SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DATA RETRIEVAL

• US 20090281993A1
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hadley, Brent L., Eames, Patrick J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,856,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a system for facilitating transfer of data and information over a network includes a database component, a communication component adapted to communicate with a user via a portable communication device over the network, and a processing component adapted to receive a request for data and information from the user via the portable communication device over the network and process the request by accessing one or more documents from the database component related to at least one component of a machine specified by the user passed with the request. The communication component transfers the one or more documents from the database component to the portable communication device for viewing by the user.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating transfer of data and information over a network, the system comprising:

a database component;

a communication component adapted to communicate with a user via a portable communication device over the network; and

a processing component adapted to receive a request for data and information from the user via the portable communication device over the network and process the request by accessing one or more documents from the database component related to at least one component of a machine specified by the user passed with the request,

wherein the communication component transfers the one or more documents from the database component to the portable communication device for viewing by the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable communication device comprises at least one of a cell phone and personal digital assistant (PDA).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable communication device comprises a display component that displays the one or more documents.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable communication device comprises a portable database component for storage of the one or more documents and information related to the machine or at least a component of the machine.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable communication device comprises a user input component that receives input from the user including data and information related to the one or more documents.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine comprises an airplane.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more documents comprise at least one of a service bulletin and a service manual related to the machine.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more documents stored in the portable database component of the portable communication device provides the user with guided interactive inspection of the machine or at least a component of the machine by viewing topics in the one or more documents that are selectively searchable based on input by the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the topics are selectively searchable by at least one of a part number, a part description and a keyword.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the user input is stored in the portable database component and transferred to the system for storage in the database component.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the user input includes user answers to questions and one or more recorded results to the questions are stored in the portable database component and transferred to the system for storage in the database component.

13. A method for facilitating transfer of data and information over a network, the method comprising:

communicating with a user via a portable communication device over the network;

receiving a request for data and information from the user via the portable communication device over the network;

processing the request by accessing one or more documents from a database component related to at least one component of a machine specified by the user passed with the request; and

transferring the one or more documents from the database component to the portable communication device for viewing by the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method is performed by a server in communication with the portable communication device via the network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the portable communication device comprises at least one of a cell phone and personal digital assistant (PDA).

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying the one or more documents to the user via a display component of the portable communication device.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing of the one or more documents and information related to the machine or least a component of the machine in a portable database component of the portable communication device.

18. The method of claim 13, receiving input from the user including data and information related to the one or more documents.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the machine comprises an airplane.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more documents comprise at least one of a service bulletin and a service manual related to the machine.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing the user with guided interactive inspection of the machine or at least a component of the machine by allowing the user to selectively view topics in the one or more documents stored in the portable database component of the portable communication device that are selectively searchable based on input by the user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the topics are selectively searchable by at least one of a part number, a part description and a keyword.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising storing the user input in the portable database component and transferring the user input to the database component for storage.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the user input includes user answers to questions and one or more recorded results to the questions are stored in the portable database component for transfer to the database component.

25. A system for facilitating transfer of data and information over a network, the system comprising:

means for communicating with a user via a portable communication device over the network;

means for receiving a request for data and information from the user via the portable communication device over the network;

means for processing the request by accessing one or more documents from a database component related to at least one component of the machine specified by the user passed with the request; and

means for transferring the one or more documents from the database component to the portable communication device for viewing by the user.