System, method and computer program product for accessing electronic information

• US 7,069,261 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2002
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Miller, Stephen P., Varughese, Binoy V., Okrent, David A., Guay, Roger L., Floyd, Joseph F., Ahl, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chojnacki, Mellissa M.
• Application Number:
  US10/114,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20030187823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A system for accessing electronic information includes at least one electronic database, a graphical user interface (GUI) and a processing element. The electronic databases can store electronic information, at least a portion of which is contained within a collection of electronic documents. The GUI can display at least one electronic portal document comprising a plurality of graphical elements, at least one of which is associated with at least one pointer that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic information. The processing element, is responsive to a selection of at least one graphical element and thereafter a selection of at least one associated pointer to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic information. The processing element can locate, retrieve and access selected electronic information based upon the selected pointer and, as applicable, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection.

Claims

1. A method of accessing electronic information, wherein at least a portion of the electronic information is contained within at least one collection of electronic documents indexed according to at least one predetermined indexing pattern, said method comprising:

selecting at least one electronic portal document comprising a plurality of graphical elements, wherein at least one of the graphical elements is associated with at least one pointer that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic information, wherein each pointer that is associated with electronic information that is contained within a respective collection of electronic documents identifies the electronic information according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;

selecting at least one graphical element to thereby access at least one associated pointer and thereafter select at least one accessed associated pointer to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic information;

locating the selected portion of the electronic information based upon the selected at least one pointer and, for the electronic information contained within a respective collection of electronic documents, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection; and

retrieving the selected portion of electronic information to thereby access the selected portion of electronic information.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the graphical elements is associated with at least one element electronic document that includes the at least one pointer, and wherein selecting at least one graphical element comprises selecting the at least one graphical element to thereby access an associated at least one element electronic document and thereafter select at least one associated pointer on the selected at least one element electronic document to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic information.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the portal documents comprises at least one schematic diagram of at least one operational system including a plurality of graphical elements representing operational elements of the at least one operational system, and wherein at least a portion of the electronic information is related to respective operational elements of the at least one operational system.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one graphical element includes at least one model graphical element, wherein selecting at least one graphical element comprises selecting at least one model graphical element, and wherein the method further comprises modifying at least one graphical element on the selected portal document based upon the portion of electronic information that is selected.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the at least one portal document further comprises at least one simulation element, wherein selecting at least one graphical element comprises selecting a respective simulation element of the selected portal document and thereafter selecting at least one graphical element, the method further comprising:

displaying at least one electronic simulation document associated with the selected portion of electronic information, wherein the at least one simulation document comprises at least one simulation graphical element associated with at least one graphical element on the selected portal document; and

selecting the at least one simulation graphical element, and

wherein modifying comprises modifying at least one graphical element on the selected portal document based upon the at least one simulation graphical element that is selected.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one portal document comprises at least one schematic diagram of at least one operational system including a plurality of graphical elements representing operational elements of the at least one operational system, wherein the at least one simulation document represents at least one control subsystem of the at least one operational system and includes at least one simulation graphical element associated with at least one graphical element of the at least one portal document, and wherein modifying comprises modifying the at least one graphical element based upon the at least one simulation graphical element that is selected to thereby simulate an operation of at least one of the operational elements of the at least one operational system.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein selecting at least one portal document comprises selecting at least one portal document from a first location, and wherein retrieving the selected portion of electronic information comprises retrieving the selected portion of electronic information via a wide area network (WAN) when the selected portion of electronic information is located remote from the first location.

8. A system for accessing electronic information, wherein at least a portion of the electronic information is contained within at least one collection of electronic documents indexed according to at least one predetermined indexing pattern, said system comprising:

at least one electronic database capable of storing the electronic information, wherein the portion of electronic information that is the contained within a respective collection of electronic documents is stored according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;

a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying at least one electronic portal document comprising a plurality of graphical elements, wherein at least one of the graphical elements is associated with at least one pointer that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic information, wherein each pointer that is associated with electronic information that is contained within a respective collection of electronic documents identifies the electronic information according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection; and

a processing element responsive to a selection of at least one graphical element to thereby access and display at least one associated pointer, wherein said processing element is further responsive to a selection of the at least one associated pointer to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic information, wherein said processing element is capable of locating the selected portion of electronic information based upon the selected at least one pointer and, for the selected electronic information contained within a respective collection of electronic documents, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection, and wherein said processing element is capable of retrieving the selected portion of electronic information to thereby access the selected portion of electronic information.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the associated pointers includes at least one graphical pointer that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of respective electronic information.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the graphical elements is associated with at least one displayable element electronic document that includes the at least one pointer, and wherein said processing element responsive to a selection of at least one graphical element to thereby access and display an associated at least one element electronic document including the at least one pointer.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein at least one portal document comprises at least one schematic diagram of at least one operational system including a plurality of graphical elements representing operational elements of the at least one operational system, and wherein at least a portion of the electronic information related to respective operational elements of the at least one operational system.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one portal document comprises a simulated three-dimensional display of the at least one operational system.

13. A system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one graphical element includes at least one model graphical element, wherein said processing element is responsive to a selection of the at least one model graphical element to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic information, wherein said processing element is further capable of modifying at least one graphical element of the at least one portal document displayed by said GUI based upon the portion of electronic information that is selected, retrieved and accessed.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one portal document displayed by the GUI further comprises at least one simulation element, wherein at least a portion of the electronic information is associated with at least one simulation document comprising at least one simulation graphical element associated with at least one graphical element on the at least one portal document, wherein said processing element is responsive to a selection of the at least one simulation element and thereafter a selection of at least one graphical element to further display an associated simulation document on said GUI, and wherein said processing element is further responsive to a selection of at least one simulation graphical element on the at least one simulation document that is displayed to thereby modify at least one graphical element on the at least one portal document based upon the at least one simulation graphical element that is selected.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the at least one portal document comprises at least one schematic diagram of at least one operational system including a plurality of graphical elements representing operational elements of the at least one operational system, wherein the at least one simulation document represents at least one control subsystem of the at least one operational system, and wherein said processing element is capable of modifying the at least one graphical element based upon the at least one simulation graphical element that is selected to thereby simulate an operation of at least one operational elements of the at least one operational system for display upon the GUL.

16. A system according to claim 8, wherein said processing element is located at a first location, and wherein said processing element is capable of retrieving the selected portion of electronic information via a wide area network (WAN) when said at least one database is located remote from the first location.

17. A computer program product for accessing electronic information, wherein at least a portion of the electronic information is contained within at least one collection of electronic documents indexed according to at least one predetermined indexing pattern, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

a first executable portion for selecting at least one electronic portal document comprising a plurality of graphical elements, wherein at least one of the graphical elements is associated with at least one pointer that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic information, wherein each pointer that is associated with electronic information that is contained within a respective collection of electronic documents identifies the electronic information according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;

a second executable portion for selecting at least one graphical element to thereby access at least one associated pointer to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic information;

a third executable portion for locating the selected portion of electronic information based upon the selected at least one pointer and, for the electronic information contained within a respective collection of electronic documents, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection; and

a fourth executable portion for retrieving the selected portion of electronic information to thereby access the selected portion of electronic information.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein said second executable portion accesses at least one associated pointer that includes at least one graphical pointer that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of respective electronic information.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the graphical elements is associated with at least one element electronic document that includes the at least one pointer, and wherein said second executable selects at least one graphical element to thereby access an associated at least one element electronic document and thereafter select the at least one associated pointer on the selected at least one element electronic document.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the at least one portal documents comprises at least one schematic diagram of at least one operational system including a plurality of graphical elements representing operational elements of the at least one operational system, and wherein at least a portion of the electronic information is related to respective operational elements of the at least one operational.

21. A computer program product according to claim 20, wherein at least one of the at least one portal documents comprises a simulated three-dimensional display of the operational system.

22. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the at least one graphical element includes at least one model graphical element, wherein said second executable portion selects a respective model graphical element of the selected portal document, said computer program product further comprising a fifth executable portion for modifying at least one graphical element on the selected portal document based upon the portion of electronic information that is selected.

23. A computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the at least one portal document further comprises at least one simulation element, wherein said second executable portion selects a respective simulation element of the selected portal document and thereafter selects at least one graphical element, said computer program product further comprising:

a sixth executable portion for displaying at least one electronic simulation document associated with the selected portion of electronic information, wherein the at least one simulation document comprises at least one simulation graphical element associated with at least one graphical element on the selected portal document; and

a seventh executable portion for selecting at least one simulation graphical element on the at least one simulation document that is displayed, and

wherein said fifth executable portion modifies the at least one graphical element on the selected portal document based upon the at least one simulation graphical element that is selected.

24. A computer program product according to claim 23, wherein the at least one portal document comprises at least one schematic diagram of at least one operational system including a plurality of graphical elements representing operational elements of the system, wherein the at least one simulation document represents at least one control subsystem of the at least one operational system and includes at least one simulation graphical element associated with at least one graphical element of the selected portal document, and wherein said seventh executable portion simulates an operation of at least one of the operational elements of the at least one operational system based upon the at least one simulation graphical element that is selected.

25. A computer program product according to claim 22, wherein said first executable portion selects at least one portal document from a first location, and wherein said fourth executable portion retrieves the selected portion of electronic information via a wide area network (WAN) when the selected portion of electronic information is located remote from the first location.

26. A method of accessing electronic aircraft information, wherein at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information is contained within at least one collection of electronic documents indexed according to at least one predetermined indexing pattern, said method comprising:

selecting at least one operational system document comprising a plurality of graphical line replaceable units (LRUs), wherein at least one of the graphical LRUs is associated with at least one hyperlink that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information, wherein each hyperlink that is associated with electronic aircraft information that is contained within a respective collection of electronic documents identifies the electronic information according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;

selecting at least one graphical LRU to thereby access at least one associated hyperlink and thereafter select at least one accessed associated hyperlink to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information;

locating the selected portion of the electronic aircraft information based upon the selected at least one hyperlink and, for the electronic aircraft information contained within a respective collection of electronic documents, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection; and

retrieving the selected portion of electronic aircraft information to thereby access the selected portion of electronic aircraft information.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein at least one of the graphical LRUs is associated with at least one LRU data navigator document that includes the at least one hyperlink, and wherein selecting at least one graphical LRU comprises selecting the at least one graphical LRU to thereby access an associated at least one LRU data navigator document and thereafter select at least one associated hyperlink on the selected at least one LRU data navigator document to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein the at least one graphical LRU includes at least one simulation element, wherein selecting at least one graphical LRU comprises selecting at least one simulation element, and wherein the method further comprises modifying at least one graphical LRU on the selected operational system document based upon the portion of electronic aircraft information that is selected.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein selecting at least one graphical LRU comprises selecting a respective simulation element of the selected operational system document and thereafter selecting at least one graphical LRU, the method further comprising:

displaying at least one control panel document associated with the selected portion of electronic aircraft information, wherein the at least one control panel document comprises at least one simulation graphical control associated with at least one graphical LRU on the selected portal document; and

selecting the at least one simulation graphical control, and

wherein modifying comprises modifying at least one graphical LRU on the selected operational system document based upon the at least one simulation graphical control that is selected.

30. A method according to claim 26, wherein selecting at least one operational system document comprises selecting at least one operational system document from a first location, and wherein retrieving the selected portion of electronic aircraft information comprises retrieving the selected portion of electronic aircraft information via the Internet when the selected portion of electronic aircraft information is located remote from the first location.

31. An aircraft maintenance aid system for accessing electronic aircraft information, wherein at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information is contained within at least one collection of electronic documents indexed according to at least one predetermined indexing pattern, said system comprising:

at least one electronic database capable of storing the electronic aircraft information, wherein the portion of electronic aircraft information that is the contained within a respective collection of electronic documents is stored according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;

a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying at least one electronic operational system document comprising a plurality of graphical line replaceable units (LRUs), wherein at least one of the graphical LRUs is associated with at least one hyperlink that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information, wherein each hyperlink that is associated with electronic aircraft information that is contained within a respective collection of electronic documents identifies the electronic aircraft information according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection; and

a processing element responsive to a selection of at least one graphical LRU to thereby access and display at least one associated hyperlink, wherein said processing element is further responsive to a selection of the at least one associated hyperlink to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information, wherein said processing element is capable of locating the selected portion of electronic aircraft information based upon the selected at least one hyperlink and, for the selected electronic aircraft information contained within a respective collection of electronic documents, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection, and wherein said processing element is capable of retrieving the selected portion of electronic aircraft information to thereby access the selected portion of electronic aircraft information.

32. A system according to claim 31, wherein at least one of the graphical LRUs is associated with at least one displayable LRU data navigator document that includes the at least one hyperlink, and wherein said processing element responsive to a selection of at least one graphical LRU to thereby access and display an associated at least one LRU data navigator document including the at least one hyperlink.

33. A system according to claim 31, wherein the at least one graphical element includes at least one model graphical LRU, wherein said processing element is responsive to a selection of the at least one model graphical LRU to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information, wherein said processing element is further capable of modifying at least one graphical LRU of the at least one operational system document displayed by said GUI based upon the portion of electronic aircraft information that is selected, retrieved and accessed.

34. A system according to claim 33, wherein the at least one portal document displayed by the GUI further comprises at least one simulation element, wherein at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information is associated with at least one control panel document comprising at least one simulation graphical control associated with at least one graphical LRU on the at least one operational system document, wherein said processing element is responsive to a selection of the at least one simulation element and thereafter a selection of at least one graphical LRU to further display an associated control panel document on said GUI, and wherein said processing element is further responsive to a selection of at least one simulation graphical control on the at least one control panel document that is displayed to thereby modify at least one graphical LRU on the at least one operational system document based upon the at least one simulation graphical control that is selected.

35. A system according to claim 31, wherein said processing element is located at a first location, and wherein said processing element is capable of retrieving the selected portion of electronic aircraft information via the Internet when said at least one database is located remote from the first location.