Aircraft rework management

• US 8,897,949 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Coop, William P., Elias, Jose R., Seeger, Paul F., Shore, Rebecca J., Nguyen, Tommy T., Riner, Edwin Keith, Knox, James Don, Allen, David W., Hill, Lois T.
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/644,827
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.1, 701/29.4, 701/31.4
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reworking a component on a vehicle. An inconsistency on the component is identified. The component is reworked to remove the inconsistency. Component rework information is stored on an automated identification technology tag attached to the vehicle. The component rework information comprises information describing the reworking of the component to remove the inconsistency.

Claims

1. A method for reworking a component on a vehicle, comprising:

reading, by a processor, component rework information from an automated identification technology tag attached to the vehicle, wherein the component rework information comprises information identifying a history of rework of the component, wherein the component rework information comprises rework threshold information indicating an amount of remaining possible rework of the component and further comprising;

identifying, by the processor, an inconsistency on the component;

determining, by the processor, an estimated amount of rework to remove the inconsistency;

ordering, by the processor, a reworking of the component in response to a determination that the estimated amount of rework to remove the inconsistency is less than the amount of remaining possible rework of the component; and

ordering, by the processor, a replacing of the component in response to a determination that the estimated amount of rework to remove the inconsistency is more than the amount of remaining possible rework of the component; and

displaying, by the processor, the component rework information on a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated identification technology tag is selected from a radio frequency identification tag and a contact memory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated identification technology tag is attached to the vehicle at a location on the vehicle selected from the component and an area of the vehicle including the component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the component rework information comprises information selected from:

information identifying the component, information identifying a location of the component on the vehicle, information identifying an amount of material removed from the component if previously reworked, text comments, and photographic images of the component.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating, by the processor, the component rework information in the automated identification technology tag after reworking the component or replacing the component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein reading the component rework information and displaying the component rework information is performed by an inspection device that is portable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft and the component is a component on the aircraft.

8. A method for reworking a component on a vehicle, comprising:

in response to identifying an inconsistency on the component, retrieving, by a processor component rework information on an automated identification technology tag attached to the vehicle, wherein the component rework information comprises information describing the reworking of the component to remove the inconsistency;

ordering, by the processor, a reworking of the component in response to a determination that an estimated amount of rework to remove the inconsistency is less than an amount of remaining possible rework of the component;

ordering, by the processor, a replacing of the component in response to a determination that the estimated amount of rework to remove the inconsistency is more than the amount of remaining possible rework of the component; and

in response to the reworking the component to remove the inconsistency, updating, by the processor, the component rework information on the automated identification technology tag attached to the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the automated identification technology tag is selected from a radio frequency identification tag and a contact memory.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein updating the component rework information on the automated identification technology tag comprises attaching the automated identification technology tag to the vehicle at a location on the vehicle selected from the component and an area of the vehicle including the component.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the component rework information comprises information selected from information identifying an amount of material removed from the component during the reworking of the component, text comments, and photographic images of the component.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

reading the component rework information from the automated identification technology tag, wherein the component rework information comprises rework threshold information indicating an amount of remaining possible rework of the component; and

determining an estimated amount of rework to remove the inconsistency.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein storing the component rework information on the automated identification technology tag is performed by an inspection device that is portable.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft and the component is a component on the aircraft.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory having computer usable instructions encoded thereon;

a processor;

a reader configured to read component rework information from an automated identification technology tag attached to a vehicle, to determine an estimated amount of rework to remove the inconsistency, to order a reworking of the component in response to a determination that the estimated amount of rework to remove the inconsistency is less than the amount of remaining possible rework of the component, to order a replacing of the component in response to a determination that the estimated amount of rework to remove the inconsistency is more than the amount of remaining possible rework of the component, and to write changes to the component rework information to the automated identification technology tag attached to the vehicle, wherein the component rework information comprises information identifying a history of rework of the component; and

a user interface configured to display the component rework information and to receive the changes to the component rework information from a user.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the automated identification technology tag is selected from a radio frequency identification tag and a contact memory.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the automated identification technology tag is attached to the vehicle at a location on the vehicle selected from the component and an area of the vehicle including the component.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the component rework information comprises information selected from:

information identifying the component, information identifying a location of the component on the vehicle, information identifying an amount of material removed from the component if previously reworked, rework threshold information indicating an amount of remaining possible rework of the component, text comments, and photographic images of the component.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft, the component is a component on the aircraft, and the apparatus is a portable inspection device.