Method of and system for maintaining operating performance of a transparency

• US 8,155,816 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Original Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Rashid, Ali N., Stone, Monroe A., Priddy, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US12/345,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20100168935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701 29- 36
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/1484 Windows B64C1/1492 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49718 Repairing

Abstract

Repair or replacement of a transparency mounted in body of a vehicle, e.g. an aircraft when one or more properties of the transparency is (are) operating outside of an acceptable limit(s) is arranged by monitoring operating performance of a property of the transparency, e.g. by mounted a sensor, e.g. a sensor for detecting moisture; a sensor for detecting impacts and vibrations; a sensor for detecting fractures; a sensor for detecting electric arcing, and a sensor for measuring temperature of an electrically conductive coating, on the transparency. Scheduling repair or replacement of the transparency at a geographical area when the operating performance of the property is outside an acceptable operating performance limit, and forwarding the schedule to the vehicle and to a maintenance location to prepare for the repair or replacement of the transparency at the geographical work area.

Claims

1. A method of arranging repair or replacement of a transparency of an aircraft when a property of the transparency is operating outside of an acceptable limit, wherein the aircraft is in flight to a landing destination, the method comprising:

prior to take off of the aircraft, mounting a sensor responsive to electric stimuli on the transparency, wherein the sensor monitors operating performance of the property of the transparency;

during the flight of the aircraft to the landing destination, sending a first signal from the sensor to a console positioned in the aircraft, wherein the first signal provides data relating to the performance of the property monitored by the sensor;

acting on the first signal to send a second signal to personnel on the aircraft indicating performance of the property monitored by the sensor and to send a third signal by wireless communication to a control center, the third signal providing data relating to the performance of the property monitored by the sensor

using data processing equipment to act on the second signal to determine if the property of the transparency monitored by the sensor is operating outside of the acceptable limit and to determine if the transparency needs to be repaired or replaced;

wherein if the transparency needs to be repaired or replaced, the time period in which the repair or replacement of the transparency should be made, and a geographical area to make the repair or replacement of the transparency is determined;

transmitting a fourth signal from the control center to the geographical area to schedule the repair or replacement of the transparency at the geographical area when the operating performance of the property of the transparency is outside the acceptable limit, and

transmitting a fifth signal by wireless communication to the aircraft to inform the personnel of the aircraft that a repair or replacement of the transparency is required and identifying the geographical area where the repair or replacement of the transparency is scheduled to take place.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the aircraft is a first aircraft and the control center receives information regarding operating performance of a property of a transparency mounted in a second aircraft.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting a signal from the control center to the geographical area to schedule the repair or replacement of the transparency comprises arranging for personnel, equipment and/or parts to be available at the geographical area.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein original flight plan for the aircraft has no scheduled stop at the geographical area.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the geographical area is the landing destination.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the property of the transparency uses electrical power to perform its function, and the electrical power to the transparency having the property operating outside of an acceptable limit is turned off prior to the aircraft landing at the landing destination.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the fourth signal to schedule the repair or replacement of the transparency comprises information having at least one of the items selected from the group of items comprising the time period in which the repair to, or replacement of, the transparency should be made;

designating the geographic area;

arranging for the aircraft, personnel, equipment and/or parts to be available at the geographic area to repair or replace the transparency, and transmitting the fourth third-signal to the geographic area and to at least one of the following;

the aircraft, to one or more monitoring systems, and combinations thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the transparency is an aircraft laminated windshield having two or more glass and/or plastic sheets.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the sensor is selected from the group of a sensor for detecting moisture;

a sensor for detecting impacts to, or vibration of, the windshield;

a sensor for detecting a fracture in one of the sheets;

a sensor for detecting electric arcing;

a sensor for detecting temperature changes of an electrically conductive member, and combinations thereof, wherein the sensor is mounted on a surface of one of the sheets between first and second outer major surfaces of the transparency.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor continuously sends the first signal.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the third signal is the first signal.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transparency needs to be repaired before the aircraft reaches the landing destination.

13. A system for arranging repair to, or replacement of, a transparency when a property of the transparency is operating outside of an acceptable limit, wherein the transparency is mounted in a body of an aircraft, the system comprising:

a sensor to monitor operating performance of the property, and to generate a first signal, wherein the first signal provides data relating to the performance of the property monitored by the sensor;

first data processing apparatus(mounted on the aircraft to receive the first signal and to generate a second signal and a third signal, wherein the second signal is sent to audio and/or visual display equipment on the aircraft to provide the performance of the property of the transparency monitored by the sensor, and the third signal is wirelessly transmitted and provides data relating to the performance of the property of the transparency monitored by the sensor and;

second data processing apparatus mounted outside and spaced from the aircraft to receive the third signal and to act on the third signal to determine if the property of the transparency is outside of the acceptable limit, and when it is determined that the operation of the property is outside of the acceptable limit, determine the time period in which the repair or replacement of the transparency should be made, and a geographical area to make the repair or replacement of the transparency; and

to generate a fourth signal and a fifth signal, wherein the fourth signal is forwarded to the geographical area to schedule the repair or replacement of the transparency, and the fifth signal is forwarded to the first data processing equipment to audibly and/or visibly display the schedule for the repair or replacement of the transparency and the geographical area.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the sensor is mounted on the transparency, and the third signal is the first signal.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the fourth signal generated by the second data processing apparatus includes information selected from the group of time period in which repair or replacement of the transparency should be made;

arranging for the aircraft, personnel, equipment and/or parts to be available at the geographic area.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein the first data processing apparatus transmits the third signal to a receiving and transmitting tower, or to a receiving and transmitting satellite, and the receiving and transmitting tower, or the receiving and transmitting satellite transmits the third signal to the second data processing apparatus.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the second data processing apparatus transmits the fourth signal to at least one of the following:

the aircraft, a third data processing apparatus , a fourth data processing apparatus, and combinations thereof.

18. The system according to claim 17 wherein the second data processing apparatus transmits the fourth signal to a receiving and transmitting tower, or to a receiving and transmitting satellite, and the receiving and transmitting tower, or the receiving and transmitting satellite transmits the fourth signal to the at least one of the following:

the aircraft, the third data processing apparatus, the fourth data processing apparatus, and combinations thereof.

19. The system according to claim 13 wherein the sensor is selected from the group of a sensor for detecting moisture;

a sensor for detecting impacts and vibrations;

a sensor for detecting fractures;

a sensor for detecting electric arcing;

a sensor for measuring temperature of an electrically conductive coating, and combinations thereof.