Automated postflight troubleshooting sensor array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9541505-B2
Application number	US-70103310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2010
Priority date	Feb 17, 2009
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

The advantageous embodiments provide an apparatus for identifying anomalies on an object comprising a sensor system and an analysis process. The sensor system is configured to detect a presence of the object, identify a speed of travel for the object, and determine a scan rate for the object using the speed of travel to generate scan results. The analysis process is configured to analyze the scan results and determine whether a number of maintenance anomalies are detected on the object using the scan results.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for identifying anomalies for an aircraft, the method comprising:
detecting a presence of the aircraft in a control area via monitoring, using a sensor system, the aircraft characterized by a first side, a second side, and a bottom;
responsive to the sensor system detecting the presence of the aircraft in the control area, identifying, using a number of array encoders, a speed of travel for the aircraft;
determining a scan rate for the aircraft using the speed of travel, wherein the scan rate is a number of electrical signal pulses sent to a number of cameras resulting in the number of cameras taking an exposure of at least a portion of the aircraft on each of the number of electrical signal pulses;
identifying, using a maintenance control system comprising a computer comprising an analysis process comprising an object identifier, the aircraft;
responsive to identifying the aircraft, identifying, using the analysis process and a scan priority database comprising a hierarchy of anomaly priorities, a number of scan priorities for the aircraft on the ground after a flight, wherein the number of scan priorities ranks different sections of the aircraft to be sought out during a scan based on information comprising operational maintenance information about the aircraft;
determining whether the analysis process received a datalink communication, identifying an anomaly with a section of the aircraft, from the aircraft during the flight;
assigning a first priority to the anomaly identified in the datalink communication, and responsive to receiving identification of multiple anomalies, identifying prioritization of the 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 exists;
responsive to a determination that the anomaly trend exists, assigning a second priority to the anomaly trend;
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;
responsive to identifying the number of scan priorities for the aircraft, scanning the aircraft, using the scan rate and a number of sensor components in an array in accordance with the number of scan priorities, the array including at least a horizontal array of sensors directed at the bottom of the aircraft and an angled array of sensors directed at the first side of the aircraft; and
responsive to scanning the aircraft, using the analysis process for forming scan results and determining whether a number of maintenance anomalies is present among a set of locations for the aircraft, the set comprising: inside the aircraft, on an exterior surface of the aircraft, on an interior surface of the aircraft, and within a structure comprising the aircraft;
responsive to determining that the number of maintenance anomalies is present for the aircraft, generating a maintenance action to address the number of maintenance anomalies detected, transmitting the maintenance action to a maintenance unit, and executing the maintenance action on the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
the number of cameras comprising a camera comprising a line scan technology; and
transmitting the maintenance action to at least one of: a maintenance unit, and a maintenance database.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising housing the number of sensor components providing the scan results for the aircraft within a weather resistant housing comprising a number of heating elements keeping each sensor, in the number of sensor components, at a desired operating temperature for each sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
responsive to a number of maintenance inconsistencies present for the aircraft, performing maintenance on the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
transmitting the scan results to the maintenance control system, wherein the maintenance control system analyzes the scan results and determines whether the number of maintenance anomalies is present for the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
identifying a tail number of the aircraft using the object identifier; and
determining, based upon an object identifier interaction with a subscriber database, whether information received from the sensor system should be processed.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a horizontal array viewing a bottom surface of a wing of the aircraft and the angled array viewing an upper surface of the wing.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the number of sensor components comprising: an array encoder, a laser metrology system, a number of ultraviolet light sources, a number of ultraviolet receptors, and a number of infrared sensors.

9. A method for identifying a scan rate for a scan of the object, the object having a first side, a second side, and a bottom, the method comprising:
detecting a presence of the object approaching a control area using a sensor system, the control area comprising an area that overlies a horizontal sensor array and is adjacent to a vertical sensor array and an angled sensor array, the vertical sensor array being at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the horizontal sensor array, and the angled sensor array being at an angle other than 90 degrees relative to the horizontal sensor array, the angled sensor array comprising a number of sensor components comprising: an array encoder, a laser metrology system, a number of ultraviolet light sources, a number of ultraviolet receptors, a camera comprising a line scan technology, and a number of infrared sensors;
determining whether a maintenance control system comprising a computer comprising an analysis process received a datalink communication, identifying an anomaly with a section of the object, from an aircraft during a flight;
assigning a first priority to the anomaly identified in the datalink communication, and responsive to receiving identification of multiple anomalies, identifying prioritization of the 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 object;
determining, using the analysis process and the prior scan results, whether an anomaly trend exists;
assigning, responsive to a determination that the anomaly trend exists, 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;
detecting a speed of travel for the object via activating the array encoder; and
monitoring the speed of travel for the object to determine the scan rate for the object, wherein the scan rate i

Assignees

• Kesler Paul Allen
• Kalinowski Robert Daniel
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kesler Paul Allen
• Kalinowski Robert Daniel

Classifications

• G07C5/006

  Indicating maintenance · CPC title

• G01N21/8851

  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 title

• G01N2291/26

  Scanned objects · CPC title

• G01N21/8806 Primary

  Specially adapted optical and illumination features · CPC title

• G01N2021/8854

  Grading and classifying of flaws · CPC title