System operating regimes are identified by dividing a range of each one of a plurality of sensed system parameters into a plurality of predetermined range segments, assigning an alphanumeric character to each range segment of each parameter, and generating a composite number, each digit of which is made up of one of the alphanumeric range segment characters of each parameter. Apparatus compares the current sensed values of each parameter to the corresponding predetermined range segments to determine the current range segment of each sensed parameter, generates a current composite number made up of the current range segments of all of the parameters, and compares the current composite number to a plurality of predetermined system operating regimes to determine if the current composite number identifies one of a plurality of system operating regimes. The current composite number is converted to a base ten equivalent to facilitate the comparison of the current composite number to the plurality of system operating regimes.
A method and apparatus for the automatic determination of the assignment of directional sensors to the moving directions of a vehicle is described wherein signals and/or their time derivatives, obtained during specific time intervals, from sensors associated with a measuring device which are utilized for acquiring the dynamics of a vehicle are linked-up with signals generated by a system of the vehicle which is assigned, in an explicit and previously known manner, to the movement direction of the vehicle. The method and apparatus achieves, in the operation of the data acquisition apparatus, the automatic assignment of the moving directions of the vehicle to the sensors of the measuring device.
An automated helicopter maintenance monitoring system (20), which is comprised of a flight data recorder subsystem (22) and a maintenance computer subsystem (24), collects data from a plurality of sensors in order to facilitate helicopter maintenance. The system (20) processes vibration data, rotor track data, rotor phase data, and flight sensor data to determine when a helicopter fault has occurred or will occur. Additionally, the system (20) can prompt a pilot/maintainer to fly the helicopter through specific operational states in order to aid in the maintenance process.
The present invention is directed to a system and method for aircraft engine monitoring to permit management of individual aircraft in a fleet of aircraft. A processing system collects data on engine operational parameters and then uses this data to perform calculations to accurately determine time remaining until service and relative wear of specific engines in the fleet of aircraft. The time remaining until service and relative wear is displayed on a display screen which is configured to display this data for each engine separately. The displayed results can be used by an aircraft maintenance manager to accurately determine if the aircraft engines are being operated according to a maintenance plan, or to rotate the service of the aircraft to balance the wear on the aircraft engines in the fleet.
A method and apparatus for recording time history data of physical variables during a recording session divided into discrete time windows each uniquely paired with a discrete segment of memory. Each recordable event is stored in the segment of memory corresponding to the time window during which it occurred. If the corresponding segment of memory is filled, the event is processed using an overwrite scheme that considers for replacement only those events in that segment of memory.
