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US 9,168,995 B2Granted
Flight control system using simplex computers and aircraft comprising same
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorsPatrice Brot, Sylvain Devineau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for computing flight commands, which comprises simplex computers coupled to form virtual command/monitor pairs. These virtual pairs send the commands computed to actuators whose controller implements an election of the pair whose command will be taken into account by the actuator.
Claims20
A computer for computing flight commands within a flight control system, the computer comprising:
- at least one item of software for computing flight commands according to at least one flight law on the basis of at least one command received from at least one piloting member;
- a communication network device with at least two separately associated computers of the same type;
- a first computing unit for computing a first flight order, intended for a remote controller of an airfoil actuator, in command mode within a first virtual command/monitor pair comprising said computer and one of the at least two separately associated computers acting in monitor mode on behalf of said first virtual command/monitor pair;
- a separate, second computing unit for computing a second flight order, intended for a remote controller of an airfoil actuator, in monitor mode within a second virtual command/monitor pair comprising said computer and the other of the at least two separately associated computers acting in command mode on behalf of said second virtual command/monitor pair,
- wherein each flight order is computed at least twice by said first and second computing units, a first time in command mode by said first computing unit, and a second time in monitor mode by said second computing unit, for achieving software dissimilarity.
2 more elements
A controller of an airfoil actuator within a flight control system, the controller comprising:
- a first receiver for receiving from each computer of a set of computers organized as command/monitor pairs, the command computed by said computer and the result of the election of a pair as a master pair;
- a determiner for determining, from among the election results received, the master pair viewed by said controller;
- a first applier for applying to the airfoil, the command received by the computer acting in command mode within the master pair viewed by said controller;
- a first computing unit for computing a first flight order, intended for a remote controller of an airfoil actuator, in command mode within a first virtual command/monitor pair comprising said computer and one of at least two separately associated computers acting in monitor mode on behalf of said first virtual command/monitor pair;
- and
- a separate, second computing unit for computing a second flight order, intended for a remote controller of an airfoil actuator, in monitor mode within a second virtual command/monitor pair comprising said computer and the other of the at least two separately associated computers acting in command mode on behalf of said second virtual command/monitor pair,
- wherein each flight order is computed at least twice by said first and second computing units, a first time in command mode by said first computing unit, and a second time in monitor mode by said second computing unit, for achieving software dissimilarity.
4 more elements
A flight control system comprising at least one computer, the system comprising:
- at least one item of software for computing flight commands according to at least one flight law on the basis of at least one command received from at least one piloting member;
- a communication network device with at least two separately associated computers of the same type;
- a first computing unit for computing a first flight order, intended for a remote controller of an airfoil actuator, in command mode within a first virtual command/monitor pair comprising said computer and one of the at least two separately associated computers acting in monitor mode on behalf of said first virtual command/monitor pair;
- a separate, second computing unit for computing a second flight order, intended for a remote controller of an airfoil actuator, in monitor mode within a second virtual command/monitor pair comprising said computer and the other of the at least two separately associated computers acting in command mode on behalf of said second virtual command/monitor pair,
- wherein each flight order is computed at least twice by said first and second computing units, a first time in command mode by said first computing unit, and a second time in monitor mode by said second computing unit, for achieving software dissimilarity;
- and at least one controller of an airfoil actuator wherein the controller comprises two units forming a command/monitor pair.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.