Aircraft maintenance laptop

• US 8,321,083 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Beebe, Clifford A., Hashimi, Mir H., Jahns, Stephen E., Bovey, Lee Victoria, Pigion, Richard George, Hale, Justin Eugene, Kesterson, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/362,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20090192659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/35
• US Class Current: 701/29.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0739 in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a portable computer, and program code stored on the portable computer. The program code is capable of being executed to establish a communications link with an aircraft network data processing system in an aircraft, obtain information about the aircraft over the communications link, display the information on a display device for the portable computer, receive user input to control a data processing system on the aircraft network data processing system in the aircraft, and send a number of commands to the data processing system in response to receiving the user input.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a portable computer; and

program code stored on the portable computer, wherein the program code is capable of being executed to establish a communications link with an aircraft network data processing system in an aircraft, obtain information about the aircraft over the communications link, display the information on a display device for the portable computer, receive user input to control a data processing system on the aircraft network data processing system in the aircraft, and send a number of commands to the data processing system in response to receiving the user input for controlling a circuit breaker and contactor process capable of obtaining and manipulating a state of circuit breakers and contactors on the aircraft, and wherein the program code is configured to access a flight control rigging process capable of rigging flight control surfaces on the aircraft and control rigging flight controls in the aircraft.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the program code comprises program code for at least one of a health and fault information process capable of accessing health and fault information on the aircraft;

an aircraft system information process capable of accessing status information for the aircraft; and

an aircraft support information access process capable of accessing support information for the aircraft.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the health and fault information comprises one of a failure of a line replaceable unit, a status of the line replaceable unit, a status of an electrical system.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the support information comprises one of a maintenance manual, a minimum equipment list, illustrations of parts, a fault isolation manual, and an aircraft and maintenance log book.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the circuit breaker and contactor process obtains and manipulates the state of circuit breakers and contactors on the aircraft through a circuit breaker indication and control in the aircraft.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the support information is stored on a laptop computer.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the aircraft support information access process is capable of integrating the support information with the status information accessed by the aircraft system information process.

8. An apparatus for performing maintenance operations on an aircraft, the apparatus comprising:

a health and fault information process capable of accessing health and fault information on the aircraft;

an aircraft system information process capable of accessing status information for the aircraft;

an aircraft support information access process capable of accessing support information for the aircraft;

a flight control rigging process configured to rig flight control surfaces on the aircraft;

a circuit breaker and contactor process capable of obtaining and manipulating a state of circuit breakers and contactors on the aircraft; and

a laptop computer, wherein the laptop computer is capable of establishing a wireless communications link with an aircraft network data processing system located within a selected distance of the laptop computer and wherein the health and fault information process, the aircraft support information access process, the aircraft system information process, the flight control rigging process, and the circuit breaker and contactor process execute on the laptop computer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the health and fault information comprises one of a failure of a line replaceable unit, a status of the line replaceable unit, a status of an electrical system.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the support information comprises one of a maintenance manual, a minimum equipment list, illustrations of parts, a fault isolation manual, and an aircraft and maintenance log book.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the flight control rigging process is capable of controlling rigging flight controls on the aircraft through the rigging flight controls in the aircraft.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the circuit breaker and contactor process obtains and manipulates the state of circuit breakers and contactors on the aircraft through a circuit breaker indication and control in the aircraft.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the support information is stored on the laptop computer.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the aircraft support information access process is capable of integrating the support information with the status information accessed by the aircraft system information process.

15. A method for performing maintenance operations, the method comprising:

establishing a communications link with an aircraft network data processing system in an aircraft using a portable computer;

receiving information at the portable computer about the aircraft from the aircraft network data processing system; and

controlling a number of data processing systems in the aircraft using the portable computer to perform a maintenance operation including a circuit breaker and contactor process capable of obtaining and manipulating a state of circuit breakers and contactors on the aircraft and also including controlling access to a flight control rigging process capable of rigging flight control surfaces on the aircraft.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the communications link is selected from one of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the number of data processing systems comprises at least one of a number of line replaceable units.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the number of line replaceable units is at least one of rigging flight controls, a central server module, an electronic flight bag, cabin services, and circuit breaker and controls.

19. A computer program product for performing maintenance operations, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer recordable storage medium;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for establishing a communications link with an aircraft network data processing system in an aircraft using a portable computer;

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for receiving information at the portable computer about the aircraft from the aircraft network data processing system; and

program code, stored on the computer recordable storage medium, for controlling a number of data processing systems in the aircraft using the portable computer to perform a maintenance operation including at a circuit breaker and contactor process capable of obtaining and manipulating a state of circuit breakers and contactors on the aircraft.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a portable computer; and

program code stored on the portable computer, wherein the program code is capable of being executed to establish a communications link with an aircraft network data processing system in an aircraft, obtain information about the aircraft over the communications link, display the information on a display device for the portable computer, receive user input to control a data processing system on the aircraft network data processing system in the aircraft, and send a number of commands to the data processing system in response to receiving the user input for controlling a flight control rigging process capable of rigging flight control surfaces on the aircraft.