Configurable helicopter unit alarm management system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a configurable helicopter unit alarm management system and method. Belongs to the technical field of computer software, and is characterized in that a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) reads an alarm configuration XML (Extensible Markup Language) file and converts the file into a local alarm information database, and after receiving fault data reported by each subsystem, the GPU updates existence information of all faults according to interface control file ICD (Interface Control Document) information in the alarm information database; for the data needing to be displayed in the fault list, the GPU performs unified sorting on the data and displays the data through the IDU; if the fault that the warning lamp needs to be triggered exists, the GPU lights up the warning lamp to give an alarm; according to the method and the device, the software change workload caused by design change can be effectively reduced, the reusability of a software module is improved, and the airborne software verification and airworthiness cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of computer software, and in particular relates to a configurable helicopter crew warning management system and method. Background Art

[0002] The helicopter crew alerting system (CAS) uses a combination of visual and auditory alerts to provide the flight crew with abnormal conditions of aircraft systems or components that they need to know. The purpose is to attract the attention of the flight crew, inform the flight crew of specific abnormal aircraft system states or operating states that need to be paid attention to, and recommend possible actions that the flight crew may take to resolve these abnormal conditions. Because it is related to flight safety, the design of the crew alerting system is particularly important in helicopter design. CAS mainly includes the following functions: alert logic processing, CAS information display management, main visual alert triggering and confirmation, audio alert management, flight phase calculation, and alert system monitoring. The crew alerting method can usually be divided into visual alerts, auditory alerts, and tactile alerts according to human senses. The triggering process of the alert is generally completed by the alert logic processing module. The audio alert triggering function module is responsible for generating the corresponding audio alert request command according to the current alert status according to the priority sorting rule. The flight phase calculation function module enables CAS to calculate the current flight phase of the aircraft through logical operations for alert function processing or other system function needs. The alarm system monitoring function is mainly used to monitor whether the alarm contents output by the two CAS systems are consistent.

[0003] The visual, auditory and lighting warnings of the existing helicopter crew warning system are managed in different systems. For example, the avionics system may be responsible for the display of the CAS message list, while the lighting warning system is managed by the electrical system. Therefore, there are problems such as asynchronous warnings and difficulty in troubleshooting. In addition, the existing helicopters also have the problem of high coupling between the CAS information display management module and the model design. Key information such as the alarm logic, the name of the alarm display, and the definition of the interface control file are embedded in the software in the form of code. The above changes need to be implemented by changing the software, which has high cost of change. It is difficult to reuse the software such as the alarm logic processing and CAS information display management of different models. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the problem that crew warning management software modules are difficult to reuse between different models, the present invention provides a configurable helicopter crew warning management system and method, which can effectively reduce the workload of software changes caused by design changes, improve the reusability of software modules, and reduce airborne software verification and airworthiness costs; the technical solution is as follows:

[0005] In a first aspect, a configurable helicopter crew warning management system is provided, comprising: a general processing unit GPU, an integrated display unit IDU, and a warning light;

[0006] Among them, the GPU reads the alarm configuration XML file and converts it into a local alarm information database. After receiving the fault data reported by each subsystem, the GPU updates the existence information of all faults according to the interface control file ICD information in the alarm information database; for the data that needs to be displayed in the fault list, the GPU uniformly sorts them and displays the data through the IDU; if there is a fault that needs to trigger the alarm light, the GPU lights up the warning light to alarm.

[0007] Optionally, the warning lights include: a main warning light and a main warning light, and the level of the main warning light is higher than the level of the main warning light.

[0008] In a second aspect, a configurable helicopter crew alarm management method is provided, which is used in the configurable helicopter crew alarm management system described in the first aspect, and the method comprises:

[0009] Step 1: GPU reads the alarm configuration XML file and converts it into a local alarm information database;

[0010] Step 2: After receiving the fault data reported by each subsystem, the GPU updates the existence information of all faults according to the interface control file ICD information in the alarm information database;

[0011] Step 3: GPU uniformly sorts the data that needs to be displayed in the fault list and displays the data through IDU;

[0012] Step 4: If there is a fault that requires triggering a warning light, the GPU turns on the warning light to issue an alarm.

[0013] Optionally, the subsystems include an avionics system and an aircraft management subsystem.

[0014] Optionally, in step 1, during the GPU initialization phase, an XML file of alarm configuration is read, the XML file including the system name of the alarm, the alarm ID, code, alarm level, whether to light the main warning light, whether to light the main guard light, the bit length of the fault signal corresponding to the alarm definition in the interface control file, the number of bits occupied by the fault state, the byte offset and the bit offset information; the GPU builds a local alarm information database according to the alarm information defined in the XML file for subsequent fault analysis and alarm management.

[0015] Optionally, in step 2, after the GPU completes initialization, it receives fault data reported from other subsystems of the helicopter, parses the fault according to the interface control file ICD information in the alarm information database, and determines whether there is a corresponding fault according to the byte offset and bit offset information of the alarm;

[0016] Four key data are used when parsing fault data: the bit length of the fault signal, the number of bits occupied by the fault state, the byte offset and the bit offset information. The GPU takes out the corresponding fault word signal based on the byte offset information of the ICD and the bit length of the fault signal, and then performs bit operations on the fault word based on the bit offset information and the number of bits occupied by the fault state to parse whether the fault exists.

[0017] Optionally, in step 3, after all received subsystem data are processed in the current cycle, it is determined whether it needs to be displayed in the CAS message list. If it needs to be displayed in the CAS message list, the display list is sorted according to the sorting rules of the display faults to create a display list.

[0018] Optionally, the order of displayed faults is as follows:

[0019] First determine the display status of the fault, and prioritize the faults that need to be displayed;

[0020] Then determine the fault level of the fault and arrange it according to the priority of warning level, alert level and prompt level;

[0021] If the fault levels are the same, the new and old fault statuses are determined: new faults are displayed first, followed by old faults;

[0022] If the old and new states of the fault are still the same, the time of occurrence is determined, and the new occurrence is displayed first;

[0023] If the fault occurrence time is also the same, they are sorted according to the code in the XML file, with the smaller code at the front.

[0024] Optionally, in step 4, the GPU lights up a master warning light and a master guard light for warning, and the level of the master warning light is higher than the level of the master guard light.

[0025] The present invention uses XML files to save configuration files while having the characteristics of good configurability and readability, and writes the alarm logic, the name of the alarm display, and the interface control file information into the configuration file. During the actual model development process, an XML configuration file generation tool is simultaneously developed to convert the Excel design results into XML configuration data, which greatly facilitates the management of the alarm system by system designers. It has been verified by experiments that the present invention fully meets the requirements of model development and use, can effectively reduce the workload of software changes caused by design changes, improve the reusability of software modules, and reduce the cost of airborne software verification and airworthiness. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 A configurable helicopter crew warning management system architecture diagram provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a helicopter crew warning management system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 A flow chart of a configurable helicopter crew alarm management method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 An XML description file reference format diagram provided for an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present application is further described in detail below through specific implementation methods and drawings.

[0031] The embodiment of the present invention is aimed at improving the configurability and reusability of a helicopter crew warning management system, and proposes a solution for saving fault configuration data using XML files. Attributes related to helicopter faults are written into XML files. By developing a universal crew warning management system, the XML file is read during the power-on initialization process, and its content is parsed and stored in a local warning information database. The CAS message list is generated according to the fault configuration information, thereby realizing the triggering logic control of visual warnings.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, a configurable helicopter crew warning management system provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a general processing unit (GPU), an integrated display unit (IDU), a switch, a main warning light, and a main guard light.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, the GPU reads the alarm configuration XML file and converts it into a local alarm information database. After receiving the fault data reported by each subsystem (including the avionics system, the aircraft management subsystem, etc.), the GPU updates the existence information of all faults according to the interface control file ICD information in the alarm information database. For the data that needs to be displayed in the fault list, the GPU uniformly sorts them and displays the data through the IDU. If there is a fault that needs to trigger the alarm light, the GPU lights up the main warning light and the main warning light for alarm according to the design requirements, and the level of the main warning light is higher than that of the main warning light.

[0034] The attributes of the alarm include the system name, the alarm code, the alarm name, the alarm level, whether it is displayed in the CAS window, the display name of the alarm in the CAS window, whether the main warning light is triggered, and whether the main warning light is triggered. The embodiment of the present invention manages all the alarm attributes that need to be processed in the form of an XML file.

[0035] Furthermore, if Figure 1 As shown, the GPU includes a crew management module, and the crew management module of the GPU completes the processing of alarm logic and other functions. The IDU includes a CAS information display management module, and the CAS information display management module of the IDU completes the display of the alarm list and works with the main warning light and the main warning light to realize the visual alarm function.

[0036] In the embodiment of the present invention, the IDU communicates with the GPU and the subsystem via a switch.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, a configurable helicopter crew alarm management method provided by an embodiment of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0038] Step 1: The GPU reads the alarm configuration XML file and converts it into a local alarm information database.

[0039] Step 2: After receiving the fault data reported by each subsystem (including the avionics system, the aircraft management subsystem, etc.), the GPU updates the existence information of all faults according to the interface control file ICD information in the alarm information database.

[0040] Step 3: The GPU uniformly sorts the data that needs to be displayed in the fault list and displays the data through the IDU.

[0041] Step 4: If there is a fault that requires triggering the warning light, the GPU lights up the main warning light and the main guard light as per the design requirements to give an alarm, and the level of the main warning light is higher than that of the main guard light.

[0042] In another embodiment, if Figure 3 As shown, a configurable helicopter crew alarm management method provided by an embodiment of the present invention may include the following steps:

[0043] a) GPU reads the alarm configuration XML file and converts it into a local alarm information database

[0044] During the GPU initialization phase, read the alarm configuration XML file, such as Figure 4As shown, the XML file includes the system name of the alarm (see XML file: name attribute of System node), the alarm ID (see XML file: see XML file: id attribute of PFL node), the code (see XML file: pflCode), the alarm level (see XML file: pflLevel), whether to light the main warning light (see XML file: warningLight), whether to light the main caution light (see XML file: cautionLight), the bit length of the fault signal corresponding to the alarm definition in the interface control document (ICD, Interface Control Document) (see XML file: icdSignalBit), the number of bits occupied by the fault state (see XML file: icdStatusBit), the byte offset (see XML file: icdByteOffset) and the bit offset information (see XML file: icdBitOffset). The XML description file reference format adopted by the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 4 shown.

[0045] The GPU builds a local alarm information database based on the alarm information defined in the XML file for subsequent fault analysis and alarm management.

[0046] b) GPU receives and analyzes the fault data reported by the subsystem

[0047] After the GPU completes initialization, it receives fault data reported by other subsystems of the helicopter, such as the avionics system and the aircraft management subsystem, analyzes the fault according to the interface control file ICD information in the alarm information database, and determines whether there is a corresponding fault based on the byte offset and bit offset information of the alarm.

[0048] Four key data are needed to parse fault data: the bit length of the fault signal (icdSignalBit), the number of bits occupied by the fault status (icdStatusBit), the byte offset (icdByteOffset), and the bit offset information (icdBitOffset). The GPU extracts the corresponding fault word signal based on the byte offset information of the ICD and the bit length of the fault signal, and then performs bit operations on the fault word based on the bit offset information and the number of bits occupied by the fault status to parse and obtain the result of whether the fault exists, such as Figure 2 shown.

[0049] c) GPU performs fault sorting and IDU displays faults

[0050] After all received subsystem data are processed in the current cycle, it is necessary to further determine whether it needs to be displayed in the CAS message list; if it needs to be displayed in the CAS message list, the display list needs to be sorted according to the sorting rules of the display faults to establish a display list.

[0051] The display sorting rules of PFL faults are as follows:

[0052] 1) First determine the display status of the fault, and prioritize the faults that need to be displayed;

[0053] 2) Determine the fault level of the fault and arrange it according to the priority of warning level, alert level and prompt level;

[0054] 3) If the fault levels are the same, the new and old fault statuses are determined: new faults are displayed first, followed by old faults;

[0055] 4) If the old and new states of the fault are still the same, the time of occurrence is determined, and the new occurrence is displayed first;

[0056] 5) If the fault occurrence time is also the same, sort them according to the code "pflCode" in the XML file, with the smaller code in front.

[0057] d) GPU triggers optical signal alarm

[0058] After completing the fault analysis, the GPU also needs to further determine whether each current fault triggers the warning light (main warning light, main warning light) based on whether the main warning light is on and whether the main warning light is on in the local alarm database. As long as there is a fault that needs to trigger the warning light, the main warning light or the main warning light needs to be turned on.

[0059] The embodiment of the present invention utilizes XML files to save configuration files, which have the characteristics of good configurability and readability, and writes the alarm logic, the name of the alarm display, and the interface control file information into the configuration file. During the actual model development process, an XML configuration file generation tool is simultaneously developed to convert the Excel design results into XML configuration data, which greatly facilitates the management of the alarm system by system designers. It has been verified through experiments that the present invention fully meets the requirements of model development and use, can effectively reduce the workload of software changes caused by design changes, improve the reusability of software modules, and reduce the cost of airborne software verification and airworthiness.

[0060] The above only expresses the implementation methods of the present application, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this field, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, which all belong to the protection scope of the present application. In addition, the parts that are not detailed in this application are all conventional technologies.

Claims

1. A configurable helicopter crew warning management system, characterized in that: include: General processing unit GPU, integrated display unit IDU and warning lights; Among them, the GPU reads the alarm configuration XML file and converts it into a local alarm information database. After receiving the fault data reported by each subsystem, the GPU updates the existence information of all faults according to the interface control file ICD information in the alarm information database; for the data that needs to be displayed in the fault list, the GPU uniformly sorts them and displays the data through the IDU; if there is a fault that needs to trigger the alarm light, the GPU lights up the warning light to alarm.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The warning lights include: a main warning light and a main guard light, and the level of the main warning light is higher than that of the main guard light.

3. A configurable helicopter crew alarm management method, characterized in that: For use in the configurable helicopter crew alert management system of claim 1 or 2, the method comprising: Step 1: GPU reads the alarm configuration XML file and converts it into a local alarm information database; Step 2: After receiving the fault data reported by each subsystem, the GPU updates the existence information of all faults according to the interface control file ICD information in the alarm information database; Step 3: For the data that needs to be displayed in the fault list, the GPU uniformly sorts them and displays the data through the IDU; Step 4: If there is a fault that requires triggering a warning light, the GPU turns on the warning light to issue an alarm.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Subsystems include: Avionics systems, aircraft management subsystems.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: In step 1, during the GPU initialization phase, the alarm configuration XML file is read. The XML file contains the system name of the alarm, the alarm ID, code, alarm level, whether to light the main warning light, whether to light the main guard light, the bit length of the fault signal corresponding to the alarm definition in the interface control file, the number of bits occupied by the fault state, the byte offset and the bit offset information; the GPU builds a local alarm information database based on the alarm information defined in the XML file for subsequent fault analysis and alarm management.

6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that In step 2, after the GPU completes initialization, it receives fault data reported from other subsystems of the helicopter, analyzes the fault according to the interface control file ICD information in the alarm information database, and determines whether there is a corresponding fault according to the byte offset and bit offset information of the alarm; The four key data used in fault data analysis are: the bit length of the fault signal, the number of bits occupied by the fault state, the byte offset and the bit offset information; the GPU takes out the corresponding fault word signal according to the byte offset information of the ICD and the bit length of the fault signal, and then performs bit operations on the fault word according to the bit offset information and the number of bits occupied by the fault state to parse and obtain the result of whether the fault exists.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that In step 3, after all received subsystem data are processed in the current cycle, it is determined whether it needs to be displayed in the CAS message list; if it needs to be displayed in the CAS message list, the display list is sorted according to the sorting rules of the display faults to establish a display list.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The sorting rules for displaying faults are as follows: First determine the display status of the fault, and prioritize the faults that need to be displayed; Then determine the fault level of the fault and arrange it according to the priority of warning level, alert level and prompt level; If the fault levels are the same, the new and old fault statuses are determined: new faults are displayed first, followed by old faults; If the old and new states of the fault are still the same, the time of occurrence is determined, and the new occurrence is displayed first; If the fault occurrence time is also the same, they are sorted according to the code in the XML file, with the smaller code at the front.

9. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: In step 4, the GPU lights up the master warning light and the master guard light for warning, and the level of the master warning light is higher than the level of the master guard light.

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