System and method of analyzing operational source data

• US 6,732,027 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PT Diagnostics LLC (IPNav)
• Original Assignee: PT Holdings Ltd.
• Inventors: Livingston, Randell W. Jr., Betters, W. Bradley, Whetsell, Bob W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US10/437,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701/34, 340/945, 340/963, 434/29, 434/30
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system includes a computer server for receiving an aircraft dataset; a database operably coupled to the computer server for storing the aircraft dataset into data fields; a web portal operably coupled to the computer server and the database for providing real-time access to consumers; and a maintenance analysis engine coupled to the computer server, the database, and the web portal to process the aircraft dataset into informational reports for an automatic delivery to the consumers, and optionally issuing a notification for retrieval thereof. The system employs a method of analyzing aircraft data for preventative maintenance, comprising: utilizing an aircraft dataset from at least one operational source; parsing the aircraft dataset into at least one data field; determining an acceptable range of values for the aircraft dataset within the at least one data field to define a threshold for the aircraft dataset; automatically activating a dynamic trigger to indicate a maintenance alert when the threshold is crossed; deriving a performance indication for the at least one operational source by determining one or more performance trends of the aircraft dataset; associating with the maintenance alert a notification having a status level indicative of a maintenance condition for the at least one operational source; combining the performance indication and the notification into an electronic report that forecasts need for preventative aircraft maintenance; and automatically delivering the electronic report to a predetermined location for retrieval by a consumer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

utilizing a dataset from an operational source;

parsing the dataset into one or more data fields;

determining a range of values for the dataset within a data field to define a threshold for the dataset;

activating a trigger to indicate an alert when the threshold is crossed;

deriving a performance indication for the operational source by determining one or more performance trends of the dataset;

associating with the alert a notification of a maintenance condition for the operational source;

combining the performance indication and the notification into a report that identifies a need for maintenance; and

delivering the report to a location for retrieval by a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the user of the delivery of a maintenance condition report with a status level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user provides a criteria including a predetermined period of time over which the dataset is to be collected by monitoring the operational source.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold is determined with a profile having one or more input attributes indicative of a maintenance analysis for the dataset.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the status level includes one or more levels, wherein the level is selected based on an excursion of the dataset in the data field beyond the threshold, and the profile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein delivery location includes a web portal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing includes collecting the dataset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the report includes one or more maintenance recommendations associated with the operational source.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the report includes a maintenance problem description and analysis for the operational source.

16. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery location includes a computer network.

10. A method of providing maintenance support, comprising:

parsing data from an operational source into at least one data field to derive an active dataset;

setting a trigger having one or more limits for the data field;

analyzing the active dataset for excursions beyond one or more limits within the data field;

activating the trigger;

associating with the trigger a status indication;

processing the active dataset to derive one or more trends for the data field;

combining the status indication and the one or more trends into a maintenance report for the operational source.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising delivering the maintenance report with the status indication to a user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising alerting the user by issuing a notification concerning the delivery of the maintenance report.

13. A computerized system to analyze data for maintenance, comprising:

means for utilizing a dataset from an operational source;

means for parsing the dataset into one or more data fields;

means for determining an acceptable range of values for the dataset within the data field to define a threshold for the dataset;

means for automatically activating a trigger to indicate a maintenance alert when the threshold is crossed;

means for deriving a performance indication for the operational source by determining one or more performance trends of the dataset;

means for associating with the maintenance alert a notification having a status level indicative of the maintenance condition for the operational source;

means for combining the performance indication and the notification into a report that forecasts need for maintenance; and

means for automatically delivering the report to a predetermined location for retrieval by a user.

14. A system, comprising:

a computer server for receiving a dataset from one or more operational sources to parse the dataset into one or more data fields;

a database operably coupled to the computer server for storing the dataset into one or more data fields;

a computer network operably coupled to the computer server and the database, the computer network being accessible to users employing one or more connections for accessing a maintenance-related informational report through a user interface associated with each user providing access to the maintenance-related informational report; and

a maintenance analysis program coupled to the computer server, the database, and the computer network for processing the data fields by setting a limit on one or more of the data fields, and disseminating one or more recommendations through the computer network, the one or more recommendations being derived from a performance trending indication of the dataset stored in the database by flagging the one or more data fields when the limit is reached.

15. A system of analyzing data for maintenance, comprising:

a computer server for receiving a dataset from an operational source to parse the dataset into data fields;

a database operably coupled to the computer server for storing the dataset into the data fields;

a computer network operably coupled to the computer server and the database, the computer network being accessible to users employing one or more connections for accessing a maintenance-related informational report through a user interface associated with each of the users; and

a maintenance analysis program coupled to the computer server, the database, and the computer network, the maintenance analysis program configured to;

determine an acceptable range of values for the dataset within at least one data field of the plurality of data fields to define a threshold for the dataset;

automatically activate a trigger to indicate a maintenance alert when the threshold is crossed;

derive a performance indication for at least one operational source of the plurality of operational sources by determining one or more performance trends of the dataset;

associate with the maintenance alert a notification having a status level indicative of a maintenance condition for the at least one operational source; and

combine the performance indication and the notification into the maintenance-related informational report.

17. A computer readable medium comprising instructions to perform the steps of utilizing a dataset from an operational source;

parsing the dataset into a data field;

determining an acceptable range of values for the data field within the dataset to define a threshold for the data field;

automatically activating a trigger to indicate a maintenance alert when the threshold is crossed;

deriving a performance indication for the operational source by determining one or more performance trends of the dataset;

associating with the maintenance alert a notification having a status level indicative of a maintenance condition for the operational source;

combining the performance indication and the notification into a report; and

delivering the report to a location for retrieval by a user.

19. A computerized system to analyze data, comprising:

means for utilizing a dataset from an operational source;

means for parsing the dataset into one or more data fields;

means for determining an acceptable range of values for the dataset within the data field to define a threshold for the dataset;

means for automatically activating a trigger to indicate an alert when the threshold is crossed;

means for deriving a performance indication for the operational source by determining one or more performance trends of the dataset;

means for associating with the alert a notification having a status level indicative of the condition for the operational source;

means for combining the performance indication and the notification into a report; and

means for automatically delivering the report to a predetermined location for retrieval by a user.

20. A computer-implemented method for providing maintenance support to a user, comprising:

utilizing an information dataset associated with an operational source to derive an active dataset in response to an analysis criteria, the analysis criteria including a period of time over which the dataset is collected by monitoring the operational source;

parsing the active dataset into a data field;

setting a trigger having one or more limits for the data field, wherein the trigger is determined responsive to a profile;

analyzing the dataset for flagging the data field by activating a trigger in response to an excursion of the dataset beyond one or more limits within the data field;

associating the excursion with a status indication having one or more levels, based on the amount of the excursion beyond the limit;

processing the excursion to derive one or more trends for the data field;

transforming the status indication and the one or more specific trends into a maintenance report;

delivering the maintenance report with the status indication to the user; and

alerting the user by issuing a notification concerning the delivery of the maintenance report.