Process and system for modifying the content of an alarm message onboard an aircraft

• US 7,940,195 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Cases, Fabien, Blind, Serge, Fabas, Nicolas, Signol, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/105,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20080284618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340971-972, 340/461, 340/463, 340/521, 340/523, 340/525, 340/534, 340/539.19, 340/571, 340/973, 340/825.5
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user

Abstract

A method for updating a content of a given warning message emitted in an aircraft by a monitoring system in case of detection of a particular state of at least one monitored system of the aircraft, the method including a step of delivery of a plurality of modification information items to a selection tool, each modification information item defining a modification of a content of a warning message capable of being emitted by the monitoring system, the selection tool being capable of selecting at least one information item among the plurality of modification information items in such a way as to permit modification of the content of the given warning message.

Claims

1. A method for updating a content of a given warning message emitted in an aircraft by a monitoring system in case of detection of a particular state of at least one monitored system of said aircraft, said method comprising:

a step of delivering a plurality of modification information items to a selection tool, each modification information item defining a modification of a content of a warning message of said monitoring system,

a step of making available to the selection tool a selection information item that depends on an effective configuration of said at least one monitored system,

the selection tool being configured to select at least one information item among said plurality of modification information items according to said selection information item, and permit modification of the said content of the said given warning message,

wherein said monitoring system is part of the on-board electronics of said aircraft, and said selection tool is a system external to the on-board electronics of said aircraft, said step of making available a selection information item additionally comprising a step for delivering said selection information item to said selection tool and the method further comprising a step of transmitting the chosen information item into the on-board electronics of the aircraft.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method additionally comprises a step of modifying said current content on the basis of said information item chosen by the selection tool from among the plurality of modification information items according to said selection information item.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring system and said selection tool are part of the on-board electronics of the aircraft.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the steps of making available a selection information item additionally comprises a step of delivering said selection information item to said selection tool via a man-machine interface.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the steps of making available a selection information item additionally comprises a step of delivering said selection information item to said selection tool via a downloading interface.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the steps of making available a selection information item additionally comprises a preliminary step of updating a selection information item in a memory of an electronic storage system during an intervention on said at least one monitored system.

7. A method according to claim 3, wherein said selection tool is said monitoring system.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising storing in a first memory onboard said aircraft a first database developed by a manufacturer of said aircraft and storing in a second memory onboard said aircraft a second database developed by an airline company that operates said aircraft, and wherein said modification information items are stored in said first database.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising storing in a memory onboard said aircraft a database containing evolutions of warning message contents defined relative to current warning message contents.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising storing said modification information items on a database onboard said aircraft, wherein said modification information items include temporary changes to an Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM) for said aircraft.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein some modification information items stored in said database are temporary changes not applicable to said aircraft.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of delivery is performed during maintenance.

13. A method according to claim 12, where said step of delivery is performed by a maintenance operator.

14. A system for updating a content of a warning message emitted in an aircraft by a monitoring system, in case of detection of a particular state of at least one monitored system of the said aircraft,

said system comprising:

means for delivering a plurality of modification information items to a selection tool, each modification information item defining a modification of a content of a warning message of said monitoring system,

means for selecting by said selection tool of at least one information item referred to as “

chosen”

from among said plurality of modification information items, according to a selection information item,

means for making available to said selection tool a selection information item that depends on an effective configuration of said at least one monitored system,

means for modifying said content on the basis of said chosen information item,

wherein said monitoring system is part of the on-board electronics of said aircraft, and said selection tool is a system external to the on-board electronics of said aircraft, said means for making available a selection information item additionally delivers said selection information item to said selection tool and the system further comprising a means for transmitting the chosen information item into the on-board electronics of the aircraft.

15. An aircraft comprising a system according to claim 14.

16. A system according to claim 14, further comprising means for storing onboard said aircraft a first database developed by a manufacturer of said aircraft and means for storing onboard said aircraft a second database developed by an airline company that operates said aircraft, and wherein said modification information items are stored in said first database.

17. A system according to claim 14, further comprising means for storing onboard said aircraft a database containing evolutions of warning message contents defined relative to current warning message contents.

18. A system according to claim 14, further comprising an Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM), and means for storing onboard said aircraft a database that contains said modification information items, wherein said modification information items stored in said database include temporary changes to said ECAM.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein some modification information items stored in said database are temporary changes not applicable to said aircraft.

20. A system for updating a content of a warning message emitted in an aircraft by a monitoring system, in case of detection of a particular state of at least one monitored system of the aircraft, said system comprising:

a data-downloading system configured to deliver a plurality of modification information items to a selection tool, each modification information item defining a modification of a content of a warning message of said monitoring system; and

a selection tool selecting at least one information item referred to as “

chosen”

from among said plurality of modification information items, according to a selection information item, the tool being configured to have a selection information item that depends on an effective configuration of said at least one monitored system being made available to said tool,

wherein said monitoring system is part of the on-board electronics of said aircraft, and said selection tool is a system external to the on-board electronics of said aircraft, said data downloading system delivers said selection information item to said selection tool and the system transmits the chosen information item into the on-board electronics of the aircraft.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein the data-downloading system is configured to be used during maintenance.

22. A method for updating a content of a given warning message emitted in an aircraft by a monitoring system in case of detection of a particular state of at least one monitored system of said aircraft, said method comprising:

a step of delivering a plurality of modification information items to a selection tool, each modification information item defining a modification of a content of a warning message of said monitoring system,

a step of making available to the selection tool a selection information item that depends on an effective configuration of said at least one monitored system,

the selection tool being configured to select at least one information item among said plurality of modification information items according to said selection information item, and permit modification of the said content of the said given warning message,

wherein said monitoring system and said selection tool are part of the on-board electronics of the aircraft.

23. A system for updating a content of a warning message emitted in an aircraft by a monitoring system, in case of detection of a particular state of at least one monitored system of the aircraft, said system comprising:

a data-downloading system configured to deliver a plurality of modification information items to a selection tool, each modification information item defining a modification of a content of a warning message of said monitoring system; and

a selection tool selecting at least one information item referred to as “

chosen”

from among said plurality of modification information items, according to a selection information item, the tool being configured to have a selection information item that depends on an effective configuration of said at least one monitored system being made available to said tool,

wherein said monitoring system and said selection tool are part of the on-board electronics of the aircraft.