METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING A PROGRAM RELATING TO A PRODUCT

• US 20110087513A1
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Boyd, Michael W., Patterson, Quentin S., Coker, Brian Lee, Sesny, Paul A., Floyd, Joseph F., Miller, Stephen Paul, Park, Chul Y., Hadley, Brent Louis, Eames, Patrick Jan
• Granted Patent: US 10,832,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment

Abstract

A method for managing a program relating to a product, the program including a plurality of program requirements for performing a plurality of program tasks, includes: (a) establishing a location reference system for a representation of the product in three dimensions; (b) identifying a plurality of task-loci in a display; the display presenting the representation of the product according to the location reference system; each respective task-locus of the plurality of task-loci being associated with a respective program task of the plurality of program tasks; (c) characterizing each respective task-locus associated with an accomplished respective program task as a respective completed task-locus; and (d) accounting for accomplishment of the respective program tasks by accounting for the respective completed task-loci.

Claims

1. A method for managing a program relating to a product;

said program including a plurality of program requirements for performing a plurality of program tasks;

the method comprising;

(a) establishing a location reference system for a representation of said product in three dimensions;

(b) identifying a plurality of task-loci in said representation of said product according to said location reference system;

each respective task-locus of said plurality of task-loci being associated with a respective program task of said plurality of program tasks;

(c) characterizing each said respective task-locus associated with an accomplished said respective program task as a respective completed task-locus; and

(d) accounting for accomplishment of said respective program tasks by accounting for said respective completed task-loci.

2. The method for managing a program relating to a product as recited in claim 1 wherein selected said respective program tasks include a time element;

said time element relating to a time interval within which said selected respective program task should be completed.

3. The method for managing a program relating to a product as recited in claim 1 wherein said location reference system is related to three substantially orthogonal axes having a substantially common origin.

4. The method for managing a program relating to a product as recited in claim 1 wherein said location reference system is related to a three dimensional polar coordinate system substantially centered at a common origin.

5. The method for managing a program relating to a product as recited in claim 1 wherein said product is at least a portion of an aircraft, and wherein said location reference system is related to structural elements of said aircraft.

6. The method for managing a program relating to a product as recited in claim 1 wherein said product is at least a portion of a fuselage of an aircraft;

said fuselage including a plurality of frames and a plurality of stringers;

each respective stringer of said plurality of stringers being generally perpendicular with at least one respective frame of said plurality of frames;

said location reference system being related to said plurality of frames and said plurality of stringers.

7. The method for managing a program relating to a product as recited in claim 1 wherein said program is a maintenance program, and wherein said plurality of program tasks relates to maintaining said product.

8. The method for managing a program relating to a product as recited in claim 2 wherein said program is a maintenance program, and wherein said plurality of program tasks relates to maintaining said product.

9. The method for managing a program relating to a product as recited in claim 2 wherein said location reference system is related to three substantially orthogonal axes having a substantially common origin.

10. A computer-implemented method for managing a program relating to a product;

said program including a plurality of program requirements for performing a plurality of program tasks;

the method comprising;

(a) establishing a location reference system for a representation of said product in three dimensions;

(b) identifying a plurality of task-loci in a display;

said display presenting said representation of said product according to said location reference system;

each respective task-locus of said plurality of task-loci being associated with a respective program task of said plurality of program tasks;

(c) characterizing each said respective task-locus associated with an accomplished said respective program task as a respective completed task-locus; and

(d) accounting for accomplishment of said respective program tasks by accounting for said respective completed task-loci.

11. The computer-implemented method for managing a program relating to a as recited in claim 10 wherein selected said respective program tasks include a time element;

said time element relating to a time interval within which said selected respective program task should be completed;

said time interval being presented in said display.

12. The computer-implemented method for managing a program relating to a as recited in claim 10 wherein said location reference system is related to three substantially orthogonal axes having a substantially common origin.

13. The computer-implemented method for managing a program relating to a as recited in claim 10 wherein said location reference system is related to a three dimensional polar coordinate system substantially centered at a common origin.

14. The computer-implemented method for managing a program relating to a as recited in claim 10 wherein said product is at least a portion of an aircraft, and wherein said location reference system is related to structural elements of said aircraft.

15. The computer-implemented method for managing a program relating to a as recited in claim 10 wherein said product is at least a portion of a fuselage of an aircraft;

said fuselage including a plurality of frames and a plurality of stringers;

each respective stringer of said plurality of stringers being generally perpendicular with at least one respective frame of said plurality of frames;

said location reference system being related to said plurality of frames and said plurality of stringers.

16. The computer-implemented method for managing a program relating to a as recited in claim 10 wherein said program is a maintenance program, and wherein said plurality of program tasks relates to maintaining said product.

17. The computer-implemented method for managing a program relating to a as recited in claim 11 wherein said program is a maintenance program, and wherein said plurality of program tasks relates to maintaining said product.

18. The computer-implemented method for managing a program relating to a as recited in claim 11 wherein said location reference system is related to three substantially orthogonal axes having a substantially common origin.

19. A system for managing a program relating to a product;

said program including a plurality of program requirements for performing a plurality of program tasks;

the system comprising;

(a) a display unit;

said display unit presenting a plurality of task-loci in association with a representation of said product according to a location reference arrangement in three dimensions;

each respective task-locus of said plurality of task-loci being associated with a respective program task of said plurality of program tasks;

(b) a control apparatus coupled with said display apparatus;

said control apparatus cooperating with said display apparatus to characterize each said respective task-locus associated with an accomplished said respective program task as a respective completed task-locus; and

(c) a data reporting unit coupled with at least one of said control unit and said display unit;

said data reporting unit accounting for accomplishment of said respective program tasks by accounting for said respective completed task-loci.

20. The system for managing a program relating to a product as in claim 19 wherein selected said respective program tasks include a time element;

said time element relating to a time interval within which said selected respective program task should be completed;

said time interval being presented in said display.