RFID data management system

• US 7,545,274 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Coop, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass; Jeff
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mortell; John F
• Application Number:
  US11/401,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20070241908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A maintenance data management system uses RFID tags associated with aircraft components to store and manage component attributes such as maintenance and service history, useful in performing aircraft maintenance. A transceiver is used to write data into the tags, read data from the tags and transmit the data to a central database for storage and access by maintenance providers. The data may include the service and maintenance history of the component. Maintenance providers may remotely access the database through the Internet.

Claims

1. A method of managing maintenance data for aircraft components, comprising the steps of:

(A) associating a radio frequency identification tag (RFID) with each of a plurality of components on the aircraft; and

,

(B) accessing a database to retrieve graphical data, said data base comprising graphical data comprising said aircraft and said plurality of components and electronically displaying using said graphical data at least a section of the aircraft and showing the location of the components having the associated RFID tags.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(C) writing data into each of the RFID tags associated with a respective one of the components.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (B) includes displaying at least portions of the data written into the each of the RFID tags associated with a respective one of the displayed components.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the displayed data of a respective one of the displayed components includes at least one of the following:

a) the operational history of the component;

b) the maintenance history of the component;

c) information related to the configuration of the aircraft in which the component is installed;

d) the date the component was manufactured

e) the name of the supplier of the component;

f) the serial number of the component; and

,

g) the part number of the component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least certain of the RFID tags are physically attached to a respectively associated component.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(D) reading the data written into each of the tags in step (C); and

(E) storing the data read in step (D) in said database.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of selecting a component within the aircraft section displayed in step (B), and wherein step (B) includes:

retrieving data stored in the database in step (E) related to the selected component, and simultaneously displaying the selected component and data retrieved from the database.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of retrieving the data stored in step (E) using the Internet.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein step (B) includes generating a transparent image of the aircraft displaying each of the components having an associated RFID tag.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(C) generating a view showing multiple sections of the aircraft, and

(D) selecting one of the sections generated in step (C) to be displayed in step (B).

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(C) selecting a component within the aircraft section displayed in step (B);

(D) displaying the component selected in step (C); and

,

(E) displaying attributes of the selected component.

12. A method of managing data related to the maintenance of aircraft components, comprising the steps of:

(A) associating a radio frequency identification tag (RFID) with each of the components;

(B) storing data on each of the RFID tags;

(C) said data comprising data identifying the associated components and data related to maintenance of the aircraft;

(D) reading the data stored on the RFID tags;

(E) storing the data read in step (D) in a maintenance information database; and

,

(F) retrieving data from the database for use in performing maintenance on the aircraft, said data comprising textual data stored on said RFID tags and graphical data comprising a graphical representation of said aircraft and said components having associated RFID tags.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(G) displaying an image of at least a section of the aircraft using said graphical data;

(H) graphically representing on the displayed aircraft section at least one of the components having associated RFID tags using said graphical data; and

,

(I) displaying the textual data retrieved in step (F) in association with the graphical representations of at least one of the components.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the textual data displayed in step (I) includes at least one of the following:

a) the operational history of the component;

b) the maintenance history of the component;

c) information related to the configuration of the aircraft in which the component is installed;

d) the date the component was manufactured;

e) the name of the supplier of the component;

f)the serial number of the component; and

,

g) the part number of the component.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(G) electronically displaying an image of said components having associated RFID tags, said image comprising at least a section of the aircraft;

(H) selecting a component in the image displayed in step (G); and

,

(I) displaying the textual data retrieved in step (F) in association with a graphical representation of the selected component.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

(G) generating a three dimensional transparent image of the aircraft using said graphical data;

(H) displaying a graphical representation of at least one of the components having an associated RFID tag within the transparent image using said graphical data;

(I) selecting a component displayed in step (H); and

,

(J) displaying in juxtaposed relationship to the selected component the textual data retrieved in step (F).

17. The method of claim 12, wherein steps (E) and (F) are performed by coupling a maintenance user interface with the database, said coupling comprising using the Internet.

18. A system for managing maintenance data related to aircraft components, comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with each of the components and operative for transmitting data relating to the associated component;

a reader for reading the data transmitted by each of the RFID tags;

a database storage for storing maintenance data, including the data read by the reader, said database storage comprising graphical representations of said aircraft and said components; and

,

a user interface tool for retrieving said maintenance data and said graphical representations from the database storage, and for displaying the retrieved data, said displayed data comprising a graphical representation of a location of said components in said aircraft and said maintenance data juxtaposed to a component associated with a respective RFID tag.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the maintenance data includes data identifying the component and data representing attributes of the component.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the data read by the reader includes the service history of the component.