System, method, and apparatus for scheduling aircraft maintenance events

• US 9,008,892 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2013
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bollapragada, Srinivas, Petersen, Jon David, Chen, Weiwei, Harrington, Mark Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US13/939,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.1, 701400-541, 702183-185, 244/117.R
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/40 Maintaining or repairing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for scheduling aircraft maintenance events. One system includes a user interface and at least one processor. The system is configured to receive an indication that an unscheduled maintenance event for an aircraft is to be scheduled, and to determine, using the at least one processor, a maintenance schedule for completing the unscheduled maintenance event on the aircraft, a modified flight schedule for the aircraft, and a modified aircraft schedule for the aircraft based on the unscheduled maintenance event, an initial flight schedule, an initial aircraft schedule, and at least one selectable parameter indicative of user preferences to reduce a total cost of operating the at least one aircraft. The system is configured to provide at least one of the maintenance schedule, the modified flight schedule, and the modified aircraft schedule to the user interface.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling at least one unscheduled maintenance event for at least one aircraft, comprising:

receiving, via at least one processor, an indication that the at least one unscheduled maintenance event for the at least one aircraft is to be scheduled;

receiving, via the at least one processor, an initial flight schedule for the at least one aircraft;

receiving, via the at least one processor, an initial aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft;

receiving, via the at least one processor, at least one selectable parameter indicative of user preferences;

determining, via the at least one processor, a maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event on the at least one aircraft, a modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and a modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft based on the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the initial flight schedule, the initial aircraft schedule, and the at least one selectable parameter to reduce a total cost of operating the at least one aircraft; and

providing the maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft to a user interface, wherein receiving the at least one selectable parameter comprises receiving at least one of a flight cancellation cost parameter, a flight delay cost parameter, a ferry flight cost parameter, a spare aircraft cost parameter, a flight diversion cost parameter, and a connection time parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication that the at least one unscheduled maintenance event is to be scheduled comprises receiving a probability for performing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event as a function of time, a number of flight cycles, a number of flight hours, or some combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the maintenance schedule for completing, the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft comprises reducing at least one of an aggregate delay of aircraft routes, a number of flight cancellations, a number of swaps in a route, a number of unassigned aircraft, a number of unassigned maintenance events, a number of missed crew connections, and a number of missed passenger connections.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft comprises at least one of assigning each flight within the initial flight schedule to one route, assigning one route to each aircraft within the initial aircraft schedule, limiting a total number of departures based on a departure restriction threshold, limiting a total number of arrivals based on an arrival restriction threshold, limiting a total number of grounded aircraft based on a gate restriction threshold, and limiting a total number of operations based on a curfew restriction.

5. A method of for scheduling at least one unscheduled maintenance event for at least one aircraft, comprising:

receiving, via at least one processor, an indication that the at least one unscheduled maintenance event for the at least one aircraft is to be scheduled;

receiving, via the at least one processor, an initial flight schedule for the at least one aircraft;

receiving, via the at least one processor, an initial aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft;

receiving, via the at least one processor, at least one selectable parameter indicative of user preferences, wherein receiving the at least one selectable parameter comprises receiving at least one of a beginning of a time window and an end of the time window;

determining, via the at least one processor, a maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event on the at least one aircraft, a modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and a modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft based on the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the initial flight schedule, the initial aircraft schedule, and the at least one selectable parameter to reduce a total cost of operating the at least one aircraft, wherein determining the maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft comprises determining a first set of aircraft on which the at least one unscheduled maintenance event is to be performed between the beginning and the end of the time window and determining a second set of aircraft to change a flight schedule with the first set of aircraft, to change an aircraft schedule with the first set of aircraft, or some combination thereof;

providing the maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft to a user interface; and

estimating a cost to change the flight schedule with the first set of aircraft, to change the aircraft schedule with the first set of aircraft, or some combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft comprises filtering out flight schedule events from the flight schedule that terminate before the beginning of the time window, and filtering out flight schedule events from the flight schedule that begin after the end of the time window.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft comprises filtering out aircraft schedule events from the aircraft schedule that terminate before the beginning of the time window, and filtering out aircraft schedule events from the aircraft schedule that begin after the end of the time window.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon for execution by a processor, the instructions comprising;

instructions to receive an indication that at least one unscheduled maintenance event for at least one aircraft is to be scheduled;

instructions to receive an initial flight schedule for the at least one aircraft;

instructions to receive an initial aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft;

instructions to receive at least one selectable parameter indicative of user preferences;

instructions to determine a maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, a modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and a modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft based on the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the initial flight schedule, the initial aircraft schedule, and the at least one selectable parameter to reduce a total cost of operating the at least one aircraft, wherein the instructions to determine the maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft comprise instructions to determine a first set of aircraft on which the at least one unscheduled maintenance event is to be performed and to determine a second set of aircraft to change a flight schedule with the first set of aircraft, to change an aircraft schedule with the first set of aircraft, or some combination thereof;

instructions to provide the maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft to a user interface, wherein the instructions to determine the maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft comprise instructions to determine a set of potential flight routes for the first and second sets of aircraft.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions to determine the maintenance schedule for completing the at least one unscheduled maintenance event, the modified flight schedule for the at least one aircraft, and the modified aircraft schedule for the at least one aircraft comprise instructions to estimate a cost for the set of potential flight routes.