DEVICE FOR AIDING TO TAKE A DECISION CONCERNING THE ABILITY OF AN AIRCRAFT TO START A FLIGHT

• US 20090326738A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Ferro, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/123,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326738A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems

Abstract

The device (1) comprises means (8) for carrying out an automatic correlation between a failure state of the aircraft, determined automatically, and a minimum equipment list, recorded in a database (7), so as to be able to deduce therefrom the ability of the aircraft to start a flight.

Claims

1. A device for assisting decision taking relating to the ability of an aircraft to start a flight, said device comprising:

onboard sensors (A1 to An) capable of automatically generating first fault information relating to equipment of the aircraft;

input means (3) allowing an operator to input second fault information relating to equipment of the aircraft;

first means (4) capable of automatically determining, with the aid of said first and second fault information received, a failure state which illustrates the whole set of failures of the aircraft;

a database (7) which comprises a minimum equipment list;

correlation means (8) which carry out an automatic correlation between the failure state received from said first means (4) and at least said minimum equipment list received from said database (7) so as to be able to deduce therefrom the ability of the aircraft to start the flight; and

presentation means (11) for presenting the results of said correlation,

wherein;

it comprises moreover;

onboard auxiliary sensors (B1 to Bi) capable of automatically generating, in flight, fault information relating to equipment of the aircraft; and

second means (19) capable of automatically determining, with the aid of the fault information received from said auxiliary sensors (B1 to Bi), an auxiliary failure state which indicates anticipated failures;

said correlation means (8) carry out an automatic correlation between the auxiliary failure state received from said second means (19) and said minimum equipment list received from said database (7) so as to be able to deduce therefrom if appropriate;

the ability or otherwise of the aircraft to start a next flight;

operational limitations; and

dimensioning failures; and

said presentation means (11) present the results of this correlation.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein it is onboard the aircraft.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein, except for said sensors (A1 to An), said device (1) forms a set which is not onboard the aircraft and which is connected to said onboard sensors (A1 to An) by a data transmission link.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said correlation means (8) are formed so as to be able to deduce, moreover, if appropriate:

operational limitations; and

dimensioning failures.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein it comprises, moreover, interrogation means capable of requesting an operator to input particular information into said device (1).

6. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein it comprises, moreover, means which are triggerable by an operator and which present, when a failure is detected and they are triggered, information relating to this failure, which emanates from said minimum equipment list.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein it comprises, moreover, means (16) for establishing a synthetic state, when several failures arise, and in that said synthetic state contains one of the following items of information:

if all the data input are known and if the set of restrictive conditions are satisfied, an authorization to start a flight;

if operational restrictions are applicable, a flight status with operational restrictions;

if the current date exceeds a limit date, or if, for at least one input of the minimum equipment list, a minimum number of occurrences is greater than an actual number, or if a restrictive condition is not fulfilled, a recommendation not to carry out the flight, while exhibiting the reason for this recommendation;

independently of the previous item of information, if at least one restrictive condition is not satisfied, a recommendation not to carry out the flight with the exhibiting of the unsatisfied restrictive condition; and

if not all the conditions input are known, a conditional flight intermediate status.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein it is triggerable, and in that it comprises means (14) for triggering said device (1) in a periodic manner.