Patent application EP17157740A (EP), filed 2017-02-23
Publication number: EP3226227A1
Title: SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO DISTRIBUTE AN AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS COMMUNICATION (AOC) APPLICATION TO COMMUNICATION COMPONENTS IN A VEHICLE
Abstract: [0001]    A system to distribute an Aircraft Operations Communication (AOC) application is provided. The system includes communication components in a vehicle, and an AOC database. The communication components include one of: a Communication Management Unit (CMU); or a Communication Management Function (CMF); and at least one of: at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and at least one cabin terminal. The AOC database includes an operational configuration for aircraft operations communication for the communication components in the vehicle. The AOC database is loaded into at least one of: the CMU, the CMF, the at least one EFB; the at least one cabin terminal; and a database device. The AOC database configures the operation of the communication components in the vehicle.
IPC codes: G06Q  50/    32            A I
G06F  12/    00            A I
G06F  13/    00            A I
G06F  15/    00            A I
G06F  17/    00            A I
G06F   3/    06            A I
G06F   9/    02            A I
G08G   5/    00            A I
H04B   7/   185            A I
G06Q  50/    40            A I
H04L  67/    75            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A system (10, 11, 12) to distribute an Aircraft Operations Communication (AOC) application, the system comprising:
number: 2
text: The system (10, 11, 12) of claim 1, wherein the AOC database (50, 51, 52, 53) configures the operation of the communication components (60, 20) in the vehicle for at least one of: defining message formats for the communication components in the vehicle; displaying of uplinks in the communication components in the vehicle; displaying of uplinks in a cockpit display in the vehicle; displaying on an EFB display; interacting with the EFB HMI; displaying on a cabin terminal display; interacting with the cabin terminal HMI; displaying of downlinks in the communication components in the vehicle; displaying of data content; downlinking of messages from the communication components in the vehicle; and uplinking of messages to the communication components in the vehicle.
number: 3
text: The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60) includes a master AOC (63) in which the AOC database (50) is loaded, and
wherein the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB) (20-1); and the at least one cabin terminal (20-2) includes a respective at least one proxy AOC (26),
wherein the master AOC (63) is communicatively coupled to the at least one proxy AOC (26) to distribute the AOC application based on the operational configuration of the Aircraft Operations Communication for the proxy AOC,
wherein the AOC application is distributed to the master AOC based on the operational configuration of the Aircraft Operations Communication for the master AOC,
wherein the at least one proxy AOC provides access to the EFB data on the respective at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB) (20); and the at least one cabin terminal (20-2) to the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60); and
wherein the at least one proxy AOC sends datalink messages to a human machine interface (HMI) of the respective at least one electronic flight bag (EFB) (20); and the at least one cabin terminal (20-2) to the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60).
number: 4
text: The system (10, 11, 12) of claim 1, wherein the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60) includes a communication management unit (CMU) AOC (63, 66, 64), a router (67), an access to at least one external communication system; and an interface to a human machine interface/display in the cockpit.
number: 5
text: The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60) includes a master AOC (63) in which the AOC database (50) is loaded, a router (67), and an access (68) to at least one external communication system (15); and wherein the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB) (20); and the at least one cabin terminal (20-2) to the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60) in the vehicle (5) includes a respective at least one: proxy AOC (26), a human machine interface (25), a display (25), and an access (28) to one of the at least one external communication systems (15).
number: 6
text: The system (11) of claim 1, wherein the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60) includes a communication management unit (CMU) AOC (66) in which a first AOC database (51) is loaded, and
wherein the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB) (20); and the at least one cabin terminal (20-2) to the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60) includes a respective at least one EFB AOC (27) in which a respective at least one second AOC database is loaded,
wherein the CMU AOC is communicatively coupled to the at least one EFB AOC and to a human machine interface/display (30) in the cockpit,
wherein the CMU AOC distributes the AOC application based on the operational configuration of the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60),
wherein the at least one EFB AOC distributes the AOC application based on the operational configuration of the respective at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal.
number: 7
text: The system (12) of claim 1, wherein the AOC database (53) is loaded in the database device (70), wherein the database device is communicatively coupled to the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60), wherein the AOC database distributes the AOC application to the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60) based on the operational configuration of the respective one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60).
number: 8
text: The system (12) of claim 7, wherein the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60) includes a master communication management unit (CMU) AOC,
wherein the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB) (20); and the at least one cabin terminal (20-2) to the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60) includes a respective at least one proxy EFB AOC, wherein the master CMU AOC is communicatively coupled to the at least one proxy EFB AOC to distribute the AOC application based on the operational configuration of the Aircraft Operations Communication for the at least one proxy EFB AOC,
wherein the at least one proxy EFB AOC provides access to the EFB data on the at least one proxy EFB to the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60),
wherein the at least one proxy AOC sends datalink messages to the at least one EFB human machine interface (HMI); and
wherein the AOC application is distributed to the master CMU AOC based on the operational configuration of the Aircraft Operations Communication for the master CMU AOC.
number: 9
text: The system (12) of claim 7, wherein the database device (70) is also communicatively coupled to the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB) (20); and the at least one cabin terminal (20-2) to the one of the CMU (60) or the CMF (60) in the vehicle, wherein the AOC database (53) distributes the AOC application to the at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB) (20-1); and the at least one cabin terminal (20-2) based on the operational configuration of the respective at least one of: the at least one electronic flight bag (EFB); and the at least one cabin terminal.
number: 10
text: A method to distribute an Aircraft Operations Communication (AOC) application in a vehicle (50), the method comprising:
Office action: search_report, dated 2017-10-04
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
Prior art cited: ref_id: US2009041041A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2013232237A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2010075614A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2011255506A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2009041041
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: US2010075614
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: US2011255506
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: US2013232237
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
Final disposition: pending (2017-10-04)