Aircraft maintenance method and device

• US 9,367,971 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus
• Original Assignee: Airbus
• Inventors: Saugnac, Frederic, Fremont, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Holwerda, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US12/594,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,993 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/29.1, 701/29.6, 701/29.7, 701/29.8, 701/31.4, 701/31.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station

Abstract

A method for the maintenance of an aircraft including an avionics system including a set of operating units. The avionics system is connected to a ground-based infrastructure via at least one communication medium. Maintenance data stored in the ground-based infrastructure and relating to the malfunction of at least one operating unit are obtained via the at least one communication medium, and at least one operating unit is repaired on the basis of the maintenance data obtained.

Claims

1. A method for maintenance in an aircraft, the aircraft including an avionic system, the avionic system including a set of functional entities, wherein the avionic system is connected to an infrastructure on the ground according to at least one communication medium, the method comprising:

receiving, at the aircraft, a command to initiate at the aircraft testing of at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities via the at least one communication medium, the command being from the infrastructure on the ground;

testing, by a system of the aircraft, the at least one functional entity responsive to said receiving the command, said testing resulting in a diagnosis of a malfunction of the tested at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities;

consulting and obtaining, at the aircraft, via the at least one communication medium, maintenance data stored in the infrastructure on the ground relating to the malfunction of the tested at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities, the maintenance data including data regarding a procedure to repair the tested at least one functional entity; and

repairing, at the aircraft, the tested at least one functional entity based on the obtained maintenance data which includes the data regarding the procedure to repair the tested at least one functional entity.

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

sending out at least one information item concerning the malfunction of the tested at least one functional entity to the infrastructure on the ground.

3. The method for maintenance according to claim 1, further comprising:

diagnosing the malfunction of the tested at least one functional entity; and

isolating the malfunction based on the maintenance data obtained.

4. The method for maintenance according to claim 1,

wherein the diagnosis of the malfunction of the tested at least one function entity of the set of functional entities indicates that the malfunction is spurious, and

wherein the method further comprises receiving, at the aircraft, a status update to the tested at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities indicating that the at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities is not malfunctioning.

5. The method for maintenance according to claim 1, wherein the avionic system communicates with the infrastructure on the ground according to a synchronous communication mode.

9. The method for maintenance according to claim 1, further comprising:

communicating by the aircraft with the infrastructure on the ground using a terminal wireless local area network (LAN) unit and a mobile telephone module.

10. The method for maintenance according to claim 9, wherein the terminal wireless LAN unit and the mobile telephone module are connected to a triplexer module, and the triplexer module is connected to an antenna.

11. The method for maintenance according to claim 9, wherein the terminal wireless LAN unit sends out a request to a local network of the airline company according to Extensible Authentication Protocol—

Transport Layer Security protocol, in order to exchange certificates and create a secured tunnel between the network of the aircraft and the local network of the airline company.

12. The method for maintenance according to claim 5, wherein the synchronous communication mode includes establishing a communication link between the avionic system and the infrastructure on the ground, dedicated to communication between the avionic system and the infrastructure on the ground.

13. The method for maintenance according to claim 1, further comprising interactively browsing, using an onboard terminal, airline documentation stored on the infrastructure on the ground.

14. The method for maintenance according to claim 5,

wherein the synchronous communication mode includes establishing a communication link between the avionic system and the infrastructure on the ground, dedicated to communication between the avionic system and the infrastructure on the ground, and

wherein the communication link between the avionic system and the infrastructure on the ground is available for consulting data in the infrastructure on the ground from the aircraft and for obtaining information items stored in the infrastructure on the ground.

15. The method for maintenance according to claim 1, wherein said receiving the command is performed when the aircraft is in the air, prior to the aircraft landing.

16. The method for maintenance according to claim 15, wherein said testing, by the system of the aircraft, the at least one functional entity is performed when the aircraft is in the air, prior to the aircraft landing.

17. The method for maintenance according to claim 16, wherein said consulting and obtaining maintenance data are performed when the aircraft is in the air, prior to the aircraft landing.

21. The method for maintenance according to claim 1, wherein at least one information processing tool is shared between the infrastructure on the ground and the aircraft, the at least information processing tool being operative such that any maintenance operation and simultaneous updating of a database of the infrastructure on the ground and a database of the aircraft is performed synchronously, and such that verification of the databases is not necessary and is not performed.

6. A device for maintenance in an aircraft, the aircraft including an avionic system, the avionic system including a set of functional entities, wherein the avionic system is connected to an infrastructure on the ground according to at least one communication medium, the device comprising:

circuitry, in the aircraft, configured to

receive, at the aircraft, a command to initiate at the aircraft testing of at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities via the at least one communication medium, the command being from the infrastructure on the ground;

test the at least one functional entity responsive to said receiving the command, the testing resulting in a diagnosis of a malfunction of the tested at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities;

consult and obtain, at the aircraft, via the at least one communication medium, maintenance data stored in the infrastructure on the ground relating to the malfunction of the tested at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities, the maintenance data including data regarding a procedure to repair the tested at least one functional entity; and

repair, at the aircraft, the tested at least one functional entity based on the obtained maintenance data which includes the data regarding the procedure to repair the tested at least one functional entity.

7. The device for maintenance according to claim 6, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

send at least one information item concerning the malfunction of the tested at least one functional entity to the infrastructure on the ground.

18. The device for maintenance according to claim 6, wherein the command is received when the aircraft is in the air, prior to the aircraft landing.

19. The device for maintenance according to claim 18,

wherein said testing of the at least one functional entity is performed when the aircraft is in the air, prior to the aircraft landing, and

wherein the maintenance data is consulted and obtained when the aircraft is in the air, prior to the aircraft landing.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable instructions which when executed by a processor perform a method for maintenance in an aircraft, the aircraft including an avionic system, the avionic system including a set of functional entities, wherein the avionic system is connected to an infrastructure on the ground according to at least one communication medium, the method comprising:

receiving, at the aircraft, a command to initiate at the aircraft testing of at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities via the at least one communication medium, the command being from the infrastructure on the ground;

testing, by a system of the aircraft, the at least one functional entity responsive to said receiving the command, said testing resulting in a diagnosis of a malfunction of the tested at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities;

consulting and obtaining, at the aircraft, via the at least one communication medium, maintenance data stored in the infrastructure on the ground relating to the malfunction of the tested at least one functional entity of the set of functional entities, the maintenance data including data regarding a procedure to repair the tested at least one functional entity; and

repairing, at the aircraft, the tested at least one functional entity based on the obtained maintenance data which includes the data regarding the procedure to repair the tested at least one functional entity.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 8,

wherein said receiving the command is performed when the aircraft is in the air, prior to the aircraft landing,

wherein said testing the at least one functional entity is performed when the aircraft is in the air, prior to the aircraft landing, and

wherein said consulting and obtaining maintenance data are performed when the aircraft is in the air, prior to the aircraft landing.