System and method for managing instances of damage within a transportation system

• US 8,930,068 B1
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Helder, Drew Douglas, Silva, Cesar Ongaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US13/942,292
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• US Class Current: 701/34
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/40 Maintaining or repairing aircraft

Abstract

A system and method according to which data associated with a damage log is received, the damage log being associated with an instance of damage to a portion of a vehicle such as, for example, a portion of an aircraft. A graphical representation of the portion of the vehicle is outputted, and a graphical damage indicator is outputted. The graphical damage indicator is located, relative to the graphical representation of the portion of the vehicle, to indicate a location of the instance of damage on the portion of the vehicle. The graphical damage indicator visually represents a type of damage to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, using at least one computer, data associated with a damage log, the damage log being associated with an instance of damage to a portion of an aircraft, the portion of the aircraft being one of;

a randome, a forward fuselage, a center fuselage, a wing, a winglet, a rear fuselage, a tail cone, a silencer, a pylon, an engine intake, a nacelle, a vertical stabilizer, and a horizontal stabilizer;

outputting, using the at least one computer, a graphical representation of the portion of the aircraft;

outputting, using the at least one computer, a graphical damage indicator;

receiving, using the at least one computer, data associated with a plurality of damage logs, each damage log from the plurality of damage logs being associated with one instance of damage located on the portion of the aircraft, wherein the data associated with the first-mentioned damage log is part of the data associated with the plurality of damage logs; and

outputting, using the at least one computer, a plurality of graphical damage indicators, each graphical damage indicator being associated with a respective one of the damage logs from the plurality of damage logs and visually representing a type of damage, wherein the first-mentioned graphical damage indicator is part of the plurality of graphical damage indicators;

wherein the graphical damage indicator is located, relative to the graphical representation of the portion of the aircraft, to indicate a location of the instance of damage on the portion of the aircraft; and

wherein the graphical damage indicator visually represents a type of damage to the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the plurality of damage logs comprises, for each of the damage logs, data associated with the following:

a damage description, the type of damage, an action item, and an action item status.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein all of the damage logs in the plurality of damage logs have the same damage description, the same type of damage, the same action item, or the same action item status.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein a first graphical damage indicator in the plurality of graphical damage indicators is associated with a first type of damage and is a first shape;

and

wherein a second graphical damage indicator in the plurality of graphical damage indicators is associated with a second type of damage that is different from the first type of damage and is a second shape that is different from the first shape.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of damage is selected from the group consisting of an abrasion, buckling, a burn, corrosion, a crack, a crease, delamination, a dent, a gouge, a nick, a puncture, and a scratch.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation comprises:

a representation of an exterior view of the portion of the aircraft; and

a representation of at least one structural component associated with the portion of the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one structural component comprises at least one of the following:

a rib, a stringer, a beam, a spar, a sweep chord, and a frame.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the damage log comprises data associated with the following:

a damage description, the type of damage, an action item, and an action item status.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the damage log comprises a photograph of the instance of damage.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising outputting, using the at least one computer, the photograph proximate the graphical representation of the portion of the aircraft.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

a plurality of instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by one or more processors, the plurality of instructions comprising;

instructions that cause the one or more processors to receive data associated with a damage log, the damage log being associated with an instance of damage to a portion of an aircraft, the portion of the aircraft being one of;

a randome, a forward fuselage, a center fuselage, a wing, a winglet, a rear fuselage, a tail cone, a silencer, a pylon, an engine intake, a nacelle, a vertical stabilizer, and a horizontal stabilizer;

instructions that cause the one or more processors to output a graphical representation of the portion of the aircraft;

instructions that cause the one or more processors to output a graphical damage indicator;

instructions that cause the one or more processors to receive data associated with a plurality of damage logs, each damage log from the plurality of damage logs being associated with one instance of damage located on the portion of the aircraft, wherein the data associated with the first-mentioned damage log is part of the data associated with the plurality of damage logs; and

instructions that cause the one or more processors to output a plurality of graphical damage indicators, each graphical damage indicator being associated with a respective one of the damage logs from the plurality of damage logs and visually representing a type of damage, wherein the first-mentioned graphical damage indicator is part of the plurality of graphical damage indicators;

wherein the graphical damage indicator is located, relative to the graphical representation of the portion of the aircraft, to indicate a location of the instance of damage on the portion of the aircraft; and

wherein the graphical damage indicator visually represents a type of damage to the aircraft.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data associated with the plurality of damage logs comprises, for each of the damage logs, data associated with the following:

a damage description, the type of damage, an action item, and an action item status.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein all of the damage logs in the plurality of damage logs have the same damage description, the same type of damage, the same action item, or the same action item status.

14. The apparatus of claim 11,

wherein a first graphical damage indicator in the plurality of graphical damage indicators is associated with a first type of damage and is a first shape;

and

wherein a second graphical damage indicator in the plurality of graphical damage indicators is associated with a second type of damage that is different from the first type of damage and is a second shape that is different from the first shape.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the type of damage is selected from the group consisting of an abrasion, buckling, a burn, corrosion, a crack, a crease, delamination, a dent, a gouge, a nick, a puncture, and a scratch.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the graphical representation comprises:

a representation of an exterior view of the portion of the aircraft; and

a representation of at least one structural component associated with the portion of the aircraft.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one structural component comprises at least one of the following:

a rib, a stringer, a beam, a spar, a sweep chord, and a frame.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data associated with the damage log comprises data associated with the following:

a damage description, the type of damage, an action item, and an action item status.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the damage log comprises a photograph of the instance of damage.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of instructions further comprises:

instructions that cause the one or more processors to output the photograph proximate the graphical representation of the portion of the aircraft.