REAL-TIME AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TERMINAL

• US 20090132111A1
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Guglielmin, George, Macchia, Enzo
• Granted Patent: US 9,183,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

There is described a method for maintenance of an aircraft component, the method comprising: connecting electrically to the aircraft component via a maintenance terminal; retrieving maintenance data relating to the aircraft component using the maintenance terminal; performing maintenance operations on the aircraft component by entering data via a user interface on the maintenance terminal; and communicating in real time with a remote operator by transmitting and receiving at least one of voice signals and data signals wirelessly across a network via the maintenance terminal while performing the maintenance operations

Claims

1. A method for maintenance of an aircraft component, the method comprising:

connecting electrically to said aircraft component via a maintenance terminal;

retrieving maintenance data relating to said aircraft component using said maintenance terminal;

performing maintenance operations on said aircraft component by entering data via a user interface on said maintenance terminal; and

communicating in real time with a remote operator by transmitting and receiving at least one of voice signals and data signals wirelessly across a network via said maintenance terminal while performing said maintenance operations.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting electrically comprises connecting via a data transmission unit on an aircraft.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising accessing at least one remote database from said maintenance terminal via said network to retrieve information for said maintenance operations.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communicating comprises communicating with a help desk operator to obtain assistance for said maintenance operations.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communicating comprises enabling a connection by pushing a single button on said maintenance terminal.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communicating comprises speaking into said maintenance terminal and receiving text from said remote operator.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communicating comprises speaking into said maintenance terminal and receiving voice signals from said remote operator.

8. An aircraft maintenance communication system comprising:

a maintenance terminal adjacent to an aircraft component and electrically connected thereto via a communications link, the terminal comprising;

an application coupled to a processor and configured for retrieving maintenance data relating to said aircraft component and performing maintenance operations thereon;

a user interface to display said maintenance data and receive input data;

a microphone to convert sound waves into an electric current;

a speaker to convert analog audio signals into air vibrations in order to make audible sound; and

a transceiver adapted to transmit and receive voice and data signals wirelessly across a network; and

at least one remote communication terminal adapted to receive said voice and data signals transmitted from said maintenance terminal across said network and transmit voice and data signals to said maintenance terminal across said network in real time.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said application is adapted to access and retrieve information for said maintenance from at least one remote database via said network.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said maintenance terminal comprises a camera for capturing at least one of still photos and videos.

11. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said maintenance terminal is a data transmission unit for an aircraft.

12. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one of said maintenance terminal and said remote communication terminal is adapted to convert a voice signal into a data signal and a data signal into a voice signal.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said voice signal is in a first language and said data signal is in a second language.

14. A method for maintenance of an aircraft component, the method comprising:

connecting electrically to said aircraft component via a maintenance terminal and retrieving maintenance data therefrom;

receiving input data via a user interface on said maintenance terminal;

performing maintenance operations on said aircraft component using said input data and said maintenance data; and

communicating in real time with a remote operator from said maintenance terminal by transmitting and receiving voice signals and data signals wirelessly across a network.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said connecting electrically comprises connecting via a data transmission unit on an aircraft.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising accessing at least one remote database from said maintenance terminal via said network to retrieve information for said maintenance.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said transmitting and receiving voice signals and data signals comprises converting a voice signal into a data signal and transmitting said data signal to said remote operator.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said transmitting and receiving voice signals and data signals comprises receiving a data signal from said remote operator and converting said data signal into a voice signal.

19. An aircraft maintenance terminal comprising:

a communications link for electrical connection to an aircraft component to be maintained;

an application coupled to a processor and configured for retrieving maintenance data related to said aircraft component and performing maintenance operations thereon;

a user interface to display said maintenance data and receive input data;

a microphone to convert sound waves into an electric current;

a speaker to convert analog audio signals into air vibrations in order to make audible sound; and

a transceiver adapted to transmit and receive voice and data signals wirelessly across a network to communicate with at least one remote communication terminal in real time during said maintenance operations.

20. A maintenance terminal as claimed in claim 19, wherein said application is configured to access and retrieve information for said maintenance from at least one remote database via said network.

21. A maintenance terminal as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a camera for capturing at least one of still photos and videos.

22. A maintenance terminal as claimed in claim 19, wherein said application is configured to convert a voice signal into a data signal and a data signal into a voice signal.

23. A maintenance terminal as claimed in claim 22, wherein said voice signal is in a first language and said data signal is in a second language.