Flight Management System Flexible Data Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flight management systems generate large amounts of data, but only a limited subset is available to other devices and systems, and much of this data is transient, making it difficult to preserve and access later.
Innovation Solution
A flexible data interface is implemented within the flight management system, providing an abstract data interface layer to retrieve and transmit data to peripheral devices via a network communication system, allowing data to be abstracted and made available to devices not connected to a relevant data bus, with configuration files defining what data to provide and when.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If flight management system data is made accessible to peripheral devices, then data accessibility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary data access layer that sits between the flight management system core and peripheral devices. This layer handles all data requests, transformations, and transmissions, allowing peripheral devices to access flight data without directly interfacing with the core system. The intermediary manages data formatting, protocol conversion, and access control, thereby improving accessibility while containing system complexity within the intermediary layer rather than propagating it throughout the entire system.
2Loss of information
If transient data is preserved for later access, then data availability is improved, but memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary transient data elements that need to be preserved for later access, rather than storing all flight management system data. The system identifies and extracts specific data points based on predefined criteria and user needs, storing only these extracted elements in memory. This selective extraction approach preserves critical transient information while minimizing memory consumption by excluding unnecessary data.
3Adaptability or versatility
If data is transmitted to multiple peripheral devices, then data availability is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges data transmission operations by consolidating requests from multiple peripheral devices. When multiple devices request the same or similar data, the system combines these requests into a single transmission operation, reducing redundant network traffic. The intermediary layer tracks pending requests and batches transmissions where possible, thereby maintaining data availability to all devices while significantly reducing overall network bandwidth consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A flight management system may include a processor, a memory, a network communication interface, and a flexible data interface stored in the memory and executable by the processor. The flexible data interface is typically configured for providing an abstract data interface layer; retrieving, via the abstract data interface layer, data stored in the memory of the flight management system; and transmitting, via the network communication device, the data to a peripheral device in network communication with the flight management system.