Open architecture for flight management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10319240-B2
Application number	US-201615389216-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2016
Priority date	Dec 23, 2015
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A method for managing avionic data between a flight management system FMS and one or more clients, the FMS comprising resources accessible through avionic services Ci (1,n); the execution of the Ci (1,n) determining an avionic functionality Fj (1,m); each of the Fj (1,m) associated with an intrusiveness parameter Ik and a criticality parameter Ck; the method comprises the steps of receiving a request specifying the call to an Fj (1,m); and determining a predefined execution right for a Ci (1,n), dependent on the predefined intrusiveness and/or criticality parameters associated with the Fj (1,m). Developments describe particularly the comparison of the execution rights, notice of a rejection, various avionic services and functionalities, the management of criticality ranges, consideration of the flight context, etc. Software and system aspects are described (e.g. equipment of EFB type).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for managing avionic data between a flight management system FMS and one or more clients of said the flight management system FMS,
the flight management system FMS comprising physical resources accessible through one or more avionic services Ci (1,n);
an execution of one or more avionic services Ci (1,n) determining an avionic functionality Fj (1,m);
each avionic functionality Fj (1,m) being associated with an intrusiveness parameter I k and a criticality parameter C k ;
the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a request from a client, said request specifying a call to an avionic functionality Fj (1,m);
determining a parameter associated with a predefined execution right for an avionic service Ci (1,n), said parameter being dependent on at least one of the following: a predefined intrusiveness and criticality parameters associated with said avionic functionality Fj (1,m); and
comparing the determined execution right parameter with one or more predefined execution rights,
wherein an avionic service corresponds to an avionic service comprising at least one of the following: an avionic service for accessing an information system of a functional core of the FMS, an avionic service for flight plan management or administration, and an avionic service for accessing data of a flight plan or of a trajectory of an aircraft;
wherein a level of criticality being selected from among a plurality of predefined criticality ranges;
wherein the plurality of predefined criticality ranges comprising four predefined criticality ranges, which comprise a level of criticality X1 strictly higher than a level of criticality of the functional core FMS, a level of criticality X2 equal to the level of criticality of the functional core FMS, a level of criticality X3 strictly lower than the level of criticality of the functional core FMS, and a level of criticality X4 much lower than the level of criticality of the functional core FMS; and
wherein one or more intrusiveness or criticality parameters being dependent on a flight context.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a step of executing one or more avionic services and communicating a result to the client.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a step of notifying the client of a rejection of its request.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an avionic functionality being selected from among the avionic functionalities comprising at least one of the following: a man/machine interface functionality F1, an automatic aircraft guidance functionality F2, a flight and trajectory surveillance and monitoring functionality F3, an air traffic and operational control centers contact functionality F4, a strategic decision making or flight optimization tool functionality F5, a flight simulation functionality F6, a maintenance and operational preparation functionality F7, a ground & flight development functionality F8, and a failure analysis and flight recorder functionality F9.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an avionic functionality being executed according to a predefined avionic interaction model, the predefined avionic interaction model being chosen from among the interaction models comprising at least one of the following: a man/machine interaction model, an interaction model comprising automatic aircraft guidance, an interaction model comprising onboard surveillance, an interaction model known as ATM/Airlines Operation Center, and an interaction model known as Simulation/Maintenance/Development/Failure Analysis.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the intrusiveness and the criticality parameters are configurable.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or more intrusiveness and criticality parameters are dependent on a flight context.

8. A non-transitory computer program product, said computer program comprising code instructions for execution on a computer, the code instructions comprising:
receiving a request from a client, said request specifying a call to an avionic functionality Fj (1,m);
determining a parameter associated with a predefined execution right for an avionic service Ci (1,n), said parameter being dependent on at least one of the following: a predefined intrusiveness and criticality parameters associated with said avionic functionality Fj (1,m); and
comparing the determined execution right parameter with one or more predefined execution rights,
wherein an avionic service corresponds to an avionic service comprising at least one of the following: an avionic service for accessing an information system of a functional core of a FMS, an avionic service for flight plan management or administration, and an avionic service for accessing data of a flight plan or of a trajectory of an aircraft;
wherein a level of criticality being selected from among a plurality of predefined criticality ranges;
wherein the plurality of predefined criticality ranges comprising four predefined criticality ranges, which comprise a level of criticality X1 strictly higher than a level of criticality of the functional core FMS, a level of criticality X2 equal to the level of criticality of the functional core FMS, a level of criticality X3 strictly lower than the level of criticality of the functional core FMS, and a level of criticality X4 much lower than the level of criticality of the functional core FMS; and
wherein one or more intrusiveness or criticality parameters being dependent on a flight context.

9. A system comprising:
the system being configured to receive a request from a client, said request specifying a call to an avionic functionality Fj (1,m);
the system being configured to determine a parameter associated with a predefined execution right for an avionic service Ci (1,n), said parameter being dependent on at least one of the following: a predefined intrusiveness and criticality parameters associated with said avionic functionality Fj (1,m); and
the system being configured to compare the determined execution right parameter with one or more predefined execution rights,
wherein an avionic service corresponds to an avionic service comprising at least one of the following: an avionic service for accessing an information system of a functional core of a FMS, an avionic service for flight plan management or administration, and an avionic service for accessing data of a flight plan or of a trajectory of an aircraft;
wherein a level of criticality being selected from among a plurality of predefined criticality ranges;
wherein the plurality of predefined criticality ranges comprising four predefined criticality ranges, which comprise a level of criticality X1 strictly higher than a level of criticality of the functional core FMS, a level of criticality X2 equal to the level of criticality of the functional core FMS, a level of criticality X3 strictly lower than the level of criticality of the functional core FMS, and a level of criticality X4 much lower than the level of criticality of the functional core FMS; and
wherein one or more intrusiveness or criticality parameters being dependent on a flight context.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the system comprises a flight management system FMS and one or more clients of said flight management system FMS.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the system comprises at least one electronic flight bag of EFB type.

Assignees

• Thales Sa

Inventors

• Beernaert Julien

Classifications

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title

• B64D2045/0075

  Adaptations for use of electronic flight bags in aircraft; Supports therefor in the cockpit · CPC title

• G08G5/003 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G08G5/0073

  Physics · mapped topic