Method, device and computer program for the automatic installation or uninstallation of software modules on equipment on board an aircraft

• US 9,471,295 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Baraldi, Thierry, Barsse, William
• Primary Examiner(s): BROPHY, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US14/206,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

The automatic installation and uninstallation of software modules on equipment on an aircraft. For each reference of an obtained list of references of software modules to be installed or uninstalled, resolution rules linked to an operation associated with the software module in question are identified. The rules comprise at least one reference to an operation of installing or uninstalling at least the software module in question and a list of actions to be performed. For each reference on the obtained list, a list of references of operations to be carried out is determined depending on the obtained list and the identified resolution rules. A list of actions to be performed is determined depending on the list of references of operations to be carried out and the identified resolution rules. At least one referenced action on the list of actions to be performed is executed by calling a specific software agent.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

(a) a plurality of items of equipment each having one or more loading modules;

(b) a central loading system including;

(i) a human-machine interface;

(ii) a database of resolution rules;

(iii) a management module configured for receiving, from the human-machine interface, a selection of a list of software modules for remote loading onto each of the plurality of items of equipment;

(iv) a resolution engine configured for accessing resolution rules from the database, based on the selection of the list of software modules, for remote loading onto each of the plurality of items of equipment, wherein the resolution rules include a list of first operations carried out prior to any action being performed, a list of actions, a list of second operations carried out after every action is performed, and a list of conditions and constraints;

(v) an actions execution module having a plurality of agent modules, each agent module corresponding to each of the plurality of items of equipment, wherein each agent module is configured for;

(A) instructing a corresponding item of equipment to execute at least one action from the list of actions using a specific protocol; and

(B) receiving a status of the at least one action and sending such action to the resolution engine.

2. The system of claim 1, the resolution engine further configured for, upon executing the at least one operation from at least one of the list of first operations and the list of second operations of the listed operations, updating at least one of the list of first operations and the list of second operations.

3. The system of claim 2, the resolution engine further configured for, upon updating at least one of the list of first operations and list of second operations, testing whether the list of first operations and the list of second operations are empty.

4. The system of claim 3, the management module further configured for, upon said testing and determining that the list of first operations and list of second operations are empty, generating a summary of completed operations and sending the summary to a user.

5. A system for the installation of at least one software module on an on-board item of equipment of the system comprising a plurality of on-board equipment, the system having one or more processors configured to:

(a) receive, by a management module, from a human-machine interface, a selection of a list of software modules for remote loading onto each of a plurality of items of equipment;

(b) access, by a resolution engine, resolution rules from a database, based on the selection of the list of software modules, for remote loading onto each of the plurality of items of equipment, wherein the resolution rules include a list of first operations carried out prior to any action being performed, a list of actions, a list of second operations carried out after every action is performed, and a list of conditions and constraints;

(c) instruct, by each agent module of an actions execution module having a plurality of agent modules, each agent module corresponding to each of the plurality of items of equipment, a corresponding item of equipment to execute at least one action from the list of actions using a specific protocol;

(d) receive, by each agent module of the actions execution module, a status of the at least one action and send such action to the resolution engine.

6. A device for installing, for a centralized loading system, at least one software module on an on-board item of equipment of a system comprising a plurality of on-board items of equipment, the equipment being separate from the centralized loading system, the device comprising a microprocessor configured to run each of the following steps:

(a) receiving, by a management module, from a human-machine interface, a selection of a list of software modules for remote loading onto each of a plurality of items of equipment;

(b) accessing, by a resolution engine, resolution rules from a database, based on the selection of the list of software modules, for remote loading onto each of the plurality of items of equipment, wherein the resolution rules include a list of first operations carried out prior to any action being performed, a list of actions, a list of second operations carried out after every action is performed, and a list of conditions and constraints;

(c) instructing, by each agent module of an actions execution module having a plurality of agent modules, each agent module corresponding to each of the plurality of items of equipment, a corresponding item of equipment to execute at least one action from the list of actions using a specific protocol;

(d) receiving, by each agent module of the actions execution module, a status of the at least one action and sending such action to the resolution engine.

7. An aircraft comprising a device for installing, for a centralized loading system, at least one software module on an on-board item of equipment of a system comprising a plurality of on-board items of equipment, the equipment being separate from the centralized loading system, the aircraft comprising a microprocessor configured to run each of the following steps:

(a) receiving, by a management module, from a human-machine interface, a selection of a list of software modules for remote loading onto each of a plurality of items of equipment;

(b) accessing, by a resolution engine, resolution rules from a database, based on the selection of the list of software modules, for remote loading onto each of the plurality of items of equipment wherein the resolution rules include a list of first operations carried out prior to any action being performed, a list of actions, a list of second operations carried out after every action is performed, and a list of conditions and constraints;

(c) instructing, by each agent module of an actions execution module having a plurality of agent modules, each agent module corresponding to each of the plurality of items of equipment, a corresponding item of equipment to execute at least one action from the list of actions using a specific protocol;

(d) receiving, by each agent module of the actions execution module, a status of the at least one action and sending such action to the resolution engine.