Component tagging with maintenance related information including maintenance procedures

• US 20040024501A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Muehl, Gordon, Irle, Klaus, Kienle, Walter G., Heusermann, Knut
• Granted Patent: US 7,047,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method for maintaining a complex article, including retrieving maintenance information relating to maintenance of a component of a complex article from an electronically-accessible tag coupled to the component and applying the retrieved maintenance information to a determination regarding maintenance of the complex article. A device including a complex article including a first component and a second component, the first and second components being one of individually replaceable and maintainable. The first component is tagged with a first tag that stores first computer accessible information including a first identifier identifying the first component and first maintenance information describing maintenance of the first component. The second component is tagged with a second tag that stores second computer accessible information including a second identifier identifying the second component and second maintenance information describing maintenance of the second component.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a complex article, comprising:

retrieving maintenance information relating to maintenance of a first component of a complex article from a first electronically-accessible tag coupled to the first component; and

determining, based on the retrieved maintenance information, one or more maintenance procedures to perform on the component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving second maintenance information relating to maintenance of a second component of the complex article from a second electronically-accessible tag coupled to the second component.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving second maintenance information relating to maintenance of a second component of the complex article from a second electronically-accessible tag coupled to the second component, the second component being a component of the first component of the complex article.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a component identifier identifying the component of the complex article from the electronically-accessible tag.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

associating the component with the complex article; and

determining the location of the component based on the location of the complex article.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

relaying location information about the location of the component to a database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving maintenance information includes:

retrieving a maintenance record describing a maintenance procedure performed on the component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving maintenance information includes:

retrieving a maintenance instruction describing how to maintain the component.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when to maintain the component based on the retrieved maintenance information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a maintenance procedure to maintain the component based on the retrieved maintenance information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing maintenance information relating to the maintenance of a component on the electronically-accessible tag.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein storing the maintenance information includes:

storing the maintenance information in an closed format.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein storing the maintenance information comprises:

writing a date of a maintenance procedure to the electronically-accessible tag.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving maintenance information includes:

retrieving operation information relating to an operation of the component from the electronically-accessible tag.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein retrieving operation information includes:

retrieving service information relating to a time of operation of the component.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the complex article includes two or more components where each component includes an electronically accessible tag, the method further comprising:

retrieving information that describes a hierarchy of the plurality of components; and

prioritizing maintenance of the complex article based on the retrieved information.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the retrieved information, whether to repair or replace the first component.

18. A device comprising:

a complex article including a first component and a second component, the first and second components being one of individually replaceable and maintainable,

the first component being tagged with a first tag, the first tag storing first computer accessible information including a first identifier identifying the first component and first maintenance information describing maintenance of the first component,

the second component being tagged with a second tag, the second tag storing second computer accessible information including a second identifier identifying the second component and second maintenance information describing maintenance of the second component.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the first component comprises:

the second component.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein:

the first tag stores first maintenance information in a closed standard.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the first computer accessible information includes:

operation information describing an operation history of the first component.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein:

the operation information describes a characteristic of the operation of the first component.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein:

the complex article includes a sensor to determine a trait of the complex article; and

the operation information describes the trait of the complex article.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the trait of the complex article comprises:

a trait of the first component of the complex article.

25. The device of claim 18, wherein the first maintenance information comprises:

a historical record of maintenance procedures performed on the first component.

26. The device of claim 18, wherein the first maintenance information comprises:

technical information regarding the maintenance of the first component.

27. The device of claim 18, wherein the first tag comprises:

a radio-frequency receiver to receive a radio signal from an interrogator.

28. The device of claim 18, wherein the first computer accessible information includes:

relationship information that identifies a relationship to the second component.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein:

the relationship information identifies a hierarchical relationship with the second component.

30. The device of claim 18, wherein the complex article comprises:

a motor vehicle.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the motor vehicle comprises:

an airplane.

40. The product of claim 29, wherein the computer program product is operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive an identifier that identifies the component from the electronically-accessible tag coupled to the component.

32. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, for maintaining a complex article, the computer program product being operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive maintenance information relating to maintenance of a component of the complex article from an electronically-accessible tag coupled to the component; and

determine a maintenance schedule for the complex article based on the received maintenance information.

33. The product of claim 32, wherein the computer program product is operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

write maintenance information relating to maintenance of the component to the tag coupled to the component.

34. The product of claim 33, wherein the computer program product is operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

write maintenance information relating to maintenance of the component in a closed standard.

35. The product of claim 33, wherein the computer program product is operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

write a date to the electronically-accessible tag after a maintenance procedure has been performed on the complex article.

36. The product of claim 32, wherein the computer program product is operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive operation information relating to the operation of the component from the electronically-accessible tag coupled to the component.

37. The product of claim 36, wherein the computer program product is operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive a service time of the component from the electronically-accessible tag coupled to the component.

38. The product of claim 32, wherein the computer program product is operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive technical information related to a technical characteristic of one of the component and the complex article.

39. The product of claim 38, wherein the computer program product is operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive technical information related to a maintenance procedure.