Automatic configuration-tracking apparatus, and a method and a system for such tracking

• US 8,190,304 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
• Original Assignee: Eurocopter
• Inventors: Feuillebois, Christian, Glade, Mathieu, Pauly, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US12/404,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/301, 706/53, 709/219, 713/151, 713/168, 725/78, 235/492, 340/541, 342/32, 385/24
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

An automatic configuration-tracking apparatus for tracking the configuration of a vehicle having a multitude of components for which it is desired to consult and record various items of data specific thereto, and their identification/authentication parameters, history, and operating state includes transponders. The transponders are coupled respectively to components of the vehicle. The transponders communicate this specific data via a meshed wireless network in order to enable the data to be transmitted by secure wireless transmission to an external installation. A secrecy perimeter coincides substantially with an outline of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of tracking the configuration of an aircraft including a multitude of components for which it is desired to consult and record various items of data specific thereto including identification/authentication parameters, history, and an operating state, the method providing comprising:

installing a plurality of on-board wireless electronic labels on the components of the aircraft, each label being coupled and dedicated to a particular components,

transferring data between the aircraft and an external installation fitting on board the aircraft at least two local readers;

at least one wireless router compatible with and connected to one or more of the local readers, each reader being compatible with and near to a group of the labels, and a wireless concentrator compatible with the at least one router

forming a wireless mesh network that defines a secrecy perimeter between a base node that wirelessly connects a group of the labels exclusively to a first one of the readers, an intermediate network frame that wirelessly connects the first reader exclusively to a first one of the at least one router, and an on-board terminal mesh that wirelessly connects the first router exclusively to the concentrator;

wherein during the transferring step the external installation communicates wirelessly exclusively with the concentrator, this communication passing within the aircraft via the wireless mesh network that defines the secrecy perimeter;

wherein during the installing step, the wireless mesh network is configured, in terms of range and of wireless communications protocol, to define around the aircraft said secrecy perimeter that coincides substantially with the outline of the aircraft outside which perimeter no wireless reading or writing of the electronic labels is possible; and

wherein during the installing step, each wireless node is configured so that its electronic labels are coupled to components forming a functional group of the aircraft.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic labels are suitable for communicating wirelessly with a nearby reader exclusively within their own respective nodes, while each of the at least one router is suitable for communicating wirelessly exclusively within the terminal mesh with the compatible concentrator.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transferring step, is performed in a manner that is secure, automatic, and regular, during any use or maintenance of the aircraft, at regular intervals determined as a function of how an on-board timer is programmed, or at the end of a period of use or maintenance of the aircraft, a state detector of the aircraft is logically coupled to the terminal mesh so that said given state triggers the transferring step.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transferring step is triggered manually or on demand, from the external installation or from a dedicated on-board control.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein during the transferring step, specific data is transmitted from the electronic labels or is updated from the concentrator, with at least one step of coordination between a plurality of nodes and/or at least one step of filtering the specific data.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication within the node, the network frame, and the terminal mesh, makes use of the ultra-high frequency (UHF) range, being of the wireless personal area network (WPAN) type.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the communications are secure radio links, complying with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.