Automated postflight troubleshooting

• US 9,418,496 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kesler, Paul Allen, Kalinowski, Robert Daniel, Vian, John Lyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundu, Sujoy
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, LYNNE D
• Application Number:
  US12/372,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,737 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/00 Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light G01N3/00 - G01N19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/01 Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/88 Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8851 Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/106 one or more transducer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/26 Scanned objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

The advantageous embodiments provide a method for identifying anomalies on an object. The advantageous embodiments detect a presence of the object in a control area using a sensor system. In response to detecting the presence of the object in the control area, the object is identified using the sensor system. Scan priorities are identified for the object using the sensor system. The object is scanned while the object is within the control area to form scan results. The scan results are analyzed and a determination is made as to whether a number of maintenance anomalies are detected on the object using the scan results.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a priority for selecting scans for detecting an anomaly on an aircraft in motion on the ground, the method comprising:

detecting a presence of the aircraft in a control area using a sensor system;

responsive to detecting the presence of the aircraft in the control area, capturing an image of the aircraft with the sensor system and analyzing the image, using an object identification process within an analysis process, to identify the aircraft;

responsive to identifying the aircraft, determining, based upon a subscriber status of aircraft, whether or not to scan the aircraft;

identifying scan priorities, for using the sensor system on the aircraft on the ground after a flight via;

determining whether the analysis process received a datalink communication, identifying the anomaly with a feature of the aircraft, from the aircraft during the flight;

assigning a first priority to the anomaly identified in the datalink communication, and identifying prioritization of multiple anomalies received in the datalink communication based upon a hierarchy of anomaly priorities within a scan priority database communicating with the analysis process;

identifying prior scan results for the aircraft;

determining, using the analysis process and the prior scan results, whether an anomaly trend is present;

responsive to a determination that the anomaly trend is present, assigning a second priority to the anomaly trend;

identifying preventative maintenance requirements; and

assigning a third priority to preventative maintenance requirements;

determining, using a designated use for each sensor in the sensor system and a potential for degradation of each sensor influenced by dynamic conditions comprising;

a cloud coverage, an artificial illumination, a full moon light, a new moon darkness, a degree of sun brightness based on sun position due to season, a shadow, fog, smoke, sand, dust, rain, and snow, a number of redundant sensors in the sensor system used in scanning the aircraft;

scanning the aircraft while the aircraft is in motion within the control area to form scan results;

analyzing, based upon the subscriber status of the aircraft, the scan results;

determining, using the scan results, whether the scan detected a number of maintenance anomalies on the aircraft, the maintenance anomalies comprising;

a crack, a dent, a depression, a bulge, a buckling, a warping, a drip, a leak, a fluid streak, corrosion, rust, an open panel, and a missing panel; and

transmitting a maintenance order to a maintenance crew, and executing the maintenance order.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the scan results to a maintenance control system, wherein the identifying step is performed by the maintenance control system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying scan priorities for the aircraft further comprises:

determining whether the aircraft is a subscriber, via the analysis process interacting with a subscriber database.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the aircraft is not a subscriber, assigning no scan priorities for the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the aircraft is a subscriber, determining whether any operational maintenance information has been received for the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor system further comprises a high definition camera configured to generate three dimensional images.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining which of a plurality of scanning operations to employ in scanning the aircraft.

8. A method for identifying a priority for selecting scans for detecting an anomaly on an aircraft in motion on the ground, the method comprising:

detecting a presence of the aircraft in a control area using a motion detector;

capturing an image of the aircraft with a sensor system and analyzing the image to identify the aircraft;

responsive to identifying the aircraft, determining, based upon a subscriber status of the aircraft, whether or not to scan the aircraft;

receiving, by a maintenance control system from a datalink communication from the aircraft in a flight immediately preceding the aircraft being in motion on the ground, an identification of the anomaly on the aircraft;

assigning, by the maintenance control system, scan priorities to the sensor system via;

assigning a first priority to the anomaly transmitted in the datalink communication, and identifying prioritization of multiple anomalies received in the datalink communication based upon a hierarchy of anomaly priorities within a scan priority database communicating with an analysis process within the maintenance control system;

identifying prior scan results for the aircraft;

determining whether an anomaly trend is present using the prior scan results; and

responsive to a determination that the anomaly trend is present, assigning a second priority to the anomaly trend;

identifying preventative maintenance requirements; and

assigning a third priority to preventative maintenance requirements;

subsequent to assigning scan priorities, updating the scan priority database;

determining, using a designated use for each sensor in the sensor system and a potential for degradation of each sensor influenced by dynamic conditions comprising;

a cloud coverage, an artificial illumination, a full moon light, a new moon darkness, a degree of sun brightness based on sun position due to season, a shadow, fog, smoke, sand, dust, rain, and snow, a number of redundant sensors in the sensor system used in scanning the aircraft;

scanning the aircraft while the aircraft is in motion within the control area to form scan results, via scanning a surface of the aircraft with a laser metrology system, the laser metrology system creating a three dimensional map for measuring anomalies comprising;

a crack, a dent, a depression, a bulge, a buckling, a warping, a drip, a leak, a fluid streak, corrosion, rust, an open panel, and a missing panel;

scanning the surface of the aircraft with an infrared camera for identifying hot spots on the surface and under the surface, and scanning the surface of the aircraft with an ultraviolet receptor for detecting-fluid leaks;

receiving scan results of the aircraft in motion on the ground from the sensor system;

identifying the anomaly using the scan results;

generating a maintenance order comprising a corrective action for the anomaly; and

transmitting the maintenance order to a maintenance crew, and executing the maintenance order.

9. An apparatus configured to, in operation, identify a priority for a selection of scans that detect a presence of an anomaly on an aircraft in motion on the ground, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor system; and

a maintenance control system comprising a computer connected to the sensor system, the computer configured such that in operation the computer executes an analysis process and performs the steps of;

detecting the presence of the aircraft in motion on the ground in a control area using the sensor system;

responsive to detecting the presence of the aircraft in a control area;

capturing an image of the aircraft with the sensor system and analyzing the image to identify the aircraft;

responsive to identifying the aircraft, determining, based upon a subscriber status of the aircraft, whether or not to scan the aircraft;

identifying scan priorities for the aircraft via;

determining whether the maintenance control system received a datalink communication identifying the anomaly for the aircraft;

assigning a first priority to the anomaly and identifying prioritization of multiple anomalies received in the datalink communication based upon a hierarchy of anomaly priorities within a scan priority database communicating with the analysis process within the maintenance control system;

identifying prior scan results for the aircraft;

determining whether an anomaly trend is present using the prior scan results; and

responsive to a determination that the anomaly trend is present, assigning a second priority to the anomaly trend;

identifying preventative maintenance requirements; and

assigning a third priority to preventative maintenance requirements;

determining, using a designated use for each sensor in the sensor system and a potential for degradation of each sensor influenced by dynamic conditions comprising;

a cloud coverage, an artificial illumination, a full moon light, a new moon darkness, a degree of sun brightness based on sun position due to season, a shadow, fog, smoke, sand, dust, rain, and snow, a number of redundant sensors in the sensor system used in scanning the aircraft;

scanning the aircraft, while the aircraft is in motion on the ground within the control area, to form scan results, via the sensor system;

scanning a surface of the aircraft with a laser metrology system to create a 3 dimensional map of the surface and thus measuring anomalies comprising;

a crack, a dent, a depression, a bulge, a buckling, a warping, a drip, a leak, a fluid streak, corrosion, rust, an open panel, and a missing panel,

scanning the surface of the aircraft with an infrared camera configured for identifying hot spots on the surface and under the surface, and

scanning the surface of the aircraft with an ultraviolet receptor configured for detecting fluid leaks;

analyzing the scan results;

determining whether the scan results indicate the anomaly on the aircraft; and

transmitting a maintenance order to a maintenance crew, and executing the maintenance order.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer executes the analysis process to perform the step of identifying scan priorities for the aircraft and further executes the analysis process to perform the step of:

determining whether the aircraft is a subscriber, via the analysis process interacting with a subscriber database.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the computer further executes the analysis process to perform the step of:

responsive to a determination that the aircraft is not a subscriber, assigning no scan priorities for the aircraft.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the computer further executes the analysis process to perform the step of:

responsive to a determination that the aircraft is a subscriber, determining whether the analysis process received the datalink from the aircraft.