Connected cockpit system and method
AssigneeGarmin International, Inc.
InventorsRandy A. Springer, Alan D. Blood, Emmett Griffith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Techniques are described to simplify operation and maintenance of an aircraft by configuring an avionics unit to wirelessly communicate and receive avionics related data in a seamless fashion. In embodiments, an aircraft is equipped with a regulatory-certified avionics device configured to be installed in the aircraft. The system includes a memory card reader and associated memory card. The memory card includes a wireless transceiver to facilitate communication between the avionics unit and a mobile device (e.g., a tablet computer or smart phone employing a suitable application, a portable avionic device, etc.).
Claims28
An avionics system, comprising:
- a regulatory-certified avionics display unit configured to be installed in an aircraft instrument panel, the avionics display unit including a memory storing an application module operable to perform avionic functions and a memory card reader including a memory card slot;
- and
- a removable memory card configured to be received in the memory card slot of the of the avionics display unit, the removable memory card having a wireless transceiver operable to communicate with a mobile device via a wireless network to receive avionics information,
- wherein the avionics display unit is configured to access the avionics information received by the removable memory card through the wireless network and use the received avionics information with the stored application module to perform the avionic functions.
An avionics system, comprising:
- a regulatory-certified avionics display unit configured to be installed in an aircraft instrument panel, the avionics display unit including a memory storing an application module operable to perform avionic functions and a memory card reader including a memory card slot;
- a mobile device having a memory and operable to communicate avionics information via a wireless network;
- and
- a removable memory card configured to be received in the memory card slot of the avionics display unit, the removable memory card having a transceiver operable to communicate with the mobile device via the wireless network to receive the avionics information,
- wherein the avionics display unit is configured to access the avionics information received by the removable memory card through the wireless network and use the received avionics information with the stored application module to perform the avionic functions, and
- wherein the avionics display unit is configured to write data to the memory card for transmission to the mobile device through the wireless network.
A method of transferring data from a mobile device to a regulatory-certified avionics display system, the method comprising:
- storing, using a processor of the mobile device, avionics data in a memory of a mobile device;
- receiving, using a memory card slot of the regulatory-certified avionics display system, a removable memory card inserted into the memory card slot, the removable memory card including a wireless transceiver;
- establishing, using the processor of the mobile device and a processor of the regulatory-certified avionics display system, wireless communication between the mobile device and the removable memory card;
- transmitting, using a transceiver in the mobile device, the avionics data stored in the memory of the mobile device to a memory of the removable memory card;
- and
- accessing, using the processor and a memory of the regulatory-certified avionics display system, the transmitted avionics data stored in the removable memory card for use with an application module operable to perform the avionic functions stored in the memory of the regulatory-certified avionics display system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.