Integrated maintenance and materials services for fleet aircraft using aircraft data to improve maintenance quality

• US 7,761,201 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Thacker, Grant T., Moloney, Jay P., Fromm, Erik, Avery, Robert L., Khera, Cheryl, Cronie, Wendy, Rhodes, Patricia, Kirkish, Paula M., Leonhardi, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US11/282,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20070112489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 701 29- 36, 701/301, 701/320, 714/33, 714/36, 340/945, 340/963
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

Turnkey maintenance of a customer'"'"'s aircraft fleet is managed by a single management service provider (MSP) controlling integrated maintenance and materials services from a central operations site. The MSP converts data received directly from on-board aircraft systems into information it uses to manage maintenance service providers and parts suppliers. The MSP contracts with and manages maintenance, repair and overhaul organizations (MROs) who perform the maintenance on the customers'"'"' aircraft at line and base stations. The MSP either remotely manages part inventories at the customer'"'"'s site, or manages suppliers who deliver the parts to the MROs. Maintenance planning, scheduling and execution information is exchanged between the MSP, MROs, part suppliers and the customers through a shared data communication network controlled by the MSP. The MSP charges the customer for the maintenance services based on a flat rate per unit of aircraft flying time.

Claims

1. A method of managing maintenance of fleet aircraft for customers, comprising the steps of:

(A) collecting on-board aircraft data includes a system faults recorded on the aircraft, the number of aircraft flight hours, and the number of aircraft flight cycles, from each aircraft relating to the condition of systems on the aircraft;

(B) providing maintenance for the aircraft integrated maintenance service providers and material suppliers;

(C) using the data collected in step (A) to generate maintenance information useful in the maintenance of the aircraft; and

,

(D) providing the maintenance information to the maintenance service providers to improve the quality of maintenance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data collected in step (A) includes:

information relating to potential problems on the aircraft requiring maintenance, and

faults recorded on-board the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data collected in step (A) includes:

information related to the flights conducted by the aircraft,

information relating to the current health of on-board aircraft systems, and

predictions of future maintenance required for the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data collected in step (A) includes the maintenance history of the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (A) includes wirelessly transmitting the data from the aircraft to the ground, and storing the data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data collected in step (A) includes the current as-flying configuration of the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintenance information includes a forecast of the maintenance required by the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintenance information includes scheduling of facilities required to conduct the maintenance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintenance information includes a forecast of parts required for maintenance of the aircraft.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintenance service providers include maintenance, repair and service organizations (MROs) integrated under the management of an integrator, and the integrator provides the maintenance information to the MROs.

11. The method of claim 1, whereon the data collected in step (A) includes:

electronic log book information,

aircraft health management information, and

as flying configuration information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using the data collected in step (A) to generate new on-board fault codes for the aircraft useful in improving the quality of the maintenance provided by the maintenance service providers.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data collected in step (A) includes as-flying configuration information generated by on-board REID tags identifying components on the aircraft.

14. A method of managing maintenance of fleet aircraft for customers, comprising the steps of:

(A) organizing a group of maintenance, repair and overhaul organizations (MROs) under the management of an integrator to provide maintenance for the aircraft;

(B) organizing a group of suppliers to provide parts to the MROs for use in the maintenance;

(C) collecting data from each aircraft relating to the operating status of the aircraft and useful in conducting the maintenance; and

,

(D) providing the data collected in step (C) to the MROs,

(E) improving the quality of maintenance provided by the MROs using the data provided in step (D).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the MROs perform line and base maintenance of the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

step (C) includes wirelessly transmitting the data from the aircraft to the ground, and storing the information received on the ground at an operation center under the control of the integrator, and

step (D) includes retrieving the data from storage and transmitting the data from the operations center to the MROs.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the data includes at least one of the following:

electronic logbook information,

aircraft health management information, and

as-flying aircraft configuration information.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the data collected in step (C) includes the maintenance history of the aircraft.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the data collected in step (C) includes a prediction of maintenance required by the aircraft.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein step (C) includes scheduling facilities in which the MROs perform the maintenance.

21. A method of managing maintenance of commercial fleet vehicles for customers, comprising the steps of:

(A) organizing maintenance service providers under the control of an integrator to provide maintenance services for the vehicles in the fleet;

(B) organizing part suppliers under the control of the integrator to provide parts used in the maintenance services;

(C) collecting real-time data related to the operation of each of the vehicles and useful in connection with the maintenance of the vehicles including faults recorded on the vehicle, and, information relating to potential problems on the vehicle requiring maintenance; and

,

(D) transmitting the data collected in step (C) to the maintenance service providers for use in improving the maintenance services provided in step (A).

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the data collected in step (C) includes:

information related to the trips conducted by the vehicle,

information relating to the current health of system on-board the vehicle, and

predictions of future maintenance required for the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the data collected in step (C) includes the maintenance history of the vehicle.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein step (C) includes wirelessly transmitting the data from the vehicle to the ground, and storing the data.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the data collected in step (C) includes the current configuration of the vehicle.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of using the data collected in step (C) to generate new on-board fault codes for the vehicle useful in improving the quality of the maintenance provided by the maintenance service providers.