Remote aircraft manufacturing, monitoring, maintenance and management system

• US 20040106404A1
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Stovner, Steve R., Engdahl, Stanley W., Gould, Todd W., Kesterson, Bryan P., Reuter, Richard J., Parker, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/431
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

An aircraft wireless data communication system includes an aircraft computer/server in communication with a plurality of aircraft systems. Access to the aircraft systems via the computer/server is available in real-time via wireless communication with a ground-based computer system. The ground-based computer system includes a computer that can be accessed from one or more networks of computers. Each authorized computer user on an airline, manufacturer, or supplier network has remote real-time access to the aircraft computer/server. Properly authorized remote users can: perform comparisons between the aircraft actual configuration identity and an aircraft authorized configuration identity; perform system diagnostic testing; view system status and parameters; collaborate with users from local and remote organizations using real-time aircraft data; and upload and download software and data to and from aircraft systems.

Claims

1. An information system adapted for use on a mobile platform comprising:

an onboard computer residing on said mobile platform;

said onboard computer adapted to communicate with at least one software based platform system;

said onboard computer being adaptable to wirelessly communicate with a ground-based communication system;

said ground-based communication system being linkable with a plurality of users; and

each of said plurality of users via said ground-based communication system and said onboard computer being capable to at least one of;

receive a real-time system data set for said software based platform system;

send a data set to said onboard computer; and

send a command set to said onboard computer.

2. The information system of claim 1, wherein said software based platform system further includes a system configuration of said mobile platform.

3. The information system of claim 2, wherein said system configuration comprises at least one of the following:

a platform electronic hardware configuration;

a platform electronic software configuration; and

a platform hardware configuration.

4. The information system of claim 3, wherein said command set further comprises at least one of:

a configuration report command;

a software loading command;

a system functional test command;

a maintenance information command; and

a system monitoring command.

5. The information system of claim 4, wherein said ground-based communication system further comprises at least one of an independent computer and a network of computers.

6. The information system of claim 5, wherein said onboard computer comprises one of a portable computer and a portable computer interface operable to provide movable platform user communication with said system.

7. The information system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of users is linkable to said ground-based communication system via a security system to enable said plurality of users to access said ground-based communication system.

8. The information system of claim 7, further comprising said ground-based communication system being connectably linked to each of said plurality of users through one of an Internet connection and a LAN connection.

9. The information system of claim 1, wherein said mobile platform further comprises a mobile platform mounted transceiver and antenna system.

10. The information system of claim 9, further comprising said ground-based communication system being wirelessly linked with said mobile platform mounted transceiver and antenna system through at least one of a direct communication path and a satellite communication path.

11. The information system of claim 9, further comprising said ground-based communication system being wirelessly linked with said mobile platform mounted transceiver and antenna system through a terminal wireless based communication system.

12. An aircraft wireless data communication system comprising:

an aircraft having a plurality of aircraft systems;

each of said aircraft systems having a system actual configuration identity;

each said system actual configuration identity being transferable as a system actual configuration identity file;

a computer/server being adaptable to electronically communicate with each of said plurality of aircraft systems;

each said system actual configuration identity file being combinable in said computer/server to form an aircraft actual configuration identity;

said aircraft actual configuration identity being transferable as an aircraft actual configuration identity file; and

said computer/server being in wireless communication with at least one ground-based network of computers;

wherein any one of said ground-based network of computers is operable to one of;

receive a real-time status of each of said aircraft systems; and

send a data set to said computer/server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said data set includes an authorized aircraft configuration identity transferable as an authorized aircraft configuration identity file.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said computer/server further comprises a configuration management subsystem, said configuration management subsystem being in communication with said aircraft systems and adaptable to retrievably obtain and report said actual aircraft configuration identity file.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said configuration management subsystem is adaptable to receive said authorized aircraft configuration identity file from said ground-based network of computers along one of a wireless signal path and a direct signal path.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising an aircraft data load system wherein a difference determinable by said configuration management subsystem between said authorized aircraft configuration identity file and said actual aircraft configuration identity file is reportable to said aircraft data load system and to said ground-based network of computers.

17. A wireless communication system for communicating data between an aircraft and a ground-based computer network comprising:

said aircraft having a plurality of aircraft systems and a computer/server adapted to communicate with each of said plurality of aircraft systems;

each of said aircraft systems having a system actual configuration identity;

each said system actual configuration identity being collectively grouped to form an aircraft actual configuration identity;

said computer/server being in wireless communication with at least one ground-based network of computers, including at least an aircraft manufacturer network, an airline network, and a parts supplier network; and

each said network having a central linking computer electronically connectable with each of a plurality of individual computers;

wherein each of said independent computers operates to receive a real-time status of said aircraft actual configuration identity.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said plurality of individual computers of said aircraft manufacturer network further comprises at least one of an engineering group, a manufacturing group and a flight test group.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said plurality of individual computers of said aircraft manufacturer network further comprises:

a combined communication link between said engineering group, said manufacturing group and said flight test group; and

an aircraft manufacturer communication link joining said combined communication link to said parts supplier network.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said plurality of individual computers of said airline network further comprises at least one of an operations group and a maintenance group.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said plurality of individual computers of said airline network further comprises:

a combined communications link between said operations group and said maintenance group; and

an airline organization communication link joining said combined communication link to said parts supplier network and said aircraft manufacturer network.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein an Internet communication link connectably joins said parts supplier network to said ground-based network of computers.

23. A method to communicate in real-time with an aircraft comprising the steps of:

disposing a computer/server on said aircraft;

connecting said computer/server with a plurality of systems of said aircraft;

collecting a plurality of real-time system data from each of said plurality of systems in said computer/server;

wirelessly communicating said plurality of real-time system data from said computer/server to a ground-based computer system;

linking said ground-based computer system with a plurality of user computers; and

enabling each of said plurality of user computers to perform at least one of;

reading said system data via said ground-based computer system; and

transmitting each of data and commands in real-time from each of said user computers via said ground-based computer system to said aircraft.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising disposing a configuration management subsystem in said computer/server and in each of said user computers.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising storing an authorized configuration identity files accessible by authorized ones of said user computers.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising transferring to said computer/server an updated authorized configuration identity file of said aircraft from one of said authorized user computers.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising:

identifying a difference between said aircraft actual configuration identity and said updated authorized aircraft configuration identity; and

reporting said difference to both said ground-based computer system and to said data load system.

28. The method of claim 27, comprising automatically loading new software parts from said data load system to said aircraft systems when permitted by loading interlocks.

29. The method of claim 27, comprising manually loading new software parts from said data load system to said aircraft systems when permitted by loading interlocks.

30. A method for managing an aircraft configuration comprising the steps of:

electronically identifying a set of aircraft parts, said parts including at least one of an electronic systems hardware configuration identity, an electronic systems software configuration identity, and an aircraft hardware configuration identity;

combining said set of aircraft parts into an aircraft actual configuration identity report;

wirelessly linking said aircraft actual configuration identity report to at least one ground-based computer;

comparing said aircraft actual configuration identity report to an authorized aircraft configuration identity in said ground-based computer;

identifying a difference between said aircraft actual configuration identity report and said authorized aircraft configuration identity;

wirelessly transmitting software including said difference from said ground-based computer to an aircraft mounted computer/server; and

initiating said software loading from authorized ones of said ground-based computers; and

monitoring said software loading from said authorized ground-based computers.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

identifying each of a plurality of aircraft hardware components having configuration identity data; and

disposing an electronic identification placard on each of said aircraft hardware components to electronically identify said configuration identity data.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

building a configuration report from said configuration identity data of each said electronic identification placard; and

transmitting said configuration report to said ground-based computer.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising disposing an electronic firewall between each of a plurality of aircraft systems and said computer/server.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising securing said software, including a plurality of data items, before said transmitting step to said computer/server.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising wirelessly performing a quality control comparison between the authorized aircraft configuration identity and the actual aircraft configuration identity report following the step of transmitting said software and said plurality of data items.

36. A method to remotely assess the health of an aircraft comprising:

combining system status data onboard the aircraft into a plurality of health status reports;

wirelessly transmitting said health status reports to at least one ground-based computer;

wirelessly initiating selected aircraft system diagnostics tests from said ground-based computer; and

wirelessly requesting aircraft transmission of a real-time signal data set of said selected aircraft system diagnostics tests from said ground-based computer.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising wirelessly transmitting said real-time signal data set of said selected aircraft system diagnostics tests from an aircraft computer/server to said ground-based computer following completion of said selected aircraft system diagnostics tests.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising wirelessly transmitting real-time values of selected signals to said ground-based computer from said aircraft computer/server.

39. A method for remotely determining equipment conformity to a basis for certification of an aircraft comprising the steps of:

labeling each of a plurality of aircraft equipment items with a unique component identifier;

compiling an airworthiness health report from each said aircraft equipment item identified by each said unique component identifier;

loading said airworthiness health report into an aircraft technical log;

remotely selecting one of an acceptable condition, a repair completed condition and a repair deferred condition for each airworthiness health report loaded in said aircraft technical log;

remotely entering said airworthiness health reports and an authorized user identification into said aircraft technical log; and

enabling said aircraft.