System and method for generating maintenance release information

• US 8,437,906 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Yukawa, Steven J., Jain, Rajit, Anstey, Tim W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/104,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/3, 701/14, 701/29, 701/30, 701/32, 701/35, 701/29.1, 701/29.2, 701/29.3, 701/29.4, 701/29.6, 701/29.7, 701/30.3, 701/31.4, 701/31.5, 701/31.6, 701/31.7, 701/31.8, 701/31.9, 701/32.1, 701/32.7, 701/32.8, 701/33.2, 701/33.3, 701/33.4, 701/33.5, 701/34.2, 701/34.4, 340/945, 340/438, 340/439, 340/971, 340/425.5, 340/500, 705/1.1, 705/7.22, 705/7.23, 715/700, 244/75.1, 244/76.R, 707/999.001, 707/999.009, 707/999.01, 707/999.107, 707/999.201, 707/600, 707/601, 707/602, 707/603
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor

Abstract

A method for creating a maintenance release (MR) record containing operational status information for a mobile platform. The method may involve electronically accessing a database to acquire operational items relating to operational worthiness of the mobile platform, displaying the selected operational items to the user; and performing a synchronization check of the database system. The synchronization check verifies that the selected operational items represent the most recently stored information in the database system.

Claims

1. A method for creating a maintenance release (MR) record containing operational status information for a mobile platform, the method comprising:

using a processor to run an electronic log book (ELB) system located on-board the mobile platform to electronically access a first database of a database system, the first database being located on-board the mobile platform, and also to access at least one second database of the database system, where the at least one second database is located remote from the mobile platform, to acquire operational items relating to operational worthiness of the mobile platform;

using a display system to display the acquired operational items to the user; and

using the processor of the ELB system to perform performing a synchronization check of the database system to verify that the acquired operational items from both of the first database and the at least one second database represent the most recently stored information in the database system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a feature to enable a user to specify a quantity of release information pertaining to operating information concerning the mobile platform.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically assessing a database system to acquire operational items relating to operational worthiness of the mobile platform comprises acquiring at least one of:

open maintenance items; and

active and expired deferrals for operational items that relate to mobile platform operational worthiness.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a MR record for said mobile platform comprises creating a MR record pertaining to an airworthiness of an aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform comprises an aircraft, and wherein electronically accessing the second database includes obtaining an additional quantity of operational items for consideration by said user that includes at least one of:

restrictions on operation of the aircraft;

information on whether re-check maintenance items are complete;

information pertaining to servicing of said aircraft;

information pertaining to active maintenance deferrals of maintenance items pertaining to said aircraft;

information pertaining to technical faults of equipment being carried by said aircraft; and

information pertaining to maintenance closing actions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein obtaining restrictions on operating said aircraft comprises obtaining at least one of:

performance restrictions;

ETOPS/LROPS (Extended Operations/Long Range Operations) restrictions; and

Autoland restrictions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the second database includes electronically accessing a maintenance and history planning database and obtaining information therefrom to present to said user for consideration as part of said MR record.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying said MR record on a display with a request that said MR record be accepted by a maintenance individual.

9. A method for creating a maintenance release (MR) record containing status information for an aircraft, the method comprising:

providing a feature for a user to provide a first quantity of release information pertaining to operating information concerning said aircraft;

using a processor to run an electronic log book (ELB) application to electronically access a first database located on-board the aircraft, to select a first quantity of operational items;

using the ELB application to wirelessly electronically access a second database located remote from the aircraft to select a second quantity of operational items, said selected first and second quantities of operational items including at least a plurality of;

open maintenance items;

expired deferrals for maintenance items that relate to aircraft airworthiness;

active deferrals for maintenance items; and

operating restrictions for said aircraft;

displaying said selected operational items to said user; and

performing a synchronization check of said first and second databases to verify that said selected first and second quantities of operational items represent most recently stored information in said database.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein acquiring said first and second quantities of operational items further includes acquiring a status of maintenance recheck actions, acquiring service logs and acquiring maintenance actions.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said MR record comprises one of:

an ETOPS/LROPS (Extended Operations/Long Range Operations) release;

a Normal Release;

a Restricted Release; and

a Limited Release.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising electronically checking a maintenance history and planning system database located remote from said aircraft.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying said MR record on a display with a request that said MR record be accepted by said user.

14. The method of claim 9, further electronically accessing the second database located remote from said aircraft and obtaining an additional quantity of operational items for consideration by said user that includes at least one of:

information on whether re-check maintenance items are complete;

information pertaining to servicing of said aircraft;

information pertaining to technical and non technical faults of equipment being carried by said aircraft; and

information pertaining to maintenance closing actions.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising obtaining operating restrictions, and wherein said operating restrictions comprise at least one of:

performance restrictions; and

ETOPS/LROPS (Extended Operations/Long Range Operations) restrictions; and

Autoland restrictions.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying to said user a summary of maintenance activity performed on said aircraft since a most previously created MR record was generated.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying a status of said MR record on a display carried onboard said aircraft and on a display at a remotely located ground station in wireless communication with said aircraft.

18. A system for creating a maintenance release (MR) record containing status information for a mobile platform, the system comprising:

a user input for a first quantity of release information pertaining to operating information concerning said mobile platform;

a electronically accessible database system including at least one database on board the mobile platform and at least one database off-board the mobile platform, for storing operational items relating to at least one of;

open faults; and

deferrals for operational items that relate to mobile platform operational worthiness;

a display for displaying selected ones of said operational items to said user; and

a server for running an electronic log book (ELB) application, the ELB application configured to perform a synchronization check of said database system to verify that said selected ones of said operational items obtained from any one of said databases of said database system represent most recently stored information in said database.

19. The system of claim 18,

wherein said mobile platform includes a wireless communications system for communicating with said at least one off-board database of said database system.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said display is used to display to said user a plurality of items including:

release information on operation of the mobile platform;

restrictions on operation of the mobile platform;

information on whether re-check maintenance items for said mobile platform are complete;

information pertaining to servicing of said mobile platform;

information pertaining to active maintenance deferrals of maintenance items pertaining to said mobile platform;

information pertaining to closed technical and non-technical faults of equipment being carried by said mobile platform;

information pertaining to maintenance closing actions for said mobile platform; and

information on recheck actions for said mobile platform.