Aircraft equipment control system

• US 7,826,937 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Vilain, Jean Yves, Roux, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peche; Jorge O
• Application Number:
  US10/915,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20050065669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,274 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/33, 701/39, 244/99.2, 244/99.4, 244/99.9, 244/134.D, 244/75.1, 455/418, 455/419, 700/20, 700/21, 700/22
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/03 with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media

Abstract

The control system (1) comprises at least one control panel (P1, Pn) comprising a plurality of operable control means (2) for controllable pieces of equipment (EC1, ECk) of the aircraft, each of which is controlled by first and second computers (3A1, 3Ak, 3B1, 3Bk), and a communication system (4) comprising a first and a second communication channel (5, 6) which are separate from each other and follow different paths (C1, C2), the first communication channel (5) connecting the control means (2) to the first computers (3A1, 3Ak) and the second communication channel (6) connecting the control means (2) to the second computers (3B1, 3Bk), each of said communication channels (5, 6) comprising two different digital communication buses (8, 9; 10, 11).

Claims

1. An aircraft control system, comprising:

a plurality of control panels that each comprise a plurality of control units which are configured to be operated by an operator;

a plurality of controllable pieces of equipment of the aircraft; and

a communication system for interconnecting the controllable equipment and associated control units, said communication system comprising a first and a second communication channel which are separate from each other and follow different paths in the aircraft, each of said first and second communication channels comprising, at least at the level of said control panels, at least two different digital communication buses; and

a plurality of first computers and a plurality of second computers, wherein;

each of said controllable pieces of equipment is controlled by at least one of said first computers and at least one of said second computers, in accordance with operation of at least one of said control units which is also associated with said control panels;

said first communication channel connects some of said control units to said first computer;

said second communication channel connects some of said control units to said second computer; and

at least one of said communication channels comprises;

two digital communication buses of a first type corresponding to a serial link permitting asynchronous multi-master operation, linked to said control panels;

a digital communication bus of a second type corresponding to a full duplex switched Ethernet network, which is linked to computers of the controllable pieces of equipment, these computers being associated with a communication channel; and

two gateways, linking said bus of said second type respectively to said buses of said first type, and

each of said control panels is connected to said digital communication buses of said communication channels.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system comprises, for at least some of the control units, separate linking units between said at least some control units and each of said digital communication buses.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, for at least one of said first and second communication channels, all the digital communication buses are serial links permitting asynchronous multi-master operation.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, for at least one of said first and second communication channels, all the digital communication buses are full duplex switched Ethernet networks.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least two digital communication buses of at least one of said first and second communication channels comprises:

two digital communication buses of a first type corresponding to a serial link permitting asynchronous multi-master operation, linked to said control panel;

a digital communication bus of a second type corresponding to a full duplex switched Ethernet network, which is linked to at least some of said first and second computers associated with said controllable pieces of equipment, these computers being associated with one of said first and second communication channels; and

two gateways, linking said bus of said second type respectively to said buses of said first type.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least two digital communication buses of at least one of said first and second communication channels further comprises at least one auxiliary digital communication bus of said first type, connecting said control panel to at least one computer associated with at least one of the controllable pieces of equipment.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least one of said first and second communication channels further comprises cable links connecting at least some control units of the control panel to at least one gateway which is connected to said bus of said second type.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second communication channels also comprises cable links connecting at least some control units of the control panel to at least one of said first and second computers associated with at least one of the controllable pieces of equipment.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second communication channels also comprises cable links connecting at least some control units of the control panel directly to at least one of the controllable pieces of equipment.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control panel also comprises signaling units indicating the state of at least some of said controllable pieces of equipment, and in that said signaling units are connected to said digital communication buses of said first and second communication channels.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second communication channels are positioned respectively on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of control panels, and each of said control panels is connected to said digital communication buses of said first and second communication channels.

13. An aircraft, wherein the aircraft comprises the system of claim 1.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least two digital communication buses of at least one of said first and second communication channels further comprises at least one auxiliary digital communication bus of said first type, connecting said control panel to at least one computer associated with at least one of the controllable pieces of equipment.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one of said first and second communication channels further comprises cable links connecting at least some control units of the control panel to at least one gateway which is connected to said bus of said second type.