Object management system

• US 8,423,318 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Rongey, Robin A., Davies, Paul Robert, Eagan, Jeremy Glenn, Thomason, Anthony Michael, Doyle, Joseph D., Baker, Randy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, John H
• Application Number:
  US12/884,261
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 702/93, 702/94, 702/95, 702/104, 702/144, 702/150, 702/152, 702/153, 702/155, 702/158, 702/186, 345/419, 345/420, 700/98, 700/182
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/00 Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/56 Particle system, point based geometry or rendering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing information about an object. A location on the object is identified. An association between the location on the object and a number of points in a point cloud for the object is identified. The number of points in the point cloud is associated with a number of parts for the object. The location on the object is associated with the number of parts for the object based on the association of the location on the object with the number of points in the point cloud. An identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object is presented on a graphical user interface on a display system. Information for the location on the object in a number of types of media is identified. The information for the location on the object is associated with the location on the object.

Claims

1. A method for managing information about an object, the method comprising:

identifying, using an information process in a computer system, a location on the object;

identifying, using the information process in the computer system, an association between the location on the object and a number of points in a point cloud for the object, wherein the number of points in the point cloud is associated with a number of parts for the object;

associating, using the information process in the computer system, the location on the object with the number of parts for the object based on the association of the location on the object with the number of points in the point cloud;

presenting, using the information process in the computer system, an identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object on a graphical user interface on a display system;

identifying, using the information process in the computer system, information for the location on the object in a number of types of media; and

associating, using the information process in the computer system, the information for the location on the object with the location on the object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the information for the location on the object in the number of types of media comprises:

generating the information for the location on the object using a sensor system, wherein the information comprises at least one of images, video data, and audio data for the location on the object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensor system includes a number of sensors selected from a group comprising a camera, and a microphone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the information for the location on the object in the number of types of media comprises:

retrieving the information for the location on the object from a number of storage devices storing the information in the number of types of media.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending, using the information process in the computer system, a request for the point cloud for the object; and

retrieving, using the information process in the computer system, the point cloud for the object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the association between the location on the object and the number of points in the point cloud for the object, wherein the number of points in the point cloud is associated with the number of parts for the object comprises:

comparing the location on the object to a plurality of points in the point cloud for the object, wherein each of the plurality of points is associated with an identification of a part for the object; and

identifying the number of points in the plurality of points in the point cloud for the object associated with the location on the object to form the association; and

wherein the step of associating the location on the object with the number of parts for the object based on the association of the location on the object with the number of points in the point cloud comprises;

identifying the number of parts for the object associated with the number of points identified in the point cloud using the identification of the part associated with each of the number of points in the plurality of points; and

associating the location on the object with the number of parts for the object.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending, using a communications link, at least one of the location on the object, the identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object, and the information for the location on the object to at least one computer system in an information management system.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending, using the information process in the computer system, at least one of the location on the object, the identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object, and the information for the location on the object, to a detection process configured to detect inconsistencies in the object, wherein the computer system is a first computer system in an information management system, and the detection process is in a second computer system in the information management system.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the information for the location on the object in the number of types of media on the graphical user interface on the display system.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing, using at least one computer system in an information management system, a number of operations on the number of parts for the object using the identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object and the information for the location on the object.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

converting, using a point cloud generation process in a point cloud generation system computer system, a three-dimensional model for the object into the point cloud for the object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional model for the object is a number of stereolithography files for the object.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the location on the object comprises:

identifying the location on the object using a number of images generated by a camera system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein more than one point in the point cloud is associated with the part.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a sensor system configured to generate information for a location on an object in a number of types of media;

a computer system in communication with the sensor system and configured to identify the location on the object using the information generated by the sensor system;

identify an association between the location on the object and a number of points in a point cloud for the object, wherein the number of points in the point cloud is associated with a number of parts for the object;

associate the location on the object with the number of parts for the object based on the association of the location on the object with the number of points in the point cloud;

present an identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object on a graphical user interface on a display system; and

associate the information for the location on the object generated by the sensor system in the number of types of media with the location on the object.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a storage system in communication with the computer system and configured to store the point cloud and the information generated by the sensor system.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the computer system is further configured to retrieve data from the storage system and wherein the data comprises at least one of the point cloud for the object, a file, a report, a log, and a policy.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the information generated by the sensor system comprises at least one of images, video data, and audio data.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sensor system includes a number of sensors selected from a group comprising a camera and a microphone.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein in being configured to identify the association between the location on the object and the number of points in the point cloud for the object, wherein the number of points in the point cloud is associated with the number of parts for the object,

the computer system is configured to compare the location on the object to a plurality of points in the point cloud for the object, wherein each of the plurality of points is associated with an identification of a part for the object;

and identify the number of points in the plurality of points in the point cloud for the object associated with the location on the object to form the association; and

wherein in being configured to associate the location on the object with the number of parts for the object based on the association between the location on the object with the number of points in the point cloud,

the computer system is configured to identify the number of parts for the object associated with the number of points identified in the point cloud using the identification of the part associated with each of the number of points in the plurality of points; and

associate the location on the object with the number of parts for the object.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the computer system is a first computer system and wherein the first computer system is configured to send at least one of the location on the object, the identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object, and the information for the location on the object to a second computer system in communication with the first computer system.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of the location on the object, the identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object, and the information for the location on the object is sent to a detection process configured to detect inconsistencies in the object.

23. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

the display system in which the display system is associated with the computer system.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the computer system is configured to present the information for the location on the object in the number of types of media on the graphical user interface on the display system.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the computer system is configured to convert a three-dimensional model for the object into the point cloud for the object.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the three-dimensional model for the object comprises a number of stereolithography files for the object.

27. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein in being configured to identify the location on the object, the computer system is configured to identify the location on the object using a number of images generated by the sensor system.

28. A portable inspection system comprising:

a housing;

a storage system associated with the housing and configured to store data for parts for an object;

a sensor system associated with the housing, and configured to generate information for a location on the object in a number of types of media, wherein the information generated by the sensor system comprises at least one of images, video data, and audio data;

a computer system associated with the housing and in communication with the storage system and the sensor system, wherein the computer system is configured to identify the location on the object;

identify an association between the location on the object and a number of points in a point cloud for the object, wherein the number of points in the point cloud is associated with a number of parts for the object;

associate the location on the object with the number of parts for the object based on the association between the location on the object with the number of points in the point cloud;

present an identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object on a graphical user interface on a display system;

obtain the information for the location on the object from the sensor system;

associate the information for the location on the object with the location on the object; and

identify a number of inconsistencies in the object using the location on the object, the identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object, and the information for the location on the object;

the display system associated with the housing and in communication with the computer system, wherein the display system is configured to display the identification of the number of parts associated with the location on the object on the graphical user interface.

29. The portable inspection system of claim 28, wherein the sensor system includes a number of sensors selected from a group comprising a camera and a microphone.

30. The portable inspection system of claim 28, wherein the computer system is further configured to retrieve the information for the location on the object from the storage system and wherein the information comprises at least one of the point cloud for the object, a file, a report, a log, and a policy.

31. The portable inspection system of claim 28, wherein in being configured to identify the association between the location on the object and the number of points in the point cloud for the object, wherein the number of points in the point cloud is associated with the number of parts for the object,

the computer system is configured to compare the location on the object to a plurality of points in the point cloud for the object, wherein each of the plurality of points is associated with an identification of a part for the object;

and identify the number of points in the plurality of points in the point cloud for the object associated with the location on the object to form the association; and

wherein in being configured to associate the location on the object with the number of parts for the object based on the association between the location on the object with the number of points in the point cloud,

the computer system is configured to identify the number of parts for the object associated with the number of points identified in the point cloud using the identification of the part associated with each of the number of points in the plurality of points; and

associate the location on the object with the number of parts for the object.

32. The portable inspection system of claim 28, wherein a portion of a number of computers in the computer system is in a location remote to the housing.