Automated MICs Extraction from Aircraft Engine Manuals

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Manual extraction of Master Inspection Characteristics (MICs) information from large technical manuals for aircraft engines is time-consuming and prone to human errors, making it inefficient and inaccurate.

Innovation Solution

A scalable end-to-end Machine Learning (ML) architecture using a Linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) Classifier coupled with Chi Square correlation to automate the extraction process, converting technical manuals into XML, and organizing extracted information in an engineer-friendly format.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual extraction of MICs information is performed from large technical manuals, then the extracted information can be organized and used by engineers, but the process consumes a lot of time and energy and is prone to human errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of MICs information extractionVSAvoidtime required for extracting MICs information
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical extraction process with an automated computer-based system that uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning models to extract MICs information from technical manuals, thereby eliminating human error and significantly reducing extraction time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary automated extraction system that acts as a mediator between the technical manual and the engineer, using NLP techniques and ML models to process and extract relevant MICs information, thus resolving the contradiction between accuracy and time consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If manual extraction of MICs information is performed from large technical manuals, then the extracted information can be obtained, but the process is prone to human errors that may slow down or pause the work

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework efficiency of engineersVSAvoidaccuracy of MICs information extraction
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual extraction process with an automated computer-based system using NLP and Machine Learning, which eliminates human error and ensures high reliability of extracted MICs information, thereby maintaining high engineering productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a self-service automated extraction system that independently processes technical manuals and extracts MICs information without human intervention, ensuring both high productivity and reliability through consistent automated performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Loss of information

If the technical manual has a relatively large content size, then it contains comprehensive technical information, but finding and extracting desired technical information may not be practical as this may take time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of technical informationVSAvoidtime required to find and extract information
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies extraction by selectively identifying and extracting only the relevant MICs information from the large technical manual using NLP keywords and Machine Learning models, thus maintaining information completeness while reducing the time required to find and extract desired information

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the large technical manual into manageable units by identifying specific MICs information points using NLP techniques and Machine Learning, allowing comprehensive information to be processed and extracted efficiently without requiring time-consuming manual search

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4485271A1Method of extracting technical information from a technical manual
Publication Date: 2025.01.01 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO
  • EP4485271A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4485271A1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP4485271A1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

A method of extracting information from a technical manual (100, 400), the method being implemented on a computer system (500). The method includes extracting, by the computer system (500), selected keywords from the technical manual (100, 400), appending the selected keywords to a table (104) to provide master data (105), receiving a portion of the master data (105) and a first table of labels (109) corresponding to portion of the master data (105), performing a text pre-processing (110) of the master data (105) to format the master data (105) to provide pre-processed data (111, 412), applying a Machine Learning model (118) to the pre-processed data (111, 412) to generate a second table of labels (120) corresponding to an entire master data (105), and processing labels in the second table of labels (120) to correspond to the master data (105) to enable a user to review or to use, or both, information contained in the technical manual (100, 400) without reading or searching in the entire technical manual (100, 400).