Patent ID: 8798811

Claim:
A method for aiding in a diagnosis and in a decision on operation of an aircraft, said aircraft including failure detection circuitry associated with corresponding pieces of equipment of said aircraft, the method comprising: receiving, using communication circuitry, during a flight of said aircraft currently in progress, at least one alert linked to detection of at least one failure relating to at least one piece of equipment of said aircraft, said at least one alert including at least one indication relating to said at least one failure; receiving, using the communication circuitry, during the flight of said aircraft currently in progress, at least one information item relating to a next mission of said aircraft; accessing, using processing circuitry, a database including a minimum equipment list and operating conditions and limitations associated with the operation of said aircraft; correlating, using the processing circuitry, during the flight of said aircraft currently in progress, said at least one indication relating to said at least one failure with said minimum equipment list; determining, using the processing circuitry, in response to said correlating said at least one indication relating to said at least one failure with said minimum equipment list, an operating state of said aircraft and an operational capability of said aircraft in said determined operating state; correlating, using the processing circuitry, during the flight of said aircraft currently in progress, said at least one indication relating to said at least one failure with said at least one information item relating to the next mission of said aircraft; determining, using the processing circuitry, during the flight of said aircraft currently in progress, in response to said correlating said at least one indication relating to said at least one failure with said at least one information item relating to the next mission of said aircraft, at least one operation limitation or restriction associated with the determined operating state and operational capability of said aircraft; and displaying, using display circuitry, during the flight of said aircraft currently in progress, a notification of the at least one alert to a pilot operating said aircraft upon determination that the next mission is scheduled to occur and that the determined operation limitation or restriction indicates that the next mission cannot be performed without the pilot performing a procedure related to said at least one detected failure.