Methods of creating a database and of formulating a map of operating states of aircraft and a method of monitoring the operation of an associated aircraft

1. A method for monitoring an operating state of an aircraft in order to predict and plan maintenance operations on the aircraft,

from a map of operating states of aircraft representative of a multidimensional space of the operating states of the aircraft,

the map of operating states being produced from a map background established from a database of operating states of a fleet of aircrafts storing series of parameters related to operating states of aircrafts of the fleet of aircrafts, each parameter being a value of a characteristic of the aircraft,

each series of parameters related to operating states of aircrafts of the fleet of aircrafts comprising parameters characterizing an operating state of one of the aircraft of the fleet of aircrafts and optionally degradation information data indicative of a degradation level of the one of the aircraft,

the map background comprising a set of cells, each cell characterized by a position on the map background and described by a code vector close to one or plural series of parameters related to operating states of aircrafts of the fleet of aircrafts stored in the database, said code vector being a vector with values,

at least one degradation level being assigned to at least one of the cells, relative to degradation information data, corresponding to proportion of the series of parameters related to operating states of aircrafts of the fleet of aircrafts comprising degradation information data from among of the series of parameters related to operating states of aircrafts of the fleet of aircrafts close to the code vector of said cell,

wherein a computer performs:

determining a series of parameters characterizing an operating state of the aircraft to be monitored, from data measured on the aircraft the operating state thereof is to be monitored;

projecting the series of parameters onto the map of operating states of aircraft at an image point reflecting the position of the series of parameters obtained relatively to the series of parameters used for establishing the map background, the image point in a target cell of the map of operating states of aircraft; and

acquiring the at least one degradation level assigned to the target cell,

the method further comprising predicting and planning maintenance operations on the aircraft based on the acquired degradation level.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the series of parameters comprise parameters obtained from measurements conducted on actual aircraft having an identified degradation level.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the series of parameters comprise parameters obtained from a model simulating operation of an aircraft having a predefined degradation level.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each series of parameters comprises parameters determined from measurements from among a temperature of exhaust gases, a fuel flow rate, a speed of rotation of a low pressure shaft, a speed of rotation of a high pressure shaft, and temperatures and pressures in different points of an engine of the aircraft.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each series of parameters comprises degradation information data indicating whether an operating state is normal or degraded.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each series of parameters comprises degradation information data indicating localization of a degradation in the aircraft.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the map background is established from the database of operating states according to a self-adaptive Kohonen mapping technique.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the map of operating states further comprises classes of cells by grouping the cells of the map background, the classes being defined according to a distance between cells or degradation information data comprised in the series of parameters close to the code vectors of cells from the map background, or the classes being defined according to a distance between cells and degradation information data comprises in the series of parameters close to the code vectors of cells from the map background.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein each class groups a set of adjacent cells, the set of cells being the intersection of a union of candidate classes, generated according to the distances between cells, with a set of adjacent cells each having a degradation level relative to a same item of degradation information data greater than a determined threshold.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a label is assigned to a class according to degradation information data comprised in the series of parameters close to the code vectors of the cells of the class.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the computer further performs:

establishing a diagnostic of a degradation of the aircraft to be monitored according to a label of at least one class to which the target cell belongs.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the computer further performs:

establishing a diagnostic of a degradation of the aircraft to be monitored according to the at least one acquired degradation level for the target cell.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the computer further performs:

updating the data recorded in the database by adding series of parameters comprising the parameters characterizing the operating state of the aircraft to be monitored and of degradation information data indicative of the diagnosed degradation.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the computer further performs:

again formulating the map of operating states from updated data.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the computer further performs:

establishing a forecast of a failure of the aircraft to be monitored according to a time-dependent change of the at least one degradation level acquired over time.

16. A system for monitoring an operating state of an aircraft in order to predict and plan maintenance operations on the aircraft, the system comprising:

an input-output interface configured to receive data measured on the aircraft;

a database for storing a map of operating states of the aircraft; and

a computer comprising a processor and a memory, the computer programmed for applying a method for monitoring an operating state of the aircraft in order to predict and plan maintenance operations on the aircraft,

from a map of operating states of aircraft representative of a multidimensional space of the operating states of the aircraft,

the map of operating states being produced from a map background established from a database of operating states of a fleet of aircrafts storing series of parameters related to operating states of aircrafts of the fleet of aircrafts, each parameter being a value of a characteristic of the aircraft,

each series of parameters related to operating states of aircrafts of the fleet of aircrafts comprising parameters characterizing an operating state of one of the aircraft of the fleet of aircrafts and optionally degradation information data indicative of a degradation level of the one of the aircraft,

the map background comprising a set of cells, each cell characterized by a position on the map background and described by a code vector close to one or plural series of parameters related to operating states of aircrafts of the fleet of aircrafts stored in the database, said code vector being a vector with values,

at least one degradation level being assigned to at least one of the cells, relative to degradation information data, corresponding to proportion of the series of parameters related to operating states of aircrafts of the fleet of aircrafts comprising the degradation information data from among of the series of parameters related to operating states of aircrafts of the fleet of aircrafts close to the code vector of said cell, the computer being configured to:

determine a series of parameters characterizing an operating state of the aircraft to be monitored, from data measured on the aircraft the operating state thereof is to be monitored;

project the series of parameters onto the map of operating states of aircraft at an image point reflecting the position of the series of parameters obtained relatively to the series of parameters used for establishing the map background, the image point in a target cell of the map of operating states of aircraft; and

acquire the at least one degradation level assigned to the target cell.