Maintenance system for an equipment set

• US 20060155425A1
• Filed: 08/07/2001
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Howlett, Peter, Fournier, Francois
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements

Abstract

The invention relates to the maintenance of a rapidly installable and rapidly removable set of equipment (1-6, 11) which can be replaced by standard exchanges, furnished with individual electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a-6a, 20a-23a, 30a-32a, 11a) assuming, at their level, a BITE function (Build [sic] In Test Equipment) for testing, for fault diagnosis and for issuing fault messages sent by data transmission to a central maintenance computer (7) itself formulating a report regarding the overall state of operation of the set of equipment. It relates more especially to the hardware parts of the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation which are integral with the equipment (1-6) or with equipment parts (20-23, 30-32) and which are furnished with a nonvolatile memory (405) and with means of detection, selection and capture (403, 413, 423) into their nonvolatile memories (405), of the report formulated by the central maintenance computer (7). Since these hardware parts of circuits for monitoring proper operation track the tribulations of the equipment parts or pieces of equipment with which they are integral, they make it possible for the latest report regarding the overall state of operation of the set of equipment often causing the removal, to be always available, in a repair center, with an item removed for repair, thereby facilitating the drawing up of a repair diagnosis.

Claims

1. A maintenance system for a set of equipment comprising:

electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, . . . ) of each piece of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ), each furnished with means for formulating tests of proper operation and for issuing fault messages should the tests (400, 401) fail, as well as a nonvolatile memory (405) integral with the monitored piece of equipment,

a central maintenance computer (7) allied with said electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1, 2a, 3a, . . . ), provided with means of diagnosis of the state of operation of the set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ), functioning on the basis of the fault messages of said electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1, 2a, 3a, . . . ) and formulating a report regarding the overall state of operation of the set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ),

one or more data transmission links (10) linking said electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, . . . ) to the central maintenance computer (7),

said maintenance system for a set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ) being characterized in that the central maintenance computer (7) comprises means for making its report regarding the overall state of operation of the set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ) available on the data transmission link or links (10) linking it to the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, . . . ) and in that the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, . . . ) comprise means of detection, capture and transfer (403, 413, 423) into their nonvolatile memories (405) integral with the equipment, of the report regarding the overall state of operation of the set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ) formulated by the central maintenance computer (7) when this report travels over said transmission link or links (10) linking the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, etc.) to the central maintenance computer (7).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which pieces of equipment (3, 4, 5, 6) are grouped together in subsets (11) themselves furnished, at their upper level of assemblage, with electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (11a) generating fault messages relating to said subsets (3, 4, 5, 6) destined for the central maintenance computer (7), characterized in that the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (3a, 4a, 5a, 6a) of these pieces of equipment (3, 4, 5, 6) grouped into one and the same subset (11) are also furnished with means of detection, capture and transfer (403, 413, 423) into their nonvolatile memories (405) integral with the equipment, of the fault messages issued by the (11a) or the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation of the subset(s) (11) to which the pieces of equipment (3, 4, 5, 6) belong, when these messages travel over said transmission link or links (10) linking the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 11a) to the central maintenance computer (7).

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which pieces of equipment (2, 3) comprise parts (20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32) themselves furnished, at their lower level of assemblage, with electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (20a, 21a, 22a, 23a, 30a, 31a, 32a) generating fault messages relating to said equipment parts (20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32) destined for the central maintenance computer (7), characterized in that the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (20a, 21a, 22a, 23a, 30a, 31a, 32a) of these equipment parts (20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32) are also furnished with means of detection, capture and transfer (403, 413, 423) into their nonvolatile memories (405) integral with the equipment parts, of fault messages issued by the circuit or circuits for monitoring proper operation (2a, 3a) of the piece or pieces of equipment (2, 3) to which the equipment parts (20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32) belong when they travel over said transmission link or links (10) linking the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, etc.) to the central maintenance computer (7).

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which pieces of equipment (3) comprise parts (30, 31, 32) themselves furnished, at their lower level of assemblage, with electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (30a, 31a, 32a) generating fault messages relating to said equipment parts (30, 31, 32) destined for the central maintenance computer (7), and where the pieces of equipment (3) which comprise these equipment parts (30, 31, 32) are grouped together with other pieces of equipment (4, 5, 6) in subsets (11) themselves furnished, at their upper level of assemblage, with electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (11a) generating fault messages relating to said subsets (11) destined for the central maintenance computer (7), characterized in that the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (30a, 31a, 32a) of the parts (30, 31, 32) of these pieces of equipment (3) are also furnished [lacuna] means (403) of detection, capture and transfer (403, 413, 423) into their nonvolatile memories (405) integral with the equipment parts, of fault messages issued by the circuit or circuits for monitoring proper operation (3a, 11a) of the piece or pieces of equipment (3) and of the subset(s) of equipment (11) to which the equipment parts (30, 31, 32) belong, when these messages travel over said transmission link or links (10) linking the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, etc.) to the central maintenance computer (7).

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which pieces of equipment (3) comprise parts (30, 31, 32) themselves furnished, at their lower level of assemblage, with electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (30a, 31a, 32) generating fault messages relating to said equipment parts (30, 31, 32) destined for the central maintenance computer (7), characterized in that the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (3a, 11a) of these pieces of equipment (3) are also furnished with means (403) of detection, capture and transfer (403, 413, 423) into their nonvolatile memories (405) integral with the equipment, of the fault messages issued at the lower level of assemblage by the circuit or circuits for monitoring proper operation (30a, 31a, 32a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a) of the equipment parts (30, 31, 32) of which they are composed when these messages travel over said transmission link or links (10) linking the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, etc.) to the central maintenance computer (7).

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which pieces of equipment (3) comprise parts (30, 31, 32) themselves furnished, at their lower level of assemblage, with electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (30a, 31a, 32) generating fault messages relating to said equipment parts (30, 31, 32) destined for the central maintenance computer (7), and where the pieces of equipment (3) which comprise these equipment parts (30, 31, 32) are grouped together with others (4, 5, 6) in subsets (11) themselves furnished, at their upper level of assemblage, with electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (11a) generating fault messages relating to said subsets destined for the central maintenance computer (7), characterized in that the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (3a, 11a) of these pieces of equipment (3) are also furnished with means (403) of detection, capture and transfer (403, 413, 423) into their nonvolatile memories (405) integral with the equipment, of the fault messages issued at the lower level of assemblage by the circuit or circuits for monitoring proper operation (30a, 31a, 32a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a) of their equipment parts (30, 31, 32) and, at the upper level of assemblage, by the circuit or circuits for monitoring proper operation of the pieces of equipment (3, 4, 5, 6) belonging to the same subset, when these messages travel over said transmission link or links (10) linking the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, etc.) to the central maintenance computer (7).

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a printer (9) linked to the central maintenance computer (7) by the or one of said data transmission links (10) attaching the central maintenance computer (7) to the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, . . . ), characterized in that the means of the central maintenance computer (7) which make its report on the overall state of operation of the set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ) available on the data transmission link or links (10) linking it to the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, . . . ) are also the means of means of making its report on the overall state of operation of the set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ) available to the printer (9).

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a keyboard/screen interface (8) linked to the central maintenance computer (7) by the or one of said data transmission links (10) attaching the central maintenance computer (7) to the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, . . . ), characterized in that the means of the central maintenance computer (7) which make its report on the overall state of operation of the set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ) available on the data transmission link or links (10) linking it to the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, . . . ) are also the means of means of making its report on the overall state of operation of the set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ) available to the keyboard/screen interface (8).

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, associated with an airborne external telecommunication network linked to the central maintenance computer (7) by the or one of said data transmission links (10) attaching the central maintenance computer (7) to the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, . . . ), characterized in that the means of the central maintenance computer (7) which make its report on the overall state of operation of the set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ) available on the data transmission link or links (10) linking it to the electronic circuits for monitoring proper operation (1a, 2a, 3a, . . . ) are also the means of means of making its report on the overall state of operation of the set of equipment (1, 2, 3, . . . ) available to the airborne external telecommunication network.