RAMP RECORDER AND QUICK REPORTING TREE DATA TRANSMISSION METHOD

• US 20080195403A1
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kollgaard, Jeffrey R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A system and method for determining whether an aircraft is ready to fly or should be repaired in light of damage and/or malfunction information observed at the departure gate includes observing damage or malfunction, alerting decision-makers, and initiating an automated interview session via a camera equipped communications device to a remote server running query driven decision and data analysis software. Data entered via the communications device, equipped with a keypad and camera for obtaining visual information, is transmitted to the remotely based software application. The software generates requests for information based on prior received information, processes and provides the information to decision-makers at remote locations. The communications device transmits decision-making support information concerning repair or dispatch. The communication device may be a wireless cell phone with a digital camera. The method and system produce a report for making repair and dispatch decisions concerning the aircraft. The information is stored in a database for statistical analysis.

Claims

1. A method of determining whether an aircraft is ready to fly or should be repaired in light of damage and/or malfunction to the aircraft, comprising:

conducting an automated query and response session between a user observing the aircraft damage and/or malfunction and a remotely located computer application via a communications device, the computer application being adapted to request, receive and analyze data related to the damage and/or malfunction;

preparing a damage report for the user by the computer application based upon the automated query and response session; and

deciding whether the aircraft is ready to fly or should be repaired based upon the damage report.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein observing the aircraft damage and/or malfunction comprises inspecting the aircraft structures, and testing and verifying functions of the aircraft at the boarding ramp area prior to departure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting the automated query and response session comprises:

initiating communication with the remotely located computer application using the communications device over a communications network, wherein the communications device is equipped with a display, an audio speaker, a keypad for entry of information and a camera for acquisition of images capable of transmitting the information and images;

in response to initiating communication, receiving requests for information from the remotely located computer;

and responding with keypad entries and/or transmission of images acquired with the communications device

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving request for information may include one or more of:

receiving a request for a simple pass/fail nondestructive test; and

receiving a request for extensive quantitative nondestructive testing, requiring data acquisition, transmission and analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a flight dispatch supervisor receiving the damage report from the remotely located computer application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the flight dispatch supervisor decides whether the aircraft is ready to fly or should be repaired based upon the damage report.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein deciding whether the aircraft is ready to fly or should be repaired includes one or more of :

deciding to make minor repairs and dispatch the aircraft;

deciding to remove the aircraft from service for major repair; and

deciding to dispatch the aircraft without repair.

8. A method of supporting a determination whether an aircraft is ready to fly or should be repaired in light of damage and/or malfunction to the aircraft, comprising:

receiving a request at a remotely located computer application from a user, via a communications device, observing the aircraft damage and/or malfunction at a boarding ramp area for an automated query and response session;

in response to the request, conducting an automated query and response session between a user observing the aircraft damage and/or malfunction and a remotely located computer application via a communications device, the computer application being adapted to request, receive and analyze data related to the damage and/or malfunction; and

determining whether the aircraft is ready to fly or should be repaired, based on the damage report resulting from the automated query and response session.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the automated query and response session comprises:

the automated computer application requesting information from the user; and

the automated computer application requesting further information and/or issuing instructions for further actions based on the user inputs and an automated analysis-based decision process.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein requesting further information may include one or more of:

requesting simple pass/fail nondestructive tests; and

requesting extensive quantitative nondestructive testing, requiring data acquisition, transmission and analysis.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing the damage report from the remotely located computer application to a flight dispatch supervisor to enable the flight dispatch supervisor to determine whether the aircraft is ready to fly or should be repaired.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving by the computer application a first response to the first automated query in the form of an keypad entry or an image transmitted from the communications device;

replying to the response with one or more additional queries to the user communications device from the computer application for additional information based on the contents of the prior received keypad entry;

receiving additional responses in reply to the additional queries and making additional request and or queries;

building a cumulative record of the received information by the computer application by associating the received responses with alphanumeric values and creating the record as a data structure comprising the alphanumeric values;

updating the record by appending the record with the alphanumeric values associated with the received additional responses; and

providing a report and/or automated instructions to the communications device user from the computer application for further actions in response to an analysis-based decision provided by the computer application based on the contents of the record.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the alphanumeric values have the form of a numeric values.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the remote computer application may provide a report, wherein the report may further include one or more of:

recommending minor repairs and dispatch the aircraft;

recommending removal of the aircraft from service for major repair; and

recommending dispatch of the aircraft without repair.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the recommending removal of the aircraft from service for major repair may further include recommending the rerouting of airline passengers and/or baggage.

16. A system for assisting a decision whether an aircraft should be repaired or is ready to fly in view of damage to the aircraft, comprising:

a computer system adapted to operate an interactive computer application operable to conduct a query and response interview session with a user viewing aircraft damage, wherein the computer application is further operable to generate a report about the aircraft damage based upon the query and response interview to assist the decision whether the aircraft should be repaired or is ready to fly.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer application is further operable to:

create a record of received information from the interview session as a data structure comprised of alphanumeric code;

store the data structure in a database;

retrieve a record from the database;

perform decision tree analysis of aircraft damage and/or malfunction based on the record; and

generate a damage report related to aircraft damage and/or malfunction on the basis of the record.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer system is further adapted to:

perform statistical analysis on stored records accumulated from current and prior interview sessions; and

provide reports based on the statistical analysis.