Updating remote databases

Abstract

Systems and methods for updating remote databases are provided. In certain embodiments, a method includes determining an installed version for a remote database stored on a vehicle computer. Further, the method includes identifying an incremental update for the remote database, wherein the incremental update contains differences between a desired version for the remote database and the installed version. Additionally, the method includes providing the incremental update to the vehicle computer. Also, the method includes updating the remote database with the incremental update.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a vehicle, incremental update information for a database located on the vehicle from an operations control center through an air-ground communication network, wherein the incremental update information comprises:
 a list of commands, wherein a command in the list of commands specifies at least one of an add of data to, modify of data in, and a deletion of data from a specified location in the database; 
 a new database integrity check value; 
   executing each command in the list of commands to generate an updated database;   determining whether the updated database was generated correctly based on a comparison of the updated database against the new database integrity check value; and   replacing the database with the updated database based on the determination that the updated database was generated correctly.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the air-ground communication network has a data size limit for messages and a size of the incremental update information is smaller than the data size limit. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein replacing the database with the updated database further comprises waiting for the vehicle to be at a safe operating state. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the incremental update information further comprises an incremental update integrity check value, the method further comprising:
 comparing the received incremental update information against the incremental update integrity check value; and   determining whether the received incremental update information was received correctly based on the comparison.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing an incremental update compatibility check, wherein the incremental update compatibility check determines whether the incremental update information is compatible with one or more of the database and other systems on the vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising when the incremental update compatibility check determines that the incremental update information is incompatible with at least one of the database and the other systems on the vehicle:
 notifying the operations control center of the compatibility; and   preventing the execution of the list of commands.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the database is at least one of:
 an airlines operation control database;   a database associated with a flight management computer; and   a navigational database.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein executing each command in the list of commands comprises:
 extracting a previous database identification parameter from the command;   determining whether the previous database identification parameter matches identification information for the database; and   executing the command when the previous database identification parameter matches the identification information.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein replacing the database with the updated database based on the determination that the updated database was generated correctly comprises:
 determining whether the vehicle is in a maintenance state;   when the vehicle is in a maintenance state, waiting for authorization from a maintenance individual before replacing the database with the updated database;   receiving the authorization; and   replacing the database with the updated database.   
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, from a vehicle, identification information for a database located on the vehicle to an operations control center;   receiving, at the vehicle, incremental update information for the database from the operations control center through an air-ground communication network, wherein the incremental update information comprises:
 an incremental update integrity check value; 
 a list of commands, wherein a command in the list of commands specifies at least one of an add of data to, modify of data in, and a deletion of data from a specified location in the database; 
 a new database integrity check value; 
   determining whether the received incremental update information was received correctly based on a comparison of the received incremental update information against the incremental update integrity check value;   determining whether the incremental update information is compatible with one or more of the database and other systems on the vehicle; and   when it is determined that the incremental update information was received correctly and the incremental update information is compatible:
 executing each command in the list of commands to generate an updated database; 
 determining whether the updated database was generated correctly based on a comparison of the updated database against the new database integrity check value; and 
 replacing the database with the updated database based on the determination that the updated database was generated correctly. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the air-ground communication network has a data size limit for messages and a size of the incremental update information is smaller than the data size limit. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein replacing the database with the updated database further comprises waiting for the vehicle to be at a safe operating state. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising when it is determined that the incremental update information is incompatible with at least one of the database and the other systems on the vehicle:
 notifying the operations control center of the compatibility; and   preventing the execution of the list of commands.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising when it is determined that the received incremental update information was received incorrectly:
 notifying the operations control center; and   receiving the incremental update information again.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the database is at least one of:
 an airlines operation control database;   a database associated with a flight management computer; and   a navigational database.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the incremental update is directly received by a computer on the vehicle through a transmission by the operations control center. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the operations control center, upon receiving the identification information:
 determines whether the identification information for the database matches a desired version; and   when the identification information fails to match the desired version, transmits the incremental update information for the desired version.   
     
     
         18 . A system comprising:
 an operations control center;   a remote vehicle comprising:
 a transceiver configured to exchange information with the operations control center through a communication channel; 
 a vehicle computer coupled to the transceiver, wherein the vehicle computer comprises:
 a memory unit having a database stored thereon, wherein the database is managed by an organization associated with the operations control center; and 
 a processor that executes computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions directing the processor to:
 acquire identification information of the database for transmission to the operations control center; 
 receive incremental update information for the database from the operations control center, wherein the incremental update information comprises: 
  a list of commands, wherein a command in the list of commands specifies at least one of an add of data to, modify of data in, and a deletion of data from a specified location in the database; 
  a new database integrity check value; 
 executing each command in the list of commands to generate an updated database; 
 determine whether the updated database was generated correctly based on a comparison of the updated database against the new database integrity check value; and 
 replace the database with the updated database based on the determination that the updated database was generated correctly; and 
 
 
   wherein the operations control center creates the incremental update information based on the identification information received from the remote vehicle.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the incremental update information further comprises an incremental update integrity check value, wherein the computer executable instructions further direct the processor to:
 compare the received incremental update information against the incremental update integrity check value; and   determine whether the received incremental update information was received correctly based on the comparison.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the computer executable instructions further direct the processor to perform an incremental update compatibility check, wherein the incremental update compatibility check determines whether the incremental update information is compatible with one or more of the database and other systems on the vehicle.