System and method for vehicle build verification

• US 9,678,488 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Dhondt, Jon J., McAvoy, Michael B., Walstrom, Steven M., Thomas, Terrance L., Ferrer, Alberto, Shander, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US14/084,159
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 700110
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0256 injecting test signals and analyzing monitored process response, e.g. injecting the test signal while interrupting the normal operation of the monitored system; superimposing the test signal onto a control signal during normal operation of the monitored system

Abstract

A system and method for performing build verification of equipment systems after being installed in a partially constructed vehicle portion. After installing one or more of prerequisite equipment systems during a current build stage of a vehicle build plan, the installed equipment systems are tested during the current build stage to determine whether the installed equipment systems are electrically connected correctly.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for verifying proper installation of equipment systems in a vehicle designed to be assembled in multiple build stages, the method comprising:

retrieving a data structure describing a build plan for assembling the vehicle, wherein the build plan comprises a plurality of build stages, and wherein the build plan specifies, for each of the plurality of build stages, a respective plurality of prerequisite equipment systems to be installed in the vehicle during the build stage;

determining a current build stage, of the plurality of build stages, of one or more partially constructed vehicle portions of the vehicle;

determining a set of prerequisite equipment systems to be installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions, corresponding to the current build stage;

determining one or more equipment systems that have been installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions during the current build stage, based on build state information for the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions;

determining one or more diagnostic tests that are configured to test for a predefined electrical connectivity of the one or more equipment systems;

emulating, by operation of one or more non-transitory computer processors, data communications, over a data communications network, from one or more prerequisite equipment systems not yet installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions, during the current build stage;

initiating the one or more diagnostic tests, during the current build stage, using the emulated data communications from the one or more prerequisite equipment systems, to determine whether the one or more equipment systems are correctly installed in the vehicle, without requiring the one or more prerequisite equipment systems to be physically installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions; and

upon determining that the one or more systems are incorrectly installed, based on a failure of a first one of the one or more diagnostic tests, facilitating a correction of the failure of the first diagnostic test.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising testing during the current build stage whether data communications exist to the one or more installed equipment systems in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining during the current build stage which prerequisite equipment systems are not yet installed.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising ignoring testing of prerequisite equipment systems to be installed during the current build stage, but not yet installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising suppressing nuisance errors as a result of prerequisite equipment systems not yet installed within the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising testing whether the one or more installed equipment systems correctly installed during the current build stage remain correctly installed during a subsequent one of the plurality of build stages.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein emulating data communications comprises emulating data communications for controlling distribution of primary power across a power busing network system that is not yet available to the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions during the current build stage.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein emulating data communications comprises indicating a state of at least one contactor of a primary power switching network device that is not yet installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions during the current build stage.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining which installed equipment systems are safe to operate while someone is in proximity to the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions, and automating the testing of at least one of the one or more installed equipment systems on the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising generating a record of each occurrence of one or more tests performed during one or more of the plurality of build stages on the one or more installed equipment systems on the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising progressively testing during subsequent one or more of the plurality of build stages whether the one or more installed equipment systems remain correctly electrically connected to the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising testing during the current build stage whether the one or more installed equipment systems installed during a previous build stage remain correctly electrically connected to the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising partitioning build verification software from flight management software.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising disabling build verification software after final assembly of the vehicle.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising removing build verification software after final assembly of the vehicle.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising installing flight management software in place of build verification software after final assembly of the vehicle.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising hosting build verification software on a computing and network interface (CNI) module of a modular equipment center (MEC) in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, testing electrical connections between one or more equipment loads and the MEC in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, testing data connections between one or more equipment loads and the MEC in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising hosting build verification software on a computing and network interface (CNI) module of a modular equipment center (MEC) and on a CNI module of a remote modular equipment center (RMEC), and testing an electrical connection between the MEC and the RMEC.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising testing a data connection between the MEC and the RMEC.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising hosting build verification software on a computing and network interface (CNI) module of a remote modular equipment center (RMEC) in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, testing electrical connections between one or more sensors and the RMEC in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 22, testing data connections between one or more sensors and the RMEC in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising hosting build verification software on a removable storage device.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising defining test objectives to be performed by build verification software based on the one or more installed equipment systems and the one or more prerequisite equipment systems not yet installed during the current build stage, and testing only the one or more installed equipment systems installed during the current build stage according to the test objectives.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining there are no prerequisite equipment systems left to be installed during the current build stage, testing all installed equipment systems according to the current build stage, determining all installed equipment systems are correctly installed, and proceeding to a subsequent one of the plurality of build stages.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising hosting build verification software on a computing and network interface (CNI) module of a modular equipment center (MEC) installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions, and the build verification software emulating one or more other MECs that are not yet installed to test the MEC in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions as if the one or more other MECs were present.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising emulating opening and closing of one or more contactors used in combination with one or more prerequisite equipment systems that are not yet installed.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising emulating flight management software that is not yet installed.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising configuring one or more contactors to provide power at a first power level when one or more installed equipment systems are designed for a second power level, wherein the first power level is lower than the second power level.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 31, further configuring one or more contactors to have a first protection sensitivity when designed with a second protection sensitivity, wherein the first protection sensitivity is lower than the second protection sensitivity.

33. A system, comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a non-transitory memory containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of the one or more computer processors, performs an operation for verifying proper installation of equipment systems in a vehicle designed to be assembled in multiple build stages, the operation comprising;

retrieving a data structure describing a build plan for assembling the vehicle, wherein the build plan comprises a plurality of build stages, and wherein the build plan specifies, for each of the plurality of build stages, a respective plurality of prerequisite equipment systems to be installed in the vehicle during the build stage;

determining a current build stage, of the plurality of build stages, of one or more partially constructed vehicle portions of the vehicle;

determining a set of prerequisite equipment systems to be installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions, corresponding to the current build stage;

determining one or more equipment systems that have been installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions during the current build stage, based on build state information for the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions;

determining one or more diagnostic tests that are configured to test for a predefined electrical connectivity of the one or more equipment systems;

emulating data communications, over a data communications network, from one or more prerequisite equipment systems not yet installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions, during the current build stage;

initiating the one or more diagnostic tests, during the current build stage, using the emulated data communications from the one or more prerequisite equipment systems, to determine whether the one or more equipment systems are correctly installed in the vehicle, without requiring the one or more prerequisite equipment systems to be physically installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions; and

upon determining that the one or more systems are incorrectly installed, based on a failure of a first one of the one or more diagnostic tests, facilitating a correction of the failure of the first diagnostic test.

34. The system of claim 33, further configured to test during the current build stage whether data communications exist to the one or more installed equipment systems.

35. The system of claim 33, further comprising software having a first level of criticality for operating the vehicle when completely assembled and wherein the build verification software has a second level of criticality, and wherein the first level of criticality is higher level than the second level of criticality.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of one or more computer processors, performs an operation comprising:

retrieving a data structure describing a build plan for assembling the vehicle, wherein the build plan comprises a plurality of build stages, and wherein the build plan specifies, for each of the plurality of build stages, a respective plurality of prerequisite systems to be installed in the vehicle during the build stage;

determining a current build stage, of the plurality of build stages, of one or more partially constructed vehicle portions of the vehicle;

determining a set of prerequisite equipment systems to be installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions, corresponding to the current build stage;

determining one or more equipment systems that have been installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions during the current build stage, based on build state information for the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions;

determining one or more diagnostic tests that are configured to test for a predefined electrical connectivity of the one or more equipment systems;

emulating, by operation of one or more non-transitory computer processors, data communications, over a data communications network, from one or more prerequisite equipment systems not yet installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions, during the current build stage;

initiating the one or more diagnostic tests, during the current build stage, using the emulated data communications of the one or more prerequisite equipment systems, to determine whether the one or more equipment systems are correctly installed in the vehicle, without requiring the one or more prerequisite equipment systems to be physically installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions; and

upon determining that the one or more systems are incorrectly installed, based on a failure of a first one of the one or more diagnostic tests, facilitating a correction of the failure of the first diagnostic test.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, further comprising ignoring testing of prerequisite equipment systems to be installed during the current build stage, but not yet present in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, further comprising suppressing nuisance errors as a result of prerequisite equipment systems not yet installed within the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, further comprising testing whether the one or more installed equipment systems correctly installed during the current build stage remain correctly installed during a subsequent one of the plurality of build stages.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 36, further comprising emulating data communications across a power busing network system for distribution of primary power that is not yet available to the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions during the current build stage.

41. A computer-implemented method for verifying proper installation of equipment systems of a primary power busing network within a first modular equipment center (MEC), the method comprising, by operation of one or more non-transitory computer processors:

emulating, by operation of one or more non-transitory computer processors, data communications, over a data communications network, from one or more prerequisite equipment systems not yet installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions, during the current build stage;

initiating one or more diagnostic tests, during the current build stage of the vehicle, using the emulated data communications of one or more prerequisite equipment systems, to determine whether one or more equipment systems of the primary power busing network within the MEC are correctly installed in the vehicle, without requiring the one or more prerequisite equipment systems to be physically installed in the one or more partially constructed vehicle portions, comprising;

routing a low voltage test power to a first plurality of contactors within the first MEC;

determining whether or not the low voltage test power is present at each of the first plurality of contactors of the first MEC; and

collecting contactor information from each of the first plurality of contactors across an internal MEC data network of the first MEC to a CNI module of the first MEC; and

upon determining that the one or more equipment systems are incorrectly installed, based on a failure of a first one of the one or more diagnostic tests, facilitating a correction of the failure of the first diagnostic test.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 41 further comprising:

routing the low voltage test power to a second plurality of contactors within a second MEC;

determining whether or not the low voltage test power is present at each of the second plurality of contactors of the second MEC; and

collecting contactor information from each of the second plurality of contactors across an internal MEC data network of the second MEC to a CNI module of the second MEC.

43. The computer-implemented method of claim 42 further comprising providing the contactor information of the first plurality of contactors to the CNI module of the second MEC and configuring the second plurality of contactors of the second MEC based on the contactor information of the first plurality of contactors of the first MEC.

44. The computer-implemented method of claim 42 further comprising providing the contactor information of the second plurality of contactors to the CNI module of the first MEC and configuring the first plurality of contactors of the first MEC based on the contactor information of the second plurality of contactors of the second MEC.

45. The computer-implemented method of claim 41 further comprising emulating a second MEC having a second plurality of contactors to test collecting of contactor information of the second plurality of contactors at the CNI module of the first MEC.