Integrated device for vehicle

Abstract

An integrated device for a vehicle includes a housing, a wireless transceiver, at least one universal serial bus (USB) circuit, and a processor. The housing is adapted to be mounted within a vehicle. The wireless transceiver is disposed within the housing and is configured to wirelessly connect with one or more devices disposed outside the housing. The at least one USB circuit is disposed within the housing and includes a USB port adapted to receive a USB connector. The processor is disposed within the housing and is in operative communication with the wireless transceiver and the at least one USB circuit, and is configured to implement at least a built-in test (BIT) of the wireless transceiver and the at least one USB circuit. The apparatus may also include a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an integrated device for a vehicle, and more specifically, to a device for integrating several devices, currently implemented as separate devices, into a single device housing. Background Technology

[0002] In many general aviation environments, pilots bring various handheld devices into the aircraft cockpit. These handheld devices can vary but can include individual devices such as carbon monoxide (CO) sensors, battery packs for personal electronic devices, and wireless communication adapters for audio headsets (e.g., Transceivers, to name just a few. Some panel-mount versions of these various handheld devices are also available; however, these devices require separate mounting, which can increase costs.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for a device that integrates several devices, currently implemented as separate individual devices, into a single device housing without relying on separately installed devices. This disclosure at least addresses this need. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This summary is provided to describe selected concepts in a simplified form, which are further described in the detailed embodiments. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] In one embodiment, the integrated device for a vehicle includes a housing, a wireless transceiver, at least one Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuit, and a processor. The housing is adapted to be installed within the vehicle. The wireless transceiver is disposed within the housing and configured to wirelessly connect to one or more devices disposed outside the housing. The at least one USB circuit is disposed within the housing and includes a USB port adapted to receive a USB connector. The processor is disposed within the housing and operatively communicates with the wireless transceiver and the at least one USB circuit, and is configured to at least perform a built-in test (BIT) on the wireless transceiver and the at least one USB circuit.

[0006] In another embodiment, the integrated device for an aircraft includes a housing, a wireless transceiver, at least one Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuit, and a processor. The housing is adapted to be installed within the aircraft's cockpit. The wireless transceiver is disposed within the housing and configured to wirelessly connect to one or more devices disposed outside the housing. The at least one USB circuit is disposed within the housing and includes a USB port adapted to receive a USB connector. The processor is disposed within the housing and operatively communicates with the wireless transceiver and the at least one USB circuit, and is configured to at least perform a built-in test (BIT) on the wireless transceiver and the at least one USB circuit. The processor is also configured to interface with at least one aircraft avionics bus to communicate with one or more aircraft systems, distribute commands from the one or more aircraft systems to the wireless transceiver and the at least one USB circuit, and aggregate and transmit the operational status of the wireless transceiver and the at least one USB circuit to the one or more aircraft systems.

[0007] In yet another implementation, the integrated equipment for the aircraft includes a shell, It is compatible with wireless transceivers, carbon monoxide (CO) sensors, at least one Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuit, and a processor. The housing is suitable for installation inside the cockpit of an aircraft. A compatible wireless transceiver is housed within the housing and configured to wirelessly connect to one or more devices located outside the housing. A CO sensor is housed within the housing and configured to sense the CO level within the cockpit of the aircraft. At least one USB circuit is housed within the housing and includes a USB port adapted to receive a USB connector. A processor is housed within the housing and is integrated with the... The wireless transceiver, the CO sensor, and the at least one USB circuit are operatively communicable and configured to at least implement the following: The processor is compatible with the built-in test (BIT) of the wireless transceiver, the CO sensor, and the at least one USB circuit. It is also configured to interface with at least one aircraft avionics bus to communicate with one or more aircraft systems, distribute commands from the one or more aircraft systems to the wireless transceiver, the at least one USB circuit, and the CO sensor, and aggregate and transmit the operational status of the wireless transceiver, the at least one USB circuit, and the CO sensor to the one or more aircraft systems.

[0008] Furthermore, other desired features and characteristics of the integrated device will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims, taking into account the accompanying drawings and the foregoing background art. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The present disclosure will now be described in conjunction with the following accompanying drawings, wherein similar numerals denote similar elements, and wherein:

[0010] Figure 1 This is a simplified functional block diagram of an example implementation of an integrated device for a vehicle such as an aircraft. Detailed Implementation

[0011] The following detailed descriptions are merely exemplary in nature and are not intended to limit the invention or its application and use. As used herein, the word "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Therefore, any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. All embodiments described herein are exemplary embodiments provided to enable those skilled in the art to make or use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Furthermore, it is not intended to be bound by any express or implied theory presented in the foregoing technical field, background art, summary of the invention, or the following detailed descriptions.

[0012] Furthermore, although the embodiments disclosed herein are described as being implemented in aircraft, these devices can also be implemented in a variety of other types of vehicles, including various land-based vehicles, water-based vehicles, and spacecraft.

[0013] refer to Figure 1 A simplified functional block diagram of an example embodiment of an integrated device 100 for an aircraft is depicted. The depicted integrated device includes at least a housing 102, a wireless transceiver 104, at least one Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuit 106, and a processor 108. The housing 102 may have various shapes and may contain various types of materials, and the housing is adapted for installation within the cockpit of the aircraft.

[0014] The wireless transceiver 104 is disposed within the housing 102 and configured to wirelessly connect to one or more devices 110 disposed outside the housing 102. The one or more devices 110 can vary and may include one or more of, for example, an electronic flight bag 110-1, a headset 110-2, a tablet computer 110-3, or many other devices 110-N (such as laptops or mobile phones, to name a few). It will also be understood that the wireless transceiver 104 can be configured to communicate via various types of wireless communication protocols. However, in one embodiment, the wireless transceiver is... Compatible transceivers.

[0015] USB circuitry 106 is also disposed within housing 102 and includes at least one USB port 112 adapted to receive a USB connector. It will be understood that at least one USB circuit 106 may include one or both of a USB Type-A charging circuit 114 and a USB Type-C charging circuit 116. Preferably, the integrated device 100 includes both types of charging circuits 114 and 116. In such embodiments, at least one USB port 112 includes a USB-A port 113 and a USB-C port 115. Furthermore, the integrated device 100 may include other types of USB charging circuitry and associated ports that may be developed in the future.

[0016] The processor 108 is also housed within the housing 102 and is operatively communicatively connected to the wireless transceiver 104 and at least one USB circuit 106. The processor 108 is configured to perform various functions via programming instructions stored in the memory 118. These functions include, at a minimum, a built-in test (BIT) for the wireless transceiver 104 and at least one USB circuit 106.

[0017] like Figure 1 Further depicted, at least in some embodiments, the integrated device 100 may also include a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor 122. When the CO sensor 122 is included, the CO sensor is also disposed within the housing 102 and configured to sense the CO level within the aircraft's cockpit. As can be understood, and as... Figure 1 Furthermore, in these embodiments, the processor 108 is also operatively communicable with the CO sensor 122 and is also configured to at least implement the BIT of the CO sensor 122.

[0018] Regardless of whether the integrated device 100 includes the CO sensor 122, the processor 108 is also configured to interface with at least one aircraft avionics bus 124, thereby enabling communication with one or more aircraft systems 126. For example, the processor 108 may be configured to interface with any of the ARINC 429 bus, RS-422 bus, CAN bus, or many other suitable aircraft avionics bus types to allow communication with one or more aircraft systems 126. The one or more aircraft systems 126 may include, for example, various controllers and displays.

[0019] The processor 108 may additionally be configured to receive commands from one or more aircraft systems 126 via at least one aircraft avionics bus 124, and to distribute the commands to one or more of the following: a wireless transceiver 104, at least one USB circuit 106, and (when included) a CO sensor 122. The processor 108 may additionally be configured to aggregate and transmit the operational status of one or more of the following: the wireless transceiver 104, at least one USB circuit 106, and (when included) the CO sensor 122, to one or more aircraft systems 126.

[0020] The integrated device 100 described herein integrates several devices, which are currently implemented as separate individual devices, into a single device housing, without relying on separate installations.

[0021] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. Some embodiments and specific implementations have been described above according to function and / or logic block components (or modules) and various processing steps. However, it should be understood that such block components (or modules) can be implemented by any number of hardware, software, and / or firmware components configured to perform the specified functions. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally according to their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as causing a departure from the scope of the invention. For example, embodiments of the system or components may employ various integrated circuit components, such as memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, lookup tables, etc., which can perform multiple functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary specific implementations.

[0022] The various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination of the above designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, it may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors incorporating a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0023] When implemented in software or firmware, the various elements of the system described herein are essentially segments of code or instructions that perform various tasks. Programs or code segments may be stored on processor-readable media or transmitted via a transmission medium or communication path via computer data signals carried on a carrier wave. "Computer-readable media," "processor-readable media," or "machine-readable media" can include any medium capable of storing or transmitting information. Examples of processor-readable media include electronic circuits, semiconductor memory devices, ROM, flash memory, erasable ROM (EROM), floppy disks, CD-ROMs, optical disks, hard disks, fiber optic media, radio frequency (RF) links, etc. Computer data signals can include any signal capable of propagating over transmission media such as electronic network channels, optical fibers, air, electromagnetic paths, or RF links. Code segments can be downloaded via computer networks such as the Internet, intranets, LANs, etc.

[0024] Furthermore, depending on the context, the use of terms such as “connected” or “coupled to” when describing the relationship between different components does not imply that a direct physical connection must be made between these components. For example, two components can be physically, electronically, logically, or in any other way connected to each other by one or more additional components.

[0025] While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be understood that numerous variations exist. It should also be understood that one or more exemplary embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or construction of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient roadmap for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. It should be understood that various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements described in the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An integrated device for a vehicle, the integrated device comprising: An enclosure, the enclosure being adapted for installation within a vehicle; A wireless transceiver, wherein the wireless transceiver is disposed within the housing and configured to wirelessly connect to one or more devices disposed outside the housing; At least one Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuit, the at least one USB circuit being disposed within the housing, the at least one USB circuit including a USB port adapted to receive a USB connector; and A processor, disposed within the housing and operatively communicatively connected to the wireless transceiver and the at least one USB circuit, is configured to perform at least a built-in test (BIT) on the wireless transceiver and the at least one USB circuit.

2. The integrated device according to claim 1, further comprising: A carbon monoxide (CO) sensor, disposed within the housing, is configured to sense the CO level within the vehicle. The processor is operatively communicable with the CO sensor, and the processor is configured to at least implement the BIT of the CO sensor.

3. The integrated device according to claim 2, wherein: The vehicle being transported is an aircraft; The processor is also configured to interface with at least one aircraft avionics bus, thereby communicating with one or more aircraft systems, and The processor is also configured to: (i) distribute commands from the one or more aircraft systems to the wireless transceiver, the at least one USB circuit, and the CO sensor; (ii) to aggregate and transmit the operational status of the wireless transceiver, the at least one USB circuit, and the CO sensor to the one or more aircraft systems.

4. The integrated device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver is Compatible transceivers.

5. The integrated device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one USB circuit comprises one or both of a USB Type-A charging circuit and a USB Type-C charging circuit.

6. The integrated device according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle is an aircraft; and The outer shell is adapted to be installed inside the cockpit of the aircraft.

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