Communications: electrical – Aircraft alarm or indicating systems
Patent
1983-11-17
1987-06-23
Caldwell, Sr., John W.
Communications: electrical
Aircraft alarm or indicating systems
73178R, 340963, G06F 1520
Patent
active
046756752
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to fault reporting and, more particularly, to an aircraft maintenance scheduling system by which fault-related data onboard an operational aircraft is processed through a communications channel to a ground terminal.
Heretofore, the patent literature, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,888, has shown a pulse-position modulated alarm system having automatic fault detection and utilizing radio transmission channels. This system, however, did not relate to maintenance or aircraft fault detection nor provide for scheduling of maintenance.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,484,462 relates to airway traffic control systems and, while demonstrative of radio transmission concepts, does not include automatic fault detection or maintenance scheduling.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,242,321 discloses an automatic machine analyzer which does demonstrate maintenance and automatic fault detection but fails to show an aircraft application or the scheduling of maintenance, or the utilization of radio transmissions of data.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,911 is illustrative of motor vehicle identification and speed control systems which provide for maintenance, utilize radio transmission, and relate to scheduling of maintenance; however, this patent does not show aircraft applications or automatic fault detection.
A further monitoring system specifically for construction vehicles is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,943. This patent shows automatic fault detection, radio transmission, and scheduling of maintenance but fails to relate to aircraft fault problems or transmission and signal processing of such type data.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,454 shows a system for monitoring bearings and other rotating equipment and does relate to maintenance and maintenance scheduling, radio transmission, and automatic fault detection, but has no bearing upon aircraft maintenance or fault detection problems.
A plant maintenance control system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,298. Radio transmission of data, automatic fault detection, and aircraft applications are not shown in this patent system.
U.S.S.R. Pat No. 637,823 relates to aircraft servicing monitoring units and does disclose aircraft maintenance and maintenance scheduling but fails to disclose automatic fault detection or radio transmission of information in this regard.
Japanese Pat. No. 57-77335 discloses a remote-controlled monitoring system for construction vehicles. It appears to be quite similar in concept to the aforementioned system for monitoring construction vehicles shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,943. The Japanese Pat. No. 57-77335 system does relate to automatic fault detection, radio transmission, and maintenance and maintenance scheduling design but fails to relate to aircraft applications and fault detection of onboard data.
Further literature relating to maintenance and scheduling of maintenance of machines does not appear to relate to the problems of fault detection and aircraft and automatic signal processing through radio transmission channels.
Present solutions to maintenance include providing flight crews of aircraft with FRM (Fault Reporting Manual, or equivalent). The FRM contains possible fault indications. The user is lead through logic tree formatted pages containing yes
o type questions. The end result of a fault analysis is an eight digit code which represents a specific fault condition. The user then radios this code to the ground and/or records it in the flight's log book.
On the ground, the maintenance personnel apply the fault code to the FIM (Fault Isolation Manual, or equivalent) which further isolates the fault. At this point, if the exact cause of the fault is not known, the maintenance personnel are given a general idea of what the cause(s) of the problem is and what maintenance action(s) will be required when the airplane arrives, thereby tending to minimize the possibility of a delayed or grounded flight.
The FRM is bulky and difficult to use. EX: Present FRMs are somewhat large and total approximately 600 81/2.times.11 inch pages. The book is divided by Airline Transport Association (
REFERENCES:
patent: 3234534 (1966-02-01), Todman
patent: 3380399 (1968-04-01), southard
patent: 3906437 (1975-09-01), Brandwein
patent: 4212064 (1980-07-01), Forsythe
patent: 4470116 (1984-09-01), Ratchford
patent: 4510803 (1985-04-01), Perara
Crawforth, "Real Time Flight Test Control," IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. AES-2, No. 4 (1966).
Batten, "The Use of Computer Testing," Aircraft Engineering, vol. 47, No. 6 (1975).
Corwin Charles E.
Moore Neal W.
Caldwell Sr. John W.
Donahue B. A.
Gardner Conrad O.
Heim Michael F.
The Boeing Company
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