Dynamic fault isolation for aircraft

Abstract

The present application relates to dynamic fault isolation for an aircraft. A method includes receiving fault code data identifying one or more fault conditions detected on an aircraft and receiving fault scenario data indicating one or more conditions of the aircraft in a time frame associated with the condition(s). The method also includes generating (based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, status data indicating a current status of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data) a first checklist display including a first set of uncompleted checklist items. The method further includes receiving input indicating completion of one or more checklist items of the first set of uncompleted checklist items and updating the status data based on the input. The method also includes generating (based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data) a second checklist display including a second set of uncompleted checklist items.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The subject disclosure relates to aircraft maintenance using a dynamic fault isolation process. Background Art

[0002] As aircraft become more complex, maintaining them becomes increasingly difficult and time consuming. Many modern aircraft include an aircraft health monitoring system to detect fault conditions and assist maintenance personnel in identifying and troubleshooting the fault conditions. For example, in response to detecting a particular fault condition, an aircraft health monitoring system may generate a fault code. The fault code may be indexed to a fault isolation procedure in a fault isolation manual associated with the aircraft. The fault isolation procedure lists a series of tasks that maintenance personnel should perform to isolate and correct the fault condition. Different detected fault conditions are indexed to corresponding fault isolation routines. Each fault isolation routine specifies a sequence of tasks that should be performed. The task sequence is ordered based on some predetermined criteria, such as based on how likely each task will resolve the fault condition. Summary of the invention

[0003] In some examples, an aircraft maintenance system includes one or more data bus interfaces, one or more processors coupled to the one or more data bus interfaces, and one or more memory devices accessible by the one or more processors. The one or more data bus interfaces are configured to receive fault code data and fault scenario data via one or more aircraft data buses. The fault code data identifies one or more fault conditions detected on the aircraft, and the fault scenario data indicates one or more conditions of the aircraft in a timeframe associated with the one or more fault conditions. The one or more memory devices store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to generate a first checklist display including a first set of incomplete checklist items. The first checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, status data indicating a current state of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data. The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to receive input indicating completion of one or more checklist items of the first set of incomplete checklist items, and update the status data based on the input. The instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to generate a second checklist display including a second set of incomplete checklist items. A second checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data, and the second set of uncompleted checklist items is different from the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

[0004] According to some examples, a method includes receiving fault code data via one or more aircraft data buses, wherein the fault code data identifies one or more fault conditions detected on an aircraft. The method also includes receiving fault scenario data via one or more aircraft data buses, wherein the fault scenario data indicates one or more conditions of the aircraft in a time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions. The method further includes generating, by one or more processors, a first checklist display including a first set of uncompleted checklist items. The first checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, status data indicating a current state of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data. The method also includes receiving, by the one or more processors, input indicating completion of one or more checklist items of the first set of uncompleted checklist items, and updating, by the one or more processors, the status data based on the input. The method further includes generating, by the one or more processors, a second checklist display including a second set of uncompleted checklist items. The second checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data, and the second set of uncompleted checklist items is different from the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

[0005] According to some examples, a computer-readable storage device stores instructions that are executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations include receiving fault code data identifying one or more fault conditions detected on an aircraft and receiving fault scenario data indicating one or more conditions of the aircraft in a time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions. The operations also include generating a first checklist display including a first set of uncompleted checklist items, wherein the first checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, status data indicating a current status of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data. The operations further include receiving input indicating completion of one or more checklist items of the first set of uncompleted checklist items and updating the status data based on the input. The operations further include generating a second checklist display including a second set of uncompleted checklist items. The second checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data, and the second set of uncompleted checklist items is different from the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

[0006] The features, functions, and advantages described herein can be achieved independently in various embodiments or may be combined in yet other embodiments further details of which can be found with reference to the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system including an aircraft and an associated aircraft maintenance system that facilitates dynamic fault isolation.

[0008] Figure 2A is based on Figure 1 A diagram of a first example of a check list display is shown in detail in accordance with a specific embodiment of a system of FIG.

[0009] Figure 2B is based on Figure 1 A diagram of a second example of a check list display is shown in detail in accordance with a particular embodiment of a system of FIG.

[0010] Figure 2C is based on Figure 1 A diagram of a third example of a check list display is shown in a particular embodiment of a system of FIG.

[0011] Figure 3 is a flow chart of an example of a method of dynamic fault isolation according to certain embodiments.

[0012] Figure 4 is a flow chart of another example of a method of dynamic fault isolation according to certain embodiments.

[0013] Figure 5 According to a specific embodiment, Figure 1 The life cycle of an aircraft.

[0014] Figure 6 According to a specific embodiment, Figure 1 Block diagram of the aircraft.

[0015] Figure 7 According to a specific embodiment, the Figure 1 The computing environment of the aircraft maintenance system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] In certain embodiments, a context-sensitive aircraft maintenance system uses data describing a fault, context information, state data, and historical data to make recommendations regarding which routine to perform and / or the order (e.g., sequence) of tasks that should be performed to identify and / or correct the fault condition. The context information includes information about the aircraft from the time period when the fault occurred or was detected. In some embodiments, the context information also includes current state or configuration information related to the aircraft, such as settings of various controls (e.g., selector switch positions, valve positions, circuit breaker states, etc.), control surface positions, other system parameters, etc.

[0017] The order of tasks is determined based in part on which tasks resolve previous complaints associated with the same or related fault codes and the same or similar context information. The order is determined dynamically (e.g., at runtime). Thus, over time, as additional historical data is accumulated, the order of tasks for a particular fault isolation checklist changes.

[0018] In some embodiments, the fault isolation checklist is controlled by a component that can access the current state of the aircraft and a memory that indicates previous operations performed during a specific maintenance activity. In such an embodiment, the fault isolation checklist can be automatically updated to indicate that a specific step or operation was previously performed or not required during a specific maintenance activity. For example, some fault isolation tasks of the fault isolation checklist refer to maintenance procedures that include multiple tasks. In this example, each maintenance procedure is quite comprehensive because it explicitly or implicitly lists all the tasks required to perform the maintenance procedure. Many such steps overlap from one maintenance procedure to another. For illustration, a maintenance task associated with a specific subsystem may include a task for removing an access panel for obtaining access to components of a specific subsystem. If several components of a subsystem are placed under the access panel, the user may then perform another maintenance task process that also lists the maintenance task of removing the access panel. In this case, the fault isolation checklist may automatically indicate the task of removing the access panel as completed based on the fact that the access panel has been removed during the previous maintenance task. Additionally or alternatively, two or more tasks may be listed adjacent to each other in the fault isolation checklist, due in part to the fact that each of the two or more tasks requires removal of an access panel, thereby reducing the time required for auxiliary tasks (e.g., tasks that are not themselves intended to correct the fault condition).

[0019] In another example, a particular fault isolation process described by the fault isolation checklist may include a task to set a control input to a particular state, such as turning a knob, flipping a switch, opening a circuit breaker, etc. In this example, the task may be automatically indicated as completed based on detecting the state of the control input (e.g., based on data read from an aircraft data bus, based on sensor data, and / or based on data stored in memory indicating the state of the control input).

[0020] Each fault isolation checklist describes a process that includes multiple tasks. Each fault isolation checklist is associated with one or more fault codes (e.g., indexed to one or more fault codes), and each fault code is associated with one or more fault isolation checklists (e.g., indexed to one or more fault isolation checklists). In some embodiments, the order of the tasks of the fault isolation checklist is determined based at least in part on contextual information and historical maintenance information. Therefore, tasks that have historically resolved fault conditions based on fault codes and contextual information can be performed earlier in maintenance activities. One technical benefit of the dynamic fault isolation process described herein is that it reduces aircraft downtime (or conversely increases availability) because the dynamic sequencing of fault isolation tasks enables operations that may resolve fault conditions to be performed earlier in the maintenance process. Since the order changes as more historical information becomes available, the benefit is cumulative.

[0021] Specific embodiments are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, common features are designated by common reference numerals throughout the drawings. In some drawings, multiple instances of a particular type of feature are used. Although the features are physically and / or logically different, each feature uses the same reference number, and different instances are distinguished by adding letters to the reference number. When features are referred to as a group or type in this document (for example, when there is no reference to a specific one of the features), the reference number is used without a distinguishing letter. However, when referring to a specific feature among multiple features of the same type in this document, the reference number is used with a distinguishing letter. For example, referring to Figure 1 , multiple instances of historical maintenance data are shown and associated with reference numbers 156A and 156B. When referring to a specific instance of these instances of historical maintenance data, such as historical maintenance data 156A, a distinguishing letter "A" is used. However, when referring to any arbitrary instance of historical maintenance data or to these instances of historical maintenance data as a group, reference number 156 is used without a distinguishing letter.

[0022] As used herein, various terms are used only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, some features described herein are singular in some embodiments and plural in other embodiments. For ease of reference herein, such features are generally introduced as "one or more" features and are subsequently referred to in the singular unless aspects related to multiple features are described.

[0023] The terms "comprising", "comprising" and "containing" are used interchangeably with "including", "comprising" or "including". In addition, terms such as "comprising", "comprising", "having", "containing" and variations thereof as used herein are intended to be included as open transition words in a manner similar to the term "comprising", without excluding any additional or other elements. In addition, the term "wherein" is used interchangeably with the term "wherein". As used herein, "exemplary" indicates examples, embodiments and / or aspects, and should not be interpreted as limiting or indicating a preference or preferred embodiment. As used herein, ordinal terms (e.g., "first", "second", "third", etc.) used to modify elements such as structures, components, operations, etc. do not themselves indicate any priority or order of the element relative to another element, but merely distinguish the element from another element with the same name (when no ordinal number is used). As used herein, the term "group / set" refers to a grouping of one or more elements, and the term "plurality" refers to a plurality of elements.

[0024] As used herein, "generate", "calculate", "use", "select", "access" and "determine" are interchangeable unless the context indicates otherwise. For example, "generate", "calculate" or "determine" a parameter (or signal) may refer to actively generating, calculating or determining a parameter (or signal), or may refer to using, selecting or accessing a parameter (or signal) such as one that has been generated by another component or device. As used herein, "coupling" may include "communicatively coupling", "electrically coupling" or "physically coupling", and may also (or alternatively) include any combination thereof. Two devices (or components) may be directly or indirectly coupled (e.g., communicatively coupled, electrically coupled or physically coupled) via one or more other devices, components, wires, buses, networks (e.g., wired networks, wireless networks, or combinations thereof), etc. As an illustrative, non-limiting example, two electrically coupled devices (or components) may be included in the same device or in different devices, and may be connected via electronics, one or more connectors, or inductive coupling. In some embodiments, two devices (or components) that are communicatively coupled (such as electrically coupled) can directly or indirectly send and receive electrical signals (digital or analog), such as via one or more wires, buses, networks, etc. As used herein, "directly coupled" is used to describe two devices that are coupled (e.g., communicatively coupled, electrically coupled, or physically coupled) without intervening components.

[0025] As used herein, a "fault condition" refers to any detected or detectable anomaly in an aircraft. Typically, a fault condition is associated with a fault code that describes the affected system or subsystem. Fault conditions (or fault codes) may also be associated with textual summaries that provide more easily understood (relative to the fault code) information about the fault condition.

[0026] As used herein, "state data" refers to any data indicating the current state of an aircraft, such as sensor data, stored values ​​in memory, data bus signals, etc. In this context, the current state of the aircraft includes whether a particular component is present, whether a particular component is active, the position of a component (e.g., flight control surfaces, switches, etc.), the results of functional tests, etc. In this context, configuration data is a subset of state data. Configuration data indicates a specific setting or position of an aircraft component at a specific time. For example, configuration data associated with a fault condition may indicate whether the flaps of the aircraft are deployed under the fault condition.

[0027] As used herein, "historical maintenance data" refers to records associated with a particular aircraft or with multiple aircraft (e.g., all aircraft in a fleet). The historical maintenance data identifies aircraft complaints (e.g., fault codes or complaints reported by the crew) and maintenance tasks that were performed. In some embodiments, the historical maintenance data also identifies contextual information associated with some or all aircraft complaints, the order in which the maintenance tasks were performed, and some indication of which maintenance task(s) resolved the complaint.

[0028] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system 100 including an aircraft 102 and an associated aircraft maintenance system 120. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the system 100 also includes a data repository 138 coupled to or accessible to the aircraft maintenance system 120. Figure 1 In some embodiments, data repository 138 is external to aircraft 102. In other embodiments, data repository 138 or a portion thereof is onboard aircraft 102. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, aircraft maintenance system 120 is onboard aircraft 102 ; however, in other embodiments, aircraft maintenance system 120 is external to aircraft 102 .

[0029] exist Figure 1 1 , aircraft 102 includes a plurality of systems 104. System 104 includes any component, line replaceable unit (LRU), or bus of aircraft 102. Each system 104 has a corresponding configuration 106, which refers to the state of each system 104. Aircraft 102 also includes controls 108, each of which has a corresponding configuration 110. Controls 108 include automatic controls and user-selectable controls. Examples of automatic controls include control circuits and processors that generate control signals based on sensed data or other information. Examples of user-selectable controls include switches, dials, knobs, touch screen interfaces, buttons, etc.

[0030] Aircraft 102 further includes sensors 112. Sensors 112 are configured to generate sensor data, such as data indicating configuration 106 of one or more of systems 104, configuration 110 of one or more of controls 108, or other information regarding the operation or status of aircraft 102 or its surroundings.

[0031] Aircraft 102 also includes a health monitoring system 114. Health monitoring system 114 is configured to detect fault conditions within aircraft 102. For example, health monitoring system 114 may receive sensor data, configuration data describing configuration 106 of one or more of systems 104, configuration data describing configuration 110 of one or more of controls 108, other data, or any combination thereof, via one or more aircraft data buses 160, and compare the data to various fault detection criteria (e.g., thresholds, patterns, etc.) to determine when a fault condition has occurred. In response to detecting a fault condition, health monitoring system 114 generates data describing the fault condition, such as a fault code or similar fault indication. Although Figure 1 Health monitoring system 114 is shown as a distinct component, but in some implementations, health monitoring system 114 or portions thereof are distributed among monitored systems 104. For example, an electrical system of system 104 may include an electrical system controller or electrical system monitor that performs electrical system specific health monitoring.

[0032] The aircraft maintenance system 120 includes one or more data bus interfaces 126 to receive data via the aircraft data bus(es) 160. For example, in a particular embodiment, the data bus interface(s) 126 receives fault code data 148 from the health monitoring system 114 via the aircraft data bus(es) 160. The fault code data 148 identifies one or more fault conditions detected on the aircraft. In some embodiments, the data bus interface(s) 126 also receives fault scenario data 150 via the aircraft data bus(es) 160. The fault scenario data 150 indicates one or more conditions of the aircraft 102 in a time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions (e.g., a time period before or concurrent with the detection of the one or more fault conditions). In a particular example, the fault scenario data 150 includes sensor data from the sensors 112 indicating an operating environment associated with the aircraft 102 during the time frame associated with the fault condition(s), configuration data indicating a state of the aircraft 102 during the time frame (e.g., describing one or more of the configurations 106 or 110), or both.

[0033] Aircraft maintenance system 120 includes one or more processors 122 coupled to data bus interface(s) 126 and one or more memory devices 124 accessible to processor(s) 122. In particular embodiments, aircraft maintenance system 120 enables the computer system to operate as a special purpose computer system that supports dynamic fault isolation for aircraft maintenance. Figure 1 , the aircraft maintenance system 120 also includes one or more communication interfaces 128 configured to facilitate off-board communications. For example, when the data repository 138 is located off-board the aircraft, the communication interface(s) 128 may access data from the data repository 138 via an off-board communication connection 162, which may include a wired or wireless connection.

[0034] The memory device(s) 124 store data and instructions 142 executable by the processor(s) 122 to perform various operations. Figure 1 , the data includes fault code data 148 and fault scenario data 150. In some embodiments, the memory device(s) 124 also stores state data 152 indicating a current state of the aircraft 102. For example, the state data 152 indicates one or more configuration states of the aircraft 102 (e.g., describing one or more of the configurations 106 or 110) in real time or near real time.

[0035] exist Figure 1 In the example shown in , the memory device(s) 124 also stores historical maintenance data 156B. In some embodiments, the memory device(s) 124 stores a portion of the historical maintenance data 156B and the data repository 138 stores another portion of the historical maintenance data 156A. The historical maintenance data 156 identifies previous maintenance activities associated with the aircraft 102, previous maintenance activities associated with one or more other aircraft (e.g., other similar aircraft), or previous maintenance activities associated with both. The previous maintenance activities indicate a plurality of historical fault conditions, historical fault scenario data associated with each historical fault condition, and a corresponding ordered sequence of tasks performed to resolve each historical fault condition.

[0036] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment, the instructions 142 include dynamic fault isolation instructions 144 and update instructions 146. The dynamic fault isolation instructions 144 may be executed by the processor(s) 122 to generate the checklist display(s) 118 to guide the maintenance personnel through the fault isolation process and the related maintenance process. Figure 1, the checklist display(s) 118 are shown as being presented via one or more display devices 116 on the aircraft 102; however, in other embodiments, the checklist display(s) 118 are presented via a display device external to the aircraft 102 or a portable display device (such as an electronic maintenance manual device).

[0037] The checklist display(s) 118 lists an ordered sequence of fault isolation tasks 132 based on a fault isolation manual (FIM) 130, an ordered sequence of maintenance tasks 136 based on a maintenance manual 134, or both. As described below, the set of tasks and the order of the tasks presented in the checklist display(s) 118 are determined (e.g., by the processor(s) 122) based on fault code data 148, fault scenario data 150, state data 152, historical maintenance data 156, the FIM 130, the maintenance manual 134, a minimum equipment list (MEL) 158, or a combination thereof. The FIM 130 maps each fault code to a specific fault isolation procedure, and each fault isolation procedure indicates a set of fault isolation tasks 132, some of which may be maintenance tasks 136. For illustration, the fault code data is associated with (e.g., indexed to or mapped to) a plurality of fault isolation paths of the FIM 130, and each fault isolation path specifies a sequence of tasks to isolate the cause of a particular fault condition in one or more fault conditions.

[0038] In some embodiments, a particular checklist display 118 lists a set of fault isolation tasks 132 (and maintenance tasks 136) associated with a particular detected fault code, and the order of the tasks in the list is determined based on the historical maintenance data 156 (alone or in combination with other data) (e.g., by the processor(s) 122). To illustrate, the fault scenario data 150 can be evaluated along with the historical maintenance data 156 to determine which tasks are more likely to resolve a fault condition based on which tasks have resolved similar fault conditions in the past (e.g., fault conditions associated with the same or related fault codes and the same or similar fault scenarios).

[0039] Additionally or alternatively, a set of tasks and / or the order of the tasks listed in a particular checklist display 118 may be determined at least in part based on the status data 152 (e.g., by the processor(s) 122). For example, some fault isolation tasks 132 of the FIM 130 include checks to determine or verify the configuration 106, 110 of a particular system 104 or control 108. In this example, if the status data 152 indicates the configuration 106, 110 of the particular system 104 or control 108, the checklist items to determine the configuration 106, 110 may be omitted from the checklist display 118. Alternatively, the checklist items may be included in the checklist display 118 with a checklist item status 154 indicating that the checklist items are completed.

[0040] In some cases, the FIM 130 includes or refers to a deferrable maintenance task 136. A deferrable maintenance task 136 is a maintenance task associated with an inoperative device that allows for dispatch while the device remains inoperative, based on conditions detailed in a minimum equipment list (MEL). Thus, a maintenance task to repair or replace a system 104 that is not identified on the MEL 158 is non-deferrable.

[0041] After the user performs the task, the user or the aircraft 102 may provide input indicating completion of the task or indicating the results of the task. For example, the user may perform the task by modifying the configuration 110 of the control 108. In this example, the user may then provide input to the aircraft maintenance system 120 to indicate that the task was performed. Alternatively or additionally, modifying the configuration 110 of the control 108 may cause the status data 152 to be automatically updated based on a signal or data evidenced to the aircraft maintenance system 120 via the aircraft data bus(es) 160, in which case the signal or data may be used as input indicating that the task was performed.

[0042] In response to input indicating that a task associated with a particular checklist item has been performed, the checklist item status 154 is updated, and the checklist display 118 is modified to display the checklist item as completed, to show the result of the checklist item, to indicate the next checklist item to be performed, or a combination thereof. For example, some checklists include branching paths (each branching path includes a set of tasks), and the execution order of which path or tasks in the path are executed depends on the result of the particular task. To illustrate, a particular task may include a functional check, and different task sequences may be executed depending on whether the functional check passed or failed.

[0043] In some cases, a particular maintenance task 136 appears multiple times in the task list. For example, several components of a system may be located within a particular access panel of an aircraft 102. In this example, removal of the particular access panel may be listed as a maintenance task 136 in the replacement process for each component. In this case, when the maintenance task 136 for removing the access panel is indicated as completed, the checklist item status 154 associated with the maintenance task 136 is updated, and each checklist item (not just the current or active checklist item) indicating the maintenance task 136 is updated to show that the task is complete.

[0044] The update instructions 146 may be executed by the processor(s) 122 to update the historical maintenance data 156 during or after maintenance. For example, after a particular task or set of tasks is indicated as completed, the update instructions 146 update the historical maintenance data 156 indicating that the task(s) have been performed and / or the results of performing the task(s) (e.g., whether performing the task(s) cleared the fault condition or resulted in another detectable change, such as another fault condition or a change in a functional check). In some embodiments, the update instructions 146 also generate statistical data or other analytical data based on the historical maintenance data 156. For example, the update instructions 146 calculate the probability that a particular task or set of tasks will resolve a particular fault condition under a particular scenario (e.g., when particular fault scenario data exists). In this example, the probability data calculated by the update instructions 146 is stored with the historical maintenance data 156 and is used to determine the order of tasks to be performed when a similar fault condition is detected on the aircraft 102 or on another aircraft.

[0045] During operation, the aircraft maintenance system 120 receives an indication of a fault condition, such as fault code data 148, fault scenario data 150, or both. In response to initiating a maintenance activity associated with the fault condition, the aircraft maintenance system 120 generates a first checklist display including a first set of uncompleted checklist items. The first checklist display is generated based on at least the fault code data 148, the fault scenario data 150, and the status data 152. The first set of uncompleted checklist items corresponds to or includes an ordered sequence of fault isolation tasks 132 derived from the FIM 130 associated with the aircraft 102, an ordered sequence of maintenance tasks 136 derived from the maintenance manual 134 associated with the aircraft 102, or an ordered sequence including the fault isolation tasks 132 and the maintenance tasks 136. Each checklist item in the first set of uncompleted checklist items is associated with a corresponding task. In some embodiments, the first set of uncompleted checklist items are sorted in the first checklist display based on an estimate of the likelihood that the execution of each corresponding task will resolve the fault condition(s). In some implementations, the first checklist display includes a numerical value or other estimate of the likelihood that performance of a particular task will resolve one or more fault conditions.

[0046] After generating the first checklist display and presenting it to the user, the aircraft maintenance system 120 receives input indicating completion of one or more checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items. The input may be provided by the user, such as via one of the controls 108 or via interaction with the first checklist display on the display device(s) 116. Additionally or alternatively, the input may be received via a signal or data sent on the aircraft data bus(es) 160, such as a signal sent from the control 108 to the system 104 to change the configuration 106 of the system 104. The aircraft maintenance system 120 updates the data in the memory device(s) 124 based on the input. In a particular example, the status data 152, the historical maintenance data 156, the checklist item status 154, or a combination thereof, is updated based on the input.

[0047] After receiving the input, the aircraft maintenance system 120 can generate a second checklist display including a second set of uncompleted checklist items that is different from the first set of uncompleted checklist items. For example, the checklist display 118 can be updated to identify the new task. The second checklist display is generated based on the fault code data 148, the fault scenario data 150, the updated status data 152, and the historical maintenance data 156.

[0048] In some cases, the tasks to be performed are dynamically selected (e.g., by the processor(s) 122) to generate a checklist display, and after this initial selection, the task list is static. In this case, a set of uncompleted checklist items (e.g., a second set of uncompleted checklist items) present in a subsequent checklist display (e.g., a second checklist display) includes each checklist item in the previous set of uncompleted checklist items, except for one or more checklist items indicated as completed. In other cases, the task list to be performed is dynamically updated from time to time (e.g., by the processor(s) 122) while the checklist is being executed, such as when additional information becomes available, or after the results of a particular task or inspection are known. In this case, the subsequent set of uncompleted checklist items includes one or more checklist items that were not present in the previous set of uncompleted checklist items. When a subsequent checklist display is generated, one or more checklist items in the previous set of uncompleted checklist items may be automatically indicated as completed based on input received from the system 104, the control 108, the sensor 112, or the health monitoring system 114.

[0049] In particular embodiments, after updating the historical maintenance data 156 based on maintenance that cleared the fault condition on the aircraft 102 or on another aircraft, the aircraft maintenance system 120 may obtain additional fault code data (e.g., second fault code data or subsequent fault code data) corresponding to the new fault condition and additional fault scenario data (e.g., second fault scenario data or subsequent fault code data) associated with the new fault condition. In response to determining that the additional fault code data matches (e.g., is the same as or similar to, based on the comparison criteria) the previous fault code data and the additional fault scenario data matches (e.g., is the same as or similar to, based on the comparison criteria) the previous fault scenario data, the aircraft maintenance system 120 generates a new checklist display including a set of uncompleted checklist items (e.g., a third set of uncompleted checklist items). The set of uncompleted checklist items presented in the new checklist display is different from the set of uncompleted checklist items (e.g., the first set and the second set) presented in the previous checklist display. For example, the aircraft maintenance system 120 selects tasks to be performed, an order of tasks to be performed, or both based on the updated historical maintenance data 156 so that one or more tasks that resolve a previous fault condition are performed earlier in the fault isolation process, where it is expected that the task(s) that resolved the previous fault condition may also resolve the current fault condition.

[0050] Thus, aircraft maintenance system 120 provides an improved technical solution to the technical problem of aircraft fault isolation. For example, by updating historical maintenance data 156 with information indicating which tasks resolved each complaint and using the updated historical maintenance data 156 to sort the tasks performed during subsequent maintenance activities, aircraft maintenance system 120 generates a checklist display that is categorized in a manner that reduces the time required to isolate and resolve fault conditions on aircraft 102.

[0051] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C An example of a checklist display 118 is shown, which includes Figure 2A The first check list in the table shows 118A, Figure 2B The second checklist in the table shows 118B and Figure 2C The third check list in shows 118C. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C The example check list display 118 in FIG. 1 is intended only to illustrate a specific example of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C In other embodiments, the checklist display 118 includes one or more features of the checklist display 118 shown in FIG. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C Additional features not shown.

[0052] exist FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C In FIG. 1 , each checklist display 118 includes information 202 , 220 describing the fault condition. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C In some embodiments, the information 202, 220 includes a maintenance message (e.g., maintenance message_1) that provides a text description associated with the fault condition. The information 202, 220 also includes fault code data 148 (e.g., fault code data_1 or fault code data_2), fault scenario data 150 (e.g., scenario data_1 or scenario data_2), and state data 152 (e.g., state data_1 and state data_2). In some embodiments, the information 202, 220 also includes a descriptor of the system 104 associated with the fault condition or affected by the fault condition. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C In the embodiment of the present invention, each checklist display 118 also includes a plurality of checklist items associated with a fault isolation path 204, 222, 230 or a fault isolation process. Each fault isolation path 204, 222, 230 lists an ordered sequence of tasks to be performed as checklist items. As described above, the sequence of tasks in the checklist display 118 is based on at least the fault code data 148, the fault scenario data 150, and the historical maintenance data 156.

[0053] exist Figure 2A, the first checklist display 118A includes one or more completed checklist items 206 associated with a checkmark in the first checklist display 118A. Each completed checklist item 206 is associated with a checklist item status 154 indicating that the checklist item is completed. In addition, some of the completed checklist items 206 are associated with status data 152 that indicates a state or configuration of the aircraft as a result of performing the task associated with the completed checklist item 206. For example, in Figure 2A In , the completed checklist item 206 indicates that FIM Task_1 was performed. In this example, FIM Task_1 is a functional check that has passed, and the status data 152 may therefore include a field or data element indicating that the functional check associated with FIM Task_1 has passed. As another example, in Figure 2A , the completed checklist item 206 indicates that the maintenance safety check was performed. In some embodiments, the maintenance safety check may include configuring a particular system 104 or control 108 to a safe state (e.g., shutting down an electrical system). In such embodiments, performing the maintenance safety check may result in a particular configuration 106 of the system 104 or a particular configuration 110 of the control 108, and the configuration 106, 110 may be detected via a signal or data transmitted via the aircraft data bus(es) 160. In such embodiments, the signal or data is used to update the status data 152 so that in a subsequent checklist display (such as the second checklist display 118B), the maintenance safety check may be automatically indicated as completed without user input.

[0054] exist Figure 2A In FIG. 1 , the first checklist display 118A also includes one or more uncompleted checklist items 208 that are not associated with a checkmark in the first checklist display 118A. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C In the example embodiment, a particular one of the uncompleted checklist items is highlighted 210 or displayed in a visually distinct manner to indicate that the particular uncompleted checklist item describes the next task to be performed in the task sequence.

[0055] Figure 2A The checklist shows 118A and Figure 2C The differences between the checklists shown in 118C show the progression through a single FIM process over time. Figure 2A The next task to be executed is FIM Task_2. Figure 2A In FIG. 1 , the checklist display 118A indicates that FIM Path_1 branches based on the result of FIM Task_2. For example, if FIM Task_2 fails, then the checklist display 118A indicates that maintenance Task_1 is to be performed. However, if FIM Task_2 passes, then the next task to be performed is FIM Task_3. Figure 2C , FIM Task_2 is indicated as completed and failed, and the next task to be performed is Maintenance Task_1.

[0056] Figure 2A The checklist shows 118A and Figure 2B The difference between the checklist display 118B shows the order of tasks performed in response to the fault condition changing over time (e.g., based on the accumulation of historical maintenance data 156 and the dynamic sequencing of tasks in the checklist display 118). In some embodiments, Figure 2B Fault code data_2 and Figure 2A The fault code data_1 is the same as (i.e., exactly the same as) that of Figure 2B The fault code data_2 is related to Figure 2A The fault code data_1 of the aircraft 102 is similar (based on the comparison criteria) but not exactly the same. For example, both the fault code data_1 and the fault code data_2 may indicate a fault in the same system 104 of the aircraft 102. Similarly, in some embodiments, Figure 2B Scenario data_2 and Figure 2A The scenario data_1 is the same as (i.e., exactly the same as) that of FIG. 1 , and in other embodiments, Figure 2B Scenario data_2 and Figure 2A Context_1 is similar (based on the comparison criteria) but not identical to Context_2. For example, Context_1 and Context_2 may both include sensor readings that fall within a specific range indicated by the comparison criteria. In addition, in some embodiments, Figure 2B The status data_2 and Figure 2A The state data_1 is the same (i.e., exactly the same), and in other embodiments, Figure 2B The status data_2 and Figure 2A The state data_1 may be similar (based on the comparison criteria) to the state data_2, but not identical. For example, in the state data_1 and the state data_2, the first subset of systems 104 may have the same configuration 106, and the comparison criteria may indicate that sharing this configuration 106 indicates similarity for purposes of determining the checklist displays 118. Thus, although there may be differences between the generation of the first checklist display 118A and the second checklist display 118B in terms of the fault code data 148, the fault scenario data 150, the state data 152, or any combination thereof, the two checklist displays 118A, 118B relate to fault conditions that the aircraft maintenance system 120 considers to match each other.

[0057] Then by Figure 2A and Figure 2CThe task sequence indicated by , after FIM task_1, after FIM task_2 and only if FIM task_2 fails, FIM task_4 is to be executed. Figure 2B In the indicated task sequence, FIM task_4 is to be executed before FIM task_1, and FIM task_1 is to be executed only if FIM task_5 is passed. This rearrangement of the task sequence to be executed is based at least in part on the historical maintenance data 156. For example, during a first maintenance operation (or a first group of maintenance operations), it may be the case that the fault condition associated with fault code data_1, scenario data_1, and state data_1 is frequently resolved by executing FIM task_4, and is rarely resolved by executing FIM task_1. In this case, the dynamic fault isolation instruction 114 dynamically reorders the task sequence to schedule the execution of FIM task_4 before the execution of FIM task_1. A technical advantage of the dynamic fault isolation process of rearranging the task sequence in this manner is that the availability of the aircraft 102 is increased because the dynamic reordering results in earlier execution of tasks that may resolve the fault condition.

[0058] Figure 3 is a flow chart of an example of a method 300 of dynamic fault isolation according to certain embodiments. The method 300 may be responsive to receiving an indication that a fault condition has been detected, by Figure 1 The aircraft maintenance system 120 of the invention may execute the method 300. For example, the processor(s) 122 may execute the dynamic fault isolation instructions 144, the update instructions 146, or both to perform various operations of the method 300.

[0059] The method 300 includes obtaining selected data at 302. Examples of the selected data include fault code data 148, fault scenario data 150, status data 152, and historical maintenance data 156. The selected data may be obtained from the memory device(s) 124, from the health monitoring system 114, from the sensor 112, from the data repository 138, or a combination thereof.

[0060] The method 300 also includes selecting a routine to be executed based on the selection data at 304. The routine includes a set of tasks to isolate or resolve a fault condition. Typically, the routine is selected based on fault code data as specified by the FIM 130, and one routine may refer to or merge other routines. For example, a particular FIM routine may include a fault isolation task that requires execution of a particular maintenance routine that includes multiple maintenance tasks. Therefore, routines may be nested and may include branching paths.

[0061] In some embodiments, the selection routine includes selecting an order of execution of a set of tasks. In such embodiments, the order or sequence of execution of the tasks is selected so that tasks that are more likely to result in resolving the fault condition are scheduled for execution before tasks that are less likely to resolve the fault condition. For example, the historical maintenance data 156 can be evaluated to determine which task or tasks have resolved similar fault conditions. In such a scenario, if two fault conditions have the same or related fault codes, affect the same or related systems 104, and occur in similar scenarios (e.g., the fault scenario data 150 matches the fault scenario data associated with a previous instance within a specified similarity threshold or criterion), the fault condition that occurred in the previous instance is considered similar to the present fault condition.

[0062] The method 300 further includes selecting a task from the routine at 306 and determining whether the task needs to be performed at 308. For example, the selected task (or each task) of the routine may be evaluated based on the state data 152 to determine whether the task is needed. In some cases, it may not be necessary to perform one or more tasks because the state data 152 indicates that the aircraft state to be achieved by performing the task already exists. To illustrate, if the task involves adjusting the configuration 110 of a particular control (e.g., turning a knob to a specified setting), the method 300 determines whether the task is needed at 308 by determining whether the particular control 108 already has the target configuration 110 (e.g., has been turned to the specified setting).

[0063] If the task is not required at 308, then at 306, the method 300 selects another task. If the task is required, the method 300 determines whether the task is completed. For example, the task can be listed in the checklist display 118, and when receiving an input indicating that the task is completed, the method 300 can determine that the task is completed. In some cases, the input is a user input indicating that the task is completed. In other cases, the input is a signal or data from the system 104 of the aircraft 102 indicating the configuration 106 of the system 104 or a change in the configuration 106 of the system 104. For example, if the task is to deploy the flaps of the aircraft 102, the input can be a signal indicating that the flaps have been deployed or a signal commanding the deployment of the flaps. In other cases, the input is a signal or data from the control 108 of the aircraft 102 indicating the configuration 110 of the control 108 or a change in the configuration 110 of the control 108. For example, if the task is to toggle a switch, the input can be a signal generated in response to toggling the switch. In other cases, the input is a signal or data from a sensor 112 of the aircraft 102 indicating a condition or change associated with performing the task. For example, if the task is to deploy the flaps of the aircraft 102, the input may be a signal from a flap position sensor indicating that the flaps have been deployed.

[0064] When the task is completed, the method 300 includes updating the status at 312. For example, the processor(s) 122 stores new or updated status data 152 in response to determining that the task is completed. Additionally or alternatively, the processor(s) 122 updates the checklist item status 154 of the checklist item associated with the task.

[0065] The method 300 also includes, at 314, determining whether the fault has been cleared (e.g., determining whether the fault condition still exists). For example, the processor(s) 122 may perform an automatic functional check to determine whether the fault has been cleared. Alternatively, a user may initiate a functional check to determine whether the fault has been cleared. Although Figure 3 It is shown that the determination of whether the fault is cleared is made after each single task is performed, but in other embodiments, the method 300 may be arranged so that multiple tasks are performed between checks to determine whether the fault is cleared. For example, the functional check to determine whether the fault is cleared may be automatically performed according to a schedule (e.g., periodically), in which case the determination of whether the fault is cleared may sometimes be made after a single task is performed, and at other times may be made after several tasks have been performed.

[0066] The method 300 includes saving the FIM update data at 316 if the fault is cleared. In some embodiments, the FIM update data updates or modifies the FIM 130. For example, the FIM update data may cause the order of the tasks listed in the FIM 130 to change. In other embodiments, the FIM update data updates or modifies the historical maintenance data 156 to indicate which task or tasks were performed to clear the fault. In such embodiments, when the method 300 is performed at some future time, such as when another aircraft experiences a similar fault condition, the updated or modified historical maintenance data 156 is used to dynamically change the order of the tasks in the FIM 130.

[0067] In some embodiments, the method 300 also includes, if the fault has not been cleared, at 318, performing a scheduling check. The scheduling check determines whether the fault prevents scheduling of the aircraft 102. For example, if the fault isolation tasks that have been performed or the fault code data 148 have narrowed the fault to a specific system 104 and the specific system 104 is listed in the MEL 158, the scheduling check 318 indicates that the aircraft 102 can be returned to service and maintenance to clear the fault, which can be delayed until a more convenient time. If the specific system 104 is not listed in the MEL 158 or the user determines not to delay maintenance, the method 300 continues by performing another iteration. Figure 3In the example shown in , the next iteration begins at 302 by obtaining selection data; however, in other embodiments, the next iteration begins at 304 by selecting a routine based on previously obtained selection data, or at 306 by selecting another task from a previously selected routine.

[0068] In other embodiments, Figure 3 The various operations shown in can be performed in different orders. For example, in some embodiments, a scheduling check is performed before selecting a routine, before selecting a task, or before determining that a task is completed.

[0069] Figure 4 is a flowchart of another example of a method 400 for dynamic fault isolation according to a particular embodiment. The method 400 may be Figure 1 For example, the processor(s) 122 may execute the dynamic fault isolation instructions 144 , the update instructions 146 , or both to perform various operations of the method 400 .

[0070] Method 400 includes, at 402 , receiving fault code data via one or more aircraft data buses, wherein the fault code data identifies one or more fault conditions detected on an aircraft. For example, aircraft maintenance system 120 receives fault code data 148 from health monitoring system 114 .

[0071] The method 400 also includes receiving, via one or more aircraft data buses, fault scenario data at 404, wherein the fault scenario data indicates one or more conditions of the aircraft in a time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions. For example, the aircraft maintenance system 120 receives the fault scenario data 150 from the system 104, the control 108, the sensor 112, the health monitoring system 114, or a combination thereof.

[0072] The method 400 further includes generating, by one or more processors, a first checklist display including a first set of uncompleted checklist items at 406, wherein the first checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the status data indicating the current status of the aircraft, and the historical maintenance data. For example, the aircraft maintenance system 120 selects the FIM routine to be executed based on the fault code data 148, and determines the order in which the tasks of the FIM routine should be executed in order to most conveniently resolve the fault condition. In this example, the tasks are sorted in a sequence from the most likely to resolve the fault condition (based on the historical maintenance data and the degree of matching of the fault scenario data with the previous fault scenario data) to the least likely to resolve the fault condition. In some embodiments, other factors may also be considered to determine the order of the tasks, such as time or available parts associated with each task. For illustration, a task that can be performed very quickly but is unlikely to resolve the fault can be scheduled before a task that is more likely to resolve the fault but requires more time to perform. As another illustrative example, a task that is unlikely to resolve the fault but does not require any parts or supplies can be scheduled before a task that is more likely to resolve the fault but requires expensive parts or supplies or parts or supplies that are difficult to obtain (e.g., long delivery time).

[0073] After determining the order of the tasks, a first checklist display is generated and arranges the tasks in sequence based on the determined order. The first checklist display is presented to the user via (one or more) display devices 116 to guide the user in performing various tasks. Initially, the first checklist display includes a list of uncompleted checklist items, each of which corresponds to a task that has not yet been performed. In some cases, the first checklist display may also initially list one or more completed checklist items. For example, if a particular checklist item instructs the user to change the configuration 110 of the control 108 to a target configuration, and the aircraft maintenance system 120 is capable of automatically (e.g., via a signal on (one or more) aircraft data buses 160) determining that the control 108 is in the target configuration, the first checklist display may display the particular checklist item with an indication that the particular checklist item is completed.

[0074] The method 400 includes receiving, by the one or more processors, input indicating completion of one or more checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items at 408. For example, the aircraft maintenance system 120 may receive user input or receive a signal or data from an aircraft data bus(es) indicating completion of the checklist item.

[0075] Method 400 includes, at 410, updating, by one or more processors, status data based on the input. For example, aircraft maintenance system 120 updates status data 152 based on the input. Additionally or alternatively, one or more processors update checklist item status 154, historical maintenance data 156, or both based on the input.

[0076] The method 400 includes generating, by one or more processors, a second checklist display including a second set of uncompleted checklist items at 412. For example, the aircraft maintenance system 120 generates a subsequent checklist display, such as one of the checklist displays 118B or 118C. In this example, the subsequent checklist display may be generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data, and the second set of uncompleted checklist items may be different from the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

[0077] Figure 5 It shows that including Figure 5 Flowchart of the life cycle of an aircraft of the aircraft maintenance system 120 of FIG. During pre-production, the exemplary life cycle 500 includes, at block 502, an aircraft (such as reference Figure 1 During the specification and design of the aircraft, life cycle 500 may include the specification and design of aircraft maintenance system 120. At block 504, life cycle 500 includes material procurement, which may include procurement of materials for aircraft maintenance system 120.

[0078] During production, the life cycle 500 includes component and subassembly manufacturing at box 506 and system integration of the aircraft at box 508. For example, the life cycle 500 may include component and subassembly manufacturing of the aircraft maintenance system 120 and system integration of the aircraft maintenance system 120. At box 510, the life cycle 500 includes certification and delivery of the aircraft, and at box 512, the life cycle 500 includes placing the aircraft in service. Certification and delivery may include certification of the aircraft maintenance system 120 to place the aircraft maintenance system 120 in service. While in service by a customer, the aircraft may be scheduled for routine maintenance and overhaul (which may also include modification, reconfiguration, refurbishment, etc.). At box 514, the life cycle 500 includes performing maintenance and overhaul on the aircraft, which may include performing maintenance and overhaul on the aircraft maintenance system 120.

[0079] Each process of life cycle 500 may be performed or carried out by a system integrator, a third party, and / or an operator (e.g., a customer). For the purposes of this description, a system integrator may include, but is not limited to, any number of aircraft manufacturers and major system subcontractors; a third party may include, but is not limited to, any number of vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers; and an operator may be an airline, a leasing company, a military entity, a service organization, etc.

[0080] Various aspects of the present disclosure may be described in the context of an example of a vehicle. A specific example of a vehicle is Figure 1 The aircraft 102 is shown in FIG. Figure 6 In the example of FIG. 1 , aircraft 102 includes fuselage 602 having interior 604 and system 104 . Figure 6 In the example shown in , systems 104 include propulsion system 606, electrical system 608, environmental system 610, hydraulic system 612, and aircraft maintenance system 120. Any number of other systems may be included.

[0081] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a computing environment 700 including a computing device 710 configured to support various aspects of computer-implemented methods and computer-executable program instructions (or codes) according to the subject disclosure. For example, the computing device 710 or a portion thereof is configured to execute instructions to initiate, execute, or control a reference to Figures 1 to 4 Describes one or more operations. Figure 7 The example of illustrates an implementation in which aircraft maintenance system 120 is not integrated on aircraft 102. For example, aircraft maintenance system 120 may be temporarily embodied in a computing device (e.g., a laptop or tablet computer) coupled to aircraft 102, such as to perform maintenance or fault isolation tasks.

[0082] The computing device 710 includes one or more processors 122. The processor(s) 122 are configured to communicate with a system memory 730, one or more storage devices 740, one or more input / output interfaces 750, one or more communication interfaces 128, or any combination thereof. The system memory 730 includes volatile memory devices (e.g., random access memory (RAM) devices), non-volatile memory devices (e.g., read-only memory (ROM) devices, programmable read-only memory, and flash memory), or both. The system memory 730 stores an operating system 732, which may include a basic input / output system for booting the computing device 710 and a complete operating system that enables the computing device 710 to interact with a user, other programs, and other devices. The system memory 730 stores program data 736, such as fault code data 148, fault scenario data 150, status data 152, historical maintenance data 156, checklist item status 154, or a combination thereof.

[0083] The system memory 730 includes one or more applications 734 (e.g., instruction sets) that can be executed by the (one or more) processors 122. As an example, the one or more applications 734 include programs that can be executed by the (one or more) processors 122 to start, control, or perform reference Figures 1 to 4 For illustration, one or more application processors 122 include dynamic fault isolation instructions 144 and update instructions 146.

[0084] One or more storage devices 740 include non-volatile devices such as magnetic disks, optical disks, or flash memory devices. In certain examples, storage device(s) 740 include removable memory devices and non-removable memory devices. Storage device(s) 740 are configured to store an operating system, an image of an operating system, applications (e.g., one or more of applications 734), and program data (e.g., program data 736). In some examples, system memory 730, storage device(s) 740, or both include tangible computer-readable media. In some examples, one or more of storage device(s) 740 are external to computing device 710.

[0085] One or more input / output interfaces 750 enable the computing device 710 to communicate with one or more input / output devices 770 to facilitate user interaction. For example, (one or more) input / output interfaces 750 may include a check list display, a display interface, an input interface, or both. For example, (one or more) input / output interfaces 750 are suitable for receiving input from a user, receiving input from another computing device, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, (one or more) input / output interfaces 750 comply with one or more standard interface protocols, including a serial interface (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) interface or an electrical and electronics engineer (IEEE) interface standard), a parallel interface, a display adapter, an audio adapter, or a custom interface ("IEEE" is a registered trademark of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers of Piscataway, New Jersey). In some embodiments, (one or more) input / output interfaces 704 include one or more user interface devices and displays, including a combination of buttons, keyboards, pointing devices, displays, speakers, microphones, touch screens, and other devices.

[0086] The processor(s) 122 are configured to communicate with the device(s) or controller(s) 780 via the communication interface(s) 128. For example, the communication interface(s) 128 may include a network interface. The device(s) or controller(s) 780 may include, for example, a data repository 138.

[0087] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more processors to initiate, execute, or control operations to perform some or all of the above functions. For example, the instructions may be executable to implement Figures 1 to 4 In some embodiments, Figures 1 to 4 Part or all of one or more of the operations or methods may be implemented by one or more processors (e.g., one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs)) that execute instructions, by dedicated hardware circuits, or by any combination thereof.

[0088] Various examples of the present disclosure are described below in a group of related clauses:

[0089] According to clause 1, an aircraft maintenance system includes one or more data bus interfaces for receiving fault code data and fault scenario data via one or more aircraft data buses. The fault code data identifies one or more fault conditions detected on the aircraft, and the fault scenario data indicates one or more conditions of the aircraft in a time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions. The aircraft maintenance system also includes one or more processors coupled to the one or more data bus interfaces and one or more memory devices accessible by the one or more processors. The one or more memory devices store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to generate a first checklist display including a first set of uncompleted checklist items. The first checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, status data indicating a current state of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data. The one or more memory devices store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to receive input indicating completion of one or more checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items, and update the status data based on the input. The one or more memory devices store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to generate a second checklist display including a second set of uncompleted checklist items. The second checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data. The second set of uncompleted checklist items is different from the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

[0090] According to clause 2, the aircraft maintenance system according to clause 1 further comprises a display device on the aircraft, wherein the display device is configured to display the first checklist display and the second checklist display.

[0091] According to clause 3, in an aircraft maintenance system according to clause 1 or clause 2, the one or more memory devices store at least a portion of the historical maintenance data.

[0092] According to clause 4, the aircraft maintenance system according to any of clauses 1 to 3 further comprises a communication interface configured to access at least a portion of the historical maintenance data from a data repository external to the aircraft.

[0093] According to clause 5, in an aircraft maintenance system according to any one of clauses 1 to 4, the fault code data is associated with multiple fault isolation paths, wherein each of the multiple fault isolation paths specifies a task sequence to isolate the cause of a specific fault condition of one or more fault conditions.

[0094] According to clause 6, in an aircraft maintenance system according to any of clauses 1 to 5, the fault scenario data includes sensor data indicative of an operating environment associated with the aircraft during the time frame, configuration data indicative of a state of the aircraft during the time frame, or both.

[0095] According to clause 7, in an aircraft maintenance system according to any one of clauses 1 to 6, the historical maintenance data identifies previous maintenance activities associated with the aircraft, previous maintenance activities associated with one or more other aircraft, or previous maintenance activities associated with both, and the previous maintenance activities indicate multiple historical fault conditions, historical fault scenario data associated with each of the historical fault conditions, and an ordered sequence of corresponding tasks performed to resolve each of the historical fault conditions.

[0096] According to clause 8, in an aircraft maintenance system according to any one of clauses 1 to 7, the status data indicates one or more configuration states of the aircraft.

[0097] According to clause 9, in an aircraft maintenance system according to any of clauses 1 to 8, the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to update the historical maintenance data based on the input.

[0098] According to clause 10, in an aircraft maintenance system according to any one of clauses 1 to 9, the instructions can be further executed by one or more processors to enable the one or more processors to: after updating the historical maintenance data, obtain second fault code data and second fault scenario data via one or more data bus interfaces, and in response to the second fault code data matching the fault code data and the second fault scenario data matching the fault scenario data, generate a third checklist display including a third group of incomplete checklist items, wherein the third group of incomplete checklist items is different from the first group of incomplete checklist items and different from the second group of incomplete checklist items.

[0099] According to clause 11, in an aircraft maintenance system according to any one of clauses 1 to 10, the input includes one or more data bus signals detected by one or more data bus interfaces, wherein the one or more data bus signals indicate a configuration state of the aircraft or a change in the configuration state of the aircraft.

[0100] According to clause 12, in the aircraft maintenance system according to clause 11, the one or more data bus signals are generated in response to a user changing a configuration of the aircraft.

[0101] Clause 13. In the aircraft maintenance system of clause 11, the input comprises a user input received in response to the first checklist display.

[0102] According to clause 14, in an aircraft maintenance system according to any of clauses 1 to 13, generating the second checklist display includes automatically indicating one or more checklist items in the first set of incomplete checklist items as completed.

[0103] According to clause 15, in the aircraft maintenance system of clause 14, the second set of incomplete checklist items includes each checklist item in the first set of incomplete checklist items except for one or more checklist items indicated as completed.

[0104] According to clause 16, in the aircraft maintenance system of clause 14, the second set of uncompleted checklist items includes one or more checklist items that are not present in the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

[0105] According to clause 17, in an aircraft maintenance system according to any of clauses 1 to 16, the time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions corresponds to a time period prior to or concurrent with detection of the one or more fault conditions.

[0106] According to clause 18, in an aircraft maintenance system according to any one of clauses 1 to 17, the first group of uncompleted checklist items corresponds to an ordered sequence of fault isolation tasks derived from a fault isolation manual associated with the aircraft, an ordered sequence of maintenance tasks derived from a maintenance manual associated with the aircraft, or an ordered sequence of both fault isolation tasks and maintenance tasks.

[0107] According to clause 19, in the aircraft maintenance system according to clause 18, the sequence of the first set of incomplete checklist items is determined based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the status data, and the historical maintenance data.

[0108] According to clause 20, in the aircraft maintenance system of clause 18, the checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items are associated with a task, and wherein the first checklist display further includes an estimate of the likelihood that performance of the task will resolve the one or more fault conditions.

[0109] According to clause 21, in an aircraft maintenance system according to clause 18, each checklist item in a plurality of checklist items in a first set of incomplete checklist items is associated with a corresponding task, and wherein the first set of incomplete checklist items are sorted in a first checklist display based on an estimate of the likelihood that execution of each of the corresponding tasks will resolve one or more fault conditions.

[0110] According to clause 22, a method includes receiving fault code data via one or more aircraft data buses, wherein the fault code data identifies one or more fault conditions detected on an aircraft. The method also includes receiving fault scenario data via one or more aircraft data buses, wherein the fault scenario data indicates one or more conditions of the aircraft in a time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions. The method further includes generating, by one or more processors, a first checklist display including a first set of uncompleted checklist items, wherein the first checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, status data indicating a current status of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data. The method also includes receiving, by the one or more processors, input indicating completion of one or more checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items and updating, by the one or more processors, the status data based on the input. The method further includes generating, by the one or more processors, a second checklist display including a second set of uncompleted checklist items, wherein the second checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data, and wherein the second set of uncompleted checklist items is different from the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

[0111] According to clause 23, the method according to clause 24 further comprises displaying the first checklist display and the second checklist display at a display device onboard the aircraft.

[0112] According to clause 24, one or more memory devices according to clause 23 or clause 24 store at least a portion of the historical maintenance data.

[0113] According to clause 25, the method according to any of clauses 22 to 24 further comprises accessing at least a portion of the historical maintenance data from a data repository external to the aircraft.

[0114] According to clause 26, in a method according to any one of clauses 22 to 25, the fault code data is associated with multiple fault isolation paths, wherein each of the multiple fault isolation paths specifies a task sequence to isolate the cause of a specific fault condition among one or more fault conditions.

[0115] According to clause 27, in the method according to any of clauses 22 to 26, the failure scenario data includes sensor data indicative of an operating environment associated with the aircraft during the time frame, configuration data indicative of a state of the aircraft during the time frame, or both.

[0116] According to clause 28, in the method according to any one of clauses 22 to 27, the historical maintenance data identifies previous maintenance activities associated with the aircraft, previous maintenance activities associated with one or more other aircraft, or previous maintenance activities associated with both, and the previous maintenance activities indicate multiple historical fault conditions, historical fault scenario data associated with each of the historical fault conditions, and an ordered sequence of corresponding tasks performed to resolve each of the historical fault conditions.

[0117] According to clause 29, in a method according to any of clauses 22 to 28, the state data indicates one or more configuration states of the aircraft.

[0118] According to clause 30, in the method of any one of clauses 22 to 29, the method further comprises updating the historical maintenance data based on the input.

[0119] According to clause 31, in the method described according to clause 30, the method further includes: after updating the historical maintenance data, obtaining second fault code data and second fault scenario data via one or more data bus interfaces, and in response to the second fault code data matching the fault code data and the second fault scenario data matching the fault scenario data, generating a third check list display including a third group of incomplete check list items, wherein the third group of incomplete check list items is different from the first group of incomplete check list items and different from the second group of incomplete check list items.

[0120] According to clause 32, in a method according to any one of clauses 22 to 31, the input comprises one or more data bus signals detected by one or more data bus interfaces, wherein the one or more data bus signals indicate a configuration state of the aircraft or a change in the configuration state of the aircraft.

[0121] According to clause 33, in the method according to clause 32, the one or more data bus signals are generated in response to a user changing a configuration of the aircraft.

[0122] According to clause 34, in the method according to clause 32, the input comprises user input received in response to the first check list display.

[0123] According to clause 35, in the method of any of clauses 22 to 34, generating the second checklist display includes automatically indicating one or more checklist items in the first set of incomplete checklist items as completed.

[0124] According to clause 36, in the method according to clause 35, the second set of incomplete checklist items includes each checklist item in the first set of incomplete checklist items except for one or more checklist items indicated as completed.

[0125] According to clause 37, in the method according to clause 35, the second set of uncompleted checklist items includes one or more checklist items that are not present in the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

[0126] According to clause 38, in a method according to any of clauses 22 to 27, the time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions corresponds to a time period prior to or concurrent with detection of the one or more fault conditions.

[0127] According to clause 38, in a method according to any one of clauses 22 to 38, the first group of uncompleted checklist items corresponds to an ordered sequence of fault isolation tasks derived from a fault isolation manual associated with the aircraft, an ordered sequence of maintenance tasks derived from a maintenance manual associated with the aircraft, or an ordered sequence of both fault isolation tasks and maintenance tasks.

[0128] According to clause 39, in the method according to clause 38, the sequence of the first set of uncompleted checklist items is determined based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the status data, and the historical maintenance data.

[0129] According to clause 40, in the method of clause 38, the checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items are associated with a task, and wherein the first checklist display further includes an estimate of the likelihood that performance of the task will resolve the one or more fault conditions.

[0130] According to clause 41, in the method according to clause 38, each checklist item in a plurality of checklist items in a first set of incomplete checklist items is associated with a corresponding task, and wherein the first set of incomplete checklist items are sorted in a first checklist display based on an estimate of the likelihood that execution of each of the corresponding tasks will resolve one or more fault conditions.

[0131] According to clause 42, a computer-readable storage device storing instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising receiving fault code data identifying one or more fault conditions detected on an aircraft. The operations further comprise receiving fault scenario data indicating one or more conditions of the aircraft in a time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions. The operations further comprise generating a first checklist display comprising a first set of uncompleted checklist items, wherein the first checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, status data indicating a current status of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data. The operations further comprise receiving input indicating completion of one or more checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items and updating the status data based on the input. The operations further comprise generating a second checklist display comprising a second set of uncompleted checklist items, wherein the second checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data, and wherein the second set of uncompleted checklist items is different from the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

[0132] The diagrams of the examples described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structures of various embodiments. These diagrams are not intended to be used as a complete description of the elements and features of the devices and systems utilizing the structures or methods described herein. After reviewing this disclosure, many other embodiments may be apparent to those skilled in the art. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other embodiments may be derived from this disclosure, so that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the method operations may be performed in an order different from the order shown in the figure, or one or more method operations may be omitted. Therefore, this disclosure and the accompanying drawings should be considered illustrative, not restrictive.

[0133] In addition, although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that any subsequent arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar results may replace the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all subsequent adaptations or modifications of the various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments and other embodiments not specifically described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing this specification.

[0134] The abstract of the present disclosure is submitted with the following understanding, which will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the aforementioned specific embodiments, various features may be combined together or described in a single embodiment for the purpose of simplifying the present disclosure. The examples described above illustrate but do not limit the present disclosure. It should also be understood that, according to the principles of the present disclosure, various modifications and variations may be made. As reflected in the attached claims, the subject matter claimed for protection may be directed to less than all features of any example in the disclosed examples. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An aircraft maintenance system (120), comprising: one or more data bus interfaces (126) for receiving fault code data (148) and fault scenario data (150) via one or more aircraft data buses (160), wherein the fault code data identifies one or more fault conditions detected on an aircraft (102) and the fault scenario data indicates one or more conditions of the aircraft in a time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions; one or more processors (122) coupled to the one or more data bus interfaces; as well as one or more memory devices (124) accessible to the one or more processors, the one or more memory devices storing instructions (142) executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to: generating a first checklist display (118) including a first set of uncompleted checklist items, wherein the first checklist display is generated based on two or more of the fault code data, the fault scenario data, status data (152) indicating a current status of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data (156); receiving input indicating completion of one or more checklist items of the first set of uncompleted checklist items; Based on the input, updating the state data; as well as Generate a second checklist display including a second set of incomplete checklist items, wherein the second checklist display is generated based on two or more of the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data, and wherein the second set of incomplete checklist items is different from the first set of incomplete checklist items.

2. The aircraft maintenance system of claim 1, further comprising a display device (116) on the aircraft, wherein the display device is configured to display the first checklist display and the second checklist display.

3. An aircraft maintenance system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the one or more memory devices store at least a portion of the historical maintenance data.

4. The aircraft maintenance system of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a communication interface (128) configured to access at least a portion of the historical maintenance data from a data repository (138) external to the aircraft.

5. An aircraft maintenance system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fault code data is associated with multiple fault isolation paths, wherein each of the multiple fault isolation paths specifies a task sequence to isolate the cause of a specific fault condition of the one or more fault conditions.

6. An aircraft maintenance system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fault scenario data includes sensor data indicating an operating environment associated with the aircraft during the time frame, configuration data indicating a state of the aircraft during the time frame, or both.

7. An aircraft maintenance system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the historical maintenance data identifies previous maintenance activities associated with the aircraft, previous maintenance activities associated with one or more other aircraft, or previous maintenance activities associated with both, and wherein the previous maintenance activities indicate multiple historical fault conditions, historical fault scenario data associated with each of the historical fault conditions, and a corresponding ordered sequence of tasks performed to resolve each of the historical fault conditions.

8. An aircraft maintenance system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the status data indicates one or more configuration states of the aircraft.

9. The aircraft maintenance system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to update the historical maintenance data based on the input.

10. An aircraft maintenance system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to: after updating the historical maintenance data, obtain second fault code data and second fault scenario data via the one or more data bus interfaces, and in response to the second fault code data matching the fault code data and the second fault scenario data matching the fault scenario data, generate a third checklist display including a third group of incomplete checklist items, wherein the third group of incomplete checklist items is different from the first group of incomplete checklist items and different from the second group of incomplete checklist items.

11. An aircraft maintenance system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the input comprises one or more data bus signals detected by the one or more data bus interfaces, wherein the one or more data bus signals indicate a configuration state of the aircraft or a change in the configuration state of the aircraft.

12. The aircraft maintenance system of claim 11, wherein the one or more data bus signals are generated in response to a user changing the configuration of the aircraft.

13. The aircraft maintenance system of claim 11, wherein the input comprises a user input received in response to the first checklist display.

14. The aircraft maintenance system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein generating the second checklist display includes automatically indicating one or more checklist items in the first set of incomplete checklist items as completed. 15 . The aircraft maintenance system of claim 14 , wherein the second set of incomplete checklist items includes each checklist item in the first set of incomplete checklist items except for the one or more checklist items indicated as completed. 16 . The aircraft maintenance system of claim 14 , wherein the second set of uncompleted checklist items includes one or more checklist items that are not present in the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

17. An aircraft maintenance system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions corresponds to a time period prior to or concurrent with detection of the one or more fault conditions.

18. An aircraft maintenance system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first set of uncompleted checklist items corresponds to an ordered sequence of fault isolation tasks derived from a fault isolation manual associated with the aircraft, an ordered sequence of maintenance tasks derived from a maintenance manual associated with the aircraft, or an ordered sequence of both fault isolation tasks and maintenance tasks.

19. The aircraft maintenance system of claim 18, wherein the sequence of the first set of incomplete checklist items is determined based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the status data, and the historical maintenance data.

20. The aircraft maintenance system of claim 18, wherein checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items are associated with tasks, and wherein the first checklist display further includes an estimate of the likelihood that performance of the task will resolve the one or more fault conditions.

21. The aircraft maintenance system of claim 18, wherein each of a plurality of checklist items in the first set of incomplete checklist items is associated with a corresponding task, and wherein the first set of incomplete checklist items is ordered in the first checklist display based on an estimate of the likelihood that performance of each of the corresponding tasks will resolve the one or more fault conditions.

22. A method comprising: receiving fault code data via one or more aircraft data buses, wherein the fault code data identifies one or more fault conditions detected on the aircraft; receiving, via the one or more aircraft data buses, fault scenario data, wherein the fault scenario data indicates one or more conditions of the aircraft in a time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions; generating, by one or more processors, a first checklist display including a first set of uncompleted checklist items, wherein the first checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, status data indicating a current status of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data; receiving, by the one or more processors, input indicating completion of one or more checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items; updating, by the one or more processors, the state data based on the input; as well as A second checklist display including a second set of incomplete checklist items is generated by the one or more processors, wherein the second checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data, and wherein the second set of incomplete checklist items is different from the first set of incomplete checklist items.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising displaying the first checklist display and the second checklist display at a display device on the aircraft.

24. A method according to claim 22 or claim 23, wherein one or more memory devices stores at least a portion of the historical maintenance data.

25. The method of claim 22 or claim 23, further comprising accessing at least a portion of the historical maintenance data from a data repository external to the aircraft.

26. A method according to claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the fault code data is associated with multiple fault isolation paths, wherein each of the multiple fault isolation paths specifies a task sequence to isolate the cause of a specific fault condition among the one or more fault conditions.

27. The method of claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the failure scenario data comprises sensor data indicative of an operating environment associated with the aircraft during the time frame, configuration data indicative of a state of the aircraft during the time frame, or both.

28. A method according to claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the historical maintenance data identifies previous maintenance activities associated with the aircraft, previous maintenance activities associated with one or more other aircraft, or previous maintenance activities associated with both, and the previous maintenance activities indicate a plurality of historical fault conditions, historical fault scenario data associated with each of the historical fault conditions, and a corresponding ordered sequence of tasks performed to resolve each of the historical fault conditions.

29. The method of claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the status data indicates one or more configuration states of the aircraft.

30. The method of claim 22 or claim 23, further comprising updating the historical maintenance data based on the input.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising: After updating the historical maintenance data, obtaining second fault code data and second fault scenario data via the one or more data bus interfaces; as well as generating a third checklist display including a third set of incomplete checklist items in response to the second fault code data matching the fault code data and the second fault scenario data matching the fault scenario data, Wherein the third set of uncompleted checklist items is different from the first set of uncompleted checklist items and different from the second set of uncompleted checklist items.

32. A method according to claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the input includes one or more data bus signals detected by the one or more data bus interfaces, wherein the one or more data bus signals indicate a configuration state of the aircraft or a change in the configuration state of the aircraft.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the one or more data bus signals are generated in response to a user changing the configuration of the aircraft.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the input comprises user input received in response to the first check list display.

35. The method of claim 22 or claim 23, wherein generating the second checklist display comprises automatically indicating one or more checklist items in the first set of incomplete checklist items as completed.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the second set of incomplete checklist items includes each checklist item in the first set of incomplete checklist items except for the one or more checklist items indicated as completed.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the second set of uncompleted checklist items includes one or more checklist items that are not present in the first set of uncompleted checklist items.

38. The method of claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions corresponds to a time period prior to or concurrent with detection of the one or more fault conditions.

39. A method according to claim 22 or claim 23, wherein the first set of uncompleted checklist items corresponds to an ordered sequence of fault isolation tasks derived from a fault isolation manual associated with the aircraft, an ordered sequence of maintenance tasks derived from a maintenance manual associated with the aircraft, or an ordered sequence of both fault isolation tasks and maintenance tasks.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein a sequence of the first set of incomplete checklist items is determined based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the status data, and the historical maintenance data.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items are associated with tasks, and wherein the first checklist display further includes an estimate of the likelihood that performance of the task will resolve the one or more fault conditions.

42. A method according to claim 39, wherein each of the multiple checklist items in the first group of incomplete checklist items is associated with a corresponding task, and wherein the first group of incomplete checklist items is sorted in the first checklist display based on an estimate of the likelihood that execution of each of the corresponding tasks will resolve the one or more fault conditions.

43. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving fault code data identifying one or more fault conditions detected on the aircraft; receiving fault scenario data indicative of one or more conditions of the aircraft in a time frame associated with the one or more fault conditions; generating a first checklist display including a first set of uncompleted checklist items, wherein the first checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, status data indicating a current status of the aircraft, and historical maintenance data; receiving input indicating completion of one or more checklist items in the first set of uncompleted checklist items; updating the state data based on the input; Generate a second checklist display including a second set of incomplete checklist items, wherein the second checklist display is generated based on the fault code data, the fault scenario data, the updated status data, and the historical maintenance data, and wherein the second set of incomplete checklist items is different from the first set of incomplete checklist items.

44. The computer readable storage device of claim 43, wherein the operations further comprise updating the historical maintenance data based on the input.

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