Aircraft Software Configuration Management via Automated Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manual tracking and recording of changes to thousands of loadable software aircraft parts (LSAPs) in aircraft systems are prone to human error, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, making it difficult to ensure that hardware components run with up-to-date software configurations.

Innovation Solution

A system and method featuring a software management control unit that automatically receives, revises, and tracks changes to software configurations for aircraft hardware components, maintaining a history of approved changes and ensuring authorized updates, with a user interface for prompting responses and communication with a management and engineering system to manage and update software configurations efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual tracking and recording of changes to LSAPs is performed, then changes can be monitored, but human error and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of change trackingVSAvoidtime for tracking changes

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic self-tracking of software changes through the software management control unit, which automatically receives, records, and manages LSAP changes without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by automatically comparing software configurations, detecting changes, and maintaining configuration records, thereby eliminating human error and reducing time consumption associated with manual tracking processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of tracking changes with an automated electronic system. The software management control unit uses electronic data processing to automatically receive change notifications, compare software configurations, and update configuration records, substituting the manual paperwork and human judgment with automated computational processes that are both faster and more reliable

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If manual tracking of thousands of LSAPs is performed, then changes can be recorded, but labor intensity becomes overwhelming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of change trackingVSAvoidoperational complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically performs the complete tracking function for all thousands of LSAPs through the software management control unit, which continuously monitors for changes, automatically records them, and maintains configuration integrity without requiring human operators to manually track each individual software component, thereby making the operation simple while maintaining complete tracking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The software management control unit serves multiple functions simultaneously: it receives change notifications, compares software configurations, detects changes across all LSAPs, maintains configuration records, and provides interfaces for users. This multi-functional automated system handles the complexity of tracking thousands of software components through a single unified mechanism, eliminating the need for separate manual tracking processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If hardware is replaced without automated tracking, then replacement is simple, but outdated software may be installed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of hardware replacementVSAvoidsoftware version accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by automatically comparing the current software configuration with the authorized software configuration stored in the software management control unit. When hardware is replaced, the system receives notification of the change, automatically detects whether the software version matches the authorized configuration, and can alert operators or automatically prevent installation of outdated software, thereby ensuring software version accuracy while maintaining simple hardware replacement procedures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system takes preliminary anti-action by pre-storing the authorized software configuration in the software management control unit and proactively comparing it against actual hardware software versions before hardware replacement occurs. This advance preparation and comparison prevent the installation of outdated software by identifying configuration mismatches before they can cause problems, while still allowing straightforward hardware replacement when configurations match

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS12197910B2Systems and methods for automatically managing software for aircraft

Publication Date: 2025.01.14 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A system and a method include a software management control unit configured to receive one or more changes to one or more portions of a first software configuration for hardware components of one or more vehicle, such as aircraft, or other assets. The software management control unit is further configured to revise the first software configuration for the hardware components of the one or more aircraft to provide a second software configuration that includes the one or more changes.