Aircraft flight data analysis system and method

• US 6,259,977 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1998
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Austin Digital, Inc. (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Austin Digital, Inc. (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Mayer, Thomas J., Pineo, Richard E., Kozman, Ken S., Vamsi, Katta M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donnelly, Arthur D.
• Application Number:
  US09/193,572
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 701/14, 701/24, 701/25, 701/34, 360/5, 360/31, 734/89
• US Class Current: 701/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0095 Aspects of air-traffic control not provided for in the other subgroups of this main group

Abstract

An aircraft data analysis computer program and method that allows user-defined measurements to be made on a set of flight data obtained from a variety of sources. Post-flight measurement and trending analysis software provides a user configurable measurement system using user-defined measurement definitions for analyzing flight data from a variety of sources. Measurements that require nonsequential analysis of the sequential flight data file can be performed. Data from a variety of aircraft types, from a variety of flight data recorders and from other sources of flight data can be analyzed by translating the data into fleet-independent terms, so that the performance of different fleets or different aircraft types can be compared. The user can perform trending, characterization and statistical analyses on the flight data information. The results of the user-defined measurements are stored in a flight analysis database and may be viewed by the user in a variety of display formats.

Claims

1. A computer program for post-flight data analysis of aircraft flight data comprising the steps of:

a. using recorded flight data containing data for one or more flights of interest;

b. for one or more flights of interest, analyzing the recorded flight data using user defined measurement definitions, said measurement definitions defined by a user prior to analyzing the flight of interest; and

c. saving the results of the analysis for each flight of interest.

2. A computer program according to claim 1, further comprising:

a. repeating steps a and b for different sets of user defined measurements; and

b. saving each result in a flight analysis data base.

3. A computer program according to claim 1, wherein the user defined measurements are stored in a measurement definition file.

4. A computer program according to claim 1, wherein the recorded flight data is preprocessed and stored in a flight database.

5. A computer program according to claim 4, wherein the preprocessing comprises:

a. segmenting the data into individual flights;

b. identifying the phases of flight;

c. deidentifying the individual flights; and

d. determining airport locations for take off and landing.

6. A computer program according to claim 5, further comprising storing the results of steps a through d in a flight database.

7. A computer program according to claim 1, wherein the user defined measurements are selected from the group consisting of timepoint definitions, interval definitions measurement definitions, and event definitions.

8. A computer program according to claim 1, wherein the user defined measurements comprise:

a. timepoint definitions;

b. interval definitions;

c. measurement definitions; and

d. event definitions.

9. A computer program according to claim 8 wherein the timepoint definitions are selected from the group consisting of phase of flight timepoint, relative timepoint;

dual defined timepoint, data defined timepoint and file defined timepoint.

10. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the timepoint definitions comprise defining a timepoint relative to a phase of flight specified by the user.

11. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the timepoint definitions comprise a timepoint to be defined relative to a single selected timepoint.

12. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the timepoint definitions comprise:

a. a timepoint to be defined relative to a first and second specified timepoints;

and

b. the timepoint to be defined may be selected from the group consisting of;

a timepoint at an earlier time than the first and second selected timepoints, a timepoint at a later time than the first and second selected timepoints, a timepoint at a randomly occurring time at a time between the first and second selected timepoints, and a timepoint at a specified interval between the first and second selected timepoints.

13. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the timepoint definitions comprise a data defined timepoint.

14. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the timepoint definitions comprise a timepoint to be defined relative to a selected condition that occurs during a specified interval of time.

15. A computer program according to claim 14, wherein the selected condition occurs when a value of a parameter satisfies a comparison during a time range specified by the user.

16. A computer program according to claim 15, wherein the parameter comprises a simple parameter that is a value of a logical aircraft parameter for a specified aircraft type.

17. A computer program according to claim 15, wherein the parameter comprises a simple parameter that is a rate of change of a logical aircraft parameter for a specified aircraft type.

18. A computer program according to claim 15, wherein the parameter is an advanced parameter comprising a calculated value.

19. A computer program according to claim 18, wherein the calculated value comprises inputting recorded aircraft data, user defined measurement definitions, modifiers and logical fleet constants into a formula to generate the advanced parameter.

20. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the user defined measurement definitions comprise a value of a parameter at a timepoint.

21. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the user defined measurements comprise an aggregate function over an interval.

22. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the user defined measurements comprise a computed measurement.

23. A computer program according to claim 22, wherein the computed measurement comprises inputting previously defined measurements, modifiers and logical fleet constants into a formula to generate the computed measurement.

24. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the user defined measurements comprise a location in the data of a particular timepoint.

25. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the user defined measurements comprise a duration of an interval in the recorded flight data.

26. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the timepoint definitions comprise a time point selected from the group consisting of the start or end of the flight of interest in the data base of flight data measurements.

27. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the interval definitions comprise selecting an interval of time between first and second previously defined timepoints.

28. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the measurement definitions comprise:

a. parameter measurements;

b. aggregate measurements;

c. computed measurements;

d. timepoint measurements; and

e. duration measurements.

29. A computer program according to claim 28, wherein the parameter measurement comprises the value of a parameter at a specified timepoint.

30. A computer program according to claim 28, wherein the parameter measurement comprises the value of an aggregate function over a specified interval.

31. A computer program according to claim 30 wherein the aggregate function is selected from the group consisting of average rate of change, linear fit-offset, linear fit-slope, maximum value, mean value, minimum value, standard deviation, time of maximum, time of minimum, value at an end of an interval, or value change over an interval.

32. A computer program according to claim 28, wherein the computed measurement is computed by building a formula using values of any previously defined measurement, aircraft logical fleet constants and a set of mathematical and logical modifiers.

33. A computer program according to claim 28, wherein the timepoint measurement is a timepoint within the flight analysis database.

34. A computer program according to claim 7, wherein the interval definition is a duration of time between a first and second timepoint.

35. A computer program according to claim 19, wherein the modifiers are selected from the group consisting of:

arithmetic, algebraic, geometric, trigonometric, calculus, data filters, sampling rate and logical.

36. A computer program according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing step comprises processing each user defined measurement contained in a measurement file and outputting a measured value.

37. A computer program according to claim 1, wherein for a particular flight of interest, in the analyzing step, if the user measurement is a timepoint, the value of timepoint is saved for the flight of interest in a flight analysis data base.

38. A computer program according to claim 8, wherein the event definitions are selected from the group consisting of Boolean valued computed measurements and data defined timepoints.

63. A computer program according to claim 16, wherein the logical aircraft parameter comprises a recorded aircraft parameter.

64. A computer program according to claim 16, wherein the logical aircraft parameter comprises a mathematical formula.

65. A computer program according to claim 16, wherein the logical aircraft parameter is not specified to indicate the logical aircraft parameter does not exist for the specified aircraft type.

66. A computer program according to claim 19, wherein the logical fleet constants comprise a specified value for an aircraft type.

67. A computer program according to claim 19, wherein the logical fleet constants are not specified to indicate the logical fleet constant does not exist for a specified aircraft type.

68. A computer program according to claim 23, wherein the logical fleet constants comprise a specified value for an aircraft type.

69. A computer program according to claim 23, wherein the logical fleet constants are not specified to indicate the logical fleet constant does not exist for a specified aircraft type.

70. A computer program according to claim 32, wherein the logical fleet constants comprise a specified value for an aircraft type.

71. A computer program according to claim 32, wherein the logical fleet constants are not specified to indicate the logical fleet constant does not exist for a specified aircraft type.

72. A computer program, embodied on a computer-readable medium, incorporating the method of claim 1.

39. A method for analyzing recorded aircraft flight data, in a computer program running on a computer processor, comprising:

a. providing recorded flight data;

b. analyzing the recorded flight data using user defined measurement definitions, said measurement definitions defined by a user prior to analyzing the flight of interest;

c. collecting the results of steps a through c and storing the results in a flight analysis database; and

d. displaying the results to the user.

40. A method according to claim 39, further comprising:

a. analyzing the flight analysis database to detect if the results of step d include any out of bound conditions as defined by the user; and

b. storing any out of bound conditions in an anomaly database.

41. A method according to claim 39 wherein the recorded fight data is processed and stored in a flight database.

42. A method according to claim 39 wherein the flight data is for one or more flights of a same aircraft.

43. A method according to claim 39 wherein the flight data is for one or more flights of different aircraft of a same aircraft type.

44. A method according to claim 39 wherein the flight data is for one or more flights of different aircraft of a different aircraft type.

45. A method according to claim 39 further comprising allowing the user to perform interactive analysis of the flight analysis database.

46. A method according to claim 44 wherein the interactive analysis comprises:

a. using selected user defined measurement criteria, analyzing the data in the flight analysis database and generating a new set of results;

b. storing the results in the flight analysis database;

c. allowing the user to selectively view the results; and

d. exporting the results in a user-defined format.

47. A method according to claim 45, wherein the user can view the results as a histogram.

48. A method according to claim 45, wherein the user can view the results in three dimensions.

49. A method according to claim 45, wherein the allowing the user to selectively view the results step comprises allowing the user to select data to be displayed by the value of the data, the date of the data and the set of the data.

50. A method according to claim 48, wherein the set of the data can be characterized by aircraft fleet, aircraft identification, aircraft takeoff location and aircraft landing location.

51. A method according to claim 48, wherein the value of the data comprises a selected measurement, percentage of error and hours of flight.

52. A method according to claim 45, wherein the user can view the results for a single flight.

53. A method according to claim 45, wherein exporting the results in a user-defined format comprises generating a report of the results selected from the group consisting of the entire set of results or a current view of the results displayed to the user.

54. A method according to claim 45, wherein exporting the results in a user-defined format comprises generating a spreadsheet of the results.

55. A method according to claim 45, wherein the user defined measurement criteria, comprises determining constraints to be applied to the flight database.

56. A method according to claim 54, wherein determining the constraints comprises selecting a filter from the group consisting of a measurement filter, a date filter, a set filter, and a record number filter.

57. A method according to claim 55, wherein the measurement filter is selected from the group consisting of no filter, measurement does not exist filter, exclude a measurement that does exist filter, measurement is less than or equal filter, measurement is greater than or equal filter, measurement is between a value, measurement is not between a value, and measurement is within a value range.

58. A method according to claim 55, wherein the set filter is selected form the group consisting of no filter, equal to a selected set, including a selected set or excluding a selected set.

59. A method according to claim 55, wherein the record number filter is selected from the group consisting of no filtering, record number equal to filter, record number greater than filter, record number greater than filter, record number between selected record numbers filter, record number not between selected record numbers filter and record number between a range of values filter.

60. Computer executable software code stored on a computer readable medium, the code for performing post-flight data analysis of aircraft flight data comprising:

a. code for using recorded flight data containing data for one or more flights of interest;

b. for one or more flights of interest, code for analyzing the recorded flight data using user defined measurement definitions, said measurement definitions defined by a user prior to analyzing the flight of interest; and

c. code for saving the results for the flight of interest.

61. Computer executable software code according to claim 60, further comprising:

a. analyzing the saved results for the flight of interest in the flight analysis database using a different set of user defined measurements; and

b. saving results using the different set of user defined measurements for the flight of interest in the flight analysis data base.

62. Computer executable software code according to claim 60, wherein the user defined measurement definitions are selected from the group consisting of timepoint definitions, interval definitions, measurement definitions and event definitions.