Global Plane Identification Number Generation for Aircraft Lifecycle Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aircraft identification frameworks are unable to track an aircraft throughout its entire lifecycle, from production to retirement, due to issues with proprietary identification systems, overlapping serial numbers, and changes in ownership or configuration, leading to inefficiencies in maintenance and operational costs.
Innovation Solution
The generation of a Global Plane Identification Number (GPIN) based on aircraft make, model, series, and manufacturing metadata, which remains unchanged throughout the aircraft's lifecycle, ensuring unique identification and tracking across ownership changes and configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proprietary identification systems are used for aircraft tracking, then identification can be maintained within specific organizations, but tracking continuity across ownership changes and throughout the entire lifecycle is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal identification system where the aircraft identification number serves multiple functions: it works across different organizations (airlines, maintenance providers, regulatory bodies), throughout the entire lifecycle (production to retirement), and across ownership changes. This single identifier replaces multiple proprietary systems, enabling continuous tracking without organization-specific limitations.
2Ease of manufacture
If manufacturer serial numbers are used, then aircraft can be identified by production batch, but overlapping serial numbers and configuration changes cause identification errors
Solution Approach 1:
The new identification system segments the identification space by incorporating geographic region codes, aircraft type codes, and sequential numbers in a structured format. This segmentation eliminates overlaps between different manufacturers and regions, ensuring each aircraft receives a unique identifier that maintains production batch information while preventing identification errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the identification parameters from simple manufacturer serial numbers to a multi-component structure including region codes, aircraft type codes, and sequential numbers. This parameter change enables the system to maintain ease of manufacture tracking while achieving precise identification accuracy by eliminating serial number overlaps.
3Device complexity
If existing identification frameworks are used, then simple tracking is possible, but comprehensive lifecycle tracking from production to retirement cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The identification system is designed to be universally applicable across the entire aircraft lifecycle. The same identifier format is used from production through operation to retirement, eliminating the need for different identification systems at different lifecycle stages. This universal approach maintains simplicity while enabling comprehensive long-term tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for global plane identification number (GPIN) generation and applications are disclosed. Embodiments of the disclosed technology advantageously enable aircraft to be tracked throughout their service life, and associate parts, software and services that correspond to a particular aircraft. An exemplary method for identifying an aircraft includes generating, based on a manufacturer, a model and a series of the aircraft, an alphanumeric prefix that uniquely identifies the model and the series of the aircraft from the manufacturer; generating, from a manufacturer serial number that is assigned to an airframe of the aircraft, a modified serial number; and generating, based on concatenating the alphanumeric prefix and the modified serial number, an identification number for the aircraft.