System, device and method for recording data in an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017018125-A1
Application number	US-201615207139-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2016
Priority date	Jul 16, 2015
Publication date	Jan 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system, device and method for recording data in an aircraft including a memory and a network interface through which it is connected to the network. This device is configured for acquiring information from the avionics communication network, and information relative to characteristic events relative to operation of the aircraft, generating indexes corresponding to different times, recording, in a first part of the memory, indexed data corresponding to the information coming from avionics communication network, the indexed data including a set of recordings, each recording corresponding to the combination of information coming from the avionics communication network and an index corresponding to a time associated with that recording; and recording, in a second part of the memory, for several of the characteristic events, information of correspondence between the characteristic event in question and an index corresponding to a time associated with that characteristic event.

First claim

1 . An onboard control system of an aircraft, the system comprising a plurality of computers interconnected with each other by an avionics communication network, and a device for recording data comprising a memory and a network interface through which the data recording device is connected to the avionics communication network, wherein the data recording device is configured for:
acquiring information coming from the avionics communication network, as well as information relative to characteristic events relative to operation of the aircraft; generating indexes corresponding to different times; recording, in a first part of the memory, indexed data corresponding to the information coming from avionics communication network, the indexed data comprising a set of recordings, each recording corresponding to a combination of information coming from the avionics communication network and an index corresponding to a time associated with that recording; and recording, in a second part of the memory, for several of the characteristic events, information of correspondence between a characteristic event in question and an index corresponding to a time associated with that characteristic event.

2 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data recording device comprises a second interface, separate from the network interface, configured for reading the indexed data recorded in the first part of the memory and/or correspondence information recorded in the second part of the memory, by an equipment outside of the aircraft.

3 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data recording device is configured as a subscriber to the communication network and computers of the onboard system are configured for transmitting information to the data recording device.

4 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data recording device is configured for acquiring information flowing in the communication network, between computers connected to this communication network.

5 . The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the data recording device is configured for prohibiting transmission of information from an equipment outside of the aircraft to the avionics communication network, when such an equipment outside of the aircraft is connected to the data recording device through the second interface.

6 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data recording device is configured for encrypting the indexed data and/or the correspondence information before recording them in the memory.

7 . The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data recording device comprises a self-configuration algorithm configured for adapting the recording of the indexed data as a function of the communication network.

8 . A data recording device comprising a memory and a network interface provided for connecting the data recording device to an avionics communication network through which several computers of an onboard control system of an aircraft are interconnected with each other, wherein the data recording device, when connected to the avionics communication network, is configured for:
acquiring information coming from the avionics communication network, as well as information relative to characteristic events relative to operation of the aircraft; generating indexes corresponding to different times; recording, in a first part of the memory, indexed data corresponding to information coming from the avionics communication network, the indexed data comprising a set of recordings, each recording corresponding to a combination of information coming from the avionics communication network and an index corresponding to a time associated with that recording; and recording, in a second part of the memory, for several of the characteristic events, information of correspondence between a characteristic event in question and an index corresponding to a time associated with that characteristic event.

9 . An aircraft comprising an onboard control system as claimed in claim 1 .

10 . A method for recording data in an aircraft comprising an onboard control system, the system comprising a plurality of computers interconnected with each other through an avionics communication network, as well as a data recording device comprising a memory and a network interface through which the data recording device is connected to the avionics communication network, wherein the method comprises the following steps implemented by the data recording device:
acquiring information coming from the avionics communication network, as well as information relative to characteristic events relative to operation of the aircraft; generating indexes corresponding to different times; recording, in a first part of the memory, of indexed data corresponding to information coming from the avionics communication network, the indexed data comprising a set of recordings, each recording corresponding to a combination of information coming from the avionics communication network and an index corresponding to a time associated with that recording; and recording, in a second part of the memory, for several of the characteristic events, information of correspondence between a characteristic event in question and an index corresponding to a time associated with that characteristic event.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Sas

Inventors

• Jover Sebastien
• Corbefin Jean-Philippe

Classifications

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• G07C5/085 Primary

  using electronic data carriers · CPC title

• G07C2205/02

  using a vehicle scan tool · CPC title

• G07C5/0841

  Registering performance data (recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B) · CPC title