Method and apparatus for managing aircraft maintenance records

• US 6,885,921 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grace H. Farmer
• Original Assignee: Grace H. Farmer
• Inventors: Farmer, Grace H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Tuan C
• Application Number:
  US10/142,200
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701/33, 701/34, 701/31, 701/45, 701/35, 701/101, 340/825.54, 340/825.52, 340/426, 340/438, 340/945, 340/963, 340/43.1, 340/500, 340/104.3, 702/184, 702/185, 702/188, 714/25, 382/146, 382/141, 382/152, 342/29, 342/30, 342/32, 342/36, 342/40, 348/86, 345/50, 345/60, 345/26.8
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

An apparatus and method for an aircraft maintenance server includes a system in which an electronic package is created for delivery to the maintenance personnel. The electronic package includes all of the specific maintenance process tasks that must be performed to satisfy local, international governmental regulations as well as operator and aircraft manufacturer defined procedures. Additionally, the electronic package includes a list of parts that will be required for the specified tasks and, optionally, a flow chart illustrating the overall process.

Claims

1. A maintenance server for monitoring and facilitating aircraft maintenance procedures, comprising:

a memory for storing computer instructions that define the operational logic of the maintenance server;

said operational logic including logic to prompt a maintenance manager to identify a maintenance task that is to be performed and, responsive thereto, generating an electronic package for delivery to the maintenance personnel, said electronic package being transmitted to a portable storage medium, said computer instructions further defining logic to create and arrange data according to a plurality of specified formats;

said memory further comprising computer instructions that define logic that closes specified charge numbers that relate to the specified tasks once an indication is received from a maintenance supervisor that the tasks are completed and approved;

a data bus coupled to the memory; and

a processor coupled to the data bus wherein said processor communicates with said memory over said data bus to receive computer instructions therefrom for execution, said processor also receiving data from said memory for transmission to an external device.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein said computer instructions specifically define logic to prompt the processor to create an electronic package that defines the process steps that a maintenance personnel is to perform for an identified aircraft and an identified task.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions further define logic that prompts the server to create the electronic package containing maintenance process steps as well as a maintenance process flow chart both for display or printing by the maintenance personnel.

4. The maintenance server of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions that define logic for maintaining a list of maintenance personnel and supervisors and the repair tasks for which they are authorized to charge and receive the electronic package that is generated by the maintenance server.

5. The maintenance server of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions that define operation of the maintenance server for communicating over a wireless communication interface.

6. The maintenance server of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions that define a corresponding set of test procedures for every defined maintenance task so that maintenance work may properly be tested.