# US 2013/0158751 A1 · Stand Alone Aircraft Flight Data Transmitter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0158751 A1 - Document ID: US20130158751A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/327,023 - Filed: 2011-12-15 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Bradley D. Cornell; Gordon Robert Andrew Sandell; Stephen Y. Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130158751A1 ## CPC - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - H04B 7/18506: {Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service} - B64D 45/00: Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for - B64D 2045/0065: {Black boxes, devices automatically broadcasting distress signals} - G07C 5/085: {using electronic data carriers} - 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 - H04B: TRANSMISSION - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT ## Abstract A method and apparatus for transmitting data. An aircraft data transmission system comprises an aircraft flight data transmitter. The aircraft flight data transmitter is configured to be connected to a connector for an on-board flight data recorder system for an aircraft. The aircraft flight data transmitter is further configured to receive data generated by sensors in the aircraft from the on-board flight data recorder system. The aircraft flight data transmitter is further configured to determine whether an undesired condition is present in the aircraft using the data. The aircraft flight data transmitter is further configured to initiate sending of at least a portion of the data received from the on-board flight data recorder system over a wireless communications link in response to a determination that the undesired condition is present in the aircraft. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft data transmission system comprising: an aircraft flight data transmitter configured to be connected to a connector for an on-board flight data recorder system for an aircraft, receive data generated by sensors in the aircraft from the on-board flight data recorder system, determine whether an undesired condition is present in the aircraft using the data, and initiate sending of at least a portion of the data received from the on-board flight data recorder system over a wireless communications link in response to a determination that the undesired condition is present in the aircraft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft flight data transmitter is further configured to receive power from the connector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 1, wherein the connector is a test connector for the on-board flight data recorder system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 1, wherein the on-board flight data recorder system is selected from at least one of a flight data recorder, a voice recorder, and a combined flight data and voice recorder. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to receive the data generated by the sensors in the aircraft from the on-board flight data recorder system, the aircraft flight data transmitter is configured to receive values for aircraft state parameters collected from a number of sensors in the aircraft to form collected values of the aircraft state parameters. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 5, wherein in being configured to determine whether the undesired condition is present in the aircraft using the data, the aircraft flight data transmitter is configured to determine whether the collected values of the aircraft state parameters indicate a normal operation or an anomalous operation of the aircraft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 1, wherein the at least the portion of the data comprises at least one of voice data and collected values of aircraft state parameters. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 2 further comprising: a battery system configured to provide the power to the aircraft flight data transmitter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft flight data transmitter comprises: a state determination module configured to receive the data generated by the sensors in the aircraft from the on-board flight data recorder system, determine whether the undesired condition is present in the aircraft using the data, and initiate sending of the at least the portion of the data received from the on-board flight data recorder system over the wireless communications link in response to the determination that the undesired condition is present in the aircraft; and a communications module configured to establish the wireless communications link through an antenna system and transmit the at least the portion of the data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 9, wherein the antenna system comprises a number of satellite antennas. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 9, wherein the antenna system is powered by the aircraft flight data transmitter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft flight data transmitter is configured to store the at least the portion of the data received from the on-board flight data recorder system for the aircraft in a buffer in the aircraft flight data transmitter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 1, wherein the at least the portion of the data is sent from at least one of before detecting the undesired condition and after detecting the undesired condition, wherein the data is sent over the wireless communications link in response to the determination that the undesired condition is present in the aircraft. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 1, wherein the aircraft flight data transmitter is connected to a primary power bus in power buses in the aircraft and the primary power bus has a highest priority in terms of power distribution in the power buses. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The aircraft data transmission system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the data includes information for identifying a trajectory of the aircraft. ### Claim 16 A method for transmitting data, the method comprising: receiving the data generated by sensors in an aircraft from an on-board flight data recorder system at an aircraft flight data transmitter connected to a connector for the on-board flight data recorder system; determining whether an undesired condition is present in the aircraft using the data; and initiating sending of at least a portion of the data received from the on-board flight data recorder system over a wireless communications link in response to a determination that the undesired condition is present in the aircraft. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the step of initiating sending of the at least the portion of the data received from the on-board flight data recorder system over the wireless communications link in response to the determination that the undesired condition is present in the aircraft comprises: initiating sending the portion of the data from at least one of before detecting the undesired condition and after detecting the undesired condition, wherein the data is sent over the wireless communications link in response to the determination that the undesired condition is present in the aircraft. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the step of determining whether the undesired condition is present in the aircraft using the data comprises: determining whether collected values of aircraft state parameters indicate a normal operation or an anomalous operation of the aircraft. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the on-board flight data recorder system is selected from at least one of a flight data recorder, a voice recorder, and a combined flight data and voice recorder. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the at least the portion of the data comprises at least one of voice data and collected values of aircraft state parameters.