Automated postflight troubleshooting sensor array

• US 9,541,505 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kesler, Paul Allen, Kalinowski, Robert Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundu, Sujoy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, L.
• Application Number:
  US12/701,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20160153913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8854 Grading and classifying of flaws
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/01 Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/88 Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8851 Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/26 Scanned objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance

Abstract

The advantageous embodiments provide an apparatus for identifying anomalies on an object comprising a sensor system and an analysis process. The sensor system is configured to detect a presence of the object, identify a speed of travel for the object, and determine a scan rate for the object using the speed of travel to generate scan results. The analysis process is configured to analyze the scan results and determine whether a number of maintenance anomalies are detected on the object using the scan results.

Claims

1. A method for identifying anomalies for an aircraft, the method comprising:

detecting a presence of the aircraft in a control area via monitoring, using a sensor system, the aircraft characterized by a first side, a second side, and a bottom;

responsive to the sensor system detecting the presence of the aircraft in the control area, identifying, using a number of array encoders, a speed of travel for the aircraft;

determining a scan rate for the aircraft using the speed of travel, wherein the scan rate is a number of electrical signal pulses sent to a number of cameras resulting in the number of cameras taking an exposure of at least a portion of the aircraft on each of the number of electrical signal pulses;

identifying, using a maintenance control system comprising a computer comprising an analysis process comprising an object identifier, the aircraft;

responsive to identifying the aircraft, identifying, using the analysis process and a scan priority database comprising a hierarchy of anomaly priorities, a number of scan priorities for the aircraft on the ground after a flight, wherein the number of scan priorities ranks different sections of the aircraft to be sought out during a scan based on information comprising operational maintenance information about the aircraft;

determining whether the analysis process received a datalink communication, identifying an anomaly with a section of the aircraft, from the aircraft during the flight;

assigning a first priority to the anomaly identified in the datalink communication, and responsive to receiving identification of multiple anomalies, identifying prioritization of the multiple anomalies received in the datalink communication based upon a hierarchy of anomaly priorities within a scan priority database communicating with the analysis process;

identifying prior scan results for the aircraft;

determining, using the analysis process and the prior scan results, whether an anomaly trend exists;

responsive to a determination that the anomaly trend exists, assigning a second priority to the anomaly trend;

determining, using a designated use for each sensor in the sensor system and a potential for degradation of each sensor influenced by dynamic conditions comprising;

a cloud coverage, an artificial illumination, a full moon light, a new moon darkness, a degree of sun brightness based on sun position due to season, a shadow, fog, smoke, sand, dust, rain, and snow, a number of redundant sensors in the sensor system used in scanning the aircraft;

responsive to identifying the number of scan priorities for the aircraft, scanning the aircraft, using the scan rate and a number of sensor components in an array in accordance with the number of scan priorities, the array including at least a horizontal array of sensors directed at the bottom of the aircraft and an angled array of sensors directed at the first side of the aircraft; and

responsive to scanning the aircraft, using the analysis process for forming scan results and determining whether a number of maintenance anomalies is present among a set of locations for the aircraft, the set comprising;

inside the aircraft, on an exterior surface of the aircraft, on an interior surface of the aircraft, and within a structure comprising the aircraft;

responsive to determining that the number of maintenance anomalies is present for the aircraft, generating a maintenance action to address the number of maintenance anomalies detected, transmitting the maintenance action to a maintenance unit, and executing the maintenance action on the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the number of cameras comprising a camera comprising a line scan technology; and

transmitting the maintenance action to at least one of;

a maintenance unit, and a maintenance database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising housing the number of sensor components providing the scan results for the aircraft within a weather resistant housing comprising a number of heating elements keeping each sensor, in the number of sensor components, at a desired operating temperature for each sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a number of maintenance inconsistencies present for the aircraft, performing maintenance on the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the scan results to the maintenance control system, wherein the maintenance control system analyzes the scan results and determines whether the number of maintenance anomalies is present for the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a tail number of the aircraft using the object identifier; and

determining, based upon an object identifier interaction with a subscriber database, whether information received from the sensor system should be processed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a horizontal array viewing a bottom surface of a wing of the aircraft and the angled array viewing an upper surface of the wing.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the number of sensor components comprising:

an array encoder, a laser metrology system, a number of ultraviolet light sources, a number of ultraviolet receptors, and a number of infrared sensors.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

detecting the presence of the object within the control area;

determining whether the object has exited the control area; and

responsive to a determination that the object has not exited the control area, monitoring the speed of travel for the object.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

responsive to determining that the object has exited the control area, stopping monitoring of the speed of travel for the object.

13. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

continually monitoring the speed of travel for the object to update the scan rate while the object is within the control area.

9. A method for identifying a scan rate for a scan of the object, the object having a first side, a second side, and a bottom, the method comprising:

detecting a presence of the object approaching a control area using a sensor system, the control area comprising an area that overlies a horizontal sensor array and is adjacent to a vertical sensor array and an angled sensor array, the vertical sensor array being at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the horizontal sensor array, and the angled sensor array being at an angle other than 90 degrees relative to the horizontal sensor array, the angled sensor array comprising a number of sensor components comprising;

an array encoder, a laser metrology system, a number of ultraviolet light sources, a number of ultraviolet receptors, a camera comprising a line scan technology, and a number of infrared sensors;

determining whether a maintenance control system comprising a computer comprising an analysis process received a datalink communication, identifying an anomaly with a section of the object, from an aircraft during a flight;

assigning a first priority to the anomaly identified in the datalink communication, and responsive to receiving identification of multiple anomalies, identifying prioritization of the multiple anomalies received in the datalink communication based upon a hierarchy of anomaly priorities within a scan priority database communicating with the analysis process;

identifying prior scan results for the object;

determining, using the analysis process and the prior scan results, whether an anomaly trend exists;

assigning, responsive to a determination that the anomaly trend exists, a second priority to the anomaly trend;

identifying preventative maintenance requirements; and

assigning a third priority to preventative maintenance requirements;

determining, using a designated use for each sensor in the sensor system and a potential for degradation of each sensor influenced by dynamic conditions comprising;

a cloud coverage, an artificial illumination, a full moon light, a new moon darkness, a degree of sun brightness based on sun position due to season, a shadow, fog, smoke, sand, dust, rain, and snow, a number of redundant sensors in the sensor system used in scanning the aircraft;

detecting a speed of travel for the object via activating the array encoder; and

monitoring the speed of travel for the object to determine the scan rate for the object, wherein the scan rate is a number of electrical signal pulses sent to a number of cameras to cause the number of cameras to take an exposure of the object on each of the number of electrical signal pulses, and generating scan results from the number of sensor components;

responsive to the scan results, generating the maintenance action to address maintenance anomalies detected, transmitting the maintenance action to a maintenance unit, and executing the maintenance action on the object.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the array encoder is activated by detection of the object using a motion detector.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the object is an aircraft configured to transmit operation maintenance information, to the analysis process, for identifying scan priorities.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising housing the number of sensor components within a weather resistant housing comprising a number of heating elements keeping each sensor array at a desired operating temperature for each sensor.

16. An apparatus for identifying anomalies for an object, the object comprising a first side, a second side, and a bottom, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor system configured;

to detect a presence of the object in a control area;

comprising a horizontal sensor array adjacent to a vertical sensor array and an angled sensor array, the vertical sensor array being at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the horizontal sensor array, and the angled sensor array being at an angle other than 90 degrees relative to the horizontal sensor array, such that the angled sensor array comprises a number of sensor components that comprises;

an array encoder, a laser metrology system, a number of ultraviolet light sources, a number of ultraviolet receptors, a camera comprising a line scan technology, and a number of infrared sensors;

to identify a speed of travel for the object; and

to determine, using the speed of travel, a scan rate for the sensor to scan the object to generate scan results, wherein the scan rate is a number of electrical signal pulses sent to a number of cameras to cause the number of cameras to take an exposure of the object on each of the number of electrical signal pulses and wherein the scan results are generated from a number of sensor components in accordance with a number of scan priorities;

a maintenance control system that comprises a computer that comprises a scan priority database that comprises a hierarchy of anomaly priorities, such that the computer comprises an analysis process configured to;

determine whether a maintenance control system that comprises the computer receives a datalink communication, that identifies an anomaly with a section of the object, from an aircraft during a flight;

assign a first priority to the anomaly identified in the datalink communication, and responsive to receipt of identification of multiple anomalies, identify prioritization of the multiple anomalies received in the datalink communication based upon a hierarchy of anomaly priorities within a scan priority database that communicates with the analysis process;

identify prior scan results for the aircraft;

determine, based upon the analysis process and the prior scan results, whether an anomaly trend exists;

responsive to a determination that the anomaly trend exists, assign a second priority to the anomaly trend;

determine, based upon a designated use for each sensor in the sensor system and a potential for degradation of each sensor influenced by dynamic conditions that comprise;

a cloud coverage, an artificial illumination, a full moon light, a new moon darkness, a degree of sun brightness based on sun position due to season, a shadow, fog, smoke, sand, dust, rain, and snow, a number of redundant sensors in the sensor system used in scanning the aircraft;

direct a prioritized scan of the object;

analyze a result of the prioritized scan; and

determine, based upon the result, a number of maintenance anomalies for the object;

direct actions based upon the number of maintenance anomalies, such that a maintenance unit executes the actions on the object.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the analysis process is further configured to;

identify a preventative maintenance requirement for the object; and

assign a third priority to the preventative maintenance requirement for the object.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the sensor system further comprises:

a number of sensor arrays that comprise a number of array locations, wherein the number of sensor arrays provide a number of scan angles for the sensor system associated with the number of sensor arrays.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:

the number of sensor components being located at the number of array locations.