Process and device for detecting operating inconsistencies in a system with multiple phases of operation

• US 5,713,007 A
• Filed: 11/29/1994
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
• Inventors: Coquin, Laurent, Lecomte, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/348,873
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500, 395/11, 395/905, 395/906, 364/578, 364/424.03, 364/424.04, 364/424.06, 364/434, 364/433, 364/551.01, 364/148, 364/149, 364/150, 364/151, 340/948, 340/951, 340/958, 340/959, 340/960
• US Class Current: 701/14
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric

Abstract

A process and a device for detecting inconsistencies in the operation of a system with multiple phases of operation, controlled by at least one operator. The current phase of operation of the system is determined. For the determined phase, reference is made to at least one theoretical model representative of at least one feature of the system. The effective values of the variables used in the theoretical model is detected. The detected effective values are compared to theoretical data defined in the theoretical model. Any incompatibility detected during these comparisons is signaled together with the nature of this incompatibility. The detection system can be used with the pilotage of aircraft.

Claims

1. A process for detecting inconsistencies in the operation of a system with multiple phases of operation, controlled by at least one operator, each of said phases corresponding to a partial domain of the operation and the set of said phases covering the whole of said operation, wherein:

said system having a current phase of operation, which is determined;

for said determined phase, reference is made to at least one theoretical model representative of at least one feature of the system, said theoretical model having variables which have effective values;

the effective value of the variables used in said theoretical model is detected;

said detected effective values are compared to theoretical data defined in the theoretical model; and

any incompatibility, which has characteristics, detected during these comparisons is signaled together with the characteristics of said incompatibility.

2. A device for the implementation of the process as claimed in claim 1, which includes:

a phase detector (P) for determining the current phase of an operation;

a set (E) of peripheral computers (CPI, CPII, CPK) for storing theoretical models representative of the system;

a set of sensors (C1, C2, Cm) for detecting the effective values of the variables involved in these models; and

a main computer (CAL) furnished with a program for repetitive computation operating at a speed appropriate to the rate of change of the system and capable, depending on the current phase of operation notified by the phase detector (P), of searching for and picking out the inconsistencies in the operation of the system, by feeding into the models appropriate to said current phase the values detected by said sensors and by checking the consistency with theoretical data defined in these models.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, said device further includes groups (MI, MII, MK) of memories storing general characteristics of the system and characteristics of the environment which are capable of being transmitted to said peripheral computers (CPI, CPII, CPK).

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, said device further includes switching means (AI, AII, AK) controlled by the phase detector (P) and enabling said peripheral computers (CPI, CPII, CPK) to be connected directly to the memories (MI2, MII2, MK2) of said groups (MI, MII, MK) of memories which are associated with the current phase of operation.

5. The device as claimed in claim 2, said device further includes a display device (V) notifying each incompatibility picked out by said main computer (CAL).