Simulation control system for an integrated live and simulation environment for an aircraft

• US 8,616,883 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Wokurka, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Musselman, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US12/968,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20120156653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 434 1- 71, 434/219, 731/180.3, 244/220, 342/169
• US Class Current: 434/35
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/16 Ambient or aircraft conditions simulated or indicated by instrument or alarm

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing a simulation. Information about the simulation is received over a wireless communications link with a computer system in an aircraft. The information is received during running of the simulation and identifies a performance of the computer system running the simulation. The running of the simulation is controlled based on the performance of the computer system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a ground based simulator generating constructive data and virtual data;

a network interface configured to communicate with a number of aircraft and the ground based simulator;

a first computer system in communication with the ground based simulator configured to

receive the constructive data and virtual data,

generate simulation data, and

transmit the simulation data to at least one aircraft in the number of aircraft;

a second computer system in an aircraft in the number of aircraft, wherein the simulation data is received by the second computer system during running of the simulation and wherein the second computer system also sends information to the first computer system that identifies a performance of the second computer system running the simulation;

the first computer system configured to control running of the simulation in the ground based simulator based on the performance of the second computer system in the aircraft, and wherein the ground based simulator further receives ownship information from the aircraft in the number of aircraft, the ownship information included in the simulation, wherein the apparatus is capable of operation while the number of aircraft are in flight.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in being configured to control running of the simulation based on the performance of the second computer system, the first computer system is configured to send a number of commands to the second computer system in the aircraft.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the number of commands changes resource usage by the second computer system in the aircraft.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first computer system is configured to determine whether the performance of the second computer system meets a desired level of performance;

and identify a number of actions in response to a determination that the performance of the second computer system does not meet the desired level of performance.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the number of actions includes at least one of changing operation of the second computer system, stopping the simulation run by training software on the second computer system, restarting the simulation, synchronizing the simulation with other computer systems, changing a number of objects managed by the training software, changing a number of models used by the training software, and reallocating resources used by the second computer system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in being configured to control running of the simulation based on the performance of the second computer system, the first computer system is configured to change simulation data sent to the second computer system in the aircraft based on performance of resources used by the second computer system and to limit the amount of simulation data sent to the second computer system.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the simulation data comprises a number of objects in the simulation.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first computer system is a simulation control server computer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a server computer, wherein the server computer is configured to send simulation data to the second computer system and receive a number of commands from the first computer system to change the simulation data for the simulation sent to the second computer system.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the number of aircraft.

11. An aircraft training system comprising:

a number of aircraft, at least one computer in at least one aircraft;

a ground based simulator configured to generate virtual data and constructive data for a simulation;

a network interface configured to communicate with the number of aircraft and the ground based simulator;

a constructive server computer configured to generate simulation objects for a simulation based on the virtual data and the constructive data and send simulation data including the simulation objects to the number of aircraft and the ground based simulator using the network interface; and

a simulation control server computer configured to receive information from the at least one computer in the number of aircraft about the simulation over a wireless communications link to the network interface with the computer system in an aircraft in the number of aircraft, wherein the information is received during running of the simulation and identifies a performance of the computer system running the simulation in the aircraft, and control running of the simulation on the computer in the aircraft based on the performance of the computer system, control including controlling the amount of simulation data sent to the at least one computer, and wherein the ground based simulator further receives ownship information from the aircraft in the number of aircraft, the ownship information included in the simulation, wherein the system is capable of operation while the number of aircraft are in flight.

12. The aircraft training system of claim 11 further comprising:

a weapons server computer configured to simulate a flight of a weapon, simulate a detonation of the weapon, and determine whether damage has been done to a target by the weapon.

13. The aircraft training system of claim 11 further comprising:

a number of flight simulators configured to receive the simulation data and ownship information from at least one aircraft, wherein the constructive server computer is configured to send the simulation data and ownship information to the number of flight simulators and wherein the simulation control server is configured to control running of another simulation running on a flight simulator in the number of flight simulators based on the performance of the flight simulator.

14. A method for managing a simulation, the method comprising:

receiving ownship information and information about the simulation over a wireless communications link with a computer system in an aircraft, wherein the information is received during running of the simulation and identifies a performance of the computer system in the aircraft running the simulation, the information about the simulation received at a control computer system;

providing the ownship information and the information about the simulation to a ground based simulator;

receiving simulation data from the ground based simulator at the control computer system; and

controlling the running of the simulation based on the performance of the computer system in the aircraft, the simulation coordinated at both the aircraft and the ground based simulator, controlling including sending a number of commands to the computer system in the aircraft the controlling the amount of simulation data sent to the computer system in the aircraft, and wherein the method is capable of operation while the aircraft is in flight.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the number of commands changes resource usage by the computer system in the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the number of commands causes at least one of changing operation of the computer system, stopping the simulation run by training software on the computer system, restarting the simulation, synchronizing the simulation with other computer systems, changing a number of objects managed by the training software, changing a number of models used by the training software, and reallocating resources for the computer system.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling step comprises:

changing simulation data sent to the computer system based on the performance of the computer system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the simulation data comprises a number of objects in the simulation.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the information comprises a number of objects tracked, processing times for models, processor use, memory use, and network use.