System and method of analyzing operational source data

• US 6,959,236 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• 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): Jeanglaude, Gertrude A.
• Application Number:
  US10/838,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/30, 701/34, 701/35, 340/945, 340/963, 340/500, 434/29, 434/30
• US Class Current: 701/35
• 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 method, comprising:

setting a first criteria comprising a data transformation criterion;

acquiring data according to the first criteria from at least one operational source of a system;

setting a second criteria comprising a trending criterion, a filtering criterion, and a charting criterion;

processing the data according to the second criteria;

analyzing the data for deriving maintenance conclusions for the system;

preparing an informational report comprising a status level and a performance trend indication; and

delivering the informational report to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, the data transformation criterion comprising a predetermined period of time to collect the data.

3. The method of claim 1, the second criteria further comprising determining a threshold value for the data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising setting a trigger to indicate an alert when the threshold is crossed.

5. The method of claim 1, the step of setting the first and second criteria further comprising providing an interface to the user for inputting the first and second criteria.

6. The method of claim 5, the interface comprising a graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, the step of acquiring data further comprising removing data from a data repository as one or more data fields.

8. The method of claim 1, the step of processing the data further comprising determining one or more performance trends responsive to the second criteria.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a status level test indicating a maintenance condition of the at least one operational source of the system.

10. The method of claim 1, the step of delivering further comprising notifying the user by an automated electronic message based on the status level.

11. The method of claim 1, the step of delivering further comprising delivering the informational report to a predetermined location.

12. The method of claim 11, the predetermined location comprising a web portal.

13. The method of claim 1, the system comprising an aircraft system.

14. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the method for solving a problem, the method steps comprising:

setting a first criteria comprising a data transformation criterion;

acquiring data according to the first criteria from at least one operational source of a system;

setting a second criteria comprising a trending criterion, a filtering criterion, and a charting criterion;

processing the data according to the second criteria;

analyzing the data for deriving maintenance conclusions for the system;

preparing an informational report comprising a status level and a performance trend indication; and

delivering the informational report to a user.