Device and method for managing equipment maintenance

• US 8,149,092 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales SA
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Bailly, Carine, Albouy, Christian, Fournier, Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Vernal
• Application Number:
  US11/938,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/5.1, 340/825.72, 340/438, 340/13, 340/32
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

The subject of the invention is a device for managing equipment maintenance. It relates to a device for managing maintenance of a number N of items of equipment EQi built into a system, i designating an index identifying the item of equipment EQi and lying between 1 and N, the system furthermore comprising a main computer RC, the equipment EQ_i exchanging data with the main computer RC through a communication network, the equipment EQ_i being capable of being built into the system or of being removed from the system, each item of equipment EQ_i being protected by a protective housing BP_i, the communication node N_j occupying a position internal to the housing BP_i and being devised to exchange data with the radio tag ET_i, the radio tag ET_i being fixed securely to the housing BP_i and being devised to deliver data through a contactless link.

Claims

1. A device for managing maintenance of a number N of items of equipment EQ_i built into a system, i designating an index identifying the item of equipment EQ_i and lying between 1 and N, the system furthermore comprising a main computer RC, the equipment EQ_i exchanging data with the main computer RC through a communication network, the equipment EQ_i being capable of being built into the system or of being removed from the system, each item of equipment EQ_i being protected by a protective housing BP_i, the communication node N_j occupying a position internal to the housing BP_i and being devised to exchange data with the radio tag ET_i, the radio tag ET_i being fixed securely to the housing BP_i and being devised to exchange data through a contactless link,

wherein the housing BP_i comprises:

an electromagnetic isolation unit of the communication node N_i which protect the item of equipment EQ_i from electromagnetic emissions produced by the communication node N_i;

a removable plugging unit configured to mask the radio tag ET_i with respect to the exterior of the housing BP_i, the plugging unit being in a closed state or in an open state, wherein, when the removable plugging unit is in the closed state, the removable plugging unit prevents the radio tag ET_i from delivering data outside the housing BP_i;

wherein the communication node N_i and the tag ET_i are inside a cavity formed by the electromagnetic isolation unit and the removable plugging unit, the cavity is sealed when the removable plugging unit is in a closed state.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the removable plugging unit of the housing BP_i comprises a tiltable flap V_i and in that the open state corresponds to a position of the flap in which the radio tag ET_i is visible from outside the housing, and that the closed state corresponds to a position of the flap in which the radio tag ET_i is invisible from outside the housing.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the removable plugging unit of the housing BP_i comprises a sliding drawer T_i and in that the open state corresponds to a position of the drawer in which the radio tag ET_i is visible from outside the housing and that the closed state corresponds to a position of the drawer in which the radio tag ET_i is invisible from outside the housing.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the radio tag ET_i comprises:

a receiver RE_i of data delivered by a communication node N_j (12, 22,

     32);

a memory ME_i for storing data;

an emitter EE_j for delivering data to a communication node N_j (12, 22,

     32), on request.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the exchange of data between the radio tag ET_i and the communication node N_j is carried out by means of a contactless link.

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein the communication node N_i comprises:

a receiver, RN_i of data delivered by a radio tag;

an emitter EN_i for delivering data to a radio tag.

7. The device according to claim 1, the manufacturer of the system communicating a first information cue regarding applicable configuration of the system and a second information cue regarding identification of the system to the main computer during shipment of the system, wherein the main computer RC comprises means for transmitting, via the communication nodes Ni, the first information cue and the second information cue to all the radio tags ET_i, on each interruption of the system power supply.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the main computer RC comprises means for detecting an incompatibility between a configuration information cue relating to an item of equipment EQ_i and the first configuration information cue.

9. The device according to claim 1 wherein data stored on the radio tag ET_i are accessible when the item of equipment EQ_i is not supplied with power or when the item of equipment EQ_i is not built into the system.

10. The device according to claim 1 wherein the main computer RC transmits to the tag ET_i, on each interruption of the system power supply, via the communication nodes N_j, third information cues regarding a duration of operation of the item of equipment EQ_i and fourth information cues regarding a duration of power supply of the item of equipment EQ_i, and in that the third information cues and the fourth information cues are stored in a memory of the tag ET_i.

11. The device according to claim 1, the equipment EQ_i comprising a built-in test device BITE_i the device BITE_i producing results of operational tests of the item of equipment EQ_i and delivering test results messages summarizing information cues regarding an operating state of the item of equipment EQ_i destined for a main computer RC via a communication network of the system, wherein, while the system is operational, the device BITE_i delivers, via the communication node N_i, the entirety of the results of operational tests of the item of equipment EQ_i to the radio tag ET_i via the communication node N_i and in that the main computer RC transmits test results messages summarizing information cues regarding an operating state of the equipment EQ_i of the system.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the exchange of data between the radio tag ET_i and the node N_j is carried out by means of a wire-based link and in that the electromagnetic isolation units consist of walls of the protective housing BP_i.

13. A method of managing maintenance of a number N of items of equipment EQ_i built into a system, i designating an index identifying the item of equipment EQ_i and lying between 1 and N, the item of equipment EQ_i comprising a built-in test device BITE_i, the device BITE_i delivering test results messages to a main computer RC of the system, via a communication network of the system, each item of equipment EQ_i comprising a communication node N_i and a tag ET_i and being protected by a protective housing BP_i, the communication node N_j occupying a position internal to the housing BP_i and being devised to exchange data with the radio tag ET_i, the radio tag ET_i being fixed securely to the housing BP_i and being devised to exchange data through a contactless link, the said method being implemented by a device according to claim 1, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the device BITE_i to the tag ET_i, via the communication nodes N_j, the test results;

storing the test results in a memory of the tag ET_i; and

preventing, by the protective housing BP_i, the radio tag ET_i from delivering data outside the housing BP_i during a period that the protective housing BP_i is in a closed configuration.

14. A device for managing maintenance of a number N of items of equipment EQ_i built into a system, i designating an index identifying the item of equipment EQ_i and lying between 1 and N, the system furthermore comprising a main computer RC, the equipment EQ_i exchanging data with the main computer RC through a communication network, the equipment EQ_i being capable of being built into the system or of being removed from the system, each item of equipment EQ_i being protected by a protective housing BP_i, the communication node N_j occupying a position internal to the housing BP_i and being devised to exchange data with the radio tag ET_i, the radio tag ET_i being fixed securely to the housing BP_i and being devised to exchange data through a contactless link, means of electromagnetic isolation of the communication node N_i which protect the item of equipment EQ_i from electromagnetic emissions produced by the communication node N_i;

removable plugging means which mask the radio tag ET_i with respect to the exterior of the housing BP_i, the plugging means being in a closed state or in an open state;

wherein the communication node N_i and the tag ET_i are inside a cavity formed by the means of electromagnetic isolation and the removable plugging means, the cavity is sealed when the removable plugging means are in a closed state,

wherein, when the removable plugging means are in the closed state, the removable plugging means are configured to prevent the radio tag ET_i from delivering data outside the housing BP_i.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the removable plugging means comprise a tiltable flap V_i and in that the open state corresponds to a position of the flap in which the radio tag ET_i is visible from outside the housing, and that the closed state corresponds to a position of the flap in which the radio tag ET_i is invisible from outside the housing.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein the removable plugging means comprise a sliding drawer T_i and in that the open state corresponds to a position of the drawer in which the radio tag ET_i is visible from outside the housing and that the closed state corresponds to a position of the drawer in which the radio tag ET_i is invisible from outside the housing.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein the radio tag ET_i comprises:

a receiver RE_i of data delivered by a communication node N_j (12, 22,

     32);

a memory ME_i for storing data;

an emitter EE_j for delivering data to a communication node N_j (12, 22,

     32), on request.

18. The device according to claim 14, wherein the exchange of data between the radio tag ET_i and the communication node N_j is carried out by means of a contactless link.