# US 11,999,504 B2 · Smart avionics system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,504 B2 - Document ID: US11999504B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/641,299 - Filed: 2015-03-06 - Published: 2016-06-23 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2011-02-08 - Assignees: InFlight Labs, LLC - Applicants: Joseph Bekanich - Inventors: Joseph Bekanich - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999504B2 ## CPC - B64D 45/00: Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - G07C 5/085: {using electronic data carriers} - G08G 5/21: located onboard the aircraft - H04B 7/18506: {Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service} - H04L 12/1895: {for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates} - B64D 2045/0065: {Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals} - H04M 2242/04: for emergency applications - H04M 2242/15: Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber - H04M 2242/30: Determination of the location of a subscriber - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - 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 - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract The invention is an aircraft communication network including: avionics monitoring software in communication with a flight data recorder and an aircraft emergency location transmitter; the avionics monitoring software functioning to acquire real-time aircraft operating parameters by monitoring an ADS-B system and a power management module to communicate with an activation module that activates an aircraft emergency location transmitter and initiates two-way communication with a satellite upon detection of an anomaly in the aircraft operating parameters, the aircraft emergency location transmitter transmitting aircraft location coordinates and an emergency signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft emergency communication network suitable for providing two-way communication between an aircraft in flight and ground-based facilities, said aircraft communication network comprising: avionics monitoring software in communication with aircraft avionics, said aircraft avionics including a flight data recorder and an aircraft emergency location transmitter; said avionics monitoring software functioning to acquire real-time aircraft avionics operating parameters by additionally monitoring an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) system and a device/aircraft power management module; said avionics monitoring software further functioning to communicate with an activation module to activate at least one of (i) said aircraft emergency location transmitter and (ii) a satellite tracking system upon detection of an anomaly in said aircraft avionics operating parameters, at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system functioning to transmit aircraft location coordinates and an emergency signal; at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system further in communication with said avionics monitoring software such that said at least one of said emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system can be remotely activated and remotely reset by air traffic authorities through a ground-based web interface in communication with the ground-based facilities; a self-powered processor/compiler in communication with said avionics monitoring software; and a transmitter in communication with said processor/compiler, said processor/compiler functioning to provide real-time data processed from said real-time aircraft avionics operating parameters to said transmitter for transmission to the ground-based facilities using two-way ground-to-air communication methodology so as to enable immediate viewing and reporting by the ground-based facilities. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 1, wherein said two-way ground-to-air communication methodology functions to provide two-way communication among an aircraft in flight; the ground-based facilities, and at least one search and rescue satellite system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 1 wherein said two-way ground-to-air communication methodology functions to provide communication access by the ground-based facilities to said flight data recorder. ### Claim 4 An aircraft emergency communication network suitable for providing two-way communication among aircraft, ground-based facilities, and search and rescue satellite systems, said network comprising: avionics monitoring hardware and software in communication with aircraft avionics, said aircraft avionics including an aircraft emergency location transmitter, a satellite tracking system, and a device/aircraft power management module; said avionics monitoring hardware and software functioning to acquire real-time aircraft operating parameters by monitoring said device/aircraft power management module; said avionics monitoring hardware and software further functioning to communicate with an activation module to activate at least one of (i) said aircraft emergency location transmitter and (ii) two-way communication with the search and rescue satellite systems upon detection of an anomaly in said real-time aircraft operating parameters, said aircraft emergency location transmitter functioning to transmit aircraft location coordinates and an emergency signal, at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system further in communication with said avionics monitoring hardware and software such that said at least one of said emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system can be remotely activated and remotely reset by air traffic authorities through a ground-based web interface in communication with the search and rescue satellite systems; a self-powered processor/compiler in communication with said avionics monitoring hardware and software; and a transmitter in communication with said processor/compiler, said processor/compiler functioning to transmit said real-time aircraft operating parameters to said at least one of said emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system for transmission to at least one of the ground-based facilities and the search and rescue satellite systems. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 4, wherein said at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system is activated by at least one avionics device, aircraft instrument, or avionics system in communication with said avionics monitoring hardware and software. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 4, wherein said at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system is activated when a programmable digital gyroscope's yaw, pitch or roll operating parameters are breached. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 4, wherein said at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system is activated when a programmable accelerometer operating parameters are breached. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 4, wherein said at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system is activated by a secondary aircraft tracking system in communication with a global positioning system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 4, wherein said at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system is activated upon detection of at least one of a power interruption to, a device tampering of, or failure of an aircraft avionics component during flight. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 9, wherein said aircraft avionics component comprises one of a transponder, an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast system, or an aircraft communication addressing and reporting system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 4, wherein said at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system is activated upon a critical warning indication from at least one of a terrain awareness warning system or an engine indicating crew alerting system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 4, wherein said at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system is activated upon receiving a warning from a smoke detector. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 4, wherein said at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system is activated upon detection of a malfunction of either of an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast or an automatic dependent surveillance communication. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) An aircraft emergency communication network as in claim 4, wherein said at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system is activated upon aircraft deviation from an original flight plan. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) An aircraft emergency communication network in claim 4, wherein said avionics monitoring hardware and software is in two-way communication with said ground-based aviation facilities and search and rescue personnel such that messages sent by said avionics monitoring hardware and software through available communication methodologies include at least one of a GPS location of the aircraft, a geo-location of the aircraft, and an identification of the aircraft. ### Claim 16 An aircraft communication system suitable for providing two-way communication between an aircraft in flight and ground-based facilities, said aircraft communication system comprising: avionics monitoring software in communication with aircraft avionics, said aircraft avionics including a flight data recorder, an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) system, a device/aircraft power management module, and at least one of an aircraft emergency location transmitter and a satellite tracking system; said avionics monitoring software functioning to acquire real-time aircraft operating parameters by monitoring said ADS-B system and said device/aircraft power management module; said avionics monitoring software further functioning to communicate with an activation module for initiating activation of at least one of (i) said aircraft emergency location transmitter, (ii) said satellite tracking system, and (iii) two-way communication with a satellite upon detection of an anomaly in said aircraft operating parameters, said aircraft emergency location transmitter functioning to transmit aircraft location coordinates and an emergency signal; at least one of said aircraft emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system further in communication with said avionics monitoring software such that said at least one of said emergency location transmitter and said satellite tracking system can be remotely activated and remotely reset by air traffic authorities through a ground-based web interface in communication with the ground-based facilities; a self-powered processor/compiler in communication with said avionics monitoring software; a transmitter in communication with said processor/compiler, said processor/compiler functioning to transmit real-time data processed from said aircraft avionics operating parameters to said transmitter for transmission and reporting to the ground-based facilities for immediate viewing using said ground-based web interface; and a waterproof crash-survivable enclosure with floating capability, said enclosure containing said flight data recorder, said emergency location transmitter, and said transmitter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The aircraft communication system as in claim 16 wherein said enclosure comprises an embedded antenna for remote activation over a satellite network by said air traffic authorities after an aircraft crash on land or in water.