Control device, input/output device, connection switch device and method for an aircraft control system

• US 8,930,588 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Gross, Claus-Peter, Einig, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Mamo, Elias
• Application Number:
  US13/421,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1658 Data re-synchronization of a redundant component, or initial sync of replacement, additional or spare unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2025 using centralised failover control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for an aircraft network that permits an automatic configuring and/or repairing of the network.

Claims

1. A control device for an aircraft network, comprising:

an application determination device that is configured to during a flight;

detect an unconfigured input/output device in the aircraft network; and

determine an application relating to the unconfigured input/output device;

an application provision device that is configured to;

provide a program that corresponds to the application; and

upload the program onto the unconfigured input/output device during the flight such that the application is running on a hardware layer of the input/output device; and

a connection determination device that is configured to re-rout a connection that led to a configured input/output device to an originally unconfigured input/output device by determining a priority based at least in part on a criticality of the application, wherein the re-routing of the connection takes place depending on the priority of the application relating to the connection.

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an error detection device that is configured to detect an error in the configured input/output device,

wherein the application determination device is further configured to determine the application such that the application is an application affected by the error in the configured input/output device.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the priority is determined by a signal propagation time.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the priority is determined by a number of processing stages.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the connection determination device is configured to communicate with a connection switching device to re-route the connection.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured for operation at an aircraft-specific power supply.

7. A method for controlling an aircraft network during a flight, comprising:

detecting an unconfigured input/output device in the aircraft network with a control device;

determining an application that relates to the unconfigured input/output device with the control device;

providing a program that corresponds to the application with the control device;

uploading the program onto the unconfigured input/output device during the flight such that the application is running on a hardware layer of the input/output device;

re-routing a connection that led to a configured input/output device to an originally unconfigured input/output device; and

determining a priority based at least in part on a criticality of the application, wherein the re-routing of the connection takes place depending on the priority of the application relating to the connection.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

detecting an error in a configured input/output device with an error detection device; and

determining the application such that the application is an application affected by the error in the configured input/output device.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the priority is determined by a signal propagation time.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the priority is determined by a number of processing stages.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the re-routing the connection comprises communicating with a connection switching device.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising operating the control device at an aircraft-specific power supply.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a computer program product, said computer program product comprising:

a control program for controlling an aircraft network during a flight, the control program configured to;

detect an unconfigured input/output device in the aircraft network with a control device;

determine an application that relates to the unconfigured input/output device with the control device;

provide a program that corresponds to the application with the control device;

upload the program onto the unconfigured input/output device during the flight such that the application is running on a hardware layer of the input/output device;

the control program further configured to re-rout a connection that led to a configured input/output device to an originally unconfigured input/output device; and

determine a priority based at least in part on a criticality of the application, wherein the re-routing of the connection takes place depending on the priority of the application relating to the connection.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium embodying the computer program product according to claim 13, the control program further configured to:

detect an error in the configured input/output device with an error detection device; and

determine the application such that the application is an application affected by the error in the configured input/output device.