Method of simulating a real-time aircraft system input to an avionics component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9482552-B2
Application number	US-201414311436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2014
Priority date	Jun 23, 2014
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

A method of simulating a real-time aircraft system input to an avionics component for an aircraft includes receiving the simulation input and providing the simulated input to the avionics component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of simulating a real-time, aircraft system input to an avionics component for an aircraft, the method comprising:
receiving, during a non-flight operation, a user demand for a sequence of aircraft system input, wherein the aircraft system input includes inputs generated during previously concluded flight operations;
retrieving data streams corresponding to the user demand from a data-base of data streams previously recorded from real-time data streams generated during the previously concluded flight operations;
time-synchronizing the retrieved data streams;
providing the time-synchronized data streams to a deterministic avionics data bus communicatively coupled with the avionics component; and
selective performing a simulation methodology on the avionics component in response to the time-synchronize data streams provided by the deterministic avionics data bus, wherein the simulation methodology is selectively performed as if the avionics component is operating under normal flight operations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user demand comprises a playback rate and the providing of the time-synchronized data streams is provided at the playback rate.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the playback rate comprises at least one of real time, slower than real time, or faster than real time.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the playback rate comprises a time step.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the time step is a constant time increment.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data streams previously recorded from real-time data streams comprise data streams representative of at least one of an inertial reference data, a global positioning system data, air data computer data, instrument landing system data, navigation data, distance measuring equipment data, or selectable control panel data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein avionics component comprises at least one of a flight management system, control display unit, primary flight display, or navigation display.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing further comprises providing the time-synchronized data streams by way of an ARINC 429 interface.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving, from the data-base of previously recorded data streams, a recorded time index corresponding to the data streams.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising time-synchronizing the retrieved data stream in accordance with the recorded time index.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the time-synchronizing further comprises scheduling the providing of the time-synchronized data streams.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the providing occurs in accordance with the schedule.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing further comprises providing the time-synchronized data streams by way of an Ethernet interface.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing further comprises providing the time-synchronized data streams by way of a serial interface.

15. A method of testing an avionics component in a simulated aircraft environment, the method comprising:
receiving, during a non-flight testing operation, a user demand for a sequence of aircraft system input, wherein the aircraft system input includes inputs generated during previously concluded flight operations;
retrieving data streams corresponding to the user demand from a data-base of data streams previously recorded from real-time data streams generated during the previously concluded flight operations;
time-synchronizing the retrieved data streams;
providing the time-synchronized data streams to a flight management system by way of an ARINC 429 data bus; and
selective performing a testing methodology on the avionics component in communication with flight management system, wherein the testing methodology is selectively performed as if the flight management system is operating under normal flight operations.

Assignees

• Ge Aviation Systems Llc

Inventors

• Dabrowski Stephen

Classifications

• G01S15/8902

  Side-looking sonar · CPC title

• B64D13/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space · CPC title

• G01S15/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S15/87

  Combinations of sonar systems · CPC title

• H04W8/183

  Processing at user equipment or user record carrier · CPC title