Systems and methods for configuration management

• US 20070000991A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Westerman, Everett, Doda, Rajesh, Matsen, Marc, Blackwell, David, Johnson, Karl, Ramberg, Brian, Nickson, Gloria, Seetharamu, Mahesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,056,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/376
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

Systems and methods for configuration management in an article of manufacture disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for documenting a configuration of an article of manufacture includes an identifier positioned on the article of manufacture. A local positioning system is used to determine a positional location of the identifier on the article of manufacture. A multifunction apparatus configured to interactively communicate with the identifier and the local positioning system is present that is operable to communicate configuration information to the identifier.

Claims

1. A system for documenting a configuration of an article of manufacture, comprising:

an identifier positioned on the article of manufacture;

a local positioning system that is operable to determine a positional location of the identifier on the article of manufacture; and

a multifunction apparatus configured to interactively communicate with the identifier and the local positioning system and operable to communicate configuration information to the identifier.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier further comprises at least one of a machine and optically readable graphic field, an alphanumeric field and a transponder device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the transponder device further comprises one of an active radio frequency identification device (RFID), a passive RFID and an infrared identification device (IRID).

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the transponder device further comprises one of a read-only memory device and memory device configured for read and write operations and operable to store information related to the article of manufacture.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the machine and optically readable graphic field further comprises a bar code.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the local positioning system further comprises one or more radio frequency (RF) devices that determine the positional location of the identifier using one of a time difference of arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), time of arrival (TOA) and received signal strength (RSS) methods.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the multifunction apparatus further comprises a processor unit configured to manage information communicated to the multifunction device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the multifunction apparatus further comprises a data storage device coupled to the processor unit and operable to store the configuration information.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the multifunction apparatus further comprises at least one or more of a data input device, a voice synthesis device and a visual display device coupled to the processor unit.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the multifunction device further comprises a communications port coupled to the processor unit.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the multifunction device further comprises a receiver coupled to the processor unit that is operable to receive radio frequency (RF) signals from the local positioning system.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the multifunction device further comprises an optical scanning device coupled to the processor unit that is operable to read an optically readable graphic field, and an interrogator device coupled to the processor unit that is operable to communicate with a radio frequency (RF) transponder positioned in the identifier.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the multifunction device further comprises an optical ranging system coupled to the processor unit.

14. A method of managing a configuration of an article of manufacture, comprising:

positioning an identifier on a selected component of the article of manufacture;

reading a graphic field on the identifier that includes identifying information for the selected component;

determining a position of the component on the article of manufacture using a local positioning system (LPS); and

providing a selected content to a transponder portion of the identifier.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

interrogating a transponder portion of the identifier to verify that selected information is associated with the article of manufacture; and

if the selected information is not present, writing the selected information to the transponder portion.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning an identifier on a selected component further comprises positioning the identifier on the selected component when the component is installed in the article of manufacture.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning an identifier on a selected component further comprises positioning the identifier on the selected component prior to installing the component in the article of manufacture.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein determining a position of the component on the article of manufacture further comprises locating a position of the component using a radio frequency (RF)-based local positioning system.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein providing a selected content to a transponder portion of the identifier further comprises providing at least one of an identity of an individual installing the component, a drawing of the component, a specification document for the component, a maintenance record for the component and a service bulletin for the component.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein reading a machine-readable graphic field further comprises reading a bar code portion of the identifier.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein reading a graphic field further comprises reading at least one of an alphanumeric graphic field and a machine readable graphic field.

22. An aerospace vehicle, comprising:

a fuselage;

wing assemblies and an empennage operatively coupled to the fuselage; and

at least one propulsion unit operatively coupled to one of the wing assemblies and the fuselage, the vehicle further comprising;

at least one component portion coupled to one of the fuselage, wing assemblies, empennage and the at least one propulsion unit that further includes an identifier positioned on the component that includes a transponder portion operable to communicate with a local positioning system to determine a positional location of the identifier, the identifier being further operable to interactively communicate with a multifunction apparatus that provides configuration information to the identifier.