초록 ▼

The invention provides methods, systems, and products for communicating between engine computers without the participation of a flight deck computer. The invention allows the engine computers to coordinate activities for real-time control of the engines for improved efficiency using an existing ARIN

The invention provides methods, systems, and products for communicating between engine computers without the participation of a flight deck computer. The invention allows the engine computers to coordinate activities for real-time control of the engines for improved efficiency using an existing ARINC 429 communications bus. The invention facilitates cross-engine communications over the same ARINC 429 communications bus used for communicating with the Flight Deck Computer, without installation of a second, dedicated communications bus for cross-engine communications. The invention thus provides a cost effective way to allow the engines to coordinate activities without expensive installation and recertification of airframe modifications.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A method of cross-engine communication in an airframe with a plurality of engines, each engine having an engine computer, the engine computers communicating with a flight deck computer through a first communications bus, the engine computers not communicating over a second communication

I claim: 1. A method of cross-engine communication in an airframe with a plurality of engines, each engine having an engine computer, the engine computers communicating with a flight deck computer through a first communications bus, the engine computers not communicating over a second communications bus, the method comprising identifying a set of engine parameters to be shared between the engines; assigning a transmit identifier and a receive identifier for a selected engine parameter, the selected engine parameter chosen from the set of engine parameters; enabling each engine computer to transmit over the first communications bus a message containing the selected engine parameter and identified by the transmit identifier assigned to the selected engine parameter; and enabling each engine computer to receive over the first communications bus the message containing the selected engine parameter and identified by a receive identifier assigned to the selected engine parameter. 2. The method described in claim 1, wherein the first communications bus is an ARINC 429 communications bus. 3. The method described in claim 1, wherein the step of enabling each engine computer to transmit the message containing the selected engine parameter comprises modifying computer software executing on the engine computer to transmit a message containing the selected engine parameter and identified by the transmit identifier assigned to the selected engine parameter. 4. The method described in claim 1, wherein the step of enabling each engine computer to receive the message containing the selected engine parameter comprises modifying computer software executing on the engine computer to receive a message containing the selected engine parameter and identified by the receive identifier assigned to the selected engine parameter. 5. A method of cross-engine communication in an airframe with a first engine and a second engine, the first engine having a first engine computer communicating with a digital acquisition unit through a first communications bus, the second engine having a second engine computer communicating with the digital acquisition unit through a second communications bus, the digital acquisition unit communicating with a flight deck computer through a third communications bus, wherein messages are exchanged between the flight deck computer and the first and second engine computers through the digital acquisition unit through the first, second, and third communications busses, the method comprising identifying a set of engine parameters to be shared between the first engine and the second engine; assigning a transmit identifier and a receive identifier for a selected engine parameter, the selected engine parameter chosen from the set of engine parameters; enabling each engine computer to transmit a message containing the selected engine parameter and identified by the transmit identifier assigned to the selected engine parameter; enabling each engine computer to receive the message containing the selected engine parameter and identified by the receive identifier assigned to the selected engine parameter; and enabling the digital acquisition unit to identify the message containing the selected engine parameter that is received on the first communications bus and resubmitting the message onto the second communications bus for reception by the second engine computer; and enabling the digital acquisition unit to identify the message containing the selected engine parameter that is received on the second communications bus and resubmitting the message onto the first communications bus for reception by the first engine computer. 6. The method described in claim 5, wherein the first communications bus and the second communications bus are each an ARINC 429 communications bus. 7. The method described in claim 5, wherein the step of enabling the digital acquisition unit to identify the message containing the selected engine parameter that is received on the first communications bus and resubmitting the message onto the second communications bus for reception by the second engine computer comprises modifying computer software executing on the digital acquisition unit to identify the message containing the selected engine parameter that is received on the first communications bus and resubmitting the message onto the second communications bus for reception by the second engine computer. 8. The method described in claim 5, wherein the step of enabling the digital acquisition unit to identify the message containing the selected engine parameter that is received on the second communications bus and resubmitting the message onto the first communications bus for reception by the first engine computer comprises modifying computer software executing on the digital acquisition unit to identify the message containing the selected engine parameter that is received on the second communications bus and resubmitting the message onto the first communications bus for reception by the first engine computer. 9. A method of implementing a cross-engine communication system in an airframe with a plurality of engines, each engine having an engine computer in communication with a digital acquisition unit over an engine communications bus associated with the engine, the digital acquisition unit communicating with a flight deck computer through a flight deck computer communications bus, the engine computers having no dedicated communications bus directly connecting the engine computers, the method comprising identifying a set of engine parameters to be shared between the engines; assigning a transmit identifier and a receive identifier for a selected engine parameter, the selected engine parameter chosen from the set of engine parameters; enabling each engine computer to transmit to the digital acquisition unit over the engine communications bus connecting the engine computer to the digital acquisition unit a message containing the selected engine parameter and identified by the transmit identifier assigned to the selected engine parameter; enabling each engine computer to receive from the digital acquisition unit over the engine communications bus connecting the engine computer to the digital acquisition unit, the message containing the selected engine parameter and identified by a receive identifier assigned to the selected engine parameter; and enabling the digital acquisition unit to receive the message and transmit the message over the engine communications bus of a selected engine computer other than the engine computer sending the message without transmitting the message to the flight deck computer. 10. The method of implementing a cross-engine communication system described in claim 9, wherein at least one engine communications bus is an ARINC 429 communications bus. 11. A computer program product for use on a first engine computer, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium and a computer readable code embodied on the computer useable medium for causing the transmission and reception of a message, the computer readable code comprising: computer readable program code instructions configured to cause an engine parameter from a first engine computer to be transmitted to a second engine computer over a communications bus between the first engine computer and the second engine computer, the communications bus with a set of assigned identifiers and a set of non-assigned identifiers, the engine parameter being associated with a transmit identifier and a receive identifier chosen from the set of non-assigned identifiers; and computer readable program code instructions configured to cause the engine parameter from the second engine computer to be received by the first engine computer over the communications bus. 12. The computer program product described in claim 11, wherein the computer program product is used by the second engine computer. 13. The computer program product described in claim 11, wherein the first and second engine computers are associated with aircraft engines contained in an airframe. 14. The computer program product described in claim 11, wherein the communications bus is an ARINC 429 communications bus. 15. The computer program product described in claim 14, wherein the transmit and receive identifiers are ARINC 429 transmit and receive labels, respectively. 16. The computer program product described in claim 11, wherein the computer useable medium is a programmable read-only memory. 17. A computer program product for use on a digital acquisition unit communicating with a first engine computer through a first communications bus and a second engine computer through a second communications bus, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium and a compute readable code embodied on the computer useable medium for causing messages to be exchanged between the first and second communications busses, the computer readable code comprising: computer readable program code instructions configured to cause an engine parameter from a first engine computer to be transmitted to a second engine computer over a communications bus between the first engine computer and the second engine computer, the communications bus with a set of assigned identifiers and a set of non-assigned identifiers, the engine parameter being associated with a transmit identifier and a receive identifier chosen from the set of non-assigned identifiers; and computer readable program code instructions configured to cause the engine parameter from the second engine computer to be received by the first engine computer over the communications bus. 18. The computer program product described in claim 17, wherein at least one of the first communications bus and the second communications bus is an ARINC 429 communications bus. 19. The computer program product described in claim 17, wherein the third communications bus is non-ARINC standard communications bus. 20. The computer program product described in claim 17, wherein there is no dedicated communications bus directly connecting the first engine computer with the second engine computer. 21. A cross-engine communications system for use on an airframe with a plurality of engine computers, each engine computer controlling a single engine, system comprising a digital acquisition unit having a first communications bus supporting communications between the plurality of engine computers and the digital acquisition unit, the digital acquisition unit further having a second communications bus between the digital acquisition unit and a flight deck computer; a first set of messages for transmission between the flight deck computer and at least one of the plurality of engine computers; a second set of messages for transmission between the plurality of engine computers; the digital acquisition unit configured to receive from the first communications bus a first message from the first set transmitted by a selected engine computer from the plurality of engine computers and to transmit the first message on the second communications bus to at least one of the remaining engine computers in the plurality of engine computers, wherein the first message is not transmitted on the second communications bus; the digital acquisition unit configured to receive from the third communications bus a third message from the second set and to transmit the third message on the second communications bus to one or more of the plurality of engine computers; and the digital acquisition unit configured to receive on the second communications bus from the selected engine computer in the plurality of engine computers a fourth message from the second set and to transmit the fourth message on the third communications bus to the flight deck computer. 22. The cross-engine communications system described in claim 21, wherein the plurality of engine computers comprises two engine computers. 23. The cross-engine communications system described in claim 21, wherein the plurality of engine computers comprises four engine computers. 24. The cross-engine communications system described in claim 21, wherein the first communications bus is an ARINC 429 communications bus. 25. The cross-engine communications system described in claim 21, wherein each engine computer of the plurality of engine computers has a separate ARINC 429 communications bus with the digital acquisition unit. 26. The cross-engine communications system described in claim 21, wherein the second communications bus is an ARINC 429 communications bus. 27. A cross-engine communications system for use on an airframe with a first engine and a second engine, the system comprising a first engine computer controlling the first engine; a second engine computer controlling the second engine; a digital acquisition unit having a first communications bus between the first engine computer and the digital acquisition unit, the digital acquisition unit further having a second communications bus between the second engine computer and the digital acquisition unit, the digital acquisition unit further having a third communications bus between the digital acquisition unit and a flight deck computer; a first set of messages for transmission between the flight deck computer and at least one of the engine computers; a second set of messages for transmission between the first engine computer and the second engine computer; the digital acquisition unit configured to receive from the first communications bus a first message from the first set transmitted by the first engine computer and to transmit the first message on the second communications bus to the second engine computer, wherein the first message is not transmitted on the third communications bus; the digital acquisition unit configured to receive from the second communications bus a second message from the first set transmitted by the second engine computer and to transmit the second message on the first communications bus to the first engine computer, wherein the second message is not transmitted on the third communications bus; the digital acquisition unit configured to receive from the third communications bus a third message from the second set and to transmit the third message on either the first communications bus or the second communications bus; and the digital acquisition unit configured to receive from either the first communications bus or the second communications bus a fourth message from the second set and to transmit the fourth message on the third communications bus to the flight deck computer. 28. The cross-engine communications system described in claim 27, wherein at least one of the first communications bus and the second communications bus is an ARINC 429 communications bus. 29. The cross-engine communications system described in claim 27, wherein the third communications bus is a non-ARINC standard communications bus. 30. An aircraft operated by a pilot, the aircraft comprising a first engine controlled by a first engine computer; a second engine controlled by a second engine computer; a digital acquisition unit having a first communications bus between the first engine computer and the digital acquisition unit, the digital acquisition unit further having a second communications bus between the second engine computer and the digital acquisition unit; a flight deck computer having a third communications bus between the flight deck computer and the digital acquisition unit, the flight deck computer receiving an engine-related command from the pilot and formatting the engine-related command as a first message selected from a first set of messages for transmission over the third communications bus to at least one of the engine computers; the flight deck computer additionally receiving an engine-related parameter over the third communications bus, the engine-related parameter contained in a second message chosen from the first set of messages; a second set of messages for transmission between the first engine computer and the second engine computer; the digital acquisition unit configured to receive from the first communications bus a third message selected from the second set of messages transmitted by the first engine computer and to transmit the third message on the second communications bus to the second engine computer, wherein the third message is not transmitted on the third communications bus; the digital acquisition unit configured to receive from the second communications bus a fourth message selected from the second set transmitted by the second engine computer and to transmit the fourth message on the first communications bus to the first engine computer, wherein the fourth message is not transmitted on the third communications bus; the digital acquisition unit configured to receive from the third communications bus the first message and to transmit the first message on either the first communications bus or the second communications bus; and the digital acquisition unit configured to receive from either the first communications bus or the second communications bus the second message and to transmit the second message on the third communications bus. 31. The aircraft described in claim 30, wherein at least one of the first communications bus and the second communications bus is an ARINC 429 communications bus. 32. The aircraft described in claim 30, wherein the third communications bus is a non-ARINC standard communications bus.