Fault data management

• US 7,788,002 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Anstey, Tim W, Ecola, Steven R, Allen, David L, Yukawa, Steven J
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEIBER, SHANTELL LAKETA
• Application Number:
  US11/199,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 455/431, 455/427, 455/422, 701/14, 701/24, 701/29, 701/30, 701/33, 701/34, 701/35, 340/853.2, 340/945, 340/963
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]

Abstract

A system and method are provided for managing mobile platform fault data. The method includes automatically collecting raw fault data regarding at least one fault that occurs onboard the mobile platform utilizing a central maintenance computer (CMC) onboard the mobile platform. The raw fault data is automatically transmitted from the CMC to an onboard computer system (OCS) of the mobile platform and to a central computer system (CCS) located remotely from the mobile platform. The method additionally includes automatically generating at least one electronic mobile platform cabin (MPC) draft fault report from the raw data utilizing a first portion of an electronic logbook function (ELB1) of the OCS. Execution of the ELB1 additionally generates a MPC draft fault report notification message viewable on an OCS display and is automatically downloaded to the CCS. The method further includes automatically correlating the MPC draft fault report with the raw fault data utilizing a second portion of the electronic logbook (ELB2) of the CCS.

Claims

1. A method of managing mobile platform fault data, said method comprising:

detecting one or more faults onboard the platform, collecting raw fault data, classifying the one or more faults based on whether observable by a flight crew onboard the platform, and sending the raw fault data for observable faults to an electronic logbook (ELB) application of an electronic flight bag (EFB) onboard the platform, the detecting, collecting, classifying and sending performed by a maintenance computer on the mobile platform when the platform is in use;

interpreting at least some of the sent raw fault data, and based on the interpreting, providing to the flight crew a draft of an electronic logbook fault report of a given fault classified as observable, the draft report indicating a classification of the given fault based on urgency of response needed as to the given fault, the interpreting and providing performed by the EFB using the electronic logbook application;

using the electronic logbook application, the EFB interactively receiving from the flight crew observations by the fight crew of the given fault and completing the draft report with the observations to further describe the given fault; and

comparing at least some of the collected raw fault data with the completed draft report.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the maintenance computer, sending the collected fault data to a computer remote from the platform; and

using the electronic logbook application, sending the completed draft report to the remote computer;

the comparing performed using the remote computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the EFB is capable of standalone operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the EFB interactively receives flight crew input editing the draft report.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the EFB interactively receives flight crew rejection of the draft report.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising combining at least some of the collected fault data with data in the electronic logbook fault report into a second fault report.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving the second fault report and providing data to the electronic flight bag (EFB) onboard the platform for use in maintenance of the platform, the providing performed via a portable electronic device (PED) in communication with the electronic flight bag and the remote computer.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising comparing at least some of the collected raw fault data and the electronic logbook fault report with collected raw fault data and electronic logbook fault reports from other mobile platforms to obtain the second fault report.

9. The method of claim 1, the comparing performed to accommodate for a difference between the collected raw fault data and the electronic logbook fault report.

10. A method of managing mobile platform fault data, the method comprising:

detecting one or more faults onboard the platform, collecting and sending raw fault data to a computer remote from the platform and to an electronic logbook application of an electronic flight bag (EFB) onboard the platform, and classifying the one or more faults based on whether observable by a flight crew onboard the platform, the detecting, collecting, sending, and classifying performed on the mobile platform by a maintenance computer;

the EFB, using the electronic logbook application onboard the platform, interpreting at least some of the collected fault data, and based on the interpreting, pushing a notification to the flight crew of generation of a partial description, in a draft of an electronic logbook fault report, of a given fault classified as observable;

the EFB, using the electronic logbook application, interactively allowing a flight crew member to supplement the draft report with one or more flight crew observations of the given fault to obtain a completed electronic logbook fault report; and

using the remote computer, interpreting at least some of the collected raw fault data sent by the maintenance computer, the interpreting performed with reference to the completed electronic logbook fault report.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein two different sets of data pertaining to the same fault are provided from the platform to the remote computer.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising allowing the flight crew member to compare a flight crew observation with fault data as interpreted and provided in the partial description.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising allowing the flight crew member to edit the partial description.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising allowing the flight crew member to reject the partial description.

15. A system for managing mobile platform fault data, the system comprising:

a maintenance computer on the mobile platform, the maintenance computer configured to detect faults on the platform, collect raw fault data, and classify detected faults based on whether observable by a flight crew onboard the platform;

an onboard electronic flight bag (EFB) having an electronic logbook (ELB) application, the ELB application configured to interpret at least some of the collected fault data, and based on the interpreting, provide a partial description to the flight crew, in a draft electronic logbook fault report, of a given fault classified as observable;

the electronic logbook application further configured to interactively receive, from the flight crew, one or more observations by the flight crew of the given fault for inclusion in, and to supplement, the electronic logbook fault report; and

a computer remote from the platform and configured to receive the raw fault data from the maintenance computer, to receive the supplemented electronic logbook fault report from the ELB application, and to coordinate at least some of the raw fault data sent by the maintenance computer with the one or more observations included in the supplemented electronic logbook fault report.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein for the given fault the maintenance computer provides raw fault data that differs at least in part from fault data provided by the ELB application in the supplemented electronic logbook fault report.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the onboard EFB is capable of standalone operation.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the ELB application is configured to include, in the supplemented electronic logbook fault report, flight crew input verifying the partial description.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a portable electronic device (FED) in communication with the EFB and the remote computer;

wherein the PED is configured to receive the supplemented electronic logbook fault report and fault data and to input data to the EFB for use in maintenance of the platform.

20. An aircraft comprising:

an onboard maintenance computer configured to detect faults, to collect raw fault data from a plurality of onboard sources, and to send the raw fault data to a remote computer;

an onboard electronic flight bag (EFB) including an electronic logbook (ELB) application configured to receive the raw fault data from the maintenance computer and to communicate with the remote computer;

the onboard maintenance computer further configured to identify the fault data to the ELB application based at least in part on whether a fault is observable by a flight crew onboard the aircraft;

the ELB application further configured to;

interpret fault data relating to a given fault identified as observable;

push to the flight crew a notification of availability of a draft ELB fault report based on the interpretation;

interactively receive one or more flight crew observations of the given fault and supplement the draft ELB fault report with the one or more observations; and

during flight, send the supplemented report to the remote computer for comparison with the raw fault data sent by the onboard maintenance computer.

21. The aircraft of claim 20, wherein the onboard EFB is capable of standalone operation.

22. The aircraft of claim 20, wherein for the given fault the maintenance computer sends raw fault data to the remote computer that differs at least in part from the supplemented report sent via the ELB application to the remote computer.

23. The aircraft of claim 20, wherein the onboard maintenance computer is further configured to identify an observable fault to the ELB application based on urgency of response.

24. A system for managing mobile platform fault data, the system comprising:

a maintenance computer configured onboard the mobile platform to detect occurrence of faults in the operational behavior of the platform, collect raw fault data, and, during operation of the platform, classify detected faults based on whether observable by a flight crew onboard the platform;

an onboard electronic flight bag (EFB) including an electronic logbook (ELB) application, the ELB application configured to interpret at least some of the collected fault data, and based on the interpreting, provide a partial description, in a draft ELB fault report and during operation of the platform, of a given fault classified as observable;

the electronic logbook application further configured to notify the flight crew during operation of the platform that a draft ELB fault report is pending and to interactively receive flight crew input in the draft ELB fault report to supplement the partial description; and

a computer remote from the platform and configured to receive the raw fault data from the maintenance computer, to receive the supplemented ELB fault report from the ELB application, and to coordinate at least some of the raw fault data sent by the maintenance computer with the supplemented fault description in the supplemented ELB fault report.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the maintenance computer is configured to identify a type of subsystem that detected an observable fault and to classify the observable fault based on response urgency.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic logbook application is further configured to interactively receive flight crew input in an ELB fault report form to report an observable fault not detected by the maintenance computer;

the remote computer configured to receive the ELB fault report form from the ELB application.