Aircraft Computing Unit Synchronization Using Verified Timing Pulses

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for accurate and reliable synchronization of computing units in aircraft, particularly in transport planes, to ensure safety and operational reliability, as existing systems lack effective means to synchronize these units while maintaining safety and reliability.

Innovation Solution

A synchronization system that generates a calibrated synchronization pulse using an independent clock, transmits it to computing units, and uses a control element to verify conformity with internal clocks, triggering partition sequences only when conformity is confirmed, and includes a delay generator to adjust synchronization timing, ensuring reliable synchronization and operational reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If computing units use independent internal clocks for operation, then operational autonomy and processing speed are improved, but synchronization accuracy and reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidsynchronization accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

An independent synchronization system acts as an intermediary between computing units, generating synchronization pulses that mediate the timing between units with independent internal clocks. This mediator ensures accurate synchronization without requiring the computing units to share internal clock infrastructure, thus maintaining both processing speed and synchronization accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The control element continuously compares received synchronization pulses with internally generated pulses and provides feedback on conformity. This feedback mechanism allows the system to detect and correct timing deviations, maintaining synchronization accuracy while allowing computing units to operate with their own independent clocks at full speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If synchronization is implemented without verification of conformity, then synchronization speed and simplicity are improved, but operational reliability and safety deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesynchronization speedVSAvoidoperational reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control element performs preliminary verification of synchronization pulse conformity before the scheduler triggers partition implementation. This preliminary action ensures that only conforming synchronization pulses are accepted, preventing erroneous operations while maintaining efficient synchronization throughput by quickly rejecting non-conforming pulses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control element provides feedback on whether received synchronization pulses conform to expected characteristics. This feedback mechanism enables the scheduler to proceed with partition implementation only when conformity is confirmed, ensuring operational reliability without significantly impacting synchronization speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If computing units process partitions simultaneously without verification, then processing efficiency is improved, but safety and error detection capabilities deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoidsafety risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by blocking the triggering of partition implementation when synchronization pulse conformity cannot be verified. This prevents potentially harmful simultaneous processing of unverified partitions while allowing normal efficient processing to continue when verification succeeds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS11599141B2Computing unit assembly and a method and a system for synchronizing computing units of an aircraft

Publication Date: 2023.03.07 AIRBUS OPERATIONS (SAS)

AI summary

A synchronizing system including a generation unit for generating a synchronizing pulse from data of an independent clock, the synchronizing pulse being generated in a periodic manner, transmission links to transmit the synchronizing pulse to all the computation units, and in each of the computation units, a control element to compare the synchronizing pulse that has been received to a pulse generated by an internal clock of the computation unit and to detect a compliance or a lack of compliance, a scheduler of each of the computation units activating a sequence of partitions when the synchronizing pulse is received, and this only if the control element has detected a compliance. The synchronizing system is configured to synchronize the computation units in a reliable and accurate manner and to increase the operating safety of these computation units.