Data retrieval system in an aircraft with data stored during a flight and wirelessly transmitted to a ground system after landing using a electromagnetically sealed device which can be open or closed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9682785-B2
Application number	US-201414892984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2014
Priority date	May 23, 2013
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system and method, comprising: a data storage device ( 14 ) located in a first location, for example a bay ( 8 ), in a aircraft ( 2 ) adapted to, during a flight, store data acquired during the flight; and wireless apparatus ( 18 ) comprising an antenna ( 28 ), at least the antenna ( 28 ) being located in a second location, for example an undercarriage bay, in the aircraft ( 2 ) that is different to the first location, the wireless apparatus ( 18 ) adapted to wirelessly transmit, after landing, the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system ( 6 ); the second location ( 10 ) being a location that can have a closed or open configuration and which will be in the closed configuration for at least a majority of the flight and in the open configuration, for a purpose other than retrieving the stored data, after the aircraft ( 2 ) has landed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system, comprising:
a data storage device located in a first location in an aircraft and adapted to, during a flight, store data acquired during the flight; and
a first wireless apparatus comprising an antenna, at least the antenna being located in an undercarriage bay of the aircraft that is different to the first location, the first wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly transmit, after the aircraft has landed, the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system,
wherein:
the undercarriage bay can have a closed or open configuration and which will be in the closed configuration, for electromagnetically sealing the undercarriage bay, for at least a majority of the flight and in the open configuration, for effecting an undercarriage, after the aircraft has landed; and
when the undercarriage bay is in the open configuration the undercarriage bay is less electromagnetically sealed than the first location.

2. The aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein the first location is an electromagnetically sealed bay of the aircraft.

3. The aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein the first location is an avionics bay of the aircraft.

4. The aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1 , further comprising an apparatus adapted to provide a wireless bridge between the first location and the undercarriage bay.

5. The aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein the first wireless apparatus is adapted to wirelessly transmit, after the aircraft has landed, the stored data to the ground-side data retrieval system at a frequency in a range selected from the following ranges: (i) 50-330 GHz, (ii) 22-24 GHz.

6. The aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 5 , wherein the frequency is in the range of 50-70 GHz.

7. The aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 5 , wherein the frequency is in a range selected from the following ranges: (i) 50-70 GHz, (ii) 110-120 GHz, (iii) 170-190 GHz, (iv) 310-330 GHz, (v) 22-24 GHz.

8. The aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein the aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system is for use on a military aircraft and the aircraft is the military aircraft.

9. An aircraft data retrieval system, comprising:
the aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system according to claim 1 ; and
the ground-side data retrieval system, comprising:
a second wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly receive the data acquired and stored by the aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system during the flight and transmitted by the first wireless apparatus from the undercarriage bay of the aircraft after the aircraft has landed.

10. An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval method, comprising:
during a flight by an aircraft, storing data acquired during the flight in a storage device located in a first location in the aircraft; and
after the aircraft has landed, wirelessly transmitting the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system using an antenna located in an undercarriage bay of the aircraft that is different to the first location,
wherein:
the undercarriage bay can have a closed or open configuration and which will be in the closed configuration, for electromagnetically sealing the undercarriage bay, for at least a majority of the flight and in the open configuration, for effecting an undercarriage, after the aircraft has landed; and
when the undercarriage bay is in the open configuration the undercarriage bay is less electromagnetically sealed than the first location.

11. A ground-side data retrieval system, comprising:
a wireless apparatus adapted to wirelessly receive data acquired, stored, and transmitted by an aircraft performing the aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval method according to claim 10 .

12. The ground-side data retrieval system according to claim 11 , located in a hand-held terminal.

13. An aircraft data retrieval method, comprising:
performing the aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval method according to claim 10 ; and
wirelessly receiving the stored data transmitted during the performance of the aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval method according to claim 10 .

14. A non-transitory computer program product including one or more computer readable mediums encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause an aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval process to be carried out, the process comprising:
during a flight by an aircraft, storing data acquired during the flight in a storage device located in a first location in the aircraft; and
after the aircraft has landed, wirelessly transmitting the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system using an antenna located an undercarriage bay in the aircraft that is different to the first location,
wherein:
the undercarriage bay can have a closed or open configuration and which will be in the closed configuration, for electromagnetically sealing the undercarriage bay, for at least a majority of the flight and in the open configuration, for effecting an undercarriage, after the aircraft has landed; and
when the undercarriage bay is in the open configuration the undercarriage bay is less electromagnetically sealed than the first location.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14 , wherein the first location is one of an electromagnetically sealed bay of the aircraft or an avionics bay of the aircraft.

16. The computer program product according to claim 14 , wherein the wirelessly transmitting of the stored data to the ground-side data retrieval system includes wirelessly transmitting, after the aircraft has landed, the stored data to the ground-side data retrieval system at a frequency in a range selected from the following ranges: (i) 50-330 GHz, (ii) 22-24 GHz.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16 , wherein the frequency is in the range of 50-70 GHz.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16 , wherein the frequency is in a range selected from the following ranges: (i) 50-70 GHz, (ii) 110-120 GHz, (iii) 170-190 GHz, (iv) 310-330 GHz, (v) 22-24 GHz.

19. The computer program product according to claim 16 , wherein the aircraft is a military aircraft and the computer program product is installed in the military aircraft.

Assignees

• Bae Systems Plc

Inventors

• Pescod Christopher Ralph
• Nawaz Shahbaz
• Hyde Lydia Ann
• Waddington Shaun William

Classifications

• H04B7/18506 Primary

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• B64D2045/0065

  Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals · CPC title

• B64D45/00 Primary

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title