Patent ID: 8316225

Claim:
A method for establishing a communication link between a mobile platform and a remote computer system, said method comprising: using a first electronic log book (ELB) component of a mobile platform onboard computer system (OCS) to obtain information pertaining to at least one of: an itinerary of the mobile platform; an operational parameter of the mobile platform; and fault information concerning operation of a component of the mobile platform; using the first ELB component to generate a data file from said information; placing the data file into an outgoing queue of a communications management function of the OCS; configuring the data file into a transmittable data file; locating a second electronic log book (ELB) component on a remote central computer system (CCS); selecting a type of communication channel between the OCS and the remote CCS from a plurality of different types of communication channels adapted to work with differing communications protocols, when the data file is placed into the outgoing queue, the selection being made based on expense of the selected type of communication channel and a value of the data contained in the data file; transmitting the data file from the OCS to the CCS, via the selected communication channel; using the second ELB component to provide information that may be transmitted at a desired time via the CCS to the OCS; and wherein configuring the data file into the transmittable data file comprises at least: generating a unique message identification for a message of the data file; and encoding the message.