Aircraft equipment control system

• US 20050065669A1
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus France
• Inventors: Vilain, Jean Yves, Roux, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,826,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/03 with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media

Abstract

The control system (1) comprises at least one control panel (P1, Pn) comprising a plurality of operable control means (2) for controllable pieces of equipment (EC1, ECk) of the aircraft, each of which is controlled by first and second computers (3A1, 3Ak, 3B1, 3Bk), and a communication system (4) comprising a first and a second communication channel (5, 6) which are separate from each other and follow different paths (C1, C2), the first communication channel (5) connecting the control means (2) to the first computers (3A1, 3Ak) and the second communication channel (6) connecting the control means (2) to the second computers (3B1, 3Bk), each of said communication channels (5, 6) comprising two different digital communication buses (8, 9; 10, 11).

Claims

1. An aircraft control system, comprising:

at least one control panel (P1, Pn) comprising a plurality of control means (2) which can be operated by an operator;

a plurality of controllable pieces of equipment (EC1, ECk) of the aircraft; and

a communication system (4) for interconnecting the controllable equipment (EC1, ECk) and the associated control means (2), said communication system (4) comprising a first and a second communication channel (5, 6) which are separate from each other and follow different paths (C1, C2) in the aircraft, each of said first and second communication channels (5, 6) comprising, at least at the level of said control panel (P1, Pn), at least two different digital communication buses (8, 9;

10, 11),

characterized in that;

each of said controllable pieces of equipment (EC1, ECk) is controlled by at least a first associated computer (3A1, 3Ak), in accordance with at least the operation of a control means (2) which is also associated with said control panel (P1, Pn);

said control system (1) comprises, for at least some of said controllable pieces of equipment (ECd, ECk), in addition to said first associated computer (3A1, 3Ak), in each case a second associated computer (3B1, 3Bk) which can also control the corresponding controllable equipment (ECd, ECk) in accordance with at least the operation of the associated control means (2);

said first communication channel (5) connects said control means (2) to said first computers (3A1, 3Ak); and

said second communication channel (6) connects said control means (2) to said second computers (3B1, 3Bk).

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises, for at least some of said control means (2), separate linking means between said control means (2) and each of said digital communication buses (8, 9, 10, 11).

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, for at least one of said communication channels (5, 6), all the digital communication buses (8, 9, 10, 11) are serial links permitting asynchronous multi-master operation.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, for at least one of said communication channels (5, 6), all the digital communication buses (8, 9, 10, 11) are full duplex switched Ethernet networks.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said communication channels (5, 6) comprises:

two digital communication buses (8, 9;

10, 11) of a first type corresponding to a serial link permitting asynchronous multi-master operation, linked to said control panel (P1, Pn);

a digital communication bus (13, 14) of a second type corresponding to a full duplex switched Ethernet network, which is linked to computers (3A1, 3Ak;

3B1, 3Bk) of controllable equipment (EC1, ECk), these computers being associated with said communication channel (5, 6); and

two gateways (12), linking said bus (13, 14) of said second type respectively to said buses (8, 9;

10, 11) of said first type.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said communication channel (5, 6) also comprises at least one auxiliary digital communication bus (8A, 9A, 10A, 11A) of said first type, connecting said control panel (Pn) to at least one computer (3A1, 3B1) of at least one controllable piece of equipment (EC1).

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said communication channel (5, 6) also comprises cable links (15A, 16A) connecting at least some of the control means (2) of the control panel (Pn) to at least one gateway (17, 18) which is connected to said bus (13, 14) of said second type.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said communication channels (5, 6) also comprises cable links (15B, 16B) connecting at least some of the control means (2) of the control panel (Pn) to at least one computer (3A1, 3B1) of at least one controllable piece of equipment (ECk).

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said communication channels (5, 6) also comprises cable links (15C, 16C) connecting at least some of the control means (2) of the control panel (Pn) directly to at least one controllable piece of equipment (ECk).

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said control panel (P1, Pn) also comprises signaling means (21) indicating the state of at least some of said controllable pieces of equipment (EC1, ECk), and in that said signaling means (21) are connected to said digital communication buses (8, 9, 10, 11) of said communication channels (5, 6).

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said first and second communication channels (5, 6) are positioned on either side of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of control panels (P1, Pn), and in that each of said control panels (P1, Pn) is connected to said digital communication buses (8, 9, 10, 11) of said communication channels (5, 6).

13. An aircraft, characterized in that it comprises a system such as that specified in claim 1.