Method and apparatus for loadable aircraft software parts distribution

A computer implemented method for managing a plurality of aircraft software parts, the computer implemented method comprising:

• storing, organizing, deleting, distributing and managing a set of aircraft software parts for a set of aircraft in a library that is on-ground, wherein managing the set of aircraft software parts includes performing security and versioning control processes which includes, when receiving a request for a specific set of aircraft software parts for a specific aircraft, signing the specific aircraft software parts with a private key corresponding to the specific aircraft, and wherein the library is configured to create a crate of the set of aircraft software parts in response to receiving downlink data and to sign the downlink data with a private key of an aircraft in the set of aircraft to create signed downlink data;
• receiving downlink data from an on-board file transfer system by a line replaceable unit on the specific aircraft;
• sending the downlink data to the on-board file transfer system in a portable software maintenance tool in communication with the specific aircraft, wherein the portable software maintenance tool is configured to provide an alternate route to send the aircraft part to an onboard electronic distribution system of the aircraft;
• sending, by the portable software maintenance tool, the downlink data to the on-ground component;
• identifying, by the on-ground component, the specific aircraft for the specific aircraft software parts to form an identified aircraft;
• creating, by the on-ground component, a crate that includes the specific aircraft software parts and signing the crate with the private key to form a signed crate;
• sending the signed crate from the library to a proxy server via either or both physical or wireless connection links;
• sending the signed crate from the proxy server to the onboard electronic distribution system on the identified aircraft;
• verifying, by the onboard electronic distribution system, the signed crate;
• and
• installing, by the onboard electronic distribution system, the signed crate as the line replaceable unit in the aircraft.

An aircraft software part management apparatus, comprising:

• a library associated with a data processing system, the library being configured to store, organize, delete, distribute and manage a set of aircraft software parts for a set of aircraft, and wherein the management of the aircraft software parts includes security and versioning control processes, and wherein the library is an on-ground component and wherein the library is configured to create a crate of the set of aircraft software parts in response to receiving downlink data and to sign the downlink data with a private key of an aircraft in the set of aircraft to create signed downlink data;
• a receiving module configured to receive the set of aircraft software parts and configured to send the set of aircraft software parts to the library;
• a proxy server in communication with the library via either or both physical or wireless communication links, wherein the proxy server is configured to serve a set of aircraft clients;
• an onboard electronic distribution system for an aircraft in the set of aircraft, wherein the onboard electronic distribution system is an aircraft client in the set of aircraft clients and is configured to receive an aircraft software part for the aircraft from the library through the proxy server;
• a portable software maintenance tool, wherein the portable software maintenance tool is configured to provide an alternate route to send the aircraft software part to the onboard electronic distribution system of the aircraft, wherein the onboard electronic distribution system is further configured to send the downlink data to a file transfer system in the portable software maintenance tool, wherein the portable software maintenance tool is further configured to send a request by the file transfer system to the onboard electronic distribution system to send the downlink data to the on-ground component;
• and wherein:
• the portable software maintenance tool is further configured to receive the signed downlink data and the crate, and transmit the signed downlink data and the crate to the onboard electronic distribution system;
• and
• the onboard electronic distribution system is configured to install the crate as a line replaceable unit in the aircraft responsive to verifying the signed downlink data;
• and
• an onboard hardware processor with a flight recorder that is configured to generate data describing different events occurring during the flight of an aircraft, wherein the onboard electronic distribution system is configured to downlink the data through the proxy server, and through the portable software maintenance tool back to the library.