Automatic Estimation Process And Device For A Flight Parameter Vector In An Aircraft, As Well As Detection Methods And Assemblies For A Failure Affecting Such A Vector

• US 20130030610A1
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• 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: Goupil, Philippe, Dayre, Rmy, Le Berre, Herv, Michel, Patrice, Cazes, Florian, Mailhes, Corinne, Chabert, Marie
• Granted Patent: US 9,116,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls

Abstract

Automatic estimation process and device for a flight parameter vector in an aircraft, as well as detection methods and assemblies for a failure affecting such a vector.

The detection device (1) comprises means (5) for estimating, on an observation window, a coefficient vector allowing to determine a linear relationship between the searched flight parameter vector and explanatory values, by implementing a PLS regression, and means (5) to use such a coefficient vector so as to calculate, thru a linear modeling, an estimated value of said flight parameter vector.

Claims

1. An automatic estimation process of a flight parameter vector used by a system (20) of an aircraft (AC), in particular an electrical flying control system,

wherein the following sequence of successive steps is automatically implemented:

(a) the values being observed are received from a plurality of explanatory values, an explanatory value representing a parameter of the aircraft (AC) being used in the following processings;

(b) on an observation window, a coefficient vector is estimated, allowing a linear relationship to be determined between the flight parameter vector being searched and said explanatory values, which relationship is relative to a linear modeling by implementing a PLS regression;

(c) such estimated coefficient vector minimizing the power of the model error on the observation window is used to calculate, thru said linear modeling, an estimated value of said flight parameter vector; and

(d) the so-estimated value is transmitted to user means.

2. The process according to claim 1,

wherein a flight parameter vector comprises at least one value of said flight parameter and at least one flight parameter.

3. The process according to claim 1,

wherein said observation window is defined for a plurality of successive samples.

4. The process according to claim 1,

wherein the operations b) and c) are iteratively performed by using the PLS regression and observed values of said flight parameter vector.

5. The process according to claim 1,

wherein a further input variable, so-called adjusting input is used so as to be able to consider non centred signals, and more generally any non modelled uncertainty

6. An automatic detection method for one failure affecting at least one flight parameter vector used by an aircraft system, in particular an electrical flying control system,

wherein the following sequence of successive steps is performed on an automatic and repetitive way:

A/ by implementing the process specified in claim 1, on any observation window F_n+1 are determined;

a said a priori first estimation of said flight parameter, being calculated with the help of explanatory variables being observed on said observation window F_n+1 and a coefficient vector being estimated on the previous observation window F_n; and

a said a posteriori second estimation of said flight parameter, being calculated thru explanatory variables observed on said observation window F_n+1 and a coefficient vector being also estimated on such observation window F_n+1;

B/ an observed value of said flight parameter vector is determined on said observation window F_n+1; and

C/ a comparison is carried out between said first and second estimations and said observed value, making possible to detect at least one failure affecting such flight parameter vector.

7. The method according to claim 6,

wherein at step C/, the following sequence of successive steps is carried out:

C1/ with the help of a decision function that is applied to said first estimation, to said second estimation and to the observed value of said flight parameter, a decision value is calculated;

C2/ such decision value is compared to a threshold; and

C3/ a failure is detected when said decision value is higher than said threshold.

8. The method according to claim 6,

wherein said threshold is determined with the help of detection and false alarm probabilities.

9. The method according to claim 6,

wherein at step C3/, a failure is detected when said decision value is higher than said threshold during a confirmation time.

10. The automatic detection method for a malfunction of sensors in an aircraft,

wherein:

A/ the development of the coefficients in the PLS regression, calculated by means of explanatory variables and the observed parameter is determined by implementing the process specified in claim 1; and

B/ the development of such coefficients so as to be able to detect a malfunction is analyzed upon a development change of such coefficients.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

at step A/, thru components of the coefficient vector, a criterion is calculated, which is representative of the intra-vectorial development of said coefficient vector; and

at step B/, such criterion is compared to a predetermined value and a malfunction is detected when such criterion is higher than said predetermined value during a confirmation duration.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

at step A/, a criterion being representative of the statistics of said coefficients is calculated with the help of the coefficient vectors; and

at step B/, such criterion is compared to a predetermined value and a malfunction is detected when such criterion is lower than said predetermined value during a confirmation duration.

15. An automatic detection assembly for a failure affecting at least one flight parameter vector used by a system (4, 10) of an aircraft (AC), in particular an electrical flying control system,

wherein it comprises:

a device (1) such as the one specified in claim 10, to determine on any observation window F_n+1;

a said a priori first estimation of said flight parameter being calculated with the help of explanatory variables observed on said observation window F_n+1 and an estimated coefficient vector on the preceding observation window F_n; and

a said a posteriori second estimation of said flight parameter being calculated with the help of explanatory variables observed on said observation window F_n+1 and an estimated coefficient vector also on such observation window F_n+1;

means (10) to determine an observed value of said flight parameter vector on said observation window F_n+1; and

means (7) to perform a comparison between said first and second estimations and said observed value, thereby allowing to detect a failure affecting such flight parameter vector.

16. An automatic detection assembly for the malfunction of aircraft sensors, comprising:

a device (1) such as the one specified in claim 10, to determine the development of the coefficients of the PLS regression being calculated with the help of explanatory variables and the observed parameter; and

means to analyze the development of such coefficients so as to be able to detect a malfunction upon a development change for such coefficients.

18. The aircraft system, in particular electrical flying control system,

wherein it comprises a detection assembly (12) such as the one specified in claim 15.

13. An automatic estimation device for a flight parameter vector used by a system (20) of an aircraft (AC), in particular an electrical flying order system,

wherein it comprises:

means (3) to receive the observed values from a plurality of explanatory values, an explanatory value representing one parameter of the aircraft (AC) being used in the following processings;

means (5) to estimate, on an observation window, a coefficient vector allowing a linear relationship to be determined between the flight parameter vector being searched and said explanatory values, relating to a linear modeling, by implementing a PLS regression;

means (5) to use such estimated coefficient vector minimizing the power of the model error on the observation window so as to calculate, with the help of said linear modeling, an estimated value of said flight parameter vector; and

means (6A, 6B, 6C) to transmit the so-estimated value to user means (7, 8).

14. The device according to claim 13,

wherein it comprises, in addition, measurement means (4, 10) so as to measure on the aircraft (AC) values being used to obtain said observed values.

17. An aircraft system, in particular electrical flying control system,

wherein it comprises a device (1) such as the one specified in claim 13.