METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ACCESSING MAINTENANCE FUNCTIONS OF AN AIRCRAFT FROM A MOBILE MAINTENANCE TERMINAL

• US 20110106366A1
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus, Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus, Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Ric, Georges, Bovet, Michel, Moreau, Philippe, Marty, Jean-Luc, Julaud, Pierre-Marie, Beltrand, François
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/008 on air- or spacecraft, railway rolling stock or sea-going vessels
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• 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

Abstract

The invention in particular has as an object to access maintenance functions of an aircraft from a mobile maintenance terminal. First of all, the situation of the aircraft is determined (705). Then, if this situation allows a mobile maintenance terminal to access a maintenance information system on the ground and the information system of the aircraft, a connection is established (710) between the mobile maintenance terminal and the maintenance information system on the ground and at least one maintenance command intended for the information system of the aircraft is transmitted (730) to the said maintenance information system on the ground. If this situation allows the mobile maintenance terminal to access only the information system of the aircraft, a connection is established (740) between the mobile maintenance terminal and the information system of the aircraft and at least one maintenance command is transmitted (755) to the said information system of the aircraft.

Claims

1. Method for a mobile maintenance terminal to access maintenance functions of an information system of an aircraft, this method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps,

determining (705) the situation of the said aircraft;

if the said situation makes it possible to access a maintenance information system on the ground and the said information system of the said aircraft,

establishing (710) a connection between the said mobile maintenance terminal and the said maintenance information system on the ground; and

,

transmitting (730) at least one maintenance command intended for the said information system of the said aircraft to the said maintenance information system on the ground;

if the said situation makes it possible to access only the said information system of the said aircraft,

establishing (740) a connection between the said mobile maintenance terminal and the said information system of the said aircraft; and

,

transmitting (755) at least one maintenance command to the said information system of the said aircraft.

2. Method according to the preceding claim further comprising, if the said situation makes it possible to access a maintenance information system on the ground and the said information system of the said aircraft, a step of accessing (715) at least one information item from the said maintenance information system on the ground.

3. Method according to claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising a step of accessing (725, 745) at least one maintenance datum from the said information system of the said aircraft.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a step of securing the said mobile maintenance terminal if the said situation makes it possible to access only the said information system of the said aircraft.

5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims according to which the said connection between the said mobile maintenance terminal and the said maintenance information system on the ground or the said information system of the said aircraft is in compliance with the IP protocol.

6. Method according to the preceding claim according to which the said connection between the said mobile maintenance terminal and the said maintenance information system on the ground or the said information system of the said aircraft is established through a secured tunnel.

7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims according to which the said connection between the said mobile maintenance terminal and the said maintenance information system on the ground or the said information system of the said aircraft is a wireless connection.

8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a step of receiving (735, 760) at least one execution result of the execution of the said at least one command.

9. Computer program comprising instructions adapted for the implementation of each of the steps of the method according to any one of the preceding claims when the said program is executed on a computer.

10. Mobile maintenance terminal comprising means adapted for the implementation of each of the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.