Patent Description:
It would be advantageous to have a quick, easy, cheap, and accurate mechanism to gather synchronized system data, store it locally, and transmit it in a secure and timely fashion. <CIT> describes a secure wireless vehicle parameter streaming. <CIT> describes a method and system for reporting using customized triggers. <CIT> describes methods and systems for aircraft health and trend monitoring. <CIT> describes a gas turbine engine with dynamic data recording.

Aspects of the present invention are disclosed in independent claims <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>. In one aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an onboard system in an aircraft to record data from a plurality of onboard products, systems, and devices. The data is recorded in response to an event trigger common to each onboard product, system, and device, and tagged with a common timestamp and stored in a centralized data store.

In a further aspect, the system compiles the data from multiple localized data stores into a single dataset, synchronizing the data according to the common timestamp. The data is modified to reflect the common timestamp where the data includes a different timecode from the original source. The data is also modified to conform to a standard format.

In a further aspect, the dataset may be encrypted according to a standard and transmitted offboard for later analysis.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and should not restrict the scope of the claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles.

The numerous advantages of the embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which:.

Before explaining various embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts are not limited in their application to the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings.

As used herein a letter following a reference numeral is intended to reference an embodiment of a feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element or feature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., <NUM>, 1a, 1b).

In addition, use of "a" or "an" are employed to describe elements and components of embodiments of the instant inventive concepts.

Also, while various components may be depicted as being connected directly, direct connection is not a requirement. Components may be in data communication with intervening components that are not illustrated or described.

The appearances of the phrase "in at least one embodiment" in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

Broadly, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an onboard system in an aircraft to record data from a plurality of onboard products, systems, and devices. The data is recorded in response to an event trigger common to each onboard product, system, and device, and tagged with a common timestamp and stored in a centralized data store. The system compiles the data into a single dataset, synchronizing the data according to the common timestamp. The data is modified to reflect the common timestamp where the data includes a different timecode from the original source. The data is also modified to conform to a standard format. The dataset may be encrypted according to a standard and transmitted offboard for later analysis.

Referring to <FIG>, a block diagram of a system suitable for implementing exemplary embodiments is shown. The system includes a processor <NUM>, memory <NUM> connected to the processor <NUM> for storing processor executable code, and a data storage element <NUM> for storing compiled datasets as more fully described herein. The processor <NUM> is in data communication with a plurality of controllers <NUM>, such as via an onboard communication bus, ethernet connection, wireless connection, etc.; each controller <NUM> associated with a product, system or device. Each controller <NUM> is configured to query the associated product, system or device and produce an equipment status record in real-time.

The processor <NUM> is configured to identify one or more trigger events. When a trigger event is identified, the processor <NUM> queries each controller <NUM> for an equipment status record, or instructs each controller <NUM> to produce an equipment status record. The processor <NUM> then receives each equipment status record and compiles the information into a single dataset.

In at least one embodiment, the processor <NUM> extracts data from each equipment status record and reformats the data into a single, cohesive dataset / database. In addition, the cohesive dataset / database may comprise a distributed database wherein data is stored across different physical locations on a network, or otherwise in data communication. Such reformatting includes adjusting a timecode to coincide with the event trigger, converting units, and such.

In at least one embodiment, the system may include a wireless communication element <NUM> in data communication with the processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may communicate with some or all of the controllers <NUM> via the wireless communication element <NUM>. Furthermore, the compiled dataset may be transmitted to a ground-based receiver via the wireless communication element <NUM>. The wireless communication element <NUM> may include cellular hardware, SatCom, WiFi, etc..

In at least one embodiment, the processor <NUM> may be configured to correlate system faults based on the compiled equipment status records. Multiple may be correlated in real-time and communicated to flight or ground crew for diagnosis and correction.

Referring to <FIG>, a block diagram of a system according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. An aircraft <NUM> having a plurality of controllers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, each associated with a product, system or device <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, includes a onboard computer system <NUM> (such as in <FIG>, implemented as a single device or a distributed system) in data communication with the controllers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> via an onboard bus <NUM>. During one or more triggering events, the onboard computer system <NUM> may, request, or otherwise receive an equipment status record from each controller <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. In at least one embodiment, each equipment status record may be modified to include identifying information specific to the system or device <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

The onboard computer system <NUM> compiles the equipment status records into a single dataset. In at least one embodiment, the onboard computer system <NUM> may extract each data element from each equipment status record, and populate a unified database <NUM> with the data elements. Alternatively, or in addition, the equipment status records may be stored as separate records in a database <NUM>.

In at least one embodiment, the onboard computer system <NUM> may include stored sets of device limitation metrics. As each equipment status record is received and compiled, the onboard computer system <NUM> may compare each data point to a corresponding stored device limitation metric. The onboard computer system <NUM> may then report any systems or devices <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> outside those limitations.

Referring to <FIG>, a block diagram of a system according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. An aircraft <NUM> having a plurality of controllers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, each associated with a product, system or device <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, includes a onboard computer system <NUM> in data communication with the controllers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> via an onboard bus <NUM>. During one or more triggering events, the onboard computer system <NUM> receives an equipment status record from each controller <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. The data from each equipment status record is compiled into a unified database <NUM>.

In at least one embodiment, multiple equipment status records may report operational issues in one or more maintenance messages. In one example, a cabin air compressor <NUM>, starter / generator <NUM>, and ram air fan <NUM> all report faults. Because the onboard computer system <NUM> compiles equipment status records at the same time based on a trigger event, the onboard computer system <NUM> may correlate the faults and analyze the nature of each fault. Where the starter / generator <NUM> is identified as supplying intermittent power to motor controllers <NUM>, <NUM>, a known relation between the cabin air compressor <NUM> and ram air fan <NUM>, and the starter / generator <NUM> may allow the onboard computer system <NUM> to isolate the fault to only the starter / generator <NUM>, obviating the need to service the cabin air compressor <NUM> and ram air fan <NUM>. Such accurate diagnosis is only possible because synchronized equipment status records are available.

Referring to <FIG>, a flowchart of a method according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. An onboard processor receives <NUM> an event trigger corresponding identifiable aircraft event such as "weight-off-wheels", "weight-on-wheels", "power on", "power off", "engine start-up", etc., and solicits <NUM> an equipment status record from each of a plurality of onboard systems. In response, each onboard system publishes an equipment status record to an aircraft data bus. Because the solicitation is based on an even trigger, the equipment status records are synchronized. Alternatively, each system or device may continuously or periodically publish equipment status records to the aircraft data bus and the trigger event initiates the process to retrieve a current equipment status record for each onboard system or device. In at least one embodiment, event triggers may include complex triggers comprising events or exceedances that are logically combined.

In at least one embodiment, in addition to aircraft events, the event trigger may comprise a periodic digitally controlled event; for example, the processor may initiate <NUM> a trigger event at a rate of, for example, <NUM> hertz. Furthermore, the processor may communicate with the onboard systems to instruct onboard systems to adjust a corresponding publishing frequency of the equipment status records when the aircraft is in distress or some other event has occurred where an increased frequency is desired.

In at least one embodiment, the event trigger may comprise some alert message corresponding to a system fault. The fault message would then trigger a simultaneous equipment status record from each onboard system or device.

In a least one embodiment, the processor may modify the set of event triggers in real-time at the request of the flight crew or ground crew, in response to an aircraft event, in response to a weather event, etc. For example, the processor may by default operate based on a set of aircraft event triggers, but if a system fault is detected, the processor may switch to a frequency-based event triggering. Likewise, the frequency of such event triggering may be altered in real-time.

The processor receives <NUM> each equipment status record and incorporates <NUM> the equipment status records or included data into a database. In at least one embodiment, each equipment status record may include a timestamp and certain measurable metrics for the corresponding system or device including ambient temperature, pressure, operational hours, electrical current / power draw, BIT status, etc. In at least one embodiment, equipment status records may be amended to include additional identifying information such as the corresponding part number, serial number, and build date for the corresponding system or device.

In at least one embodiment, the processor continuously waits to receive <NUM> an event trigger to initiate receiving the equipment status records and incorporating <NUM> them into the database.

In at least one embodiment, the periodically updated database may be offloaded as a dataset for a more complete data analysis such as via machine learning to identify system-to-system interactions, thereby aiding in trouble-shooting, root cause and corrective actions, and prognostics.

Embodiments of the present disclosure enable data synchronization with reference to trigger events such as weight-on-wheels or weight-off-wheels. Data synchronizing enables greater operational insight in real-time. Synchronized, recorded data may produce a single dataset corresponding to the entire lifecycle of components for a more holistic analysis than is currently possible. System-level insights enable the prediction of maintenance operations, thereby predicting the piece-part demand associated with those maintenance operations.

Claim 1:
A computer apparatus onboard an aircraft, the computer apparatus comprising:
at least one processor (<NUM>) in data communication with a data storage element (<NUM>) and a memory storing processor executable code for configuring the at least one processor (<NUM>) to:
receive an event trigger;
receive time synchronized equipment status records from each of a plurality of devices in data communication with the at least one processor (<NUM>);
reformat data from each status record to a uniform standard including at least modifying timecodes to coincide with the event trigger and converting units;
compile all of the time synchronized equipment status records a single database; and
transmit the single database to an offboard receiver.