System and method for electronic inspection and record creation of assembly, repair and maintenance operations

• US 8,630,819 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2008
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: English, Kent L., Dods, Bryan G., Zuver, Christopher K., Shepherd, Thomas E., Trimble, Douglas D., Hanks, Carl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SUGLO, JANET L
• Application Number:
  US12/032,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20090210083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,157 Days
• Field of Search: 702/81, 702/84, 702/186, 705/11
• US Class Current: 702/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A method for generating an electronic quality record of a manufacturing operation that may involve generating inputs from a plurality of information sources located within a manufacturing environment. The plurality of information sources may provide information pertaining to at least a tool being used, an individual using the tool, and an operation that the tool is being used by the individual to perform. A locating system may be used that is in communication with the plurality of information sources to monitor a location and an operation of the tool. A processor may be in communication with the locating system to receive the generated inputs and to generate an electronic record upon completion of the operation that the tool is being used by the individual to perform. The electronic record may identify that the operation has been performed by the individual using the tool in accordance with a predefined standard.

Claims

1. A method for verifying performance of a particular task, the method comprising:

predefining a work cell within a localized environment to assemble a structure;

wherein said work cell comprises a portion of an automated assembly line process within said localized environment;

generating inputs from a plurality of information sources located within a manufacturing environment, the plurality of information sources providing information pertaining to at least a task to be verified, an individual using a tool, an operation that the tool is being used by the individual to perform on a work piece, and the plurality of information sources including at least one sensor carried on the tool;

using a wireless locating system in wireless communication with the sensor carried on the tool to wirelessly monitor a location and an operation of the tool, the monitoring of the location of the tool and the operation of the tool including the monitoring for a wireless event signal generated from the tool upon the occurrence of a predetermined performance event of the tool, relative to the work piece, and the wireless locating system generating wireless location information during operation of the tool;

the sensor receiving and using the wireless location information to generate a wireless position signal transmitted therefrom that is indicative of a position of the tool within a predetermined work cell in which the tool is being used;

using the tool to generate the wireless event signal when the predetermined event is detected to have occurred;

using a processor in communication with the wireless locating system to receive the wireless signal transmitted from the tool, to receive the wireless event signal, and to receive the generated inputs;

using a computerized assembly of the work piece, and to consider a location and orientation of the structure within the predetermined work cell;

further using the processor to generate a probability that a specific feature of the work piece was acted on by the tool; and

further using the processor to determine if the probability meets a minimum threshold, and if so, to then generate an electronic record identifying that the task has been completed on the specific feature of the work piece in accordance with a predefined standard.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said using a wireless locating system comprises using an indoor object locating system and wherein the work cell moves with the structure and the relationship between a work cell coordinate structure and the structure remains fixed and unchanged.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating inputs from a plurality of information sources comprises generating inputs from a database of individuals authorized to perform said operation with said tool, and wherein the work cell move and the structure move during use of the tool on the structure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating inputs from a plurality of information sources comprises generating inputs from a database of calibration information pertaining to calibration of said tool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating inputs from a plurality of information sources comprises generating inputs from a training database providing information on specified training that the individual is required to have in order to use said tool in performing said operation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating inputs from a plurality of information sources comprises using a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader to read an RFID tag associated with a component on which the task is being performed, to apprise the processor of the nature of the component.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating inputs from a plurality of information sources comprises generating information using a database of at least one of drawings and procedures pertaining to carrying out said task.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said operation that said individual is using said tool to perform comprises one of:

an assembly operation;

a test operation;

a repair operation; and

a maintenance operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said using a processor comprises using a processor that forms part of an integrated electronic monitoring system able to store information and to display at least portions of said electronic record on a display system.

10. A method for verifying performance of a particular assembly task or operation and generating a real time electronic quality record of a manufacturing operation, the method comprising:

predefining a work cell within a localized environment wherein an operator performs in accordance with computerized assembly, design drawings, or schematics an assembly task required to assemble a structure, said work cell comprises a portion of an automated assembly line process within said localized environment;

generating inputs from a plurality of information sources located within a manufacturing environment, the plurality of information sources providing information pertaining to at least;

a tool being used, the tool carrying at least one location sensor adapted to receive wireless position indicating signals;

certification of an individual using the tool;

calibration information for the tool; and

specifications for an operation that the tool is being used by the individual to perform;

using a wireless indoor object locating system including a beacon signal generating device, in communication with the at least one location sensor disposed on the tool, to monitor a real time location of the tool within said manufacturing environment, and relative to a work piece being operated on by said individual using said tool, as the tool is performing a work operation, the beacon generating wireless, timed signal pulses during operation of the tool;

generating a wireless event signal from the tool that indicates that a predetermined operation, using the tool, has been completed;

generating wireless position signals from the at least one sensor, using information gleaned from received ones of the beacon signals, that are indicative of a real time position of a specific portion of the tool at the time the wireless event signal is generated;

using a processor in communication with the object locating system to receive the generated inputs, and to receive the wireless event signal, and to receive the wireless position signals from said at least one location sensor at the time the wireless event signal is generated;

using the processor to determine a plurality of possible features on the work piece that may have been acted on by the specific portion of the tool, and determining a probability for each one of the possible features that any specific one of the possible features was a specific feature acted on by the tool;

using the processor to compare each of the probabilities to a predetermined threshold, to identify the specific feature on the workpiece that was acted on by the tool; and

generating an electronic quality record upon receipt of the event signal that indicates completion of the operation that the tool is being used to perform.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said generating inputs from a plurality of information sources comprises generating an input using information from a training database to indicate whether said individual has a particular certification to be using said tool to perform said operation.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said generating inputs from a plurality of information sources comprises generating information using a radio frequency (RF) identification system in radio frequency communication with an RF identification tag carried by a part that said tool is acting on while performing said operation.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the calibration information for the tool comprises information generated using a calibration data base including calibration information for the tool.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said using a processor comprises using a processor in communication with a memory for storing said inputs, and wherein said processor and said memory form a portion of a base station located within said manufacturing environment.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising using a display in communication with said processor to display information pertaining to said electronic record.

16. A system for verifying performance of a particular assembly task or operation and generating an electronic record of a manufacturing operation, the system comprising:

a work cell predefined within a localized environment wherein an operator performs in accordance with computerized assembly, design drawings, or schematics an assembly task required to assemble a work piece, said work cell comprises a portion of an automated assembly line process within said localized environment;

a plurality of information sources located within a manufacturing environment, the plurality of information sources providing information pertaining to at least a tool being used, an individual using the tool, an operation that the tool is being used by the individual to perform, and a wireless event signal indicating that the operation has been completed;

at least one sensor disposed on the tool;

a wireless locating system disposed within the manufacturing environment in communication with the plurality of information sources to wirelessly monitor a location and an operation of the tool, the wireless locating system generating a beacon signal that is received by the at least one sensor and which includes position locating information; and

a base station having a processor in communication with the wireless locating system to receive a wireless signal from the at least one sensor, and at least one additional input;

a processor configured to determine a three dimensional locus that envelops the work piece and which identifies therein a plurality of possible points on a surface of the work piece that a portion of the tool may have operated on at the time the wireless event was generated, the processor further adapted to determine, via a probability analysis, which one of the possible points on the surface of the work piece was in fact a specific point that was acted on the work piece by the tool, and to generate an electronic record that the assembly task has been performed by the individual using the tool in accordance with a predefined standard.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the base station further includes a memory for storing the electronic record.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the base station further includes a display for displaying the electronic record.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the wireless locating system comprises an indoor object locating system in communication with the at least one locating sensor located on said tool.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader in communication with a part being acted on by said tool during said operation, and wherein said part includes an RF identification tag.

21. A method for verifying performance of a particular task, the method comprising:

predefining a work cell within a localized environment to assemble a structure;

generating inputs from a plurality of information sources that include at least one sensor carried on the tool;

using a wireless locating system in wireless communication with the sensor carried on the tool to wirelessly monitor for a wireless event signal generated from the tool upon the occurrence of a predetermined performance event of the tool;

further receiving and using wireless location information associated with the tool to track a position of the tool within the work cell as the tool is being used, and to generate the wireless event signal when the predetermined event occurs;

using a processor in communication with the wireless locating system to receive the generated inputs, the wireless location information and the wireless event signal, and to generate a probability that a specific feature of the work piece was acted on by the tool, and to determine whether the generated probability meets a minimum threshold; and

when the generated probability meets the minimum threshold, generating an electronic record identifying that the task has been completed on the specific feature of the work piece.