Satellite emergency voice/data downlink
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsWilliam W. Murray, John Cessna
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A satellite emergency voice/data downlink method and apparatus that sends cockpit audio and flight data to a satellite communications system upon detection of a serious event or a pilot generated signal.
Claims16
An airborne distress link apparatus for an airplane having on board one or more communications systems, said apparatus comprising:
- means for establishing an event marker;
- means for detecting an emergency situation;
- and
- a processor having one or more inputs receiving inputs representative of one or more flight conditions and one or more outputs coupled to one or more on-board communications systems, said processor having an algorithm resident thereon for initiating a downlink of one or more flight data using one or more of said communications systems in response to the activation of said means for establishing an event marker or said means for detecting an emergency situation.
A method for transmitting flight data in an aircraft communications device to a ground based data storage center via a satellite communications system and using one or more on-board communications systems, said method comprising then steps of:
- monitoring one or more flight parameters;
- determining an abnormal condition in response to said monitoring step;
- and
- automatically initiating a downlink of said flight data in response to said step of determining said abnormal condition.
A method in an aircraft communications device for determining a serious event and transmitting flight data in response to the serious event, the method comprising:
- receiving one or more signals triggering a distress mode;
- collecting flight data into data packets in response to said triggering step;
- and
- automatically initiating a downlink of selected ones of said flight data via a satellite communication system and utilizing one or more on-board communications systems.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.