Method and Apparatus for Simulating Aircraft Data Processing Systems

• US 20090112569A1
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Skahan, Vincent D. JR., Davis, Terry Lee, Momii, Leigh Wong, Angus, Ian Gareth, Mitchell, Timothy M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,615,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/22
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• 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: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for simulating mobile platforms. In one advantageous embodiment, a method is used to performing operations with a virtual aircraft network. A data processing system with the virtual aircraft network is connected to a ground network. The operations are performed with the virtual aircraft network connected to the ground network.

Claims

1. A method for performing operations with a virtual aircraft network, the computer implemented method comprising:

connecting a data processing system with the virtual aircraft network to a ground network; and

performing the operations with the virtual aircraft network connected to the ground network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

collecting data from performing the operations to form collected data;

analyzing the collected data; and

selectively making changes to the ground network.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of components for the virtual aircraft network to form a plurality of identified components; and

designing a set of virtual versions of components to at least a portion of the plurality of identified components.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a component within the plurality of components is a line replaceable unit and wherein the designing step comprises:

designing a virtual machine for the line replaceable unit.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a software aircraft part is executed by the virtual machine.

6. A method for simulating a mobile platform, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of components for a virtual network for the mobile platform to form a plurality of identified components; and

designing a set of virtual versions of components for at least a portion of the plurality of identified components;

placing the set of virtual versions of components on a data processing system; and

configuring a set of physical network connections on the data processing system.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

connecting the set of physical network connections to another network, wherein the virtual network is connected to the another network; and

performing operations with a network and the another network.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

collecting data from performing the operations to form collected data; and

changing the other network in response to the collected data.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the performing step comprises:

performing operations with a network and the another network to train a set of users on how to perform the operations.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

utilizing a physical component of one of the plurality of components.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the physical component is a line replaceable unit.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the network is a virtual aircraft network and the another network is a ground network.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the network is selected from one of a network in an aircraft, a network in an automobile, a network in a tank, a network in a ship, a network in spacecraft, a network in a submarine, and a network in missile.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein a selected component in the plurality of components is a software aircraft part in a line replaceable unit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the designing step comprises:

designing a virtual machine for the line replaceable unit to execute the software aircraft part.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the designing a virtual machine for the line replaceable unit with a software component capable of simulating inputs and outputs to the software aircraft part.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a virtual aircraft network capable of simulating operations executed by a physical aircraft network; and

a data processing system capable of communicating with a ground network, wherein the virtual aircraft network is located on the data processing system.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the virtual aircraft network comprises:

a set of virtual machines representing line replaceable units on an aircraft;

a set of virtual networks representing networks within the physical aircraft network; and

a control user interface capable of receiving user input to control the virtual aircraft network.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

a virtual ground device capable of communicating with the aircraft network and the ground network.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the data processing system is a portable computer.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

at least one of a physical nonstandard device and a virtual nonstandard device connected to the virtual aircraft network.