Software-Based System and Method for Changing Structural Feature Designations

• US 20110178620A1
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Mohan, Varinder K., Sebby, Norman A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,555,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4978 Assisting assembly or disassembly

Abstract

A software-based system for changing structural feature designations within a production environment includes a menu page component adapted to support a menu page; an information document component interfacing with the menu page component and adapted to support at least one information document having structural feature designations of structural features; and an edit component interfacing with the information document component and adapted to view and edit the structural feature designations to expedite flow of materials in the production environment.

Claims

1. A software-based system for changing structural feature designations within a production environment, comprising:

a menu page component adapted to support a menu page;

an information document component interfacing with said menu page component and adapted to support at least one information document having structural feature designations of structural features; and

an edit component interfacing with said information document component and adapted to view and edit said structural feature designations to expedite flow of materials in said production environment.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a login component interfacing with said menu page component and adapted to support a login window.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said login window comprises a user ID entry box, a password entry box, a submit button and a change password link.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a document selection component interfacing with said information document component and adapted to facilitate selection from among a plurality of information documents supported by said information document component.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a file menu provided on said menu page of said menu page component, a document series provided on said file menu and a document selection menu having a plurality of document selections corresponding to said plurality of information documents selectable from said document selection menu.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said information document component comprises a graphic feature representation component adapted to support a graphic feature representation of said structural features.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said information document component comprises a change record component adapted to support a change record of said structural feature designations.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said structural feature designations are expressed as a plurality of build control codes.

9. A software-based system for changing structural feature designations within a production environment, comprising:

a system comprising;

a menu page component adapted to support a menu page;

a login component interfacing with said menu page component and adapted to support a login window;

an information document component interfacing with said menu page component and adapted to support a plurality of information documents each having structural feature designations of structural features;

a document selection component interfacing with said information document component and adapted to facilitate selection from among said plurality of information documents;

an edit component interfacing with said information document component and adapted to view and edit said structural feature designations of said plurality of information documents; and

information technology systems provided in said production environment and interfacing with said system; and

wherein said system can be adapted to operate in conjunction with said information technology systems to expedite flow of materials in said production environment.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said login window comprises a user ID entry box, a password entry box, a submit button and a change password link.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a file menu provided on said menu page of said menu page component, a document series provided on said file menu and a document selection menu having a plurality of document selections corresponding to said plurality of information documents selectable from said document selection menu.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said information document component comprises a graphic feature representation component adapted to support a graphic feature representation of said structural features.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said information document component comprises a change record component adapted to support a change record of said structural feature designations.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said structural feature designations are expressed as a plurality of build control codes.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said edit component comprises an edit window having at least one build control code drop menu corresponding to each of said structural feature designations and wherein said plurality of build control codes is selectable from said at least one build control code drop menu.

16. A software-based method for changing structural feature designations within a production environment, comprising:

providing structural feature designations of structural features of at least one part;

providing electronic planning datasets corresponding to said structural feature designations;

providing a software-based program adapted to select, view and change said structural feature designations of said structural features;

using said software-based program to select and change said structural feature designations of at least one of said structural features; and

expediting flow of materials in said production environment by releasing said structural feature designations into a planning system as a new planning configuration control.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising using said software-based program to visually select and view said structural feature designations of at least one of said structural features.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing customer access to said structural feature designations.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said providing structural feature designations of structural features of at least one part comprises providing structural feature designations of fastener openings provided in a panel.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said providing structural feature designations of structural features of at least one part comprises providing a graphic feature representation of said at least one part and providing said structural features on said graphic feature representation.

21. A software-based system for changing structural feature designations, comprising:

a system comprising;

a menu page component adapted to support a menu page;

a login component interfacing with said menu page component and adapted to support a login window;

an information document component interfacing with said menu page component and adapted to support a plurality of information documents each having structural feature designations of structural features of at least one part;

a document selection component interfacing with said information document component and adapted to facilitate selection from among said plurality of information documents;

a graphic feature representation component interfacing with said information document component and adapted to display said structural features of said at least one part;

an area of change component interfacing with said graphic feature representation component and adapted to select said structural feature designations of said structural features for change;

an edit component interfacing with said area of change component and adapted to view and edit said structural feature designations of said plurality of information documents;

a legend component interfacing with said information document component and adapted to list said structural feature designations; and

a change of record component interfacing with said information document component and adapted to display a record of changes of said structural feature designations;

information technology systems provided in said production environment and interfacing with said system;

wherein said system can be operated in a first configuration to operate in conjunction with said information technology systems to expedite flow of materials in said production environment; and

wherein said system can be operated in a second configuration to bypass said information technology systems to expedite flow of materials in said production environment.

22. A software-based method for changing structural feature designations outside of or in conjunction with IT systems within a production environment to expedite materials in the production environment, comprising:

providing build control codes corresponding to structural feature designations of structural features of at least one part;

providing electronic planning datasets corresponding to said build control codes;

providing a software-based program adapted to select, view and change said build control codes;

using said software-based program to select and change at least one of said build control codes of at least one of said structural features;

using said software-based program to visually select and view at least one of said build control codes;

expediting flow of materials in said production environment by releasing said structural feature designations into a planning system as a new planning configuration control; and

providing customer access to said electronic planning datasets.