Centralized Communications Management for Aircraft
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current implementation of communications management functions on aircraft or mobile platforms is resource-intensive, costly due to certification requirements, and logistically complex for updates and upgrades, as well as inefficient in managing varying quality of service needs across different aviation applications.
Innovation Solution
A centralized communications management system that moves the complexity from individual aircraft or devices to a ground-based server, utilizing a thin client protocol and cost/policy-based decision logic to select optimal Air/Ground datalinks, reducing onboard processor resource usage and simplifying software/firmware updates and certification processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If communications management function is placed on every aircraft, then real-time decision-making capability is improved, but processor resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex communications management function from individual aircraft and consolidates it into a ground-based centralized system. The aircraft retain only lightweight client agents that execute decisions received from the ground, thereby maintaining real-time automated decision-making while dramatically reducing onboard processor resource consumption.
2Extent of automation
If communications management function is placed on every aircraft, then operational autonomy is improved, but certification cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex communications management software that requires certification is extracted from individual aircraft and relocated to a ground-based system. This leaves aircraft with minimal software that does not require extensive safety certification, thereby maintaining operational autonomy while significantly reducing certification costs.
3Extent of automation
If communications management function is placed on every aircraft, then real-time control capability is improved, but software update complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the software update complexity from individual aircraft by consolidating the communications management function on the ground. Software updates are performed centrally on the ground system and distributed to aircraft as simple configuration packets, maintaining real-time control capability while dramatically simplifying the software update process.
4Use of energy by moving object
If centralized management system is used, then processor resource usage on aircraft is reduced, but system complexity on ground increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent shifts the complexity from the airborne dimension to the ground dimension by implementing a centralized management system on the ground. This dimensional relocation allows aircraft to operate with minimal onboard processing while the ground system handles all complex communications management functions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for centralized management of access subnetwork selections is disclosed. The system comprises an Internet protocol-based communications management (ICM) client located on an onboard server of each of one or more vehicles, and an ICM server located at a ground center. The ICM server is in operative communication with the ICM client on each of the one or more vehicles. The ICM client on each of the one or more vehicles is operative to communicate with the ICM server through one or more subnetworks, which are in operative communication with a ground network. The ground network communicates with the ICM server.