Method of managing an autopilot system fitted to an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11119508-B2
Application number	US-201916460047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2019
Priority date	Jul 16, 2018
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

A management method for managing an autopilot system fitted to an aircraft, the management method being adapted to manage at least one error in at least one succession of steps serving to generate at least one autopilot setpoint for the aircraft, the autopilot system comprising at least one computer serving to implement a plurality of successions of steps generating different autopilot setpoints for the aircraft. Such a method comprises an identification step serving to identify the at least one error, a calculation step for determining a total number of occurrences of the at least one error, a stop step serving to stop the at least one succession of steps, a reinitialization step for reinitializing the at least one succession of steps, and a relaunch step for relaunching the at least one succession of steps.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A management method for managing an autopilot system fitted to an aircraft, the management method being adapted to manage at least one error in at least one succession of steps serving to generate at least one autopilot setpoint for the aircraft,
wherein the method comprising:
implementing by at least one computer of the autopilot system a plurality of successions of steps generating different autopilot setpoints for the aircraft;
an identification step serving to identify the at least one error, the identification step serving to identify at least one occurrence of the at least one error over a predetermined period of use of the aircraft;
a calculation step for determining a total number of occurrences of the at least one error over the predetermined period of use of the aircraft;
a stop step serving to cause the computer to stop the at least one succession of steps over a first cycle of steps considered as being faulty when the total number of occurrences of the at least one error is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value;
a reinitialization step to cause the computer to reinitialize the at least one succession of steps; and
a relaunch step to cause the computer to relaunch the at least one succession of steps from a second cycle of steps considered as being sound, the second cycle of steps being distinct from the first cycle of steps.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold value is selected to be greater than or equal to the number 1.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes a first sanction step for inhibiting a call to at least one first succession of steps of at least one of the first and second cycles of steps.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the first sanction step operates when the total number of occurrences of the at least one error is greater than or equal to the number 1.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes a second sanction step distinct from the first sanction step, the second sanction step serving to inhibit a call to at least one second succession of steps of at least one of the first and second cycles of steps, the at least one second succession of steps being distinct from the at least one first succession of steps.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the second sanction step takes place when the total number of occurrences of the at least one error is greater than or equal to the number 2.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes a third sanction step distinct from the first and second sanction steps, the third sanction step serving to inhibit a call to at least one individual routine of at least one third succession of steps serving to generate at least one autopilot setpoint for the aircraft.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the third sanction step takes place when the total number of occurrences of the at least one error is greater than or equal to the number 2.

9. A management method for managing an autopilot system fitted to an aircraft, the management method being adapted to manage at least one error in at least one succession of steps serving to generate at least one autopilot setpoint for the aircraft,
the method comprising:
implementing by a computer of the autopilot system a plurality of successions of steps generating different autopilot setpoints for the aircraft;
an identification step to identify the at least one error, the identification step identifying at least one occurrence of the at least one error over a predetermined period of use of the aircraft;
a calculation step to determine a total number of occurrences of the at least one error over the predetermined period of use of the aircraft;
a stop step to cause the computer to stop the at least one succession of steps over a first cycle of steps considered faulty when the total number of occurrences of the at least one error is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value;
a reinitialization step to cause the computer to reinitialize the at least one succession of steps; and
a relaunch step to cause the computer to relaunch the at least one succession of steps from a second cycle of steps considered sound, the second cycle of steps being distinct from the first cycle of steps.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the predetermined threshold value is greater than or equal to the number 1.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the method includes a first sanction step to inhibit a call to at least one first succession of steps of at least one of the first and second cycles of steps.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first sanction step operates when the total number of occurrences of the at least one error is greater than or equal to the number 1.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the method includes a second sanction step distinct from the first sanction step, the second sanction step serving to inhibit a call to at least one second succession of steps of at least one of the first and second cycles of steps, the at least one second succession of steps being distinct from the at least one first succession of steps.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the second sanction step takes place when the total number of occurrences of the at least one error is greater than or equal to the number 2.

15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the method includes a third sanction step distinct from the first and second sanction steps, the third sanction step serving to inhibit a call to at least one individual routine of at least one third succession of steps serving to generate at least one autopilot setpoint for the aircraft.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the third sanction step takes place when the total number of occurrences of the at least one error is greater than or equal to the number 2.

17. A management method for managing an aircraft autopilot system, the management method adapted to manage an error in at least one succession of steps serving to generate at least one autopilot setpoint for the aircraft, the autopilot system comprising a computer serving to implement a plurality of successions of steps generating different autopilot setpoints for the aircraft,
the method comprising:
identifying at least one occurrence of at least one error over a predetermined period of use of the aircraft;
determining a total number of occurrences of the at least one error over the predetermined period of use of the aircraft;
the computer causing stopping of the at least one succession of steps over a first cycle of steps considered faulty when the total number of occurrences of the at least one error is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value;
the computer causing reinitializing of the at least one succession of steps; and
the computer causing relaunching the at least one succession of steps from a second cycle of steps considered sound, the second cycle of steps distinct from the first cycle of steps.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the predetermined threshold value is greater than or equal to the number 1.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the method includes a first sanction step for inhibiting a call to at least one first succession of steps of at least one of the first and second cycles of steps, wherein the first sanction step operates when the total number of occurrences of the at least one error is greater than or equal to the number

Assignees

• Airbus Helicopters

Inventors

• Abdelli Kamel

Classifications

• G05D1/101 Primary

  specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title

• G06F11/1438

  Restarting or rejuvenating · CPC title

• G06F11/1489 Primary

  using recovery blocks · CPC title