Method and device for installing/uninstalling software modules, with centralized resolution of constraints, in aircraft equipment items

• US 8,910,145 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Baraldi, Thierry, Barsse, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US13/417,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20120240108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation

Abstract

A system, method and device for installation and/or deinstallation of at least one software module, with centralized resolution of constraints, in aircraft equipment items. After having received a list of software module references, the list comprising at least one reference to the at least one software module, and at least one command, linked to the at least one reference, for installation of deinstallation of the at least one software module, the constraints are accessed. This access is independent of the access to the at least one software module. A sequence of basic operations resolving the constraints then is evaluated for applying the at least one command to the at least one reference.

Claims

1. A method for enabling installation or deinstallation of at least one software module in at least one equipment item of an on-board system, according to at least one dependency constraint applicable to the at least one software module for installation or deinstallation of the at least one software module in the at least one equipment item, the method comprising:

receiving a list of software module references, the list including at least one reference to the at least one software module;

receiving at least one command, linked to the at least one reference, for installation or deinstallation of the at least one software module in the at least one equipment item;

accessing, using a processor, the at least one dependency constraint;

evaluating, using the processor, a sequence of basic operations resolving the at least one dependency constraint for applying the at least one command to the at least one reference for installation or deinstallation of the at least one software module in the at least one equipment item;

in the event that said evaluating results in a positive determination regarding resolving the at least one dependency constraint for applying the at least one command to the at least one reference, obtaining the at least one software module; and

in the event that said evaluating results in a negative determination regarding resolving the at least one dependency constraint for applying the at least one command to the at least one reference, repeating said receiving a list of software module references, said receiving at least one command, and said evaluating, but not said accessing.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining the at least one software module is independent of said accessing the at least one dependency constraint.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising authenticating the at least one software module, the at least one software module being coded in a structure enabling authentication thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising authenticating the at least one dependency constraint, the at least one dependency constraint being coded in a structure enabling authentication thereof, a coding structure of the at least one software module, which enables authentication thereof, and the coding structure of the at least one dependency constraint being separate and independent from each other.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein installation includes an update or reinstallation of the at least one software module.

7. A device for enabling installation or deinstallation of at least one software module in at least one equipment item of an on-board system, according to at least one dependency constraint applicable to the at least one software module for installation or deinstallation of the at least one software module in the at least one equipment item, the device comprising:

a processor configured to

receive a list of software module references, the list including at least one reference to the at least one software module,

receive at least one command, linked to the at least one reference, for installation or deinstallation of the at least one software module in the at least one equipment item;

access the at least one dependency constraint;

evaluate a sequence of basic operations resolving the at least one dependency constraint for applying the at least one command to the at least one reference for installation or deinstallation of the at least one software module in the at least one equipment item;

obtain the at least one software module in the event that said evaluating results in a positive determination regarding resolving the at least one dependency constraint for applying the at least one command to the at least one reference; and

repeat the receiving the list of software module references, the receiving at least one command, and the evaluating, but not the accessing, in the event that the evaluating results in a negative determination regarding resolving the at least one dependency constraint for applying the at least one command to the at least one reference.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to obtain the at least one software module independently of the accessing of the at least one dependency constraint, and to transmit the at least one software module to the at least one equipment item.

9. An on-board system comprising:

the device according to claim 7 or claim 8; and

said at least one equipment item and another equipment item connected to one another via a communication network, the device belonging to said another equipment item in order to enable the installation or deinstallation of the at least one software module in said at least one equipment item.

10. An aircraft comprising the on-board system according to claim 9.

11. An on-board system comprising:

the device according to claim 7 or claim 8; and

said at least one equipment item and another equipment item connected to one another via a communication network,

wherein the receiving the list of software module references and the at least one command are performed at one of the at least two equipment items, and the accessing and evaluating are performed at the other of the at least two equipment items in order to enable the installation or deinstallation of the at least one software module in the other of the at least two equipment items.

12. An aircraft comprising the on-board system according to claim 11.