Vehicle Health Management Systems and Methods

• US 20100017049A1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Keller, Kirby J., Swearingen, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,942,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0234 related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles
• 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: G05D 1/0816 to ensure stability
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing the exchange of vehicle information between software modules with different safety importance. In one embodiment, a vehicle health management system includes a mission critical software module, a flight critical software module and a gatekeeper. The mission critical software module receives vehicle state information and provides it to the flight critical software module if the gatekeeper confirms the validity of the vehicle information.

Claims

1. A vehicle health management system comprising:

a first software module configured to receive vehicle data, comprising one or more of;

a risk assessor configured to determine a risk value associated with the vehicle data,

a confidence assessor configured to determine a confidence value associated with whether the vehicle data matches a validated vehicle state, and

a benefit assessor configured to determine the benefit associated with providing the vehicle data to a flight software module; and

a second software module configured to provide the vehicle data to a vehicle flight control system, the second software module comprising;

an evaluator configured to receive from the first software module one or more of the risk value, the confidence value, and the benefit value, and to calculate a health score; and

a filter configured to receive the vehicle data and to determine whether the vehicle data is internally consistent, externally consistent, and stable over time,

wherein the second software module is further configured to provide the vehicle data to the vehicle flight control system based on the health score and whether the vehicle data is one or more of internally consistent, externally consistent and stable over time.

2. The vehicle health management system of claim 1, wherein the risk value includes a risk resulting from an actuator failure.

3. The vehicle health management system of claim 1, wherein the confidence value is determined by comparing a current vehicle state with a tested vehicle state.

4. The vehicle health management system of claim 1, wherein the benefit value includes at least one of avoiding an actuator failure and increasing an actuator life.

5. The vehicle health management system of claim 1, wherein the evaluator is configured to compare the health score with a threshold value.

6. The vehicle health management system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle flight control system configured to receive the vehicle data from the second software module.

7. The vehicle health management system of claim 6, wherein a vehicle flight control algorithm residing in the vehicle flight control system is modified based on the vehicle data.

8. A method of managing vehicle health information comprising:

receiving vehicle information by a first software module;

determining a risk value associated with the vehicle information;

determining a confidence value based on a comparison between the vehicle information and a validated vehicle state;

determining a benefit value associated with providing the vehicle information to a second software module;

calculating a health score based on one or more of the risk value, the confidence value, and the benefit value;

filtering the vehicle information to determine if it is at least one of internally consistent, externally consistent, or stable over time; and

providing the vehicle information to a second software module based on the health score and whether the vehicle information is at least one of internally consistent, externally consistent, or stable over time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle information indicates that an actuator has failed.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the risk value includes the risk associated with an actuator failure.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the benefit value includes an increase in at least one of vehicle capability and vehicle safety.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the health score is compared with a threshold value.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending the vehicle information to a vehicle flight control system if the health score exceeds a threshold value and the vehicle information is internally consistent, externally consistent, and stable over time.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising modifying a vehicle flight control algorithm based on the vehicle state information.

15. A vehicle health management system comprising:

a first software module configured to receive vehicle information;

a gatekeeper configured to receive the vehicle information from the first software module and to verify the accuracy of the vehicle information;

a second software module configured to receive the vehicle information that has been verified by the gatekeeper and to provide the vehicle information to a vehicle flight control system.

16. The vehicle health management system of claim 15, wherein the second software module has a more rigorous level of validation than the first software module.

17. The vehicle health management system of claim 15, wherein the gatekeeper determines one or more of a risk value, a confidence value, and a benefit value, and calculates a health score.

18. The vehicle health management system of claim 17, wherein the gatekeeper compares the health score to a threshold value.

19. The vehicle health management system of claim 15, wherein the gatekeeper determines whether the vehicle information is one or more of internally consistent, externally consistent, and stable over time.

20. The vehicle health management system of claim 15, wherein the second software module verifies the vehicle state information by performing one or more of a parameter identification test or a neural net correction factor test.