System, method, and computer program product for computing orientation alignment transfer tool locations to transfer predicted cruise orientation alignment of an as-built airplane

• US 7,869,895 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Jones, Alan K.
• Primary Examiner(s): DeCady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBERTSON, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/002,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20090151143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95, 700/117, 700/159, 700/186, 700192-195, 700/64, 700/114, 244/3.21, 244/45.R, 244/46, 244/118.1, 244/117.R, 244/119, 701/1, 701 3- 5, 701/6, 701/7, 703/7, 703/8, 294/071, 297/14, 294/070.9, 89/411.9
• US Class Current: 700/114
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4978 Assisting assembly or disassembly

Abstract

Illustrative computer-executable methods, systems, and computer software program products compute orientation alignment transfer tool location. Orientation of at least one aerodynamically significant feature of an as-built airplane is automatically determined. Orientation of an orientation monument for the as-built airplane is automatically determined from the determined orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature of the as-built airplane, and motion to align an orientation alignment transfer tool with the determined orientation of the orientation monument is automatically determined.

Claims

1. A computer executable method for computing orientation alignment transfer tool location, the method comprising:

at a computer processing system having an input interface and an output interface;

receiving as-built location data of one or more points on at least one aerodynamically significant feature in an as-built airplane via the input interface;

automatically determining orientation of at least one aerodynamically significant feature of an as-built airplane;

predicting cruise orientation for the as-built airplane from the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature in the as-built airplane;

automatically determining orientation of an orientation monument for the as-built airplane from the predicted cruise orientation for the as-built airplane;

automatically determining motion to align an orientation alignment transfer tool with the determined orientation of the orientation monument; and

presenting the determined motion at the output interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one aerodynamically significant feature is part of at least one respective component of the as-built airplane; and

automatically determining orientation of at least one aerodynamically significant feature of an as-built airplane includes;

automatically computing orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with respect to the respective component; and

automatically computing the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature in the as-built airplane based on the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with respect to the respective component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein automatically computing the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with respect to its respective component includes:

receiving predetermined as-built locations of a plurality of points of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature;

receiving measured locations of the plurality of points of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature; and

computing a location of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with respect to assembly interfaces of the component.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein automatically computing the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature in the as-built airplane based on the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with respect to its respective component:

receiving via the input interface an initial location and orientation of at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature;

receiving via the input interface a final orientation in an as-built airplane of the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature;

automatically computing motion of the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature from initial location of the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature to final orientation in the as-built airplane of the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature; and

automatically applying to the at least one aerodynamically significant feature the motion computed for the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically computing the orientation of the orientation monument for the as-built airplane from predicted cruise orientation for the as-built airplane includes:

receiving the predicted cruise orientation;

reversing rotation of the predicted cruise orientation; and

adding orientation angles of a section of the as-built airplane in which the orientation monument is to be installed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining motion to align an orientation alignment transfer tool with the determined orientation of the orientation monument includes:

automatically determining initial orientation of the orientation alignment transfer tool;

receiving the determined orientation of the orientation monument;

automatically determining a displacement between the initial orientation of the orientation alignment transfer tool and the determined orientation of the orientation monument; and

automatically determining motion of the orientation alignment transfer tool to achieve the displacement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting output data at the output interface displaying the determined motion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting output data at the output device outputting the determined motion to the orientation alignment transfer tool.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature in the as-built airplane is to be changed:

determining a motion to be imparted to the at least one aerodynamically significant feature; and

determining a displacement of one or more jacks providing support to the at least one aerodynamically significant feature to impart the motion to the at least one aerodynamically significant feature.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting the cruise orientation for the as-built airplane from the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature in the as-built airplane includes:

receiving angular variation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature of the as-built airplane relative to a nominal orientation of the as-built airplane; and

transforming the angular variation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature of the as-built airplane into angular offsets of the nominal orientation of the as-built airplane.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein transforming the angular variation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature of the as-built airplane into the angular offsets of the nominal orientation of the as-built airplane includes:

formatting the angular variation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature of the as-built airplane into an input vector;

formatting transformation factors that correlate angular variations of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with angular offsets of components of the cruise orientation into a transformation matrix; and

multiplying the transformation matrix by the input vector to obtain an output vector with angular offsets of components of the predicted cruise orientation of the as-built airplane.

12. A system for computing orientation alignment transfer tool location, the system comprising:

an input interface configured to receive;

measurement data regarding initial location of;

a plurality of components of an as-built airplane, the plurality of components including at least one component having at least one aerodynamically significant feature; and

at least one aerodynamically significant feature; and

a computer processor operatively coupled to the input interface, the computer processor including;

a first computer processing component configured to automatically determine orientation of at least one aerodynamically significant feature of the as-built airplane;

a second computer processing component configured to automatically determine orientation of an orientation monument for the as-built airplane from the determined orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature of the as-built airplane, wherein the second computer processing component includes;

a third computer processing component configured to predict cruise orientation for the as-built airplane from the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature in the as-built airplane; and

a fourth computer processing component configured to compute orientation of the orientation monument for the as-built airplane from the predicted cruise orientation for the as-built airplane; and

a fifth computer processing component configured to automatically determine motion to align an orientation alignment transfer tool with the determined orientation of the orientation monument.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first computer processing component includes:

a sixth computer processing component configured to compute orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with respect to its respective component; and

a seventh computer processing component configured to compute the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature in the as-built airplane based on the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with respect to its respective component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the input interface is further configured to receive;

predetermined as-built locations of a plurality of points of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature; and

measured locations of the plurality of points of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature; and

wherein the sixth computer processing component includes;

an eighth computer processing component configured to compute nominal location of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with respect to assembly interfaces of the component.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the seventh computer processing component includes:

a ninth computer processing component configured to compute motion of the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature from initial location of the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature to final orientation in the as-built airplane of the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature; and

a tenth computer processing component configured to apply to the at least one aerodynamically significant feature the motion computed for the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the fourth computer processing component includes:

an eleventh computer processing component configured to reverse rotation of the predicted cruise orientation; and

a twelfth computer processing component configured to add orientation angles of a section of the as-built airplane in which the orientation monument is to be installed.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the fifth computer processing component includes:

a thirteenth computer processing component configured to determine initial orientation of the orientation alignment transfer tool;

a fourteenth computer processing component configured to determine a displacement between the initial orientation of the orientation alignment transfer tool and the determined orientation of the orientation monument; and

a fifteenth computer processing component configured to determine motion of the orientation alignment transfer tool to achieve the displacement.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a display device operatively coupled to the computer processor.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising an output interface operatively coupled to the computer processor and configured to provide the determined motion to the orientation alignment transfer tool.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium includes a tangible medium storing computer code means retrievable from the computer-readable storage medium and executable by a computer system for computing orientation alignment transfer tool location, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:

first computer program code means for automatically determining orientation of at least one aerodynamically significant feature of an as-built airplane;

second computer program code means for automatically determining orientation of an orientation monument for the as-built airplane from the determined orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature of the as-built airplane;

third computer program code means for predicting cruise orientation for the as-built airplane from the orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature in the as-built airplane; and

fourth computer program code means for automatically computing orientation of the orientation monument for the as-built airplane from the predicted cruise orientation for the as-built airplane; and

fifth computer program code means for automatically determining motion to align an orientation alignment transfer tool with the determined orientation of the orientation monument.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein:

the at least one aerodynamically significant feature is part of at least one component of the as-built airplane; and

the first computer program code means includes;

sixth computer program code means for automatically computing orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with respect to its respective component; and

seventh computer program code means for automatically computing orientation of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature in the as-built airplane.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the sixth computer program code means includes:

eighth computer program code means for automatically computing nominal location of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature with respect to assembly interfaces of the component from predetermined as-built locations of a plurality of points of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature and from measured locations of the plurality of points of the at least one aerodynamically significant feature.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the seventh computer program code means includes:

ninth computer program code means for automatically computing motion of the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature from initial location of the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature to final orientation in the as-built airplane of the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature; and

tenth computer program code means for automatically applying to the at least one aerodynamically significant feature the motion computed for the at least one component with at least one aerodynamically significant feature.

24. The computer-readable storage medium claim 20, wherein the fourth computer program code means includes:

eleventh computer program code means for reversing rotation of the predicted cruise orientation; and

twelfth computer program code means for adding orientation angles of a section of the as-built airplane in which the orientation monument is to be installed.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the fifth computer program code means includes:

thirteenth computer program code means for automatically determining initial orientation of the orientation alignment transfer tool;

fourteenth computer program code means for automatically determining a displacement between the initial orientation of the orientation alignment transfer tool and the determined orientation of the orientation monument; and

fifteenth computer program code means for automatically determining motion of the orientation alignment transfer tool to achieve the displacement.