Methods and devices for automated loading of software, in an apparatus such as an aircraft, including the updating of the associated documentation

• US 9,075,681 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus, Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus, Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Frayssignes, Anne, Ordy, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): YUEN, KEITH CHI HANG
• Application Number:
  US12/722,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales

Abstract

The invention in particular has as an object methods and devices for automated loading of software, in a piece of equipment such as an aircraft, comprising the updating of the associated documentation. After having received an indication relating to a modification of a software application, a command making it possible to perform the required updating automatically is transmitted to a piece of equipment comprising this software application. In response, an indication relating to the execution of the command is received and a report of execution of the command is transmitted to the manufacturer in order to allow it to update the documentation of the piece of equipment accordingly.

Claims

1. A computer method for automated updating of at least one software application, in a piece of equipment associated with an aircraft, including updating of a documentation associated with the piece of equipment, the updating of the at least one software application being controlled by a computer system of an airline company, separate from the piece of equipment, according to at least one indication relating to a modification of the at least one software application, received from another computer system of a manufacturer of the piece of equipment separate from the computer system of the airline company and of the piece of equipment, the documentation being updated by the manufacturer according to the updating of the at least one software application performed in the piece of equipment, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computer system of the airline company, the at least one indication relating to the modification of the at least one software application;

transmitting, by the computer system of the airline company, to the piece of equipment at least one command instructing to perform automatically the updating of the at least one software application;

receiving, by the computer system of the airline company, from the piece of equipment a report of execution, wherein the report of execution comprises at least one indication relating to the execution of the at least one command;

transmitting, by the computer system of the airline company, to the piece of equipment a validation message to confirm the execution of the at least one command;

receiving from the piece of equipment, after the transmitting of the validation message, a validated report of execution of the at least one command, wherein the validated report of execution allows the manufacturer to update the documentation of the piece of equipment according to the modification at the piece of equipment;

transmitting, by the computer system of the airline company, in response to the receiving of the validated report of execution from the piece of equipment, the validated report of execution to the another computer system of the manufacturer;

receiving, by the computer system of the airline company after the transmitting of the validated report of execution of the at least one command, the updated documentation related to the validated report of execution and corresponding to the modification at the piece of equipment, from the another computer system of the manufacturer; and

transmitting, by the computer system of the airline company, the updated documentation related to the validated report of execution and corresponding to the modification at the piece of equipment, to the aircraft that is associated with the piece of equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a request including a reference to the at least one indication relating to the modification of the at least one software application in order to obtain a description of the at least one command; and

receiving the description of the at least one command.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one indication relating to the modification of the at least one software application is included in a Service Bulletin, and

the receiving receives, at the computer system of the airline company, the Service Bulletin from the another computer system of the manufacturer.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the transmitting to the piece of equipment of the at least one command instructing to perform automatically the updating of the at least one software application, requesting, by the computer system of the airline company, the at least one command from the computer system of the manufacturer.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for automated updating of at least one software application, in a piece of equipment associated with an aircraft, including updating of a documentation associated with the piece of equipment, the updating of the at least one software application being controlled by a computer system of an airline company, separate from the piece of equipment, according to at least one indication relating to a modification of the at least one software application, received from another computer system of a manufacturer of the piece of equipment separate from the computer system of the airline company and of the piece of equipment, the documentation being updated by the manufacturer according to the updating of the at least one software application performed in the piece of equipment, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computer system of the airline company, the at least one indication relating to the modification of the at least one software application;

transmitting, by the computer system of the airline company, to the piece of equipment at least one command instructing to perform automatically the updating of the at least one software application;

receiving, by the computer system of the airline company, from the piece of equipment a report of execution, wherein the report of execution comprises at least one indication relating to the execution of the at least one command;

transmitting, by the computer system of the airline company, to the piece of equipment a validation message to confirm the execution of the at least one command;

receiving, from the piece of equipment, after the transmitting of the validation message, a validated report of execution of the at least one command, wherein the validated report of execution allows the manufacturer to update the documentation of the piece of equipment according to the modification at the piece of equipment;

transmitting, by the computer system of the airline company, in response to the receiving of the validated report of execution from the piece of equipment, the validated report of execution to the another computer system of the manufacturer;

receiving, by the computer system of the airline company after the transmitting of the validated report of execution of the at least one command, the updated documentation related to the validated report of execution and corresponding to the modification at the piece of equipment, from the another computer system of the manufacturer; and

transmitting, by the computer system of the airline company, the updated documentation related to the validated report of execution and corresponding to the modification at the piece of equipment, to the aircraft that is associated with the piece of equipment.

6. A computer method for automated updating of at least one software application, in a piece of equipment associated with an aircraft, including updating of a documentation associated with the piece of equipment, the updating of the at least one software application being controlled by a computer system of an airline company, separate from the piece of equipment, according to at least one indication relating to a modification of the at least one software application, received from another computer system of a manufacturer of the piece of equipment separate from the computer system of the airline company and the piece of equipment, the documentation being updated by the manufacturer according to the updating of the at least one software application performed in the piece of equipment, the method comprising:

receiving at least one command instructing to perform automatically the updating of the at least one software application, the at least one command being received from the computer system of the airline company;

executing the at least one command;

producing a report of execution of the at least one command, in response to the updating of the at least one software application actually performed in the piece of equipment;

transmitting, by the aircraft that is associated with the piece of equipment, the report of execution to the computer system of the airline company;

in response to the transmitting of the report of execution, receiving, by the aircraft that is associated with the piece of equipment, a validation message from the computer system of the airline company that confirms the execution of the at least one command;

producing a validated report of execution in response to receiving the validation message from the computer system of the airline company;

transmitting, by the aircraft that is associated with the piece of equipment, the validated report of execution to the another computer system of the manufacturer, the validated report of execution allowing the manufacturer to update the documentation of the piece of equipment according to the modification at the piece of equipment; and

receiving, by the aircraft that is associated with the piece of equipment after the transmitting of the validated report of execution, the updated documentation related to the validated report of execution and corresponding to the modification at the piece of equipment, from the computer system of the airline company.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one command includes a command for uploading at least one software component.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising validating the updating of the at least one software application, in response to the receiving of the validation message.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising updating a copy of the documentation that is stored in the piece of equipment.

10. An aircraft comprising:

a computing device configured to perform automated updating of at least one software application, in a piece of equipment associated with the aircraft, the updating of the at least one software application being controlled by a first computer system of an airline company, separate from the computing device and the piece of equipment, according to at least one indication relating to a modification of the at least one software application, received from a second computer system of a manufacturer of the piece of equipment separate from the first computer system, the computing device, and the piece of equipment, the computing device being configured to;

receive at least one command instructing to perform automatically the updating of the at least one software application, the at least one command being received from the first computer system of the airline company;

execute the at least one command;

produce a report of execution of the at least one command, in response to the updating of the at least one software application being performed;

transmit the report of execution to the first computer system of the airline company;

after transmitting the report of execution, receive a validation message from the first computer system of the airline company that confirms the execution of the at least one command;

produce a validated report of execution in response to receiving the validation message from the first computer system of the airline company;

transmit the validated report of execution to the another computer system of the manufacturer, the validated report of execution allowing the manufacturer to update the documentation of the piece of equipment according to the modification at the piece of equipment; and

receive, after the computing device transmits the validated report of execution, the updated documentation related to the validated report of execution and corresponding to the modification at the piece of equipment, from the first computer system of the airline company.