This disclosure relates to a method and assembly for aircraft maintenance.
An aircraft generally has a life cycle that can extend over decades. As the aircraft ages, parts on the aircraft are repaired or replaced. Through this life cycle, the parts may become subject to design modification and revision. Because these changes in the parts of the aircraft may affect its operation, the Federal Aviation Administration requires airlines and maintenance organizations to keep a maintenance log of the parts, which are repaired or replaced on the aircraft.
In the field, a maintenance technician typically enters changes to the parts of the aircraft into the log by hand. This process is both time consuming and subject to error. A technician can forget to record changes in the first place, especially if the repairs are conducted in the evening and the technician leaves record keeping for the next morning.
A need therefore exists for a method of aircraft maintenance that records changes about an aircraft conveniently and easily.
Disclosed is an aircraft part assembly having an aircraft part for use in an aircraft, a metal data plate mounted on the aircraft part, and a radio frequency identification tag (RFID tag) configured such that the metal data plate is an RFID tag resonator.
Also disclosed is an aircraft part assembly having an aircraft part for use in an aircraft, a metal data plate mounted on the aircraft part, and an RFID tag mounted between the aircraft part and the metal data plate.
Also disclosed is a method of conducting aircraft maintenance, having the steps of receiving stored part information relating to an aircraft part from an RFID tag coupled to a part data plate on the part using a portable device, receiving stored replacement part information relating to a replacement part from an RFID tag coupled to a replacement part data plate on the replacement part using the portable device, formatting the part information and the replacement part information into an electronic document, and wirelessly transmitting the electronic document to a server.
The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.
In the past, information relating to an aircraft part, such as its part number or serial number, was only included on the data plate 20 by the manufacturer. If this part were repaired or replaced, a maintenance technician would record the number by hand at the aircraft and then subsequently enter this information into a log book or computer maintained away from the aircraft. Such a process relies on the maintenance technician to record the part information accurately.
Using the RFID tag 18, information relating to the aircraft part 14 can be communicated and recorded to another location with ease and accuracy, as will be explained. The RFID tag 18 has a memory unit 26, which is both electronically readable and writable. The memory unit 26 can store part information relating to the aircraft part 14, such as part number, serial number, and part configuration (the specific design of the part). In addition, the memory unit 26 is writable and can store transmitted part information, such as the service and revision history of the aircraft part 14 or any changes or revisions to the aircraft part 14 made by a maintenance technician. The type of information stored on the memory unit 26 is not limited to the foregoing information but includes other types of information useful in the repair, maintenance and tracking of the aircraft part 14.
A processor 30 controls both the memory unit 26 and the receiver/transmitter 22 so as to permit the accessing of information stored in the memory unit 26, such as part information, as well as its revision by a remote device, such as a portable device 62 (shown in
With reference to
In addition, the maintenance technician 40 is shown wearing an identification badge 38 with an RFID tag 54, which is constructed in the same manner as the RFID tag 18. The RFID tag 54 stores information relating to the identification of the maintenance technician 40 as well as security verification information that permits the maintenance technician 40 access to portable device 62 as well as RFID tag 18.
An aircraft 10 also includes an aircraft computer 58, which acts as a server for the portable device 62. The portable device 62 communicates wirelessly with the aircraft computer 58 using radio frequency waves. Accordingly, the aircraft computer 58 is linked with a receiver and transmitter for communication with the portable device 62 as well as a cell tower 70 or other relay device, such as a satellite. The cell tower 70 is in communication with a second server 64, which is a computer located at a remote location such as a maintenance organization or airline facility. The second server 64 is linked with a computer 72 having a display and keyboard. With proper authorization, a worker 74 has access to the computer 72.
With reference to
Alternatively, the change may be a replacement of the aircraft part 14 by another aircraft part, such as a replacement part 46. Like the aircraft part 14, the replacement part 46 has an RFID tag 50. The RFID tag 50 stores the replacement part 46 information, which is the same type of information as found on the RFID tag 18, such as revision history of the part, part configuration, service history, part number, serial number or other related information. Through the portable device 62, the maintenance technician 40 prompts the RFID tag 50 of the replacement part 46 to wirelessly transmit replacement part information to the portable device 62. The portable device 62 then stores replacement part information in memory along with the previously stored part information relating to the aircraft part 14. The maintenance technician 40 then uses the keyboard 63 on the portable device 62 to record that a replacement part 46 has replaced the previous aircraft part 14.
The maintenance technician 40 then prompts the portable device 62 to obtain information relating to the identity of the maintenance technician 40 from the RFID tag 54 and information relating to the identification of the aircraft 10. To facilitate obtaining information about the aircraft 10, the aircraft 10 may have an RFID tag 66, which records its identification number, such as its manufacturer's identification number or the identity of the aircraft in the fleet. Once this information is obtained, then the portable device 62 formats part information, replacement part information (if part is replaced), aircraft identification, maintenance technician identification and notes concerning the nature of service, such as a note that the part has been changed, into an electronic document 34, which is formatted in XML.
The portable device 62 transmits electronic document 34 to a remote location, such as an aircraft computer 58, which then relays the electronic document 34 to a cell tower 70, which passes the electronic document 34 to a second server 64 through the internet. The computer 72 then displays the electronic document 34 to permit viewing by a worker 74, who is located at the remote facility. The electronic document 34 may be stored by a second server 64 as well as the aircraft computer 58 and the portable device 62.
In addition, the portable device 62 can further write information wirelessly onto the RFID tag 18 as well as the RFID tag 50. A maintenance technician 40 can accordingly input into both or either RFID tags 18 and 50 information relating to the maintenance of these parts as well as other notes. In this way, a service history of the part can be maintained to facilitate the future use and/or repair of the aircraft 10.
The foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. A worker of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the follow claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
This disclosure is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/055,345, filed on Mar. 26, 2008.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12055345 | Mar 2008 | US |
Child | 13032235 | US |