Vehicle health management systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016347470-A1
Application number	US-201414566558-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2014
Priority date	Jul 2, 2004
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes receiving first vehicle data from a sensor on a vehicle at one or more processors executing a first software module. The method includes determining a risk value, a confidence value associated with whether the first vehicle data matches a validated vehicle state, and a benefit value associated with providing the first vehicle data to a second software module. The method includes calculating a health score associated with the first vehicle data based on the risk value, the confidence value, and the benefit value. The method includes, in response to the health score meeting a threshold value, determining whether the first vehicle data is internally consistent, externally consistent, and stable over time. The method further includes, in response to the first vehicle data being internally consistent, externally consistent, and stable over time, providing the first vehicle data to a vehicle flight control system.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
receiving first vehicle data from a sensor on a vehicle at one or more processors executing a first software module; determining, by the first software module, one or more of a risk value associated with the first vehicle data, a confidence value associated with whether the first vehicle data matches a validated vehicle state, or a benefit value associated with providing the first vehicle data to a second software module comprising an evaluator and a filter; calculating, by the evaluator, a health score associated with the first vehicle data based on the risk value, the confidence value, and the benefit value; transferring the first vehicle data to the filter in response to the health score meeting a threshold value; determining, by the filter, whether the first vehicle data is internally consistent; determining, by the filter, whether the first vehicle data is externally consistent with second vehicle data from the sensor; determining, by the filter, whether the first vehicle data is stable over time; and providing the first vehicle data to a vehicle flight control system in response to determining that the first vehicle data is internally consistent, externally consistent, and stable over time.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the risk value includes a first value associated with a risk resulting from an actuator failure.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the confidence value is determined by comparing a current state of the vehicle with a state of the vehicle when the first software module is tested.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first vehicle data is externally consistent comprises:
receiving second vehicle data from the sensor, wherein the first vehicle data has a higher precision than the second vehicle data; and comparing the first vehicle data and the second vehicle data, wherein the first vehicle data is externally consistent if the first vehicle data corresponds to the second vehicle data, wherein the second vehicle data is taken at a first time, and wherein the first vehicle data is taken at a second time approximately equal to the first time.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle data indicates a position of an actuator, and wherein the second vehicle data includes an error message if the actuator is in an unexpected position.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first vehicle data is internally consistent comprises determining whether particular data fields of the first vehicle data are populated, wherein the first vehicle data is internally consistent if the particular data fields are populated.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising modifying a vehicle flight control algorithm of the vehicle flight control system based on the first vehicle data.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising verifying vehicle state information by performing a parameter identification test, a neural net correction test, or both.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:
receiving first vehicle data from a sensor on a vehicle at a first software module executable by the one or more processors; determining one or more of a risk value associated with the first vehicle data, a confidence value associated with whether the first vehicle data matches a validated vehicle state, or a benefit value associated with providing the first vehicle data to a second software module comprising an evaluator and a filter; calculating, by the evaluator, a health score associated with the first vehicle data based on the risk value, the confidence value, and the benefit value; transferring the first vehicle data to the filter in response to the health score meeting a threshold value; determining, by the filter, whether the first vehicle data is internally consistent; determining, by the filter, whether the first vehicle data is externally consistent with second vehicle data from the sensor; determining, by the filter, whether the first vehicle data is stable over time; and providing the first vehicle data to a vehicle flight control system in response to determining that the first vehicle data is internally consistent, externally consistent, and stable over time.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the risk value includes a first value associated with a risk resulting from an actuator failure.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the confidence value is determined by comparing a current state of the vehicle with a state of the vehicle when the first software module is tested.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining whether the first vehicle data is stable over time comprises:
receiving second vehicle data from the sensor, wherein the first vehicle data and the second vehicle data have a first precision; and comparing the first vehicle data and the second vehicle data, wherein the first vehicle data is stable over time if the first vehicle data is approximately equal to the second vehicle data, wherein the second vehicle data corresponds to a first time, and wherein the first vehicle data corresponds to a second time after the first time.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the first vehicle data corresponds to data regarding an actuator of the vehicle, and wherein the second vehicle data corresponds to second data regarding an actuator of the vehicle.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first vehicle data is determined to be internally consistent when particular data fields of the first vehicle data are populated.

15 . A system comprising:
one or more processors; a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:
receiving first vehicle data from a sensor on a vehicle at one or more processors executing a first software module;
determining one or more of a risk value associated with the first vehicle data by the one or more processors, a confidence value associated with whether the first vehicle data matches a validated vehicle state by the one or more processors, or a benefit value associated with providing the first vehicle data to a second software module comprising an evaluator and a filter;
calculating, by the evaluator, a health score associated with the first vehicle data based on the risk value, the confidence value, and the benefit value;
transferring the first vehicle data to the filter in response to the health score meeting a threshold value;
determining, by the filter, whether the first vehicle data is internally consistent;
determining, by the filter, whether the first vehicle data is externally consistent with second vehicle data from the sensor;
determining, by the filter, whether the first vehicle data is stable over time; and
providing the first vehicle data to a vehicle flight control system in response to determining that the first vehicle data is internally consistent, externally consistent, and stable over time.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the risk value includes a first value associated with a risk resulting from an actuator failure.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the confidence value is determined by comparing a current state of the vehicle with a state of the vehicle when the first softwar

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Swearingen Kevin
• Keller Kirby J

Classifications

• G06N7/01

  Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks · CPC title

• G08G5/21 Primary

  located onboard the aircraft · CPC title

• G05D1/0816

  to ensure stability · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

  Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration · CPC title

• G07C5/0816

  Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction · CPC title