Aircraft integrated support system (ISS)

• US 7,983,809 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Colbert, Sebastian H., Kell, Edward T., Lowe, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US11/962,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20100042283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/29, 701/33, 701/35, 701/36, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/439, 702/182
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials

Abstract

An aircraft integrated support system (ISS) downloads Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS) data from an aircraft, processes the downloaded data to infer a status of aircraft systems and displays maintenance information via an Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM). The ISS integrates a maintenance and support environment to bind the information flow among the various aircraft and logistics networks for a fully integrated systemic approach which optimizes aircraft operation, maintenance, and support through data collection and analysis to maximize aircraft readiness.

Claims

1. An Integrated Support System for Aircraft Fleet Management comprising:

a system operable to receive data downloaded from an aircraft, process said data to infer a status of at least one aircraft system and display maintenance information relative to the status via an Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) which displays an availability of a part identified in the IETM in a supply chain.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said system includes a base station in communication with at least one mobile ground station.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one mobile ground station is in communication with at least one Portable Maintenance Computer (PMC) having a local maintenance management system installed thereon.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one mobile ground station is in communication with a Unique Identifier (UID) Reader.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said UID Reader is configured to read a part marking technology.

6. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said base station includes a Maintenance Management System (MMS).

7. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one mobile ground station is in communication with at least one Portable Maintenance Computer (PMC) having a local maintenance management system installed thereon said local Maintenance Management System operable to selectively communicate with a Maintenance Management System (MMS) installed on said base station.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said MMS is operable to generate a work order from a pilot debrief module.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said MMS is operable to generate aircraft configuration update work orders.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the part identified in the IETM in the supply chain is related to an aircraft tail number of the aircraft on which the part is being installed.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the part identified in the IETM in the supply chain is related to an aircraft tail number of the aircraft from which the part is being removed.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a base station;

a mobile ground station in communication with said base station; and

a Unique Identifier (UID) Reader in communication with said mobile ground station, said UID Reader configured to read a part marking technology.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein said mobile ground station is in communication with at least one Portable Maintenance Computer (PMC) having a local maintenance management system installed thereon, said local Maintenance Management System operable to selectively communicate with a Maintenance Management System (MMS) installed on said base station.

14. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a base station;

a mobile ground station in communication with said base station; and

a Portable Maintenance Computer (PMC) in communication with said mobile ground station, said PMC having a local maintenance management system installed thereon, said local Maintenance Management System operable to selectively communicate with a Maintenance Management System (MMS) installed on said base station.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, further comprising a Unique Identifier (UID) Reader in communication with said mobile ground station, said UID Reader configured to read a part marking technology.

16. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the part identified in the IETM in the supply chain is related to an aircraft tail number.

17. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the part identified in the IETM in the supply chain is located pictorially on an aircraft diagram.

18. A computer-implemented Integrated Support System method comprising:

processing data downloaded from an aircraft to infer a status of at least one aircraft system; and

displaying maintenance information relative to the status via an Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) in response to said processing, said displaying further comprises;

selecting a part in the IETM;

adding the part to a requisition list; and

displaying an availability of the part in a supply chain.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

reporting symptoms observed during flight to a Pilot Debrief Module (PDM); and

processing the symptoms with the downloaded data to infer the status.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said processing further comprises:

matching the downloaded data and the symptoms using an inferencing model to order suspect systems.

21. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said selection further comprises:

locating the part pictorially on an aircraft diagram.

22. A computer-implemented Integrated Support System method comprising:

processing data downloaded from an aircraft to infer a status of at least one aircraft system; and

displaying maintenance information relative to the status via an Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) in response to said processing, said displaying further comprises;

scanning a part removed from the aircraft;

selecting an associated remarks code and a malfunction code for the part;

scanning a replacement part to be installed on the aircraft; and

entering an aircraft tail number of the aircraft on which the part is being installed.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein said displaying further comprises:

scanning a replacement part to be installed on the aircraft; and

entering an aircraft tail number of the aircraft on which the part is being installed.

24. A computer-implemented Integrated Support System method comprising:

downloading Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS) data and BIT data from an aircraft;

converting the data into pass/fail test result data;

processing the test result data to compute a health status of at least one aircraft system, said processing further comprises;

processing test result data of system-level tests;

processing test result data of Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) level tests;

processing test result data of Shop Replaceable Unit (SRU) level tests; and

processing test result data of data bus tests; and

displaying maintenance information relative to the health status via an Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) in response to said processing.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

routing SRU/LRU status to a down stream logistics supportability and supply chain management processing system.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

recording part-off and part-on information with a Unique Identifier (UID) Reader during aircraft maintenance performed at the aircraft.

27. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said downloading further comprises:

downloading health usage and monitoring data.