System and method for determining electronic logbook observed defect fix effectiveness

• US 8,380,385 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2008
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Yukawa, Steven J., Jain, Rajit, Anstey, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US12/269,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/4, 701/13, 701/14, 701/15, 701/16, 701/24, 701/25, 701/29
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0739 in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40

Abstract

A method for automating tracking of an effectiveness of fault repairs. The method may involve defining a unique fault code for each one of a plurality of different faults; cataloging faults that are repaired according to their respective fault codes and storing each cataloged fault in a fix effectiveness subsystem; placing the fix effectiveness subsystem in communication with an electronic logbook (ELB) system that is able to populate the fix effectiveness subsystem with additional fault information; providing a user interface to enable a user to access said ELB system to obtain information on a specific fault condition that was previously stored on the fix effectiveness subsystem; and presenting a fault history to the user from information stored in the fix effectiveness subsystem that enables the user to select a repair procedure for correcting the specific fault condition.

Claims

1. A method for automating tracking of an effectiveness of fault repairs, comprising:

defining a unique fault code for each one of a plurality of different faults;

cataloging faults that are repaired according to their respective said fault codes and storing each said cataloged fault in a fix effectiveness subsystem;

placing said fix effectiveness subsystem in communication with an electronic logbook (ELB) system that is able to populate said fix effectiveness subsystem with additional fault information;

providing a user interface to enable a user to access said ELB system to obtain information on a specific fault condition that was previously stored on said fix effectiveness subsystem; and

presenting a fault history to said user from information stored in said fix effectiveness subsystem that enables said user to select a repair procedure for correcting said specific fault condition; and

enabling said user to input a new codified defect report concerning a specific repair operation that said user has performed into said fix effectiveness subsystem via said user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said placing said fix effectiveness subsystem in communication with an ELB system comprises:

placing a fix effectiveness tracking tool in communication with a fix effectiveness database, and placing both said fix effectiveness tracking tool and said fix effectiveness database in communication with said ELB system;

using said fix effectiveness tracking tool to receive and monitor information concerning specific repair actions taken; and

using said fix effectiveness database to store fault information provided by said fix effectiveness tracking tool.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said presenting a fault history comprises presenting a fault history pertaining to a component of a mobile platform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said presenting a fault history comprises presenting a fault history pertaining to a component of an airborne mobile platform.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said cataloging faults comprises generating a codified defect report that is stored in a fix effectiveness database of said fix effectiveness subsystem.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said generating a codified defect report comprises generating a codified defect report that includes information concerning at least a plurality of a fault object, an object condition, and a fault location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said cataloging faults comprises generating a codified maintenance action that is stored in a fix effectiveness database of said fix effectiveness subsystem.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising using said ELB to monitor said new codified defect report for a predetermined period of time, and when no subsequent codified defect report is entered for a predetermined period of time, that pertains to said new codified defect report, then updating said fix effectiveness subsystem to reflect that said specific repair operation is deemed to be successful.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising enabling an airline to populate said fix effectiveness subsystem with additional codified defect reports.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising enabling aviation entities other than said airline to also populate said fix effectiveness subsystem with further codified defect reports.

11. A method for automating tracking of an effectiveness of fault repairs, comprising:

defining a unique fault code for each one of a plurality of different fault conditions;

cataloging faults that are repaired according to their respective said fault codes and storing each said cataloged fault in a fix effectiveness database;

placing said fix effectiveness database in communication with an electronic logbook (ELB) system that is able to populate said fix effectiveness database with additional fault information from at least one external source;

providing a user interface to enable a user to access said ELB system to obtain information on a specific fault condition that was previously stored on said fix effectiveness database;

presenting a fault history to said user from information stored in said fix effectiveness database that enables said user to select a repair procedure for correcting said specific fault condition;

using said user interface to enable said user to input information concerning a repair procedure performed and parts removed and replaced by said user to remove said specific fault condition, into a fix effectiveness tracking tool in communication with said fix effectiveness database, and storing said inputted information in said fix effectiveness database as a codified defect report for future access; and

presenting said fault history on a visual display system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said presenting a fault history comprises presenting a fault history pertaining to a component of a mobile platform.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said presenting a fault history comprises presenting a fault history pertaining to a component of an airborne mobile platform.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling at least one of an airline and an aviation entity other than said airline to also populate said fix effectiveness database with further codified defect reports.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising using said ELB system to monitor said codified defect report for a predetermined period of time, and when no subsequent codified defect report is entered for a predetermined period of time that pertains to said new codified defect report, then updating said fix effectiveness tracking tool to reflect that said repair procedure performed by said user is deemed to be successful.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said presenting a fault history comprises generating a listing of all codified defect reports pertaining to repairs performed to remedy a specific type of fault condition.

17. A system for automating tracking of an effectiveness of fault repairs, comprising:

an electronic logbook (ELB) system for generating fault repair information;

a fix effectiveness subsystem in communication with said ELB system for cataloging faults that are repaired according to specific fault codes, and storing each said cataloged fault as a codified defect report, said ELB system being able to populate said fix effectiveness subsystem;

a user interface that enables a user to access said ELB system to obtain information on a specific fault condition that was previously stored on said fix effectiveness subsystem; and

said user interface including a visual display that presents a fault history report comprised of a plurality of previously stored codified defect reports to said user from information stored in said fix effectiveness subsystem that enables said user to select a repair procedure for ameliorating said specific fault condition.

18. A method for automating tracking of an effectiveness of fault repairs, comprising:

defining a unique fault code for each one of a plurality of different faults;

cataloging faults that are repaired according to their respective said fault codes and storing each said cataloged fault in a fix effectiveness subsystem;

placing said fix effectiveness subsystem in communication with an electronic logbook (ELB) system that is able to populate said fix effectiveness subsystem with additional fault information;

providing a user interface to enable a user to access said ELB system to obtain information on a specific fault condition that was previously stored on said fix effectiveness subsystem;

presenting a fault history to said user from information stored in said fix effectiveness subsystem that enables said user to select a repair procedure for correcting said specific fault condition, said fault history pertaining to a component of an airborne mobile platform; and

enabling an airline to populate said fix effectiveness subsystem with additional codified defect reports.

19. A method for automating tracking of an effectiveness of fault repairs, comprising:

defining a unique fault code for each one of a plurality of different faults;

cataloging faults that are repaired according to their respective said fault codes and storing each said cataloged fault in a database of a fix effectiveness subsystem;

placing said fix effectiveness subsystem in communication with an electronic logbook (ELB) system that is able to populate said fix effectiveness subsystem with additional fault information;

providing a user interface to enable a user to access said ELB system to obtain information on a specific fault condition that was previously stored on said database of said fix effectiveness subsystem; and

using a fix effectiveness tracking tool of said fix effectiveness subsystem to monitor for recurrences of faults, and to update the database with information indicating whether previously made repairs were successful or unsuccessful.