Simmonds Precision Products, Inc.

Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Goodrich Corporation

Simmonds Precision Prodcuts, Inc.

Radoslaw Romuald Zakrzewski

Michael Anthony Lynch

Mokhtar M Sadok

Mark Sherwood Miller

Robert Zeliff

Jeffrey James Shirer

Joseph V Mantese

Christopher McAuliffe

Thomas M Zywiak

Fanping Sun

Paul M D'Orlando

William R Fiske

Bernard Dion

Garret Edward Rittenhouse

Mark George Walker

Rosanna Catricala Glynn

Luis Carlos Rabelo

Brandon Robert Hicks

Meade G Ferrigan

Robert Curtis North

Rosanna C Glynn

Paul D'orlando

Christopher Mcauliffe

Lei Liu

Scott Robert Durkee

Eric Robert Bechhoefer

Bradley William Baird

Thomas G Wiegele

Nghia T Dinh

Giusi Quartarone

Christopher Fitzhugh

Scott Fusare

Raymond Francis Foley

Jonathan Wieman

Robert Alan Hess

John Covell

Mead G Ferrigan

Paul D'ORLANDO

Nicholas Troutman

Mokhtar Sadok

A wireless communication system and method includes a first wireless node and a data concentrator configured to provide a new encryption key updated from a current encryption key to the first wireless node. The data concentrator includes first and second transceivers. The data concentrator provides a key update message that includes the new encryption key to the first wireless node via the first transceiver. The key update message is encrypted using the current encryption key. The data concentrator is configured to decrypt first transmissions from the first wireless node via the second transceiver using the new encryption key, and decrypt the first transmissions via the first transceiver using the current encryption key.

Multiple transceivers for wireless key update

An airplane is provided. The airplane includes a fuel gauging and quantity estimation system with an improved estimation accuracy. The fuel gauging and quantity estimation system operates by detecting an environment of a tank comprising a liquid and selecting one or more liquid gauging algorithms based on the environment. The fuel gauging and quantity estimation system further operates by receiving sensor data characterizing the liquid of the tank and utilizing the sensor data and the one or more liquid gauging algorithms to determine a property of the liquid.

Fuel gauging system and improved methodology for fuel quantity estimation

An integrated sensor unit for estimating a quantity of fluid in a container includes a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure at a physical location of the sensor unit, an acceleration sensor configured to measure at least three components of an acceleration vector at the physical location of the sensor unit, and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature at the physical location of the sensor unit. The sensor unit is configured to produce an output signal comprising the pressure, acceleration, and temperature measurements.

Integrated sensor unit for fuel gauging

A method can include generating reference image data representing a field of view of an interior of a fuel tank, and generating active image data representing the field of view of the interior of the fuel tank when the fuel tank contains fuel. The method can further include producing, by a processing device, a fuel measurement value representing an amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank based on the reference image data and the active image data, and outputting, by the processing device, an indication of the fuel measurement value.

Imaging system for fuel tank analysis

Redundant wireless sensor networks include a plurality of wireless sensors and a wireless data concentrator. The plurality of wireless sensors sense a parameter and transmit sensor signals representative of the parameter sensed. The wireless data concentrator receives the sensor signals and adjusts the transmission schedules of at least one of the plurality of wireless sensors based on a change in operating status of one or more of the plurality of wireless sensors.

Battery use management for wireless networks

A multi-level network system of an aircraft includes at least one equipment area network and a wide area network. The equipment area network includes equipment of the aircraft, at least one wireless device, and at least one equipment area network coordinator. The at least one wireless device is configured to transmit and receive data using a first wireless link. The at least one equipment area network coordinator is configured to transmit to and receive data from the at least one wireless device using the first wireless link and to transmit data to and receive data from the wide area network using a second wireless link, the first wireless link using lower power than the second wireless link. The wide area network includes a wide area network coordinator that is configured to transmit and receive data from the at least one equipment area network coordinator using the second wireless link.

Wireless network with equipment area network

A method can include illuminating an interior of a fuel tank with one or more light pulses, and receiving reflected returns of the one or more light pulses at a light sensor array. The method can further include producing, by a processing device, three-dimensional image data of the interior of the fuel tank based on the received reflected returns, producing, by the processing device, a fuel measurement value representing an amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank based on the three-dimensional image data, and outputting, by the processing device, an indication of the fuel measurement value.

A method includes receiving a sampled input, the sampled input being a result of a detection device sensing a plurality of environmental conditions by an air cycle machine; processing the sampled input to detect whether the plurality of environmental conditions includes a deviation from an expected operation of the air cycle machine; and generating a notification output in response to the plurality of environmental conditions including the deviation from the expected operation of the air cycle machine.

Health and usage management of an environmental control system

A method includes receiving, by a first wireless device integrated into a management facility from a second wireless device integrated into a detection device, environmental conditions produced by a structure and detected by the detection device attached to the structure; and processing, by the management facility, the environmental conditions to detect a deviation from an expected operation of the structure.

Wireless health and usage management of an environmental control system

Apparatus and associated methods relate to generating a frequency spectrum weighting function for use in estimating a rotational frequency of the rotating member. The estimation of the rotational frequency is based on vibrations sensed by an accelerometer remotely located from a rotating member. The frequency spectrum weighting function is generated by a supervised learning method. The method includes receiving a set of test vectors. The test vectors include a rotational frequency value of the rotating member and a vibrational frequency spectrum corresponding to vibrations propagated to the accelerometer. The vibrations include vibrations caused by the rotating member rotating at the rotational frequency. The method includes calculating a test weighting function, and then weighting the vibrational frequency spectra by the test weighting function. The method includes calculating a vector score indicative of whether the weighted vibrational frequency spectra promote the identification of the rotational frequency of the rotating member.

Rotational frequency estimation from sensed vibrations based on a supervised learning method

A method can include emitting, from a light source, directional light through fuel contained in a fuel tank, and determining a refraction angle of the directional light after the directional light passes through an interface with the fuel. The method can further include determining, by a processing device, an index of refraction of the fuel based on the determined refraction angle, and determining, by the processing device, a density of the fuel based on the determined index of refraction of the fuel.

A method can include generating image data of an interior of a fuel tank disposed within a wing of an aircraft, and determining, by a processing device, an amount of wing bending of the wing of the aircraft based on the generated image data of the interior of the fuel tank. The method can further include producing, by the processing device, a fuel measurement value representing an amount of fuel contained in the fuel tank based on the amount of wing bending of the wing of the aircraft, and outputting, by the processing device, an indication of the fuel measurement value.

A method can include transmitting, from a light source, light through a fuel tank ullage, and determining, by a processing device, an amount of absorption of at least one wavelength of the transmitted light. The method can further include determining, by the processing device based on the amount of absorption of the at least one wavelength of the transmitted light, a chemical composition of the fuel tank ullage.

A sensor network includes a plurality of sensors and a base station for sending a series of data acquisition requests to the sensors. Each data acquisition request has an index. Each sensor has a synchronization calculation module and an internal clock. The sensors are adapted and configured to receive the series of data acquisition requests and record a timestamp of receipt for each data acquisition request. The sensors also store a predefined time interval related to the plurality of data acquisition requests so that the sensor can calculate a time to start collecting data based upon the series of data acquisition requests, the timestamps, the indices, and the predefined time interval. In an alternative embodiment, the base station only sends a general request for data acquisition and a synchronization sensor module receives the general request and, in turn, sends the series of data acquisition requests to the sensors.

System and method for synchronizing wireless devices without sending timestamp data

A system and method is provided for monitoring aircraft health and status using a situation-aware sensing system. The system includes an independent power source, a sensor that continuously measures a signal of interest to yield sensor data, and a processor that compares the sensor data to threshold data. The processor adjusts an operational parameter of the situation-aware sensing system to conserve power when the sensor data does not exceed the threshold data. The processor further adjusts the operational parameter of the situation-aware sensing system to stop conserving power when the sensor data exceeds the threshold data.

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South Burlington, VT, United States of America

Radoslaw Romuald Zakrzewski