System and method for evaluating operation of a vehicle with respect to a plurality of environmental factors

• US 9,251,546 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Beggs, Robert M., Barber, Garry Anthony, Matheny, James Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): TISSOT, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US13/053,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

A system installed with a vehicle for evaluating operation of the vehicle with respect to environmental factors includes: (a) operational sensors for sensing data relating to operational factors of the environmental factors; (b) an operational information store coupled with selected sensors for storing operational data received from the selected sensors relating to the operational factors; (c) an operational standards store for storing operational standards associated with operating the vehicle; (d) an operational standard compliance evaluation unit coupled with the information store and coupled with the standards store for effecting comparison of the operational data with the operational standards to ascertain an operational comparison result, and determining whether the vehicle complies with the standards based upon the comparison result; and (e) an operational report and store unit coupled with the compliance evaluation unit for receiving the operational determination and generating at least one report relating to the operational determination.

Claims

1. A system for evaluating a transportation operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors;

the system comprising;

a vehicle comprising;

a plurality of operational sensors installed with said vehicle for sensing data relating to a plurality of operational factors of said plurality of environmental factors;

at least one operational information store coupled with selected operational sensors of said plurality of operational sensors and installed with said vehicle for storing operational data received from said selected operational sensors relating to said operational factors;

an operational standards store installed with said vehicle for storing operational standards associated with operating said vehicle;

an operational standard compliance evaluation unit coupled with said operational information store and coupled with said operational standards store;

said

operational standard compliance evaluation unit effecting comparison of said operational data with said operational standards to ascertain an operational comparison result;

said operational standard compliance evaluation unit effecting an operational determination of whether said vehicle complies with said operational standards based upon said operational comparison result; and

an operational corrective action identification unit located within said vehicle and coupled with said operational standard compliance evaluation unit and with an operational display unit;

said operational corrective action identification unit presenting at least one recommended operational corrective action for correcting a failure to comply with at least one operational standard of said operational standards as indicated by said indication of said operational determination;

a support facility configured to provide maintenance for said vehicle, said support facility comprising;

a plurality of support sensors installed at said support facility, said plurality of support sensors configured to sense data relating to a plurality of support factors of said plurality of environmental factors, wherein said plurality of support sensors comprise at least a ground support equipment parameter sensor, a repair shop sensor, a hanger sensor, and a trainer parameter sensor; and

a single report and store unit that comprises an operational report and store unit and a support report and store unit, said operational report and store unit coupled with said operational standard compliance evaluation unit for receiving an indication of said operational determination, said operational report and store unit configured to generate at least one report relating to carbon credits based on said operational determination, wherein said operational report and store unit is at one of said vehicle and said support facility, said support report and store unit configured to generate at least one report related to a support determination based on data sensed by said plurality of support sensors.

2. The system for evaluating a transportation operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 1 wherein the system further comprises:

at least one support information store coupled with selected support sensors of said plurality of support sensors and installed with said support facility for storing support data received from said selected support sensors relating to said support factors;

a support standards store coupled with said support facility for storing support standards associated with operating said support facility;

a support standard compliance evaluation unit coupled with said support information store and coupled with said support standards store;

said support standard compliance evaluation unit effecting comparison of said support data with said support standards to ascertain a support comparison result;

said support standard compliance evaluation unit effecting said support determination of whether said support facility complies with said support standards based upon said support comparison result; and

said support report and store unit coupled with said support standard compliance evaluation unit for receiving said indication of said support determination;

said support report and store unit generating the at least one report relating to said support determination.

3. The system for evaluating a transportation operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 1 wherein said operational report and store unit is additionally configured to perform fmancial tracking.

4. The system for evaluating a transportation operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 2 further comprising a corrective action tracking unit that generates an achievement indication regarding a level of achievement of a corrective action of an identified failure.

5. The system for evaluating a transportation operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one operational standards store includes environmental protection agency standards.

6. The system for evaluating a transportation operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 2 wherein the system further comprises a support corrective action identification unit coupled with said support standard compliance evaluation unit and to a support display unit;

said support corrective action identification unit presenting at least one recommended support corrective action for correcting a failure to comply with at least one support standard of said plurality of support standards as indicated by said indication of said support determination.

16. The system for evaluating a transportation operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 1 wherein said support facility is distal from the vehicle.

17. The system for evaluating a transportation operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of operational sensors comprise at least a fuel parameter sensor, a powerplant parameter sensor, and a vehicle usage parameter sensor.

7. A system for evaluating an aerospace operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors;

the system comprising;

an aerospace vehicle comprising;

a plurality of operational sensors coupled with said aerospace vehicle for sensing data relating to a plurality of operational factors of said plurality of environmental factors;

at least one operational information store coupled with selected operational sensors of said plurality of operational sensors and installed with said aerospace vehicle for storing operational data received from said selected operational sensors relating to said operational factors;

an operational standards store coupled with said aerospace vehicle for storing operational standards associated with operating said vehicle;

an operational standard compliance evaluation unit coupled with said operational information store and coupled with said operational standards store;

said operational standard compliance evaluation unit effecting comparison of said operational data with said operational standards to ascertain an operational comparison result;

said operational standard compliance evaluation unit effecting an operational determination of whether said aerospace vehicle complies with said operational standards based upon said operational comparison result; and

an operational corrective action identification unit located within said aerospace vehicle and coupled with said operational standard compliance evaluation unit and with an operational display unit;

said operational corrective action identification unit presenting at least one recommended operational corrective action for correcting a failure to comply with at least one operational standard of said operational standards as indicated by said indication of said operational determination;

a support facility configured to provide maintenance for said aerospace vehicle, said support facility comprising;

a plurality of support sensors installed at said support facility, said plurality of support sensors configured to sense data relating to a plurality of support factors of said plurality of environmental factors, wherein said plurality of support sensors comprise at least a ground support equipment parameter sensor, a repair shop sensor, a hanger sensor, and a trainer parameter sensor; and

a single report and store unit that comprises an operational report and store unit and a support report and store unit, said operational report and store unit coupled with said operational standard compliance evaluation unit for receiving an indication of said operational determination, said operational report and store unit configured to generate at least one report relating to carbon credits based on said operational determination, wherein said operational report and store unit is at one of said aerospace vehicle and said support facility, said single report and store unit configured to generate at least one report related to a support determination based on data sensed by said plurality of support sensors.

8. The system for evaluating an aerospace operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 7 wherein the system further comprises:

at least one support information store coupled with selected support sensors of said plurality of support sensors and installed with said support facility for storing support data received from said selected support sensors relating to said support factors;

a support standards store coupled with said support facility for storing support standards associated with operating said support facility;

a support standard compliance evaluation unit coupled with said support information store and coupled with said support standards store;

said support standard compliance evaluation unit effecting comparison of said support data with said support standards to ascertain a support comparison result;

said support standard compliance evaluation unit effecting said support determination of whether said support facility complies with said support standards based upon said support comparison result; and

said support report and store unit coupled with said support standard compliance evaluation unit for receiving said indication of said support determination;

said support report and store unit generating the at least one report relating to said support determination.

9. The system for evaluating an aerospace operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 7 wherein said operational report and store unit is additionally configured to perform financial tracking.

10. The system for evaluating an aerospace operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 8 further comprising a corrective action tracking unit that generates an achievement indication regarding a level of achievement of a corrective action of an identified failure.

11. The system for evaluating an aerospace operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 7 wherein said at least one operational standards store includes environmental protection agency standards.

12. The system for evaluating an aerospace operation with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 8 wherein the system further comprises a support corrective action identification unit coupled with said support standard compliance evaluation unit and to a support display unit;

said support corrective action identification unit presenting at least one recommended support corrective action for correcting a failure to comply with at least one support standard of said plurality of support standards as indicated by said indication of said support determination.

13. A method for evaluating operation of a vehicle with respect to a plurality of environmental factors;

the method comprising;

(a) in no particular order;

(1) sensing, at said vehicle, data relating to a plurality of operational factors of said plurality of environmental factors using a plurality of operational sensors installed with said vehicle;

(2) storing, at said vehicle, operational standards associated with operating said vehicle in an operational standards store installed with said vehicle; and

(3) sensing data relating to a plurality of support factors of said plurality of environmental factors using a plurality of support sensors installed at a support facility configured to provide maintenance for said vehicle, wherein the plurality of support sensors include at least a ground support equipment parameter sensor, a repair shop sensor, a hanger sensor, and a trainer parameter sensor;

(b) storing, at said vehicle, operational data received from said selected operational sensors relating to said operational factors in at least one operational information store installed with said vehicle;

(c) comparing, at said vehicle, said operational data with said operational standards in an operational standard compliance evaluation unit installed with said vehicle to ascertain an operational comparison result;

(d) effecting, at said vehicle, an operational determination of whether said vehicle complies with said operational standards based upon said operational comparison result;

(e) generating, at an operational report and store unit, at least one report relating to said operational determination, wherein the at least one report pertains to calculation of carbon credits, and wherein a single report and store unit includes both the operational report and store unit and a support report and store unit configured to generate at least one report related to a support determination based on data sensed by the plurality of support sensors; and

(f) presenting, by an operational corrective action identification unit located within the vehicle, at least one recommended operational corrective action for correcting a failure to comply with at least one operational standard of said operational standards as indicated by said operational determination.

14. The method for evaluating operation of a vehicle with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 13 wherein the method further comprises steps performed substantially in parallel with steps (a) through (f):

(g) storing support standards associated with operating said support facility in a support standards store installed with said support facility;

(h) storing support data received from said selected support sensors relating to said support factors in at least one support information store installed with said support facility;

(i) comparing said support data with said support standards in a support standard compliance evaluation unit installed with said support facility to ascertain a support comparison result;

(j) effecting the support determination of whether said support facility complies with said support standards based upon said support comparison result; and

(k) generating the at least one report relating to said support determination.

15. The method for evaluating operation of a vehicle with respect to a plurality of environmental factors as recited in claim 14 wherein the method further comprises, following step (k):

(l) presenting at least one recommended support corrective action for correcting a failure to comply with at least one support standard of said plurality of support standards as indicated by said support determination.