Repair Procedure Development System

• US 20090043601A1
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: Space Administration, The Government of The US As Represented By The Secretary of The Navy
• Inventors: Norena, Elkin F., Al-Shihabi, Mary Jo, Locklear, Louis W., Belson, Martin A., Mitchell, Brent H., Hardin, Derek A., King, Nadean L., Schuh, Joseph M.
• Application Number:
  US12/101,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043601A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance

Abstract

A repair procedure development system is disclosed that may allow for an organized, automated decision making approach to repairs. Some embodiments use four categories and sub-categories of component, subcomponent, discrepancy, and repair, although other categories and numbers of categories may be used. The repair procedure development system may use a decision analysis tree to cycle through all possible permutations in the categories, and may therefore generate all possible discrepancies and repairs for particular hardware elements. In addition, the repair procedure development system may use a repair matrix to define the steps and sequences that are needed to perform any repair defined in the decision tree, with the option to select specific steps from multivariable steps. The repair procedure development system may capture knowledge data from one or more technical groups and may help merge specification requirements with repair procedures. The repair procedure development system may be transferable to other engineering groups. The repair procedure development system may allow an engineer to spend more time on the floor working issues, to interact more among technical disciplines, and to play a more proactive role in processing, while increasing technical accuracy and safety by reducing errors and communication disconnects.

Claims

1. A computer system for producing a repair procedure, the computer system being configured for:

presenting a first group of components for selection;

receiving a selected component from the first group of components;

presenting a second group of subcomponents for selection in response to the selected component;

receiving a selected subcomponent from the second group of subcomponents;

presenting a third group of discrepancies for selection in response to the selected sub component;

receiving a selected discrepancy from the third group of discrepancies;

presenting a fourth group of repairs for selection in response to the selected discrepancy; and

receiving a selected repair from the fourth group of repairs.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first group of components, the second group of subcomponents, the third group of discrepancies, and the fourth group of repairs are included in a predetermined repair decision analysis tree.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein each repair in the fourth group of repairs is a set of predefined steps.

4. The computer system of claim 1,

wherein the selected repair is a set of predefined steps;

and

wherein at least one predefined step is optional.

5. A method for preparing a repair procedure, comprising:

selecting a discrepant item;

associating a unique identification datum with the discrepant item;

presenting a set of repair tasks associated with the discrepant item;

receiving a selected subset of the set of repair tasks;

associating the selected subset of repair tasks with the unique identification datum;

identifying a plurality of step/boiler names required to perform the selected subset of repair tasks; and

providing the plurality of step/boiler names to an authoring application.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a set of access tasks associated with installation or removal of hardware that provides access to the discrepant item; and

associating the set of access tasks with the unique identification datum.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

communicating with an outside database; and

receiving from the outside database the plurality of step/boiler names.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the selecting step comprises navigating through a step process to identify a discrepant condition.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of repair tasks includes all possible repair tasks associated with the discrepant item.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

retrieving a plurality of step/boiler data from an authoring database in response to the plurality of step/boiler names; and

inserting the plurality of step/boiler data into a document.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the unique identification datum is a unique identification number.

12. A computer system for producing a repair procedure, the computer system being configured for:

presenting a first group of components for selection;

receiving a first selected component from the first group of components;

presenting a second group of subcomponents for selection, the second group of subcomponents being determined in part by the first selected component;

receiving a second selected subcomponent from the second group of subcomponents;

presenting a third group of discrepancies for selection, the third group of discrepancies being determined in part by the second selected subcomponent;

receiving a third selected discrepancy from the third group of discrepancies;

presenting a fourth group of repairs for selection, the fourth group of repairs being determined in part by the third selected discrepancy; and

receiving a fourth selected repair from the fourth group of repairs;

wherein the first group of components, the second group of subcomponents, the third group of discrepancies and the fourth group of repairs are included in a predetermined repair decision analysis tree.

13. The computer system of claim 12, further comprising:

presenting a fifth group of components for selection, in response to the first selected component; and

receiving a fifth selected component from the fifth group of components.

14. The computer system of claim 12, further comprising:

presenting a sixth group of subcomponents for selection, in response to the second selected subcomponent; and

receiving a sixth selected subcomponent from the sixth group of subcomponents.

15. The computer system of claim 12, further comprising:

presenting a seventh group of discrepancies for selection, in response to the third selected discrepancy; and

receiving a seventh selected discrepancy from the seventh group of discrepancies.

16. The computer system of claim 12, further comprising:

presenting an eighth group of repairs for selection, in response to the fourth selected repair; and

receiving an eighth selected repair from the eighth group of repairs.

17. A computer system for producing a repair procedure, the computer system being configured for:

presenting a first group of elements in a first category for selection;

receiving a first selected element from the first group of elements;

presenting a second group of elements in a second category for selection in response to the first selected element;

receiving a second selected element from the second group of elements; and

providing a repair procedure determined in part by the second selected element;

wherein the first and second groups of elements are included in a predetermined repair decision analysis tree.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the first and second categories are different.

19. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the first and second categories are the same.

20. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the provided repair procedure is determined in whole by the second selected element.

21. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising:

presenting a third group of elements in a third category for selection in response to the second selected element;

receiving a third selected element from the third group of elements;

presenting a fourth group of elements in a fourth category for selection in response to the third selected element;

receiving a fourth selected element from the fourth group of elements; and

producing a repair document in response to the fourth selected element;

wherein the first category is “

component”

;

wherein the second category is “

subcomponent”

;

wherein the third category is “

discrepancy”

;

wherein the fourth category is “

repair”

.