VISUALIZATION AND DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS OF INTERESTED ELEMENTS OF A COMPLEX SYSTEM

• US 20160055260A1
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Floyd, Joseph F., Hadley, Brent L., Eames, Patrick J., Macer, Darren B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,191,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2012 Colour editing, changing, or manipulating; Use of colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 Elements for improving aerodynamics

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for implementation of a system for visualization and diagnostic analysis of a complex system such as an aircraft composed of a plurality of elements. The apparatus may receive and process data for a physical instance of the complex system to identify a maintenance message for the complex system. A diagnostic procedure defined for and associated with the maintenance message, may involve or implicate one or more interested elements of the plurality of elements. The apparatus may generate a visual presentation of at least a portion of the complex system. The visual presentation may be digital media and depict the interested element(s) and one or more other elements of the plurality of elements. And the apparatus may apply a visual effect to the interested element(s) depicted by the visual presentation to distinguish the interested element(s) from the other element(s) depicted by the visual presentation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for implementation of a system for visualization and analysis of interested elements of a complex system, the apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to at least:

receive and process data for a physical instance of a complex system composed of a plurality of elements, the data being received and processed to identify a maintenance message for the complex system, and a diagnostic procedure defined for and associated with the maintenance message, the diagnostic procedure involving or implicating one or more interested elements of the plurality of elements;

generate a visual presentation of at least a portion of the complex system, the visual presentation being digital media and depicting the one or more interested elements and one or more other elements of the plurality of elements; and

apply a visual effect to the one or more interested elements depicted by the visual presentation to distinguish the one or more interested elements from the one or more other elements depicted by the visual presentation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus being caused to generate the visual presentation includes being caused to generate the visual presentation of at least a portion of a digital three-dimensional (3D) model of the complex system, the visual effect being applied to 3D objects of the 3D model that correspond to the one or more interested elements.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the maintenance message and the diagnostic procedure are a plurality of maintenance messages and a plurality of diagnostic procedures, the one or more interested elements being a plurality of interested elements involved in or implicated by the plurality of diagnostic procedures.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of interested elements includes a first one or more interested elements involved or implicated by a first of the plurality of diagnostic procedures, and a second one or more interested elements involved in or implicated by a second of the plurality of diagnostic procedures, and

wherein the apparatus being caused to apply the visual effect includes being caused to vary a property of the visual element applied between the first one or more interested elements and second one or more interested elements to distinguish the first one or more interested elements and second one or more interested elements from one another.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the memory stores further executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further:

analyze the plurality of interested elements to identify a key interested element from the plurality of interested elements,

wherein the apparatus being caused to apply the visual effect includes being caused to vary a property of the visual effect applied to the key interested element, or apply a second visual effect to the key interested element, to further distinguish the key interested element from other interested elements of the plurality of interested elements.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus being caused to analyze the plurality of interested elements includes being caused to at least:

generate a graph including a plurality of vertices connected by one or more edges, the plurality of vertices corresponding to respective elements of the plurality of interested elements, and the one or more edges representing respective one or more connections between the plurality of elements; and

analyze the graph to identify a key vertex from the plurality of vertices, the key vertex corresponding to the key interested element of the plurality of interested elements.

7. A method comprising:

receiving and processing data for a physical instance of a complex system composed of a plurality of elements, the data being received and processed to identify a maintenance message for the complex system, and a diagnostic procedure defined for and associated with the maintenance message, the diagnostic procedure involving or implicating one or more interested elements of the plurality of elements;

generating a visual presentation of at least a portion of the complex system, the visual presentation being digital media and depicting the one or more interested elements and one or more other elements of the plurality of elements; and

applying a visual effect to the one or more interested elements depicted by the visual presentation to distinguish the one or more interested elements from the one or more other elements depicted by the visual presentation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the visual presentation includes generating the visual presentation of at least a portion of a digital three-dimensional (3D) model of the complex system, the visual effect being applied to 3D objects of the 3D model that correspond to the one or more interested elements.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the maintenance message and the diagnostic procedure are a plurality of maintenance messages and a plurality of diagnostic procedures, the one or more interested elements being a plurality of interested elements involved in or implicated by the plurality of diagnostic procedures.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of interested elements includes a first one or more interested elements involved or implicated by a first of the plurality of diagnostic procedures, and a second one or more interested elements involved in or implicated by a second of the plurality of diagnostic procedures, and

wherein applying the visual effect includes varying a property of the visual element applied between the first one or more interested elements and second one or more interested elements to distinguish the first one or more interested elements and second one or more interested elements from one another.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

analyzing the plurality of interested elements to identify a key interested element from the plurality of interested elements,

wherein applying the visual effect includes varying a property of the visual effect applied to the key interested element, or applying a second visual effect to the key interested element, to further distinguish the key interested element from other interested elements of the plurality of interested elements.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein analyzing the plurality of interested elements comprises:

generating a graph including a plurality of vertices connected by one or more edges, the plurality of vertices corresponding to respective elements of the plurality of interested elements, and the one or more edges representing respective one or more connections between the plurality of elements; and

analyzing the graph to identify a key vertex from the plurality of vertices, the key vertex corresponding to the key interested element of the plurality of interested elements.

13. A computer-readable storage medium that is non-transitory and has computer-readable program code portions stored therein that, in response to execution by a processor, cause an apparatus to at least:

receive and process data for a physical instance of a complex system composed of a plurality of elements, the data being received and processed to identify a maintenance message for the complex system, and a diagnostic procedure defined for and associated with the maintenance message, the diagnostic procedure involving or implicating one or more interested elements of the plurality of elements;

generate a visual presentation of at least a portion of the complex system, the visual presentation being digital media and depicting the one or more interested elements and one or more other elements of the plurality of elements; and

apply a visual effect to the one or more interested elements depicted by the visual presentation to distinguish the one or more interested elements from the one or more other elements depicted by the visual presentation.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the apparatus being caused to generate the visual presentation includes being caused to generate the visual presentation of at least a portion of a digital three-dimensional (3D) model of the complex system, the visual effect being applied to 3D objects of the 3D model that correspond to the one or more interested elements.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the maintenance message and the diagnostic procedure are a plurality of maintenance messages and a plurality of diagnostic procedures, the one or more interested elements being a plurality of interested elements involved in or implicated by the plurality of diagnostic procedures.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of interested elements includes a first one or more interested elements involved or implicated by a first of the plurality of diagnostic procedures, and a second one or more interested elements involved in or implicated by a second of the plurality of diagnostic procedures, and

wherein the apparatus being caused to apply the visual effect includes being caused to vary a property of the visual element applied between the first one or more interested elements and second one or more interested elements to distinguish the first one or more interested elements and second one or more interested elements from one another.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 having further readable program code portions stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to further at least:

analyze the plurality of interested elements to identify a key interested element from the plurality of interested elements,

wherein the apparatus being caused to apply the visual effect includes being caused to vary a property of the visual effect applied to the key interested element, or apply a second visual effect to the key interested element, to further distinguish the key interested element from other interested elements of the plurality of interested elements.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus being caused to analyze the plurality of interested elements includes being caused to at least:

generate a graph including a plurality of vertices connected by one or more edges, the plurality of vertices corresponding to respective elements of the plurality of interested elements, and the one or more edges representing respective one or more connections between the plurality of elements; and

analyze the graph to identify a key vertex from the plurality of vertices, the key vertex corresponding to the key interested element of the plurality of interested elements.