METHODS AND APPARATUS PROVIDING AN E-ENABLED GROUND ARCHITECTURE

• US 20080162155A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Gould, Kim Van Wyck, Mysore-Srinivasamurthy, Jayanth, Small, Gregory John, Hall, Lee S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,645,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A method for integrating airplane operation related services provided by ground-based systems is described. The method includes receiving information from a plurality of airplane service functions, the airplane service functions including airlines, airplanes, regulatory authorities, maintenance repair organizations, and aircraft manufacturers, the received information relating to airplane operation. The method further includes determining which of the received airplane operation information is applicable to each of the airplane service functions, and distributing the applicable airplane operation information to each of the airplane service functions.

Claims

1. A method for integrating airplane operation related services provided by ground-based systems, said method comprising:

receiving information from a plurality of airplane service functions, the received information relating to airplane operation;

determining which of the received airplane operation information is applicable to each of the airplane service functions; and

distributing the applicable airplane operation information to each of the airplane service functions.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising at least one of integrating at least a portion of the systems providing the airplane operation information at a supplier-hosted location and integrating at least a portion of the systems providing the airplane operation information at a customer location.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein determining which of the received airplane operation information is applicable to each of the airplane service functions comprises identifying tailored options and reusable components therein which can be utilized to meet customer needs.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein receiving information from a plurality of airplane service functions comprises utilizing integration patterns to enable customer systems, firewalls, and supplier provided systems to interoperate with each other.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein utilizing integration patterns comprises providing a service offering to the customer by the supplier.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein providing a service offering to the customer by the supplier comprises a stand-alone offering without integration of any customer systems.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein providing a service offering to the customer by the supplier comprises an integration with one or more customer systems.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises direct point-to-point integration with one or more customer systems.

9. A method according to claim 7 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises use of a supplier-provided integration service to one or more customer systems.

10. A method according to claim 7 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises use of a supplier-provided hardware integration appliance to one or more customer systems.

11. A method according to claim 7 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises use of a shared file structure and agreed-upon file content definition to provide interoperability to one or more customer systems.

12. A method according to claim 4 wherein utilizing integration patterns comprises providing a supplier product to the customer.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein providing a product to the customer by the supplier comprises a stand-alone offering without integration of any customer systems.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein providing a product to the customer by the supplier comprises a supplier application integration with one or more customer systems.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises direct point-to-point integration.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises use of a supplier-provided integration service to one or more customer systems.

17. A method according to claim 14 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises use of a supplier-provided hardware integration appliance to one or more customer systems.

18. A method according to claim 14 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises use of a shared file structure and agreed-upon file content definition to provide interoperability to one or more customer systems.

19. A method according to claim 4 wherein utilizing integration patterns comprises providing at least one of a service offering by the supplier and supplier product components to the customer.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein providing a service offering to the customer by the supplier comprises a stand-alone offering without integration of any customer systems.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein providing a service offering to the customer by the supplier comprises an integration with one or more customer systems.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises direct point-to-point integration with one or more customer systems.

23. A method according to claim 21 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises use of a supplier-provided hardware integration service to one or more customer systems.

24. A method according to claim 21 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises use of a supplier-provided hardware integration appliance to one or more customer systems.

25. A method according to claim 21 wherein an integration with one or more customer systems comprises use of a shared file structure and agreed-upon file content definition to provide interoperability to one or more customer systems.

26. A method according to claim 19 wherein providing supplier product components to the customer comprises providing a stand-alone product offering that is not integrated with any existing customer systems.

27. A method according to claim 19 wherein providing supplier product components to the customer comprises providing a supplier application integration with one or more existing customer systems.

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein providing a supplier application integration with one or more existing customer systems comprises direct point-to-point integration.

29. A method according to claim 27 wherein providing a supplier application integration with one or more existing customer systems comprises using a supplier-provided integration service to integrate one or more existing customer systems.

30. A method according to claim 27 wherein providing a supplier application integration with one or more existing customer systems comprises using a supplier-provided hardware integration appliance to integrate one or more existing customer systems.

31. A method according to claim 27 wherein providing a supplier application integration with one or more existing customer systems comprises using a shared file structure and agreed-upon file content definition to provide interoperability to one or more existing customer systems.

32. A method according to claim 1 wherein the airplane service functions includes at least two of airlines, airports, airplanes, regulatory authorities, maintenance repair organizations, suppliers, and aircraft manufacturers.

33. An integration architecture configured to integrate and control ground-based airplane operation related information, said architecture comprising:

a plurality of computer systems communicatively coupled to one another, said computer systems programmed to provide information relating to a plurality of airplane service functions including two or more of airlines, airplanes, regulatory authorities, maintenance repair organizations, and aircraft manufacturers; and

an integration function configured to determine which of the provided information is applicable to each of the two or more airplane service functions, said integration function further configured to distribute the applicable information to each of the applicable two or more airplane service functions.

34. An integration architecture according to claim 33 wherein said architecture is configured to allow said plurality of computer systems to share at least one of data, functions and business processes to create integrated, end-to-end customer solutions.

35. An integration architecture according to claim 34 wherein to share data, functions and business processes said integration comprises one or more of database services, backup services, archival services, web server service, and application server services.

36. An integration architecture according to claim 33 wherein said integration function comprises at least one of a customer application to customer application integration component and a business to business integration component.

37. A network An integration architecture according to claim 33 further comprising a task-based user interface capability.

38. An integration architecture according to claim 37 wherein said task-based user interface is configured to utilize information provided directly by one or more of said computer systems.

39. An integration architecture according to claim 37 wherein said task-based user interface is configured to utilize information originating from said computer systems, the information provided to said task-based user interface by said integration function.

40. An integration architecture according to claim 33 further comprising application interfaces providing access to applications within one or more of said computer systems, local services which are business capabilities used by only one of said computer systems, and system-wide services which are business capabilities used by multiple of said computer systems.

41. An integration architecture according to claim 33 wherein said integration function comprises a fleet configuration service defining at least one of a customer'"'"'s fleet, and a maintenance and repair organization'"'"'s view of a fleet, that is shared across all products.

42. An integration architecture according to claim 33 wherein said integration function comprises a software loading service configured to provide a common configuration management mechanism for loading software to airplanes during manufacture and while in service.

43. An integration architecture according to claim 33 wherein at least a portion of said computer systems comprise computer systems at a supplier-hosted location.

44. An integration architecture according to claim 33 wherein at least a portion of said computer systems comprise customer computer systems at a location remote from a supplier.

45. An integration architecture according to claim 33 wherein to distribute the applicable information to each of the applicable two or more airplane service functions, said integration function further comprises one or more integration patterns of at least one of supplier-provided products and supplier-provided services that enable one or more of customer computer systems, firewalls, and supplier-hosted computer systems to interoperate with each other.

46. An integration architecture according to claim 45 wherein said integration patterns comprise at least one of a supplier provided, stand-alone service offering that is not integrated with any customer computer systems and a supplier provided stand-alone product that is not integrated with any customer computer systems.

47. An integration architecture according to claim 45 wherein said integration patterns comprise a service offering of an integration with one or more customer computer systems.

48. An integration architecture according to claim 47 wherein the service offering of an integration comprises at least one of a direct point-to-point integration with one or more customer computer systems, utilization of a supplier-provided integration service to one or more customer computer systems, utilization of a supplier-provided hardware integration appliance to one or more customer computer systems, and utilization of a shared file structure and a file content definition to provide interoperability to one or more customer computer systems.

49. An integration architecture according to claim 45 wherein said integration patterns comprise at least one of a service offering provided by the supplier and supplier product components provided to the customer.

50. An integration architecture according to claim 49 wherein at least one of a service offering provided by the supplier and supplier product components provided to the customer comprise at least one of a direct point-to-point integration of customer computer systems, utilization of a supplier-provided integration service to one or more customer computer systems, utilization of a supplier-provided hardware integration appliance to one or more customer systems, and utilization of a shared file structure and a file content definition to provide interoperability to one or more customer computer systems.

51. An integration architecture according to claim 49 wherein said supplier product components comprise a stand-alone supplier product offering that is not integrated with any existing customer computer systems.

52. An integration architecture according to claim 49 wherein at least one of a service offering provided by the supplier and supplier product components provided to the customer comprises a supplier application that is integrated with one or more existing customer computer systems.

53. An integration architecture according to claim 52 wherein said supplier application that is integrated with one or more existing customer computer systems comprises at least one of a point-to-point integration between supplier product components and customer computer systems, utilization of a supplier-provided integration service to integrate one or more existing customer computer systems, utilization of a supplier-provided hardware integration appliance to integrate one or more existing customer computer systems, and utilization of a shared file structure and a file content definition to provide interoperability to one or more existing customer computer systems.

54. A system for integration of a customers ground-based airplane operation related information, said system comprising:

at least one customer computer programmed to provide information relating to one or more airplane service functions; and

at least one of a supplier-provided computer product and a supplier-provided computer service that enable said customer computers, any supplier-provided computer products, and any said supplier-provided computer services to interoperate with each other for the exchange of airplane service function information.