Control system for an aircraft

US9156543B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• AIRBUS OPERATIONS SAS · FR
• AIRBUS (S.A.S.) · FR
• AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED · DE

Inventors

• Werner De Rammelaere · Tournefeuille, FR
• Jean-Claude Laperche · Colomiers, FR
• Mathieu Rebut · 昌江街道, CN
• Benoit Berthe · La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, FR
• Hartmut Hintze · Schwarzenbek, DE
• Sebastian Krittian · Felton, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 3, 2014
• Grant date: Oct 13, 2015
• Expiry date: Sep 3, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05D1/0077
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The control system of an aircraft including at least two communication networks and a controlled device control unit connected to one of them. The system determines control commands for the device with a DAL-A quality assurance level requirement and includes a set of at least three physical units each including at least two computers, an electrical power supply and a network interface device. The electrical power supplies, and the network interface devices, are of at least three different types, the computers are of at least two different types and include operating systems of at least two different types; the computers each have a DAL-C, DAL-D or DAL-E hardware and/or software quality assurance level and at least six of the computers are configured to independently determine control commands for the device. A DAL-A hardware and software quality assurance level selection logic unit is configured to select valid control commands used by the control unit to control the device.