Avionics calculator with integrated routing module, related communication network and communication installation, and aircraft comprising such a communication installation

• US 10,230,574 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Montrichard, Martial, Pierson, Benoit, Fumey, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ling, Chhian (Amy)
• Application Number:
  US15/262,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0075 Adaptations for use of electronic flight bags in aircraft; Supports therefor in the cockpit
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40176 involving redundancy error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in hardware using active fault-masking in interconnections G06F11/2002; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in hardware using active fault-masking in storage systems using spares or by reconfiguring G06F11/2053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40208 characterized by the use of a particular bus standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4028 the transportation system being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/15 Interconnection of switching modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/405 Physical details, e.g. power supply, mechanical construction or backplane of ATM switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units

Abstract

This avionic calculator, intended to be loaded on board an aircraft, the avionic calculator includes a protective casing and at least one module from among an information processing module able to execute at least one software application, an input/output management module and an electric power supply management module, each module being positioned inside the casing. The avionic calculator further includes a routing module positioned inside the casing, the routing module including several communication ports and being configured for transmitting at least one message from an input communication port to an output communication port.

Claims

1. An avionic calculator loaded on board an aircraft, comprising:

a protective casing;

at least one processor;

at least one electronic module from among an information processing module configured to execute at least one software application, an input/output management module, and a power supply management module, each module being positioned inside the casing;

an electronic routing module positioned inside the casing, the routing module including a plurality of communication ports and being configured to transmit at least one message from an input communication port to an output communication port; and

an electronic data transceiver module positioned inside the casing, the transceiver module being connected to at least one of the modules belonging to the group consisting of;

the routing module positioned inside the casing, and

an external routing module, within another avionic calculator and within the same aircraft;

wherein the transceiver module includes at least one communication port and is connected to at least one module from among the information processing module and the input/output management module,

wherein the avionic calculator further comprises an internal data link positioned inside the casing and connecting the transceiver module to the routing module in a bidirectional way, and

wherein the routing module may be deactivated, and the transceiver module is then connectable to the external routing module, via said deactivated routing module and forming a gateway between the transceiver module and the external routing module.

2. The avionic calculator according to claim 1, wherein the routing module is compliant with the ARINC 664 standard.

3. A communication network, adapted to interconnect pieces of electronic equipment, the communication network comprising:

an assembly of at least two network switches, each network switch including several communication ports; and

at least one external data link, each external data link being configured so as to connect in a bidirectional way a network switch to another network switch of the assembly, via the corresponding communication ports,

at least two distinct network switches being configured so as to be directly connected to a same piece of electronic equipment,

wherein at least one of the network switches is applied via a routing module of an avionic calculator according to claim 2.

4. The avionic calculator according to claim 1, wherein the routing module and at least partly the module(s) selected from among the information processing module, the input/output management module and the electric power supply management module are made as a single electronic board.

5. A communication network, adapted to interconnect pieces of electronic equipment, the communication network comprising:

an assembly of at least two network switches, each network switch including several communication ports; and

at least one external data link, each external data link being configured so as to connect in a bidirectional way a network switch to another network switch of the assembly, via the corresponding communication ports,

at least two distinct network switches being configured so as to be directly connected to a same piece of electronic equipment,

wherein at least one of the network switches is applied via a routing module of an avionic calculator according to claim 4.

6. The avionic calculator according to claim 1, wherein the avionic calculator further comprises a supervisor positioned inside the casing, the supervisor being configured to supervise the routing module.

7. A communication network, adapted to interconnect pieces of electronic equipment, the communication network comprising:

an assembly of at least two network switches, each network switch including several communication ports; and

at least one external data link, each external data link being configured so as to connect in a bidirectional way a network switch to another network switch of the assembly, via the corresponding communication ports,

at least two distinct network switches being configured so as to be directly connected to a same piece of electronic equipment,

wherein at least one of the network switches is applied via a routing module of an avionic calculator according to claim 6.

8. The avionic calculator according to claim 1, wherein the routing module may be disconnected from the transceiver module, while being connectable to the external routing module.

9. The avionic calculator according to claim 1, wherein the routing module and the transceiver module are made as a single electronic component.

10. The avionic calculator according to claim 1,

wherein the routing module is configured to transmit at least one message from the input communication port to the output communication port, according to a first connection configuration table of the routing module to one or several external routing modules at a distance from the avionic calculator, and

wherein the transceiver module is configured to exchange data, via at least one routing module, with pieces of avionic equipment external to the avionic calculator, according to a second configuration table of connections of the avionic calculator with the pieces of avionic equipment.

11. The avionic calculator according to claim 10, wherein the first and second configuration tables are predefined and stored in the avionic calculator.

12. The avionic calculator according to claim 10, wherein the first and second configuration tables are distinct from each other.

13. The avionic calculator according to claim 10, wherein the first and second configuration tables form a single configuration table.

14. A communication network, adapted to interconnect pieces of electronic equipment, the communication network comprising:

an assembly of at least two network switches, each network switch including several communication ports; and

at least one external data link, each external data link being configured so as to connect in a bidirectional way a network switch to another network switch of the assembly, via the corresponding communication ports,

at least two distinct network switches being configured so as to be directly connected to a same piece of electronic equipment,

wherein at least one of the network switches is applied via a routing module of an avionic calculator according to claim 1.

15. A communication installation, comprising:

plural pieces of electronic equipment; and

a communication network positioned between the pieces of electronic equipment,

wherein the communication network is compliant with claim 14.

16. An aircraft comprising a communication installation, wherein the communication installation is according to claim 15.