Aircraft comparison system with synchronized displays

• US 10,067,650 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Senesac, Christopher J., Peterson, Shane T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Hua
• Application Number:
  US13/922,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20140380215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A method and apparatus for comparing aircraft parts. A first model is identified for a first aircraft with first customer options. A second model is identified for a second aircraft with second customer options. First parts for the first aircraft in the first model are compared with second parts for the second aircraft in the second model. Graphical representations of the first parts in a first location and the second parts in a second location are displayed simultaneously on a display system. The second location in the second aircraft corresponds to the first location in the first aircraft. Differences between the parts in corresponding locations in the first aircraft and the second aircraft are visually displayed.

Claims

1. An aircraft manufacturing system comprising:

manufacturing equipment;

a control system configured to control operation of the manufacturing equipment; and

an object manager in the control system, wherein the object manager is configured to;

identify a first model for a first aircraft with first customer options;

identify a second model for a second aircraft with second customer options;

compare first parts for the first aircraft in the first model with second parts for the second aircraft in the second model to form a comparison;

display graphical representations of the first parts in a first location and the second parts in a second location simultaneously on a display system, wherein the second location in the second aircraft corresponds to the first location in the first aircraft, and wherein differences between the parts in corresponding locations in the first aircraft and the second aircraft are visually displayed, wherein the graphical representations of the first parts are displayed as being viewed from a first viewpoint with respect to the first aircraft and the graphical representations of the second parts are displayed as being viewed from a second viewpoint with respect to the second aircraft, wherein a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the first viewpoint with respect to the first aircraft is the same as a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the second viewpoint with respect to the second aircraft;

receive a selection from an operator to change the first viewpoint to a new first viewpoint; and

change the first viewpoint to the new first viewpoint and change the second viewpoint to a new second viewpoint in response to receiving the selection from the operator to change the first viewpoint, wherein a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the first new viewpoint with respect to the first aircraft is the same as a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the second new viewpoint with respect to the second aircraft.

2. The aircraft manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to display the graphical representations of the first parts in the first location and the second parts in the second location simultaneously on the display system, the object manager is configured to display the graphical representations of the first parts in the first location on a first display device in the display system and display the graphical representations of the second parts in the second location simultaneously on a second display device in the display system.

3. The aircraft manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to display the graphical representations of the first parts in the first location and the second parts in the second location simultaneously on the display system, the object manager is configured to display the graphical representations of the first parts in the first location in a first window on a display device in the display system and display the graphical representations of the second parts in the second location in a second window on the display device in the display system.

4. The aircraft manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the manufacturing equipment comprises at least one of fabrication equipment and assembly equipment.

5. The aircraft manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the object manager is further configured to:

identify a first part in the first parts for the first aircraft in the first location that is not in the second parts for the second aircraft in the second location and identify a second part in the second parts for the second aircraft in the second location that is not in the first parts for the first aircraft in the first location based on the comparison; and

display a first graphical indicator on a graphical representation of the first part in the graphical representation of the first parts in the first location to indicate that that the first part is not in the second parts in the second location and display a second graphical indicator on a graphical representation of the second part in the graphical representation of the second parts in the second location to indicate that the second part is not in the first parts in the first location.

6. The aircraft manufacturing system of claim 5, wherein the first graphical indicator and the second graphical indicator are selected from the group of graphical indicators consisting of an icon, a color, an animation, and a tooltip.

7. The aircraft manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the object manager is further configured to:

display a graphical user interface on the display system, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a display of a plurality of buildings, wherein each building in the plurality of buildings represents a location where manufacturing of aircraft occurs and corresponds to a database of models for aircraft that are manufactured within the building; and

identify the first model for the first aircraft in response to a selection of one of the plurality of buildings displayed in the graphical user interface by an operator, wherein the first aircraft is manufactured in the selected one of the plurality of buildings and the first model is in the database of models corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of buildings.

8. The aircraft manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the object manager is further configured to:

display a graphical user interface on the display system, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a display of an aircraft in a plurality of different positions, wherein the plurality of different positions correspond to different stages of assembly of the aircraft;

identify the first model for the first aircraft as a first model for the first aircraft at a stage of assembly of the first aircraft corresponding to a position of the aircraft displayed in the graphical user interface that is selected by an operator; and

identify the second model for the second aircraft as a second model for the second aircraft at a stage of assembly of the second aircraft corresponding to the position of the aircraft displayed in the graphical user interface that is selected by the operator.

9. The aircraft manufacturing system of claim 8, wherein the object manager is further configured to:

include the graphical representations, wherein differences between the parts in corresponding locations in the first aircraft and the second aircraft are visually displayed, in a shop order instance comprising instructions for performing an assembly task on the first aircraft at the stage of assembly of the first aircraft corresponding to the position of the aircraft displayed in the graphical user interface that is selected by the operator.

10. A method for comparing aircraft parts, comprising:

identifying, by a processor unit, a first model for a first aircraft with first customer options;

identifying, by the processor unit, a second model for a second aircraft with second customer options;

comparing, by the processor unit, first parts for the first aircraft in the first model with second parts for the second aircraft in the second model to form a comparison;

displaying graphical representations of the first parts in a first location and the second parts in a second location simultaneously on a display system, wherein the second location in the second aircraft corresponds to the first location in the first aircraft, and wherein differences between the parts in corresponding locations in the first aircraft and the second aircraft are visually displayed, wherein the graphical representations of the first parts are displayed as being viewed from a first viewpoint with respect to the first aircraft and the graphical representations of the second parts are displayed as being viewed from a second viewpoint with respect to the second aircraft, wherein a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the first viewpoint with respect to the first aircraft is the same as a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the second viewpoint with respect to the second aircraft;

receiving a selection from an operator to change the first viewpoint to a new first viewpoint; and

changing the first viewpoint to the new first viewpoint and changing the second viewpoint to a new second viewpoint in response to receiving the selection from the operator to change the first viewpoint, wherein a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the first new viewpoint with respect to the first aircraft is the same as a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the second new viewpoint with respect to the second aircraft.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the graphical representations of the first parts in the first location and the second parts in the second location simultaneously on the display system comprises displaying the graphical representations of the first parts in the first location on a first display device in the display system and displaying the graphical representations of the second parts in the second location simultaneously on a second display device in the display system.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the graphical representations of the first parts in the first location and the second parts in the second location simultaneously on the display system comprises displaying the graphical representations of the first parts in the first location in a first window on a display device in the display system and displaying the graphical representations of the second parts in the second location simultaneously in a second window on the display device in the display system.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

identifying, by the processor unit, a first part in the first parts for the first aircraft in the first location that is not in the second parts for the second aircraft in the second location and identifying a second part in the second parts for the second aircraft in the second location that is not in the first parts for the first aircraft in the first location based on the comparison; and

displaying a first graphical indicator on a graphical representation of the first part in the graphical representation of the first parts in the first location to indicate that that the first part is not in the second parts in the second location and displaying a second graphical indicator on a graphical representation of the second part in the graphical representation of the second parts in the second location to indicate that the second part is not in the first parts in the first location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first graphical indicator and the second graphical indicator are selected from the group of graphical indicators consisting of an icon, a color, an animation, and a tooltip.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface on the display system, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a display of a plurality of buildings, wherein each building in the plurality of buildings represents a location where manufacturing of aircraft occurs and corresponds to a database of models for aircraft that are manufactured within the building; and

identifying the first model for the first aircraft in response to a selection of one of the plurality of buildings displayed in the graphical user interface by an operator, wherein the first aircraft is manufactured in the selected one of the plurality of buildings and the first model is in the database of models corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of buildings.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface on the display system, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a display of an aircraft in a plurality of different positions, wherein the plurality of different positions correspond to different stages of assembly of the aircraft;

identifying the first model for the first aircraft as a first model for the first aircraft at a stage of assembly of the first aircraft corresponding to a position of the aircraft displayed in the graphical user interface that is selected by an operator; and

identifying the second model for the second aircraft as a second model for the second aircraft at a stage of assembly of the second aircraft corresponding to the position of the aircraft displayed in the graphical user interface that is selected by the operator.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

including the graphical representations, wherein differences between the parts in corresponding locations in the first aircraft and the second aircraft are visually displayed, in a shop order instance comprising instructions for performing an assembly task on the first aircraft at the stage of assembly of the first aircraft corresponding to the position of the aircraft displayed in the graphical user interface that is selected by the operator.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a display system;

a model database comprising models of aircraft; and

an object manager configured to;

identify a first model for a first aircraft with first customer options in the model database;

identify a second model for a second aircraft with second customer options in the model database;

compare first parts for the first aircraft in the first model with second parts for the second aircraft in the second model to form a comparison;

display graphical representations of the first parts in a first location and the second parts in a second location simultaneously on the display system, wherein the second location in the second aircraft corresponds to the first location in the first aircraft, and wherein differences between the parts in corresponding locations in the first aircraft and the second aircraft are visually displayed, wherein the graphical representations of the first parts are displayed as being viewed from a first viewpoint with respect to the first aircraft and the graphical representations of the second parts are displayed as being viewed from a second viewpoint with respect to the second aircraft, wherein a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the first viewpoint with respect to the first aircraft is the same as a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the second viewpoint with respect to the second aircraft;

receive a selection from an operator to change the first viewpoint to a new first viewpoint; and

change the first viewpoint to the new first viewpoint and change the second viewpoint to a new second viewpoint in response to receiving the selection from the operator to change the first viewpoint, wherein a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the first new viewpoint with respect to the first aircraft is the same as a relationship between a position and orientation of a view from the second new viewpoint with respect to the second aircraft.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the object manager is further configured to:

identify a first part in the first parts for the first aircraft in the first location that is not in the second parts for the second aircraft in the second location and identify a second part in the second parts for the second aircraft in the second location that is not in the first parts for the first aircraft in the first location based on the comparison; and

display a first graphical indicator on a graphical representation of the first part in the graphical representation of the first parts in the first location to indicate that that the first part is not in the second parts in the second location and display a second graphical indicator on a graphical representation of the second part in the graphical representation of the second parts in the second location to indicate that the second part is not in the first parts in the first location.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the object manager is further configured to:

display a graphical user interface on the display system, wherein the graphical user interface indicates different stages of assembly of an aircraft;

identify the first model for the first aircraft as a first model for the first aircraft at a stage of assembly of the first aircraft corresponding to a stage of assembly of the aircraft displayed in the graphical user interface that is selected by an operator;

identify the second model for the second aircraft as a second model for the second aircraft at a stage of assembly of the second aircraft corresponding to a stage of assembly of the aircraft displayed in the graphical user interface that is selected by the operator; and

include the graphical representations, wherein differences between the parts in corresponding locations in the first aircraft and the second aircraft are visually displayed, in a shop order instance comprising instructions for performing an assembly task on the first aircraft at the stage of assembly of the first aircraft corresponding to the stage of assembly of the aircraft displayed in the graphical user interface that is selected by the operator.