System of data communication for an electric aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11952152-B1
Application number	US-202318096818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2023
Priority date	Jan 13, 2023
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A system for data communication for an electric aircraft is disclosed. The system may include a charging connector configured to mate with at least an electric aircraft port of the electric aircraft. The charging connector may be further configured to charge at least a battery pack of the electric aircraft, wherein the charging connector may include a housing configured to house at least a component of the charging connector and a pin configured to connect conductors. The system may include a computing device communicatively connected to the charging connector, wherein the computing device is configured to establish a data connection with the electric aircraft. The computing device is further configured to receive data over the data connection from the electric aircraft at a data transfer rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system of data communication for an electric aircraft, the system comprising:
a memory on an electric aircraft and communicatively connected to selected flight components of the electric aircraft, wherein the memory is configured to store flight history data comprising data from the selected flight components;
a charging connector configured to:
mate with at least an electric aircraft port of an electric aircraft; and
charge at least a battery pack of the electric aircraft, wherein the charging connector comprises:
a housing configured to house at least a component of the charging connector; and
a data pin configured to:
join conductors; and
communicatively connect the electric aircraft port and the charging connector to conduct a wired data connection, wherein the charging connector is configured to transfer the flight history data from the memory by the wired data connection;

a computing device off-board the electric aircraft and communicatively connected to the charging connector, wherein the computing device is configured to:
authenticate the electric aircraft once the charging connector is plugged into the electric aircraft port;
establish a data connection with the electric aircraft upon the authentication of the electric aircraft; and
receive data over the data connection from the electric aircraft at a data transfer rate, wherein the received data comprises the flight history data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charging connector is incorporated into ground service equipment, wherein the ground service equipment comprises ground charging equipment.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data connection is operated simultaneously as the charging connector is charging the at least a battery pack of the electric aircraft.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charging connector asynchronously charges the at least a battery pack and operates the data connection.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a data transfer period of the data connection is less than an hour.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data transfer rate of the data connection is higher than 1 Gbit/s.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to transmit the data to a database.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data connection comprises a wireless connection.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data comprises machine-learning data from a flight controller of the electric aircraft.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to authenticate the electric aircraft before conducting the data connection.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is communicatively connected to the electric aircraft using a network.

12. A method of communicating data for an electric aircraft using a charging connector, the process comprising:
communicatively connecting a memory on an electric aircraft to selected flight components of the electric aircraft, wherein the memory is configured to store flight history data comprising data from the selected flight components;
mating a charging connector to the at least an electric aircraft port of an electric aircraft, wherein the charging connector comprises:
a housing, wherein the housing houses at least a component of the charging connector; and
a data pin configured to join conductors;

communicatively connecting, using the data pin of the charging connector, the electric aircraft port and the charging connector to conduct wired data connection, wherein the charging connector is configured to transfer the flight history data from the memory by the wired data connection;
charging, by the charging connector, at least a battery pack of the electric aircraft;
authenticating the electric aircraft once the charging connector is plugged into the electric aircraft port;
establishing, using a computing device communicatively connected to the charging connector, a data connection with the electric aircraft upon the authentication of the electric aircraft; and
receiving, using the computing device, data from the electric aircraft at a data transfer rate, wherein the received data comprises the flight history data.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the data connection comprises a wireless connection.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the data connection comprises a wired connection.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
transmitting, using the computing device, the data to a database.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
communicatively connecting, using a network, the computing device and the electric aircraft.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Donnelly Richard
• Guthrie Charles Camron

Classifications

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• G06N3/08

  Learning methods · CPC title

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title

• B60L53/16

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• B64U50/37 Primary

  Charging when not in flight · CPC title