Aircraft Maintenance Bridging System for Schedule Transition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Transitioning from a current maintenance program schedule to a new one for aircraft is inefficient and complex, requiring significant manual effort and time, often resulting in prolonged transition periods and potential rework, which can be costly and disrupt aircraft operations.

Innovation Solution

An aircraft maintenance bridging system that includes a maintenance bridging determination control unit analyzing current and new maintenance schedules, along with resource data, to determine optimized transition options that minimize labor, parts, and equipment costs, while reducing transition time, and ensuring aircraft compliance with both schedules.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual management and execution by subject matter experts is used to transition between maintenance programs, then transition accuracy and compliance can be maintained, but the transition period becomes excessively long and requires hundreds of hours of analysis

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance program transition complianceVSAvoidtransition period duration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical analysis and execution by subject matter experts with an automated computer-based system that uses algorithms to analyze maintenance programs, generate transition plans, and execute transitions. This substitution dramatically reduces transition time from hundreds of hours to minutes while maintaining compliance through systematic rule-based processing of maintenance tasks and intervals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service automation where the computer automatically performs the entire transition process without requiring human intervention for each analysis. The system self-manages the comparison of maintenance programs, identification of conflicting tasks, generation of transition plans, and execution monitoring, freeing subject matter experts from repetitive manual analysis while ensuring consistent compliance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If a long, protracted transition period is used between maintenance program schedules, then compliance with both current and new schedules can be maintained, but complexity for maintenance personnel increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedual schedule complianceVSAvoidmaintenance schedule complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the maintenance program transition into distinct phases and components: current program analysis, new program analysis, conflict identification, transition plan generation, and execution monitoring. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by handling each aspect separately through automated algorithms, reducing the burden on maintenance personnel while maintaining dual schedule compliance through systematic phase-by-phase processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an automated computer-based intermediary system that mediates between the current and new maintenance programs. This intermediary automatically compares schedules, identifies conflicts, generates transition plans, and monitors execution, thereby simplifying the complexity for maintenance personnel while ensuring compliance with both schedules through systematic automated management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of time

If a hasty transition between maintenance programs is implemented, then transition time is reduced, but an undesirable amount of rework is necessitated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransition period durationVSAvoidmaintenance rework volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by automatically analyzing both the current and new maintenance programs before transition execution, identifying potential conflicts and generating a comprehensive transition plan in advance. This preliminary automated analysis ensures that all necessary adjustments are identified and planned before implementation, enabling rapid transition without rework by preventing conflicts from occurring in the first place.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the automated system continuously monitors transition execution and compares actual results against the planned transition path. This real-time feedback allows the system to detect and correct any deviations immediately, ensuring that the hasty transition proceeds smoothly without necessitating rework by maintaining continuous automated oversight and adjustment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10853770B2Aircraft maintenance program bridging systems and methods

Publication Date: 2020.12.01 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

An aircraft maintenance bridging system and method are configured to determine at least one transition option that transitions one or more aircraft from a current maintenance program schedule to a new maintenance program schedule. The aircraft maintenance bridging method includes analyzing the current maintenance program schedule and the new maintenance program schedule with a maintenance bridging determination control unit, and determining the transition option(s), using the maintenance bridging determination control unit, for the aircraft based on analyzing the current maintenance program schedule and the new maintenance program schedule.