DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ASSIST WITH AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE

• US 20160233948A1
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus
• Inventors: GROSSIORD, Samuel, FIGUERAS, Christophe, LE BIGOT, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 9,887,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• 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: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

In an aircraft having a central maintenance computer, an ACMS system and a communications unit allowing communications with a ground station, a maintenance aid device comprises a processing unit configured to: store a trigger condition dependent on at least one aircraft maintenance data item and/or at least one aircraft flight data item; acquire first data emanating from the central maintenance computer and/or second data emanating from the ACMS system; verify whether the trigger condition is met, on the basis of the first data and/or of the second data; and if the trigger condition is met, send the communications unit, a dataset comprising maintenance data emanating from the central maintenance computer and aircraft flight data emanating from the ACMS system.

Claims

1. A device to assist with the maintenance of an aircraft, the device being carried onboard the aircraft, the aircraft comprising:

a central maintenance computer;

an ACMS system; and

a communications unit configured to allow communications between the aircraft and a ground station,

the device comprising;

a first interface configured to communicate with the central maintenance computer via a first communications link of the aircraft;

a second interface configured to communicate with the ACMS system via a second communications link of the aircraft;

a third interface configured to communicate with the communications unit via a third communications link of the aircraft; and

a processing unit configured to;

store a trigger condition dependent on at least one aircraft maintenance data item and/or at least one aircraft flight data item;

acquire first data emanating from the central maintenance computer, through the first interface and/or second data emanating from the ACMS system, through the second interface;

verify whether the trigger condition is met, on the basis of the first data and/or of the second data; and

if the trigger condition is met, send the communications unit, through the third interface, a dataset comprising maintenance data emanating from the central maintenance computer and aircraft flight data emanating from the ACMS system.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to send the dataset to the communications unit repeatedly.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processing unit is configured to repeat the sending of the dataset to the communications unit:

a predetermined number of times;

for a predetermined duration;

or

until the processing unit receives a stop command to stop the sending, the stop command coming from the communications unit through the third interface.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to:

when the trigger condition is not met, record the dataset in a memory of the device, repeatedly; and

when the trigger condition is met, send at least some of the data recorded in the memory to the communications unit through the third interface.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive the trigger condition coming from the communications unit, through the third interface.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dataset sent to the communication unit is predefined in connection with the trigger condition.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dataset sent to the communication unit is independent on the trigger condition.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the trigger condition corresponds to a combination of at least one elementary condition relating to the at least one aircraft maintenance data item and/or the at least one aircraft flight data item, using at least one logic operator.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to:

receive a send command, coming from the communications unit, through the third interface; and

upon receipt of a send command, send the dataset to the communications unit, through the third interface.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the dataset is sent to the communication unit upon receipt of the send command even when the trigger condition is not met.

11. A system to assist with the maintenance of an aircraft, the system being carried onboard the aircraft, the aircraft comprising a communications unit configured to allow communications between the aircraft and a ground station, the system comprising:

a central maintenance computer;

an ACMS system; and

a device to assist with maintenance as claimed in claim 1.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the central maintenance computer, the ACMS system and the maintenance aid device are incorporated into one and the same physical unit.

13. An aircraft which comprises a maintenance aid system as claimed in claim 11.

14. A method to assist with the maintenance of an aircraft comprising:

a central maintenance computer;

an ACMS system; and

a communications unit configured to allow communications between the aircraft and a ground station,

the aircraft further comprising a maintenance aid device comprising;

a first interface configured to communicate with the central maintenance computer by means of a first communications link of the aircraft;

a second interface configured to communicate with the ACMS system by means of a second communications link of the aircraft;

a third interface configured to communicate with the communications unit by means of a third communications link of the aircraft; and

a processing unit,

the method comprising the following steps performed by the processing unit;

storing a trigger condition dependent on at least one aircraft maintenance data item and/or at least one aircraft flight data item;

acquiring first data emanating from the central maintenance computer, through the first interface and/or second data emanating from the ACMS system, through the second interface;

verifying whether the trigger condition is met, on the basis of the first data and/or of the second data; and

if the trigger condition is met, sending the communications unit, through the third interface, a dataset comprising maintenance data emanating from the central maintenance computer and aircraft flight data emanating from the ACMS system.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to send the dataset to the communications unit repeatedly.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processing unit is configured to repeat the sending of the dataset to the communications unit:

a predetermined number of times;

for a predetermined duration;

or

until the processing unit receives a stop command to stop the sending, the stop command coming from the communications unit through the third interface.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the following steps performed by the processing unit:

when the trigger condition is not met, recording the dataset in a memory of the device, repeatedly; and

when the trigger condition is met, sending at least some of the data recorded in the memory to the communications unit through the third interface.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the following steps performed by the processing unit:

receiving the trigger condition coming from the communications unit, through the third interface.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the dataset sent to the communication unit is predefined in connection with the trigger condition.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the dataset sent to the communication unit is independent on the trigger condition.

21. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the trigger condition corresponds to a combination of at least one elementary condition relating to the at least one aircraft maintenance data item and/or the at least one aircraft flight data item, using at least one logic operator.

22. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the following steps performed by the processing unit:

receiving a send command, coming from the communications unit, through the third interface; and

upon receipt of a send command, sending the dataset to the communications unit, through the third interface.

23. A system to assist with the maintenance of an aircraft, the system comprising:

a central maintenance computer;

an ACMS system;

a communications unit configured to allow communications between the aircraft and a ground station, and

a maintenance aid device carried onboard the aircraft, the maintenance aid device comprising;

a first interface configured to communicate with the central maintenance computer by means of a first communications link of the aircraft;

a second interface configured to communicate with the ACMS system by means of a second communications link of the aircraft;

a third interface configured to communicate with the communications unit by means of a third communications link of the aircraft; and

a processing unit configured to;

store a trigger condition dependent on at least one aircraft maintenance data item and/or at least one aircraft flight data item;

acquire first data emanating from the central maintenance computer, through the first interface and/or second data emanating from the ACMS system, through the second interface;

verify whether the trigger condition is met, on the basis of the first data and/or of the second data; and

if the trigger condition is met, send the communications unit, through the third interface, a dataset comprising maintenance data emanating from the central maintenance computer and aircraft flight data emanating from the ACMS system.