System and method for damage evaluation

• US 6,876,950 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Richardson, Terry D., Rubin, Alex, Morris, Christopher L., Beney, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUAREZ, FELIX E
• Application Number:
  US10/133,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20030204332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 702/94, 702/95, 702/150, 702/152, 702/153, 702/156, 702/167, 702/182, 702/183, 702/186, 702/188, 280/781, 414/563, 705/1, 711/144, 701/50, 370/352, 340/568.1
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

A system for utilizing a computer to analyze damage to a structure. The system includes a damage disposition program for determining an appropriate repair procedure for repairing the damage to the structure. Additionally, the system includes a processor for executing the damage disposition program. A predefined set of damage class determination rules are utilized by the damage disposition program to determine a damage class.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing damage to a structure, said system comprising:

a processor;

a damage disposition program executed by said processor, said damage disposition program operating to determine an appropriate repair procedure that describes how to perform a specific repair to said structure determined by said damage disposition program to have damage within a specific damage class; and

a predefined set of damage class determination rules stored in a database accessible by said damage disposition program to determine said damage class.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a processor-user interface configured to display a plurality of interactive panels generated by execution of said damage disposition program by said processor, wherein at least one of said panels comprises at least one data entry field, and said processor-user interface is further configured to input data in said data entry field.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein upon execution said damage disposition program generates a subsequent one of said panels based on the input data, and determines a location and size of the damage.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of said interactive panels comprises a graphics window for graphically illustrating at least one of a structure part schematic and damage disposition information.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein upon execution said damage disposition program operates to apply said damage class determination rules to the input data and determines a damage class of the damage.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein upon execution said damage disposition program operates to utilize said input data, said damage class, and a set of previous repair data to determine the appropriate repair procedure for repairing the damage.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said data entry field in at least one said panel is configured to have said previous repair data input via said processor-user interface.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said system further comprises a database configured to store said previous repair data, and wherein upon execution said damage disposition program operates to retrieve said previous repair data from said database, via said processor.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said previous repair data is stored in a remote computer-based network system database and said previous repair data is uploaded to said system prior to said processor executing said damage disposition program.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein said system operates to pass said input data and said repair procedure to a comprehensive damage repair program executed by a remote computer-based network system.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein said system operates to pass said input data and said repair procedure to a comprehensive damage repair program executed by said system processor.

12. A method for analyzing damage to a structure utilizing a system including a processor, a processor-user interface, a database, a damage disposition program, and a predefined set of damage class determination rules, said method comprising:

executing the damage disposition program utilizing the processor;

inputting data in a plurality of interactive panels generated by execution of the damage disposition program and displayed on the processor-user interface; and

determining an appropriate repair procedure utilizing the damage disposition program and the input data, the repair procedure describing how to perform a specific repair to the structure determined by the damage disposition program to have damage within a specific damage class.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of the interactive panels includes at least one data entry field, and wherein inputting data comprises entering data in the data entry field using the processor-user interface.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the interactive panels includes a graphics window for presenting a graphical illustration of at least one of a structure part schematic and damage disposition information, and wherein inputting data comprises:

viewing the graphical illustration; and

utilizing the graphical illustration to obtain the input data.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein executing the damage disposition comprises;

generating a subsequent one of the interactive panels based on the data input in previous interactive panels; and

determining a location and size of the damage based on the data inputs.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data entry field in at least one interactive panel comprises a previous repair data entry field, and wherein inputting data further comprises entering previous repair data using the processor-user interface.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein executing the damage disposition program comprises retrieving previous repair data stored in the database.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the system further includes an electronic storage device, and wherein executing the damage disposition program comprises:

uploading previous repair data to the electronic storage device prior to executing the damage disposition program; and

retrieving the uploaded previous repair data from the electronic storage device.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein determining an appropriate repair procedure comprises:

applying the damage class determination rules to the input data to determine a damage class; and

utilizing the input data, the damage class and previous repair data to determine the appropriate repair procedure.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein executing the damage disposition program comprises passing the appropriate repair procedure to a comprehensive damage repair program executed by a remote computer-based network system.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein executing the damage disposition program comprises passing the appropriate repair procedure to a comprehensive damage repair program executed by the system processor.

22. A method for using a computer to determine an appropriate repair procedure for repairing a damaged structure comprising:

displaying a plurality of interactive panels on a processor-user interface, at least one of said interactive panels including at least one data entry field;

receiving input data entered into said data entry field using said processor-user interface;

applying a set of damage class determination rules, stored in a database of said computer, to said input data, thereby determining a class of damage to said structure; and

determining an appropriate repair procedure based on said input data, said damage class and previous repair data, said appropriate repair procedure describing how to perform a specific repair to said structure based on said damage class determination.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein displaying a plurality of interactive panels comprises providing instructions interpretable by the computer to instruct the computer to display at least one of said interactive panels having a graphics window for presenting a graphical illustration of at least one of a structure part schematic and damage disposition information, said graphical illustration being used to obtain said input data.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein displaying a plurality of interactive panels comprises providing instructions interpretable by the computer to instruct the computer to:

generate a subsequent one of said interactive panels based on said data input in previous said interactive panels; and

determine a location and size of the damaged to the structure based on the data inputs.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein determining an appropriate repair procedure comprises providing instructions interpretable by the computer to instruct the computer to receive previous repair data input using the processor-user interface.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein determining an appropriate repair procedure comprises providing instructions interpretable by the computer to instruct the computer to retrieve previous repair data stored in a computer database.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein determining an appropriate repair procedure comprises providing instructions interpretable by the computer to instruct the computer to retrieve previous repair data uploaded to a computer electronic storage device from a remote computer-based network.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing instructions interpretable by the computer to instruct the computer to pass said appropriate repair procedure to a comprehensive damage repair program.