Diagnosis system

• US 8,972,034 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Kott, Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNN, DARRIN D
• Application Number:
  US12/738,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20100268366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,651 Days
• Field of Search: 700/108, 700/255, 701/117, 701/301, 701/96, 701/32.3, 340/539.23, 340/539.25, 340/686.6, 340/435, 340/436, 340/685
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/10 Manufacturing or assembling aircraft, e.g. jigs therefor

Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a diagnosis system for detecting a state of emergency during assembly of a fuselage (101) of an airplane is provided, which is adapted for detecting an emergency event and outputting information relating to the actual position of the emergency event. This may provide for a fast error identification during airplane assembly.

Claims

1. An airplane assembly and diagnosis system detecting a state of emergency during assembly of a fuselage of an airplane, the system comprising:

a movable construction platform;

a positioning unit configured to move the fuselage of the airplane;

a first detection unit configured to monitor a position and a movement of the fuselage;

a second detection unit configured to monitor a position and a movement of the construction platform, the first and second detection units configured to detect at least one of a first state of emergency for the fuselage and a second state of emergency for the construction platform when the fuselage is in a first assembly state, the first state of emergency corresponding to a first local difference between an actual position of the fuselage and a calculated target state of the fuselage along a positioning track, the second state of emergency corresponding to a second local difference between an actual position of the construction platform and a calculated target state of the construction platform; and

an output unit configured to indicate to a user at least one of a first position and a second position at which at least one of the first state of emergency and the second state of emergency, respectively, is detected by marking the position on a graphical representation of the corresponding target states of the diagnosis system and the fuselage, the graphical representation further comprising a fuselage schematic including a plurality of markers spaced apart along the fuselage schematic periphery, the graphical representation indicating a position in which a state of emergency is detected;

wherein the position information relates to at least one of a local position at the fuselage or a local position at the construction platform at which the state of emergency is detected;

wherein the system is configured to prevent a movement of the fuselage from a first position to a second position when at least one of the first and second states of emergency is detected, thereby preventing damage to the fuselage; and

wherein the system is further configured to be unblocked such that the fuselage can be moved to a next position after a source of the at least one of the first and second states of emergency has been removed.

2. The system of claim 1,

wherein the diagnosis system is adapted for preventing an assembling of the fuselage from the first assembly state to a second assembly state when at least one of the first and second states of emergency is detected.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein the detection unit comprises a detector;

wherein the detector is selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, a pressure sensor, and a switch.

4. The system of claim 3,

wherein the detector comprises a photo sensor or a laser.

5. The system of claim 1,

wherein the diagnosis system is adapted for moving a wing of an airplane from the first position to the second position.

6. The system of claim 1,

wherein outputting the position information and preventing the movement of the fuselage from the first position to the second position is performed automatically.

7. A method for detecting a state of emergency during assembly of a fuselage of an airplane, the method comprising:

moving the fuselage of the airplane;

monitoring a position and a movement of the fuselage along a positioning track;

monitoring a position and a movement of a construction platform;

detecting at least one of a first state of emergency for the fuselage and a second state of emergency for the construction platform when the fuselage is in a first assembly state, the first state of emergency corresponding to a first local difference between an actual position of the fuselage and a calculated target state of the fuselage along the positioning track and the second state of emergency corresponding to a second local difference between an actual position of the construction platform and a calculated target state of the construction platform;

when at least one of the first and second states of emergency is detected, indicating to a user a position at which the state of emergency is detected by marking the position on a graphical representation of a target state of the diagnosis system and the fuselage, the graphical representation comprising a fuselage schematic including a plurality of markers spaced apart along the fuselage schematic periphery, the graphical representation indicating a position in which a state of emergency is detected;

preventing a movement of the fuselage from a first position to a second position when the state of emergency is detected; and

moving the fuselage to a next position after a source of the state of emergency has been removed;

wherein the position information relates to a local position at the fuselage at which the state of emergency is detected, thereby preventing damage to the fuselage.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

preventing an assembling of the fuselage from the first assembly state to a second assembly state when at least one of the first and second states of emergency is detected.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon instructions for detecting a state of emergency during assembly of a fuselage of an airplane, that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the following steps:

monitoring a position and a movement of the fuselage and a position and a movement of a construction platform;

monitoring a position and a movement of the fuselage along a positioning track;

monitoring a position and a movement of a construction platform;

detecting at least one of a first state of emergency for the fuselage and a second state of emergency for the construction platform when the fuselage has been moved and is now in a first assembly state, the first state of emergency corresponding to a first local difference between an actual position of the fuselage and a calculated target state of the fuselage along the positioning track and the second state of emergency corresponding to a second local difference between an actual position of the construction platform and a calculated target state of the construction platform;

when at least one of the first and second states of emergency is detected, indicating to a user a position at which the state of emergency is detected by marking the position on a graphical representation of a target state of the diagnosis system and the fuselage, the graphical representation comprising a fuselage schematic including a plurality of markers spaced apart along the fuselage schematic periphery, the graphical representation indicating a position in which a state of emergency is detected;

preventing a movement of the fuselage from a first position to a second position when the state of emergency is detected; and

moving the fuselage to a next position after a source of the state of emergency has been removed;

wherein the position information relates to a local position at the fuselage at which the state of emergency is detected, thereby preventing damage to the fuselage.

10. A data processing unit for detecting a state of emergency during assembly of a fuselage of an airplane, the data processing unit comprising:

a memory for storing a target state of the fuselage;

a processor adapted for;

monitoring a position and a movement of the fuselage along a positioning track;

monitoring a position and a movement of a construction platform;

detecting at least one of a first state of emergency for the fuselage and a second state of emergency for the construction platform when the fuselage has been moved and is now in a first assembly state, the first state of emergency corresponding to a first local difference between an actual position of the fuselage and a calculated target state of the fuselage along the positioning track and the second state of emergency corresponding to a second local difference between an actual position of the construction platform and a calculated target state of the construction platform;

when at least one of the first and second states of emergency is detected, indicating to a user a position at which the state of emergency is detected by marking the position on a graphical representation of a target state of the diagnosis system and the fuselage, the graphical representation comprising a fuselage schematic including a plurality of markers spaced apart along the fuselage schematic periphery, the graphical representation indicating a position in which a state of emergency is detected;

preventing a movement of the fuselage from a first position to a second position when a state of emergency is detected; and

moving the fuselage to a next position after a source of the state of emergency has been removed;

wherein the position information relates to a local position at the fuselage at which the state of emergency is detected, thereby preventing damage to the fuselage.