System and method for diagnosing aircraft components for maintenance purposes
First Claim
1. A system for diagnosing an aircraft component or component assembly for maintenance and repair purposes, said system comprising:
- (a) means positioned in or on said aircraft for monitoring an aircraft component and for providing status information signals regarding the status of said aircraft component, (b) first means for transmitting said status information signals and first means for receiving interrogation signals, (c) means for processing including second means for transmitting said interrogation signals and second means for receiving said status information signals for processing to provide maintenance and repair information, and (d) means for displaying said maintenance and repair information, wherein said means for monitoring comprises means for storing said status information signals sensed during flight for evaluation by said means for processing on the ground.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Aircraft maintenance and repair work is facilitated, especially for a commercial aircraft, by a diagnostic system and method, wherein an aircraft component or assembly of components is monitored by at least one sensor which produces and preferably also stores component status information. Respective status information signals are transmitted, preferably in a wireless manner, from a transmitter of the sensor to a receiver of a signal processing unit which provides status information on a display screen. The status information signals are preferably processed and evaluated with reference to rated maintenance and repair reference information to provide instructions as to what needs to be done where and when for a maintenance or repair. The sensor or sensors may operate during flight and the respective stored information is then processed and used on the ground.
42 Citations
61 Claims
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1. A system for diagnosing an aircraft component or component assembly for maintenance and repair purposes, said system comprising:
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(a) means positioned in or on said aircraft for monitoring an aircraft component and for providing status information signals regarding the status of said aircraft component, (b) first means for transmitting said status information signals and first means for receiving interrogation signals, (c) means for processing including second means for transmitting said interrogation signals and second means for receiving said status information signals for processing to provide maintenance and repair information, and (d) means for displaying said maintenance and repair information, wherein said means for monitoring comprises means for storing said status information signals sensed during flight for evaluation by said means for processing on the ground. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A system for diagnosing an aircraft component or component assembly for maintenance and repair purposes, said system comprising:
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(a) means positioned in or on said aircraft for monitoring an aircraft component and for providing status information signals regarding the status of said aircraft component, (b) means for generating energy for said means for monitoring, wherein said means for generating energy comprises means for converting energy taken from surroundings of said means for generating energy, (c) first means for transmitting said status information signals and first means for receiving interrogation signals, (d) means for processing including second means for transmitting said interrogation signals and second means for receiving said status information signals for processing to provide maintenance and repair information, and (e) means for displaying said maintenance and repair information, wherein said means for monitoring comprises means for storing said status information signals sensed during flight for evaluation by said means for processing on the round. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for diagnosing an aircraft component or component assembly for maintenance and repair purposes, said system comprising:
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(a) means positioned in or on said aircraft for monitoring an aircraft component and for providing status information signals regarding the status of said aircraft component, (b) first means for transmitting said status information signals and first means for receiving interrogation signals, (c) means for processing including second means for transmitting said interrogation signals and second means for receiving said status information signals for processing to provide maintenance and repair information, and (d) means for displaying said maintenance and repair information, wherein said means for processing comprises means for storing therein rated maintenance and repair reference information for evaluating said status information signals with reference to said rated maintenance and repair reference information. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method for diagnosing an aircraft component or component assembly for maintenance and repair purposes, said method comprising:
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(a) generating energy during flight by converting energy taken from surrounding of a sensor, (b) using said energy, a step of sensing with said sensor on said aircraft an operational status of at least one aircraft component during flight for providing component status information signals relevant to said at least one aircraft component, (c) transmitting an interrogation signal to request said component status information signals generated in said sensing (b), (d) transmitting said status information signals to a signal processing unit for processing to provide maintenance and repair information, and (e) displaying said maintenance and repair information on a display screen. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A system for diagnosing an aircraft component or component assembly for maintenance and repair purposes, said system comprising:
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(a) means positioned in or on said aircraft for monitoring a wing flap component and for providing status information signals regarding the status of said wing flap component, (b) first means for transmitting said status information signals and first means for receiving interrogation signals, (c) means for processing including second means for transmitting said interrogation signals and second means for receiving said status information signals for processing to provide maintenance and repair information, and (d) means for displaying said maintenance and repair information, wherein said means for processing comprises means for storing therein rated maintenance and repair reference information for evaluating said status information signals with reference to said rated maintenance and repair reference information. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A system for diagnosing an aircraft component or component assembly for maintenance and repair purposes, said system comprising:
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(a) means positioned in or on said aircraft for monitoring a wing flap component and for providing status information signals regarding the status of said wing flap component, (b) first means for transmitting said status information signals and first means for receiving interrogation signals, (c) means for processing including second means for transmitting said interrogation signals and second means for receiving said status information signals for processing to provide maintenance and repair information, and (d) means for displaying said maintenance and repair information, wherein said means for monitoring comprises means for storing said status information signals sensed during flight for evaluation by said means for processing on the ground.
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38. A method for diagnosing an aircraft component or component assembly for maintenance and repair purposes, said method comprising:
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(a) a step of sensing in or on said aircraft an operational status of at least one wing flap component for providing component status information signals relevant to said at least one wing flap component, (b) transmitting an interrogation signal to request said component status information signals generated in said sensing (a), (c) transmitting said status information signals to a signal processing unit for processing to provide maintenance and repair information, and (d) displaying said maintenance and repair information on a display screen, further comprising performing said sensing whether said aircraft is on the around or in flight and performing said transmitting, processing, and displaying while said aircraft is on the ground. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A system for diagnosing aircraft component or component assembly for maintenance and repair purposes, said system comprising:
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(a) means positioned in or on said aircraft for monitoring a hydraulic component and for providing status information signals regarding the status of said hydraulic component, (b) first means for transmitting said status information signals and first means for receiving interrogation signals, (c) means for processing including second means for transmitting said interrogation signals and second means for receiving said status information signals for processing to provide maintenance and repair information, and (d) means for displaying said maintenance and repair information. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method for diagnosing an aircraft component or component assembly for maintenance and repair purposes, said method comprising:
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(a) a step of sensing in or on said aircraft an operational status of at least one hydraulic component for providing component status information signals relevant to said at least one hydraulic component, (b) transmitting an interrogation signal to request said component status information signals generated in said sensing (a), (c) transmitting said status information signals to a signal processing unit for processing to provide maintenance and repair information, and (d) displaying said maintenance and repair information on a display screen. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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Specification