Automated Aircraft Flight Data Management via Demand Mode Satellite Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft flight data recording systems are inadequate for real-time data retrieval during emergency situations, as physical damage or inaccessible locations can render flight data irretrievable, hindering accident investigation and emergency response.
Innovation Solution
An automated aircraft flight data management system that operates in self-initiated or manually-initiated demand mode, allowing for increased data transmission rates and efficient data subset selection to transmit critical flight data via satellite networks, even in emergency situations, ensuring data availability for analysis and response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flight data is stored only on physical FDR devices, then data storage capacity is sufficient, but data retrievability is compromised when the aircraft crashes or the FDR is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a real-time digital copy of flight data from the physical FDR and transmits it via satellite communication to ground-based servers. This copying mechanism ensures that even if the original FDR is damaged or lost during an accident, the transmitted data copy remains accessible for investigation and analysis.
2Loss of information
If flight data is transmitted continuously at high rates, then data availability for real-time analysis is improved, but satellite network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the data transmission rate based on the aircraft's operational state. During normal flight conditions, data is transmitted at a lower periodic rate to conserve bandwidth. When emergency conditions are detected or demand mode is activated, the transmission rate automatically increases to ensure complete data availability, thereby optimizing the balance between data availability and bandwidth consumption.
3Loss of information
If all collected flight data is transmitted during demand mode, then complete data availability is achieved, but transmission time and bandwidth requirements exceed satellite network capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and transmits only the most critical and representative flight data parameters during demand mode when bandwidth is limited. By selecting and prioritizing essential data elements rather than transmitting all collected data, the system ensures that the most valuable information for safety and investigation purposes is transmitted within the constraints of satellite network bandwidth and transmission time.
Data Source
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AI summary
An automated aircraft flight data and delivery management system and method operates in a normal state and a demand state. The demand state may be self-initiated or manually-initiated, and may be triggered during situations which include but are not limited to situations when the aircraft is in a potential or confirmed emergency situation. Data transmission increases in intensity when the system is in a demand state.