초록 ▼

The present invention relates to the management, on board an aircraft, of the aeronautical digital telecommunications networks ACARS and ATN. It covers a method for automatic choice of the transmission sub-network of the ACARS or ATN networks which is most appropriate for the exchange of digital mes

The present invention relates to the management, on board an aircraft, of the aeronautical digital telecommunications networks ACARS and ATN. It covers a method for automatic choice of the transmission sub-network of the ACARS or ATN networks which is most appropriate for the exchange of digital messages with the ground, taking account of the capabilities of the equipment of the aircraft, of that existing on the ground in the area overflown, of the costs and of the reliabilities of the possible links, and of the preferences of the pilot, of his airline and of the control services. This method consists principally in the creation and updating of a database containing information: costs, performance levels, security/reliability, aircraft configuration, availabilities of the communications sub-networks as well as the stipulations by the pilot, by his airline and by the control services, and in the automatic selection of a communications mode via a sub-network of the ACARS or ATN networks, taking into account an order of preference established on the basis of criteria based on the information contained in the database (342).

대표청구항 ▼

1. Method of managing communications modes for an exchange, in digital form, of messages between the ground and an aircraft provided with transmission equipment suitable for aeronautical digital telecommunications with ACARS and ATN networks and transmission sub-networks of said ACARS and ATN networ

1. Method of managing communications modes for an exchange, in digital form, of messages between the ground and an aircraft provided with transmission equipment suitable for aeronautical digital telecommunications with ACARS and ATN networks and transmission sub-networks of said ACARS and ATN networks, said aircraft equipped with a computer managing communications of the aircraft within the ACARS and ATN networks, said computer equipped with a man-machine interface allowing a pilot to dialogue with said computer, said method comprising the steps of:providing said computer with a database including, an updated status of the communications modes via one of the transmission sub-networks of the ACARS and ATN networks available to the aircraft at a desired moment of said exchange of messages, said updated status taking in account capabilities of the transmission equipment on a ground area overflown by the aircraft and said transmission equipment of the aircraft, directives expressed by the pilot by way of said man-machine interface and framing a configuration choice of said communications modes, a pre-established routing policy, and costs, performance levels, and qualities of service of said communications modes; and selecting, via the computer, one of the communication modes via said one of the transmission sub-networks by application of a predefined rule accounting for an order of preference among said communications modes via one of said transmission sub-networks, a selected transmission sub-network established on a basis of elements of said database, including, actual availabilities, at the desired moment of the exchange, of the communications modes via one of said transmission sub-networks, directives expressed by the pilot and framing a communications choice of a communications mode via one of said transmission sub-networks to be used, pre-established routing policy, costs, performance levels, and qualities of service of said communications modes, offered by said ACARS and ATN transmission networks via one of said transmission sub-networks.