Portable Engineering Data Delivery System for Offline Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for retrieving engineering data for maintenance operations on complex products, such as aircraft, face challenges with increasing difficulty as the number of parts grows, leading to inefficiencies and inaccuracies due to reliance on physical media and limited network access in remote locations.
Innovation Solution
A remote data delivery system that includes a data retriever, table generator, mapper, and local server on a portable device, allowing for the retrieval and storage of engineering data for specific parts, enabling access and display of requested data even in areas with poor network connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardcopies of engineering data are brought to the field for maintenance operations, then access to engineering data is available, but identifying the required hardcopies becomes more difficult as the number of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates digital copies of engineering data stored locally on the portable device, eliminating the need to physically search through hardcopies. The visualization tool displays part information with associated engineering data readily accessible through digital interfaces rather than physical media.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable device serves multiple functions: it stores engineering data, provides visualization capabilities, enables data retrieval, and offers communication functions. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for separate hardcopy collections and identification processes.
2Reliability
If all hardcopies of engineering data are shipped and stored, then complete data availability is achieved, but shipping and storing becomes more expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the necessary engineering data for specific parts from the complete database and stores it locally on the portable device. This selective extraction eliminates the need to ship and store all hardcopies for all parts, reducing time and costs while maintaining data availability for the specific maintenance task at hand.
Solution Approach 2:
Engineering data is retrieved and stored on the portable device before the maintenance operation occurs. This preliminary action ensures data is ready for immediate use in the field without requiring time-consuming shipping and storing operations.
3Ease of operation
If hardcopies are used for maintenance operations, then data can be accessed in remote locations, but the level of detail required for accurate maintenance cannot be provided
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses digital copies of engineering data that maintain full resolution and detail quality. Unlike physical hardcopies that may lose detail, digital data preserves all original information including high-resolution photographs, dimensional data, and technical specifications needed for accurate maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from two-dimensional physical hardcopies to multi-dimensional digital data storage and display. This enables access to detailed information through various interfaces including augmented reality overlays, 3D visualizations, and high-resolution imaging, providing greater detail than traditional 2D documents.
4Productivity
If network access is used to retrieve engineering data, then data is readily available, but access is unavailable in remote locations with poor network coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The system retrieves and stores engineering data on the portable device before the maintenance operation occurs, while network access is still available. This ensures that all necessary data is cached locally and can be accessed immediately in remote locations without requiring network connectivity during the actual maintenance task.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable device acts as an intermediary between the network server system and the remote maintenance location. It stores data locally and provides offline access to engineering information, mediating between the need for network connectivity and the reality of remote locations with poor coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for delivering engineering data to a portable device for use in performing an operation. Engineering data for each part in a set of parts is stored in a file system on the portable device. A set of entries, each entry including a part identifier and a target locator for a part, is created for the set of parts to form a table. An initial locator constructed by a visualization tool is matched to a target locator in the table for a selected part. The target locator identifies a physical location in the file system of requested engineering data for the selected part. A local server on the portable device retrieves the requested engineering data based on the target locator. The local server serves the requested engineering data to a browser, which displays the requested engineering data for use in performing the operation on the selected part.