Platform Agnostic Flight Management Data Access via Rule-Based Formatting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flight management systems lack a standardized mechanism for platform-agnostic data access, requiring specialized solutions for each user and compromising security and efficiency in data exchange.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a standardized architecture with configuration files and a rule-based engine for handling data formats, combined with identity and access management for secure data access, enabling seamless data exchange across platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a standardized architecture with configuration files and rule-based engine is implemented, then adaptability and ease of operation are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal data access architecture that can handle multiple data sources (avionics systems, mechanical systems, external applications) and multiple data formats through a single standardized interface. The configuration file system and rule-based engine provide platform-agnostic access, eliminating the need for specialized solutions for each user or data source type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate components including a configuration file loader, data formatter, and rule-based engine that mediate between external data sources and the flight management system. These intermediaries standardize data access by translating various data formats into a unified structure, reducing the complexity of direct integrations.
2Reliability
If specialized solutions are developed for each user, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but ease of operation and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data access system into distinct modular components: configuration file management, data formatting layer, rule-based engine, and execution engine. Each module handles specific aspects of data access, allowing the system to maintain security and reliability through standardized protocols while simplifying operation through automated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service capabilities through automated configuration file loading, format detection, and rule-based data transformation. The flight management system automatically adapts to different data sources without requiring manual configuration or specialized setup for each user, improving ease of operation while maintaining reliability through consistent standardized processing.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems for providing platform agnostic flight management data access for a flight management system (FMS) of an aircraft have been developed. First, a configuration file is loaded to a configuration database. The configuration file is for a data format of an external data source from the aircraft. Upon receiving a data access request from a user for external data from the external data source, downloading the configuration file is downloaded to an FMS data formatter. The configuration file is parsed with a data processor component of the FMS data formatter to update a rule set. The FMS data formatter receives an external data file from an application programing interface (API) of the external data source. The external data file is parsed with a rule engine of the FMS data formatter using the updated rule set. A flight plan file is generated with the FMS data formatter using the parsed external data file and sent to the FMS on the aircraft.