Method and apparatus using historical data to associate deferral procedures and fault models

• US 20030191563A1
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Felke, Timothy J., Eagleton, Stephen P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,725,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0229 knowledge based, e.g. expert systems; genetic algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0278 Qualitative, e.g. if-then rules; Fuzzy logic; Lookup tables; Symptomatic search; FMEA

Abstract

A method of associating deferral procedures to a fault model for complex systems based on historical data, the method including the steps of: analyzing historical data for deferral information to identify deferral procedures; associating each of the deferral procedures with a corresponding one or more standard repairs; linking each of the standard repairs with a fault code; and associating each of the deferral procedures with one or more of the fault codes that were linked, respectively, with the one or more standard repairs to thereby provide a set of associations between deferral procedures and fault codes. The method may be implemented in a software program and the program may advantageously be employed in an aircraft maintenance and operations support system for automatically associating deferral procedures with an aircraft fault model based on historical data.

Claims

1. A method of associating deferral procedures to a fault model for complex systems based on historical data, the method including the steps of:

analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify a plurality of deferral procedures;

associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with a corresponding one or more of a plurality of standard repairs;

linking each of said plurality of standard repairs with a fault code; and

associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with one or more of said fault codes that were linked, respectively, with said one or more of said plurality of standard repairs to thereby provide a set of associations between said plurality of deferral procedures and a plurality of fault codes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify said plurality of deferral procedures further includes assigning a deferral procedure from a deferral procedure list to each deferral information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a reference to the historical data is maintained with each of said plurality of deferral procedures and each of said plurality of standard repairs.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of associating said plurality of deferral procedures further includes creating relationships between said plurality of deferral procedures and said plurality of standard repairs utilizing the historical data that is common between a deferral procedure and a standard repair.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of linking said plurality of standard repairs includes selecting said fault code from a standard fault code list.

6. The method of claim 1 further including a step of reviewing and accepting a portion of said set of associations.

7. The method of claim 1 used to associate deferral procedures to a fault model for an aircraft.

8. A software program comprising software instructions arranged to run on a processor to process information derived from historical data in order to facilitate associating deferral procedures to a fault model for complex systems based on the historical data, the software program when installed and operating on a processor resulting in the processor:

analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify a plurality of deferral procedures;

associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with a corresponding one or more of a plurality of standard repairs;

linking each of said plurality of standard repairs with a fault code; and

associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with one or more of said fault codes that were linked, respectively, with said one or more of said plurality of standard repairs to thereby provide a set of associations between said plurality of deferral procedures and a plurality of fault codes.

9. The software program of claim 8 wherein said step of analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify said plurality of deferral procedures further includes assigning a deferral procedure from a deferral procedure list to each deferral information.

10. The software program of claim 8 wherein a reference to the historical data is maintained with each of said plurality of deferral procedures and each of said plurality of standard repairs.

11. The software program of claim 8 wherein said step of associating said plurality of deferral procedures further includes creating relationships between said plurality of deferral procedures and said plurality of standard repairs utilizing the historical data that is common between a deferral procedure and a standard repair.

12. The software program of claim 8 wherein said step of linking said plurality of standard repairs includes selecting said fault code from a standard fault code list.

13. The software program of claim 8 further including a step of reviewing and accepting a portion of said set of associations.

14. The software program of claim 8 used to associate deferral procedures to a fault model for an aircraft.

15. An aircraft maintenance and operations support system for automatically associating deferral procedures with an aircraft fault model based on historical data, the system comprising in combination:

a user interface;

a computer, coupled to the user interface, having memory for storing software instructions and the historical data and a processor for;

executing said software instructions to process information derived from the historical data in order to facilitate associating the deferral procedures to the aircraft fault model based on the historical data, the software program resulting in the computer;

analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify a plurality of deferral procedures;

associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with a corresponding one or more of a plurality of standard repairs;

linking each of said plurality of standard repairs with a fault code; and

associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with one or more of said fault codes that were linked, respectively, with said one or more of said plurality of standard repairs to thereby provide a set of associations between said plurality of deferral procedures and a plurality of fault codes.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said step of analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify said plurality of deferral procedures further includes assigning a deferral procedure from a deferral procedure list to each deferral information.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein a reference to the historical data is maintained with each of said plurality of deferral procedures and each of said plurality of standard repairs.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said step of associating said plurality of deferral procedures further includes creating relationships between said plurality of deferral procedures and said plurality of standard repairs utilizing the historical data that is common between a deferral procedure and a standard repair.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said step of linking said plurality of standard repairs includes selecting said fault code from a standard fault code list.

20. The system of claim 15 further including a step of displaying said set of associations on said monitor to facilitate a user reviewing and accepting a portion of said set of associations.