RFID data management system

• US 20070241908A1
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Coop, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,545,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.800
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A maintenance data management system uses RFID tags associated with aircraft components to store and manage component attributes such as maintenance and service history, useful in performing aircraft maintenance. A transceiver is used to write data into the tags, read data from the tags and transmit the data to a central database for storage and access by maintenance providers. The data may include the service and maintenance history of the component. Maintenance providers may remotely access the database through the Internet.

Claims

1. A method of managing maintenance data for aircraft components, comprising the steps of:

(A) associating a radio frequency identification tag (RFID) with each of a plurality of components on the aircraft; and

,

(B) electronically displaying at least a section of the aircraft showing the location of the components within the section having the associated RFID tags.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(C) writing data into each of the RFID tags relating to the associated component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (C) includes displaying at least portions of the data written into the tags associated with the displayed components.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the displayed data includes at least one of the following

a) the operational history of the component

b) the maintenance history of the component

c) information related to the configuration of the aircraft in which the component is installed

d) the date the component was manufactured

e) the name of the supplier of the component

f) the serial number of the component

g) the part number of the component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least certain of the tags are physically attached to the associated component.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(D) reading the data written into each of the tags in step (C); and

(E) storing the data read in step (D) in a database.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of selecting a component within the aircraft section displayed in step (B), and wherein step (B) includes:

retrieving data stored in the database in step (E) related to the selected component, and simultaneously displaying the selected component and data retrieved from the database.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of retrieving the data stored in step (E) using the Internet.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein step (B) includes generating a transparent image of the aircraft displaying each of the components having an associated tag.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(C) generating a view showing multiple sections of the aircraft, and

(D) selecting one of the sections generated in step (C) to be displayed in step (B).

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(C) selecting a component within the aircraft section displayed in step (B);

(D) displaying the component selected in step (C); and

,

(E) displaying attributes of the selected component.

12. A method of managing data related to the maintenance of aircraft components, comprising the steps of:

(A) associating a radio frequency identification tag (RFID) with each of the components;

(B) storing data on each of the tags;

(C) identifying the associated component from the data and data related to maintenance of the aircraft;

(D) reading the data stored on the RFID tags;

(E) storing the data read in step (D) in a maintenance information database; and

,

(F) retrieving the data from the database for use in performing maintenance on the aircraft.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(G) displaying an image of at least a section of the aircraft;

(H) visually representing on the displayed aircraft section at least one of the components having associated RFID tags; and

,

(I) displaying the data retrieved in step (F) in association with the visual representations of the components.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data displayed in step (I) includes at least one of the following—

a) the operational history of the component

b) the maintenance history of the component

c) information related to the configuration of the aircraft in which the component is installed

d) the date the component was manufactured

e) the name of the supplier of the component

f) the serial number of the component

g) the part number of the component.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(G) electronically displaying an image of components within at least a section of the aircraft having associated RFID tags;

(H) selecting a component in the image displayed in step (G); and

,

(I) displaying the data retrieved in step (F) in association with the visual representations of the components.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(G) generating a three dimensional transparent image of the aircraft;

(H) displaying a representation of at least one of the components having an associated tag within the transparent image;

(I) selecting a component displayed in step (H); and

,

(J) displaying in juxtaposed relationship to the selected component the data retrieved in step (E).

17. The method of claim 12, wherein step (E) is performed by coupling a maintenance user interface with the database using the Internet.

18. A system for managing maintenance data related to aircraft components, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with each of the components and operative for transmitting data relating to the associated component;

a reader for reading the data transmitted by each of the RFID tags;

a database storage for storing maintenance data, including the data read by the reader; and

,

a user interface tool for retrieving maintenance data from the database storage, and for displaying the retrieved data.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the maintenance data includes data identifying the component and data representing attributes of the component.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the data read by the reader includes the service history of the component.