionics software comprises an attribute, wherein selecting the target avionics systems is based on the attribute and electronic control of the multi-position rotary switch, and wherein the electronic control is configured to bypass mechanical control of the multi-position rotary switch.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the secure storage segment comprises an encrypted virtual disk that uses a variant of an advanced encryption standard (AES).

15. The device of claim 10 , wherein loading the at least one decrypted avionics software comprises the wireless network converter emulating a dataloading capability.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon for improving dataloading in an airplane, comprising:
instructions for logically separating, in a mass storage device of an in-flight entertainment connectivity (IFEC) system, a first storage segment of the mass storage device from a second storage segment of the mass storage device, wherein the instructions for logically separating the first storage segment from the second storage segment comprises (a) instructions for configuring the first storage segment differently than the second storage segment and (b) instructions for operating the first storage segment independently from the second storage segment;
instructions for receiving, by the first storage segment of the mass storage device of the IFEC system, at least one encrypted avionics software;
instructions for retrieving, from the first storage segment, the at least one encrypted avionics software, wherein the first storage segment is a secure storage segment configured to store the at least one encrypted avionics software, and wherein the second storage segment is configured to store media content;
instructions for decrypting the at least one encrypted avionics software to generate at least one decrypted avionics software; and
instructions for loading, using a wireless network converter coupled to a wired legacy port, the at least one decrypted avionics software onto a target avionics system.

17. The storage medium of claim 16 , further comprising:
instructions for checking, based on a software database coupled to the IFEC system, a configuration of the at least one decrypted avionics software, wherein the loading is based on a validity of the checking.

18. The storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the secure storage segment comprises an encrypted virtual disk that uses a variant of an advanced encryption standard (AES).

19. The storage medium of claim 16 , further comprising:
instructions for identifying, based on a maintenance log or an engineering order database,

Assignees

• Panasonic Avionics Corp

Inventors

• Bates Steven
• Watson Philip

Classifications

• G06F3/0673

  Single storage device · CPC title

• B64D43/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title

• H04N21/2146

  located in mass transportation means, e.g. aircraft, train or bus (flight-deck installations for entertainment or communications B64D11/0015; arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62; moving wireless networks H04W84/005) · CPC title

• H04N21/8166

  involving executable data, e.g. software (arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34) · CPC title

• H04L9/0631

  Substitution permutation network [SPN], i.e. cipher composed of a number of stages or rounds each involving linear and nonlinear transformations, e.g. AES algorithms · CPC title