Methods and apparatus for assisting in the maintenance of aircraft and other mobile platforms

• US 10,333,613 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bombardier Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bombardier Incorporated
• Inventors: Law, Andy, Cheung, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US15/319,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20170134087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18508 with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0645 by additionally acting on or stimulating the network after receiving notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to health monitoring and maintenance of mobile platforms such as aircraft. In particular, onboard apparatus and methods and also ground-based apparatus and methods that cooperate in assisting with the maintenance of mobile platforms by facilitating diagnosis of events detected onboard mobile platforms while such mobile platforms are in operation (e.g., transit, flight) are disclosed. In various aspects, the present disclosure discloses apparatus and methods for handling and reporting the detection of events onboard mobile platforms, reporting predefined additional information associated with the event upon request from a ground facility, identifying one or more potential causes for the detected event and determining the occurrence probability for each potential cause identified.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for assisting with maintenance of an aircraft, the method comprising:

detecting an event on the aircraft;

generating additional information associated with the event and storing the additional information in computer-readable medium onboard the aircraft;

transmitting, from the aircraft, an advisory message relating to the event;

receiving, at the aircraft, a query message via a first communication protocol, the query message requesting the additional information associated with the event; and

upon receiving the query message, automatically transmitting, from the aircraft to a ground facility and while the aircraft is in flight, a response message via a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, the response message comprising the additional information associated with the event and being larger in size than the advisory message.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol comprises Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting Systems (ACARS).

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second communication protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the response message is transmitted via satellite communications (SATCOM).

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the advisory message is transmitted via the first communication protocol.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the advisory message comprises identification of the event and a link to the additional information.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the additional information is automatically generated upon detection of the event.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the contents of the additional information are predefined based on the event.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises a value of a sensed parameter relating to a system of the aircraft associated with the event.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises:

a first value of a sensed parameter relating to a system of the aircraft associated with the event before the detection of the event; and

a second value of the sensed parameter relating to the system of the aircraft after the detection of the event.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises environmental data associated with the aircraft.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the event comprises a fault condition.

13. An apparatus for installation onboard an aircraft and for assisting with maintenance of the aircraft, the apparatus comprising:

a communication terminal for receiving messages and for transmitting messages from the aircraft, the communication terminal being configured for communication using a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol; and

a monitoring unit coupled to the communication terminal and also coupled to a monitored system of the aircraft, the monitoring unit comprising a data processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions readable and executable by the data processor to perform a method comprising;

detecting an event associated with the monitored system;

generating additional information associated with the event and storing the additional information;

commanding transmission, from the aircraft, of an advisory message relating to the event on the aircraft;

upon receipt, via the first communication protocol, of a query message requesting the additional information associated with the event, automatically commanding transmission, from the aircraft to a ground facility and while the aircraft is in flight, a response message via the second communication protocol, the response message comprising the additional information associated with the event and being larger in size than the advisory message.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the first communication protocol comprises ACARS.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the second communication protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the commanded transmission of the advisory message is via the first communication protocol.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the advisory message comprises identification of the event and a link to the additional information.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the monitoring unit to, upon detection of the event, automatically generate the additional information.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the contents of the additional information are predefined based on the event.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the additional information comprises a value of a sensed parameter relating to the monitored system.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the additional information comprises:

a first value of a sensed parameter relating to the monitored system before the detection of the event; and

a second value of the sensed parameter relating to the monitored system after the detection of the event.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the additional information comprises environmental data associated with the aircraft.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the event comprises a fault condition.