Method and arrangement for providing a fault diagnosis for at least one system

• US 8,467,913 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Geiter, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/257,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/3, 701/14, 701/29, 701/31, 701/36, 701/29.1, 701/29.6, 701/29.7, 701/29.9, 701/31.6, 701/31.7, 701/31.8, 701/32.7, 701/34.2, 340/945, 340/963, 340/971, 244/1.R
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0739 in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for providing a fault diagnosis for at least one system, in particular of an aircraft. The method comprises: (a) providing a number N1, n1ε[1, . . . , N1], of systems, wherein the n1-th system, in each case, provides a number N2, n2ε[1, . . . , N2], of instances of a main function of a number N3, n3ε[1, . . . , N3], of main functions of the aircraft; (b) providing a number N4, n4ε[1, . . . , N4], of IMA modules, wherein in each case the n4-th IMA module provides resources at least for the respective n2-th instances of the main functions; (c) providing a generic diagnostic unit; (d) instantiating the generic diagnostic unit to provide a predetermined number N5, n5ε[1, . . . , N5], of instances of the generic diagnostic unit; and (e) configuring the n5-th instance, in each case, of the generic diagnostic unit for adaption of the corresponding n5-th diagnostic unit to at least one system.

Claims

1. A fault diagnosis apparatus for at least one system of an aircraft, the fault diagnosis system comprising:

a number N1, n1 ε

[1, . . . , N1], of systems, wherein the n1-th system, in each case, is configured to provide a number N2, n2 ε

[1, . . . , N2], of instances of a main function of a number N3, n3 ε

[1, . . . , N3] of main functions of the aircraft;

a number N4, n4 ε

[1, . . . , N4], of IMA modules, wherein the n4-th IMA module, in each case, is configured to provide resources at least to the respective n2-th instances of the main functions;

a generic diagnostic unit comprising

a predetermined number N5, n5 ε

[1, . . . , N5], of instances of the generic diagnostic unit; and

wherein, the n5-th instance, in each case, of the generic diagnostic unit is configured for adaption of the corresponding n5-th diagnostic unit to at least one system.

2. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generic diagnostic unit comprises a number N6 of configuration parameters, the configuration parameters being adjusted to configure the n5-th instance, in each case, of the generic diagnostic unit.

3. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 2, comprising at least one fault detection unit or a monitoring unit;

and wherein the respective configured n5-th instance of the generic diagnostic unit is configured to receive fault detection data from and generates fault result data as a function of the received fault detection data and the respective configuration parameters, by means of which the corresponding n5-th instance of the generic diagnostic unit is configured.

4. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the N5 instances of the generic diagnostic unit are configured to send the respective generated fault result data to a centralized maintenance system of the aircraft.

5. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the generic diagnostic unit comprises a rule-based or model-based, or case-based generic diagnostic unit.

6. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the rule-based or case-based generic diagnostic unit comprises a configurable reference table.

7. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the model-based generic diagnostic unit comprises a system model of at least the systems to which the respective n5-th instances of the generic diagnostic unit are adapted.

8. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the case-based generic diagnostic unit comprises a learning system.

9. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number N1 of systems comprises various systems of different manufacturers.

10. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one system comprises an air-conditioning system or an undercarriage or a pressure regulating system or a door system or at least one main function comprises a temperature control function or an undercarriage control function or a pressure control function or a door system control function.

11. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the resources provided by the respective IMA module comprise at least one of a control device, a memory device, an operating system, an interface device and a predetermined service.

12. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the N4 IMA modules are configured identically.

13. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one instance of the generic diagnostic unit is configured in such a way that it is adapted to at least one system for fault diagnosis of the corresponding system or the corresponding systems.

14. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the respective system comprises at least one instance of the generic diagnostic unit for fault diagnosis of the corresponding system.

15. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 13, comprising a single instance of the generic diagnostic unit, which is configured in such a way that it is at least adapted to the N1 systems for fault diagnosis of the N1 systems.

16. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the single instance is configured in such a way that it is additionally adapted to the N4 IMA modules for fault diagnosis of the N4 IMA modules.

17. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the aircraft comprises a centralized maintenance system and, wherein the single instance is integrated into the centralized maintenance system of the aircraft.

18. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the N5 instances of the generic diagnostic unit are integrated into a number N7 of further IMA modules, which are independent of the provision of the resources for the instances of the main functions.

19. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the N7 IMA modules are inherently provided in the aircraft.

20. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one instance of the generic diagnostic unit is configured in such a way that it is adapted to at least one IMA module for fault diagnosis of the corresponding IMA module or the corresponding IMA modules.

21. The fault diagnosis apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the respective IMA module comprises an individual instance of the generic diagnostic unit for fault diagnosis of at least one system and of the corresponding IMA module.

22. An arrangement for providing a fault diagnosis for at least one system, in particular of an aircraft, comprising:

a number N1, n1 ε

[1, . . . , N1], of systems, wherein the n1-th system, in each case, provides a number N2, n2 ε

[1, . . . , N2] of instances of a main function of a number N3, n3 ε

[1, . . . , N3] of main functions of the aircraft;

a number N4, n4 E [1, . . . , N4], of IMA modules, wherein the n4-th IMA module, in each case, provides resources at least for the respective n2-th instances of the main functions; and

a predetermined number N5, n5 ε

[1, . . . , N5], of instances of a generic diagnostic unit, wherein the n5-th instance, in each case, of the generic diagnostic unit is configured for adaption of the corresponding n5-th diagnostic unit to at least one system.