# US 11,441,489 B2 · Remote updates of a gas turbine engine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,489 B2 - Document ID: US11441489B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/839,111 - Filed: 2020-04-03 - Published: 2020-10-22 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-17 - Assignees: Raytheon Technologies Corporation - Applicants: United Technologies Corporation - Inventors: William C. Lamberti; Paul Raymond Scheid; Jason E. Posniak - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441489B2 ## CPC - F02C 9/00: Controlling gas-turbine plants; Controlling fuel supply in air- breathing jet-propulsion plants (controlling air intakes F02C7/057; controlling turbines F01D; controlling compressors F04D27/00; controlling in general G05) - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) - H04W 12/033: of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic - H04W 12/06: Authentication - F01D 21/00: Shutting-down of machines or engines, e.g. in emergency; Regulating, controlling, or safety means not otherwise provided for - F05D 2270/44: active, predictive, or anticipative - F05D 2270/54: by electronic means, e.g. electronic tubes, transistors or IC's within an electronic circuit - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS ## Abstract A communication adapter of a gas turbine engine of an aircraft includes a communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with an offboard system and to communicate with an engine control of the gas turbine engine. The communication adapter also includes a memory system and processing circuitry configured to receive an engine control update request from the offboard system, confirm an authentication between the communication adapter and the engine control, transfer one or more configuration items received at the communication adapter from the offboard system to the engine control based on the authentication, and transmit an update completion confirmation of the engine control from the communication adapter to the offboard system based on a confirmation message from the engine control. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication adapter of a gas turbine engine of an aircraft, the communication adapter comprising: a communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with an offboard system and to communicate with an engine control of the gas turbine engine; a memory system; and processing circuitry configured to: receive an engine control update request from the offboard system; confirm an authentication between the communication adapter and the engine control; apply a cryptographic algorithm using one or more parameters received and cryptographic information to decrypt one or more configuration items received at the communication adapter from the offboard system, wherein the cryptographic information includes a combination of received cryptographic information and previously stored cryptographic information; transfer the one or more configuration items received at the communication adapter from the offboard system to the engine control based on the authentication; and transmit an update completion confirmation of the engine control from the communication adapter to the offboard system based on a confirmation message from the engine control. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: transmit a data state of the engine control and a configuration of the engine control to the offboard system with the update completion confirmation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration items comprise a plurality of engine control trim data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The communication adapter of claim 3, wherein the engine control trim data comprises at least one digital signature that is validated by the engine control prior to updating the engine control. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration items comprise a plurality of fault limit data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the one or more configuration items comprise executable software for the engine control. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The communication adapter of claim 6, wherein the executable software comprises at least one digital signature that is validated by the engine control prior to updating the engine control. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: receiving an update request for an engine control from an offboard system at a communication adapter of a gas turbine engine of an aircraft; confirming an authentication between the communication adapter and the engine control; applying a cryptographic algorithm using one or more parameters received and cryptographic information to decrypt one or more configuration items received at the communication adapter from the offboard system, wherein the cryptographic information includes a combination of received cryptographic information and previously stored cryptographic information; transferring the one or more configuration items received at the communication adapter from the offboard system to the engine control based on the authentication; and transmitting an update completion confirmation of the engine control from the communication adapter to the offboard system based on a confirmation message from the engine control. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: transmitting a data state of the engine control and a configuration of the engine control to the offboard system with the update completion confirmation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more configuration items comprise a plurality of engine control trim data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the engine control trim data comprises at least one digital signature that is validated by the engine control prior to updating the engine control. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more configuration items comprise a plurality of fault limit data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more configuration items comprise executable software for the engine control. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the executable software comprises at least one digital signature that is validated by the engine control prior to updating the engine control. ### Claim 15 A gas turbine engine of an aircraft, the gas turbine engine comprising: a fan section comprising a fan case; an engine control configured to monitor and control operation of the gas turbine engine in real-time; and a communication adapter mounted on the fan case, the communication adapter comprising processing circuitry configured to: receive an engine control update request from an offboard system; confirm an authentication between the communication adapter and the engine control; apply a cryptographic algorithm using one or more parameters received and cryptographic information to decrypt one or more configuration items received at the communication adapter from the offboard system, wherein the cryptographic information includes a combination of received cryptographic information and previously stored cryptographic information; transfer the one or more configuration items received at the communication adapter from the offboard system to the engine control based on the authentications; and transmit an update completion confirmation of the engine control to the offboard system based on a confirmation message from the engine control. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The gas turbine engine of claim 15, wherein processing circuitry is further configured to: transmit a data state of the engine control and a configuration of the engine control to the offboard system with the update completion confirmation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The gas turbine engine of claim 15, wherein the one or more configuration items comprise a plurality of engine control trim data with at least one digital signature that is validated by the engine control prior to updating the engine control. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The gas turbine engine of claim 15, wherein the one or more configuration items comprise a plurality of fault limit data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The gas turbine engine of claim 15, wherein the one or more configuration items comprise executable software for the engine control. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The gas turbine engine of claim 19, wherein the executable software comprises at least one digital signature that is validated by the engine control prior to updating the engine control.