Method and device for configuring an on-board maintenance information system in an aircraft

• US 8,989,958 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Ric, Georges, Beltrand, Franois
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBERSON, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US12/908,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20110218701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/24, 701/29, 713/189
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4028 the transportation system being an aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0245 Filtering by information in the payload
• 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

Abstract

Configuring an on-board maintenance information system in an aircraft, the information system comprising a first communication interface and a second communication interface, a protected domain, an open domain, a first maintenance application module of the protected domain, a second maintenance application module of the open domain, a first data filtering module, and a second data filtering module. After having determined a mode of connection for a mobile maintenance terminal to the information system, the second data filtering module is configured to filter data exchanged between the first communication interface and the maintenance application module of the open domain if the terminal is directly connected to the information system via the second interface. If the terminal is connected to the information system via an information system on the ground and via the first communication interface, the second data filtering module is configured to filter data exchanged between maintenance application modules of the protected and open domains.

Claims

1. A method for configuring an on-board maintenance information system in an aircraft, the on-board maintenance information system comprising a first communication interface module, a second communication interface module different from the first communication interface module, a protected domain, an open domain, a first maintenance application module of the protected domain, a second maintenance application module of the open domain, a first data filtering module, and a second data filtering module different from the first data filtering module, the method comprising:

determining a mode of connection for a mobile maintenance terminal to the on-board maintenance information system;

when the mobile maintenance terminal is directly connected to the on-board maintenance information system via the second communication interface module,

configuring the second data filtering module to filter data exchanged between the first communication interface module and the second maintenance application module of the open domain, and

configuring the first data filtering module to filter data exchanged between the first maintenance application module of the protected domain and the second maintenance application module of the open domain; and

when the mobile maintenance terminal is connected to the on-board maintenance information system via a maintenance information system on the ground and via the first communication interface module,

configuring the second data filtering module to filter data exchanged between the first maintenance application module of the protected domain and the second maintenance application module of the open domain, and

configuring the first data filtering module to filter data exchanged between the first communication interface module and the second maintenance application module of the open domain.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second data filtering module includes a robust filter configured to transmit only data satisfying predetermined rules.

3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising configuring the connection mode, said configuring the connection mode being carried out in a protected zone of the aircraft.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first data filtering module includes a firewall filter.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determined mode is a line mode when the mobile maintenance terminal is directly connected to the on-board maintenance information system via the second communication interface module and is a base mode when the mobile maintenance terminal is connected to the on-board maintenance information system via the maintenance information system on the ground and via the first communication interface module.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the protected domain comprises:

the first maintenance application module and the second data filtering module when the determined mode is the base mode, and

the first maintenance application module and the first data filtering module when the determined mode is the line mode.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the open domain comprises:

the second maintenance application module and the first data filtering module when the determined mode is the base mode, and

the second maintenance application module and the second data filtering module when the determined mode is the line mode.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the open domain further comprises the first communication interface module and the second communication interface module.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second data filtering module includes a higher number of levels of filtering than does the first data filtering module.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a method for configuring an on-board maintenance information system in an aircraft, the on-board maintenance information system comprising a first communication interface module, a second communication interface module different from the first communication interface module, a protected domain, an open domain, a first maintenance application module of the protected domain, a second maintenance application module of the open domain, a first data filtering module, and a second data filtering module different from the first data filtering module, the method comprising:

determining a mode of connection for a mobile maintenance terminal to the on-board maintenance information system;

when the mobile maintenance terminal is directly connected to the on-board maintenance information system via the second communication interface module,

configuring the second data filtering module to filter data exchanged between the first communication interface module and the second maintenance application module of the open domain, and

configuring the first data filtering module to filter data exchanged between the first maintenance application module of the protected domain and the second maintenance application module of the open domain; and

when the mobile maintenance terminal is connected to the on-board maintenance information system via a maintenance information system on the ground and via the first communication interface module,

configuring the second data filtering module to filter data exchanged between the first maintenance application module of the protected domain and the second maintenance application module of the open domain, and

configuring the first data filtering module to filter data exchanged between the first communication interface module and the second maintenance application module of the open domain.

5. A device for configuring an on-board maintenance information system in an aircraft, the on-board maintenance information system comprising:

a first communication interface module and a second communication interface module different from the first communication interface module;

a protected domain and an open domain;

a first maintenance application module of the protected domain;

a second maintenance application module of the open domain;

a first data filtering module; and

a second data filtering module different from the first data filtering module,

wherein a mode of connection for the mobile maintenance terminal to the on-board maintenance information system is determined by a processor,

wherein, when the mobile maintenance terminal is directly connected to the on-board information system via the second communication interface module,

the second data filtering module is connected to the first communication interface module and to the second maintenance application module of the open domain to filter data exchanged between the first communication interface module and the second maintenance application module of the open domain, and

the first data filtering module is connected to the first maintenance application module of the protected domain and to the second maintenance application module of the open domain to filter data exchanged between the first maintenance application module of the protected domain and the second maintenance application module of the open domain, and

wherein, when the mobile maintenance terminal is connected to the on-board information system via a maintenance information system on the ground and via the first communication interface module,

the second data filtering module is connected to the first maintenance application module of the protected domain and to the second maintenance application module of the open domain to filter data exchanged between the first maintenance application module of the protected domain and the second maintenance application module of the open domain, and

the first data filtering module is connected to the first communication interface module and to the second maintenance application module of the open domain to filter data exchanged between the first communication interface module and the second maintenance application module of the open domain.

6. The device according claim 5, wherein the determined connection mode is configured in a protected zone of the aircraft.

7. The device according to claim 5, further comprising at least two switches controlled by a command signal representing the determined connection mode, wherein

a first of the at least two switches is configured to be connected to the first data filtering module or the second data filtering module and to the first maintenance application module of the protected domain or the second maintenance application module of the open domain, and

a second switch of the at least two switches is configured to be connected to the first data filtering module or the second data filtering module and to the second maintenance application module of the open domain or the first communication interface module.

8. The device according to claim 5 implemented in the aircraft.

14. The device according to claim 5, wherein the second data filtering module comprises a robust filter.

15. The device according to claim 5, wherein the determined mode is a line mode when the mobile maintenance terminal is directly connected to the on-board maintenance information system via the second communication interface module and is a base mode when the mobile maintenance terminal is connected to the on-board maintenance information system via the maintenance information system on the ground and via the first communication interface module.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the protected domain comprises:

the first maintenance application module and the first data filtering module when the determined mode is the base mode, and

the first maintenance application module and the second data filtering module when the determined mode is the line mode.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein the open domain comprises:

the second maintenance application module and the second data filtering module when the determined mode is the base mode, and

the second maintenance application module and the first data filtering module when the determined mode is the line mode.

18. The device according to claim 5, wherein the open domain comprises the first communication interface module and the second communication interface module.