METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONFIGURING AN ON-BOARD MAINTENANCE INFORMATION SYSTEM IN AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20110218701A1
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Ric, Georges, Beltrand, François
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4028 the transportation system being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload
• 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 the configuring of an on-board maintenance information system in an aircraft, the information system comprising a first (285) and a second (250) communication interface, a protected domain (240) and an open domain (245), each of the domains comprising maintenance functions (260, 275), and a data filtering module (255, 270). After having determined a mode for connection of a mobile maintenance terminal to the information system, the filtering module is configured to filter the data exchanged between the second interface and a maintenance function of the open domain if the terminal is directly connected to the information system via the first interface. If the terminal is connected to the information system via an information system on the ground and via the second interface, the filtering module is configured to filter the data exchanged between maintenance functions of the protected and open domains.

Claims

1. Method for configuring an on-board maintenance information system (220) in an aircraft, the said information system comprising at least a first (285) and a second (250) communication interface, a protected domain (240) and an open domain (245), each of the said domains comprising at least one maintenance function (260, 275), and a data filtering module (255, 270), this method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps,

determining a mode for connection of a mobile maintenance terminal (500) to the said information system;

if the said mobile maintenance terminal is directly connected to the said information system via the said first communication interface, configuring the said filtering module to filter the data exchanged between the said second communication interface and the said at least one maintenance function of the said open domain; and

,

if the said mobile maintenance terminal is connected to the said information system via a maintenance information system on the ground (505) and via the said second communication interface, configuring the said filtering module to filter the data exchanged between the said at least one maintenance function of the said protected and open domains.

2. Method according to claim 1, according to which the said filtering module comprises a robust filter configured to transmit only data satisfying predetermined rules.

3. Method according to claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising a step of configuring the said connection mode, the said step of configuring the said connection mode being carried out in a protected zone of the said aircraft.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a step of configuring a second filtering module, this step of configuring the second filtering module comprising the following steps,

if the said mobile maintenance terminal is directly connected to the said information system via the said first communication interface, configuring the said second filtering module to filter the data exchanged between the said at least one maintenance function of the said protected and open domains;

and,

if the said mobile maintenance terminal is connected to the said information system via a maintenance information system on the ground and via the said second communication interface, configuring the said filtering module to filter the data exchanged between the said second communication interface and the said at least one maintenance function of the said open domain.

5. 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.

6. Device for configuring an on-board maintenance information system (220) in an aircraft, the said information system comprising at least a first (285) and a second (250) communication interface, a protected domain (240) and an open domain (245), each of the said domains comprising at least one maintenance function (260, 275), and a data filtering module (255, 270), this device being characterized in that it comprises the following means,

means for determining a mode for connection of a mobile maintenance terminal (500) to the said information system;

means for configuring the said filtering module to filter the data exchanged between the said second communication interface and the said at least one maintenance function of the said open domain if the said mobile maintenance terminal is directly connected to the information system via the said first communication interface; and

,

means for configuring the said filtering module to filter the data exchanged between the said at least one maintenance function of the said protected and open domains if the said mobile maintenance terminal is connected to the said information system via a maintenance information system on the ground (505) and via the said second communication interface.

7. Device according to the preceding claim further comprising means for configuring the said connection mode, the said means for configuring the said connection mode being located in a protected zone of the said aircraft.

8. Device according to claim 6 or claim 7 further comprising at least two switches (700-1, 700-2) controlled by a command signal representing the said connection mode, a first of the said at least two switches being connected to the said filtering module and to the said at least one maintenance function of the said protected domain or of the said open domain and a second switch of the said at least two switches being connected to the said filtering module and to the said at least one maintenance function of the said open domain or to the said second communication interface.

9. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 8 further comprising means for configuring a second filtering module, these means for configuring the said second filtering module comprising the following means,

means for configuring the said second filtering module to filter the data exchanged between the said at least one maintenance function of the said protected and open domains if the said mobile maintenance terminal is directly connected to the said information system via the said first communication interface;

and,

means for configuring the said filtering module to filter the data exchanged between the said second communication interface and the said at least one maintenance function of the said open domain if the said mobile maintenance terminal is connected to the said information system via a maintenance information system on the ground and via the said second communication interface.

10. Aircraft comprising the device according to any one of claims 6 to 9.