Dynamic aircraft maintenance production system
First Claim
1. A method for dynamically planning a maintenance check of an aircraft, the method comprising:
- obtaining any routine tasks that may exist, and which are required to be performed on the aircraft;
obtaining any non-routine tasks that may exist, and which are required to be performed on the aircraft;
generating a maintenance flow chart detailing scheduling data for each of the routine and non-routine tasks;
assigning a user-determined number of the routine and non-routine tasks to personnel for completion;
obtaining maintenance activity data on each assigned routine task and non-routine task;
obtaining available resource data; and
updating the maintenance flow chart to reflect newly-obtained maintenance activity data and available resource data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dynamic aircraft maintenance production system for planning a maintenance check of an aircraft includes means for obtaining any routine tasks that may exist and which are required to be performed on the aircraft, means for obtaining any non-routine tasks that may exist and which are required to be performed on the aircraft, means for generating a maintenance flow chart detailing scheduling data for each of the routine and non-routine tasks, means for assigning a user-determined number of the routine and non-routine tasks to personnel for completion, means for maintenance activity data on each assigned routine task and non-routine task, means for available resource data, and means for updating the maintenance flow chart to reflect newly-obtained maintenance activity data and available resource data.
77 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for dynamically planning a maintenance check of an aircraft, the method comprising:
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obtaining any routine tasks that may exist, and which are required to be performed on the aircraft;
obtaining any non-routine tasks that may exist, and which are required to be performed on the aircraft;
generating a maintenance flow chart detailing scheduling data for each of the routine and non-routine tasks;
assigning a user-determined number of the routine and non-routine tasks to personnel for completion;
obtaining maintenance activity data on each assigned routine task and non-routine task;
obtaining available resource data; and
updating the maintenance flow chart to reflect newly-obtained maintenance activity data and available resource data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
a project forecast of an amount of time required to complete the maintenance check;
a start time and an execution time for each of the obtained routine and non-routine tasks, wherein the start and execution times are estimated values for incomplete tasks and are actual values for completed tasks.
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5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a maintenance flow chart comprises:
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identifying any dependent tasks that may exist, the dependent tasks being those routine and non-routine tasks which cannot be performed until the completion of at least one of the routine and non-routine tasks; and
generating a maintenance flow chart in which no dependent task has a start time earlier than an end time of any of the routine and non-routine tasks from which the dependent task depends.
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6. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a maintenance flow chart comprises:
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generating a proposed maintenance flow chart;
obtaining planning personnel modifications to the proposed maintenance flow chart; and
generating a maintenance flow chart which incorporates the planning personnel modifications.
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7. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning a user-determined number of routine and non-routine tasks to personnel for completion comprises obtaining assignment information from maintenance personnel.
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8. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining maintenance activity data on each assigned routine and non-routine task comprises obtaining a start time and an execution time for each assigned routine and non-routine task, the start time being a time at the task was assigned and the execution time being an elapsed amount of time spent completing the task.
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9. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining maintenance activity data on each assigned routine and non-routine task comprises obtaining new estimated execution times for those incomplete routine and non-routine tasks for which an actual execution time exceeds an initially-estimated execution time.
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10. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining maintenance activity data on each assigned routine and non-routine task comprises obtaining pass-down notes from an assigned personnel member for those routine and non-routine tasks left incomplete by the assigned personnel member.
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11. The method of claim 1 wherein the available resource data comprises labor hours available.
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12. The method of claim 1 wherein maintenance flow chart is graphically represented via a GANTT chart.
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13. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is operated over a communication medium operably connected to a plurality of input/output devices each having means for inputting and outputting information.
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14. The method of claim 13 wherein the communication medium is the digital communication network.
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15. A dynamic aircraft maintenance production system for planning a maintenance check of an aircraft, the dynamic aircraft production system comprising:
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means for obtaining any routine tasks that may exist, and which are required to be performed on the aircraft;
means for obtaining any non-routine tasks that may exist, and which are required to be performed on the aircraft;
means for generating a maintenance flow chart detailing scheduling data for each of the routine and non-routine tasks;
means for assigning a user-determined number of the routine and non-routine tasks to personnel for completion;
means for obtaining maintenance activity data on each assigned routine task and non-routine task;
means for obtaining available resource data; and
means for updating the maintenance flow chart to reflect newly-obtained maintenance activity data and available resource data. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
a project forecast of an amount of time required to complete the maintenance check;
a start time and an execution time for each of the obtained routine and non-routine tasks, wherein the start and execution times are estimated values for incomplete tasks and are actual values for completed tasks.
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19. The dynamic aircraft maintenance production system of claim 15 wherein the means for generating a maintenance flow chart comprises
means for identifying any dependent tasks that may exist, the dependent tasks being those routine and non-routine tasks which cannot be performed until the completion of at least one of the routine and non-routine tasks; - and
means for generating a maintenance flow chart in which no dependent task has a start time earlier than an end time of any of the routine and non-routine tasks from which the dependent task depends.
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20. The dynamic aircraft maintenance production system of claim 15 wherein the means for generating a maintenance flow chart comprises:
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means for generating a proposed maintenance flow chart;
means for obtaining planning personnel modifications to the proposed maintenance flow chart; and
means for generating a maintenance flow chart which incorporates the planning personnel modifications.
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21. The dynamic aircraft maintenance production system of claim 15 wherein the means for assigning a user-determined number of routine and non-routine tasks to personnel for completion comprises means for obtaining assignment information from maintenance personnel.
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22. The dynamic aircraft maintenance production system of claim 15 wherein the means for obtaining maintenance activity data on each assigned routine and non-routine task comprises means for obtaining a start time and an execution time for each assigned routine and non-routine task, the start time being a time at the task was assigned and the execution time being an elapsed amount of time spent completing the task.
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23. The dynamic aircraft maintenance production system of claim 15 wherein the means for obtaining maintenance activity data on each assigned routine and non-routine task comprises means for obtaining new estimated execution times for those incomplete routine and non-routine tasks for which an actual execution time exceeds an initially-estimated execution time.
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24. The dynamic aircraft maintenance production system of claim 15 wherein obtaining maintenance activity data on each assigned routine and non-routine task comprises means for obtaining pass-down notes from an assigned personnel member for those routine and non-routine tasks left incomplete by the assigned personnel member.
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25. The dynamic aircraft maintenance production system of claim 15 wherein the available resource data comprises labor hours available.
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26. The dynamic aircraft maintenance production system of claim 15 wherein maintenance flow chart is graphically represented via a GANTT chart.
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27. The dynamic aircraft maintenance production system of claim 15 wherein the dynamic aircraft production system is implemented over a communication medium operably connected to a plurality of input/output devices each having means for inputting and outputting information.
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28. The dynamic aircraft maintenance production system of claim 27 wherein the communication medium is a digital communications network.
Specification