Honeywell International Inc.

John F Stone

Timothy J Felke

David Michael Kolbet

Jeff Van Der Zweep

Michael W Stinson

A method of developing fault codes for complex systems based on historical data that in one aspect is a software program arranged to be installed and to operate on a processor to process the historical data in order to facilitate development of the fault codes, the software program resulting in the processor performing the method including: grouping the historical data into a plurality of observations and a plurality of repairs; analyzing the plurality of repairs to determine associated observation signatures, each of the observation signatures being one or more of the observations; and assigning a fault code to each observation signature.

Method and apparatus for developing fault codes for complex systems based on historical data

A relational database is for relating maintenance information that differs for each of a plurality of complex systems, such as a plurality of differing aircraft, using a common database structure so as to facilitate maintenance procedures for the plurality of complex systems. The database structure comprises: a plurality of primary entities for providing a fault model description of each of the plurality of complex systems, the fault model description including, for each of the plurality of complex systems, failure modes, symptoms and data required to effect a repair; and a categorical entity corresponding to a complex system, such as an aircraft, that enables selection of the fault model description corresponding to the complex system or aircraft. The relational database is particularly suited for use in or by an aircraft maintenance and diagnostic system that assists with fault correction for a fault condition within an aircraft based on a fault model for the aircraft.

Relational database for maintenance information for complex systems

A method for improving fault isolation for failure modes in complex systems, and a software program embodying the method or a corresponding method together with a computer based aircraft diagnostic system using such software is described. The method includes: capturing a set of symptoms that is consistent with a failure mode of the complex system; identifying a set of repairs for the complex system that are consistent with the set of symptoms; ranking, when the set of repairs includes more than one repair, the repairs in a sequence that will minimize an average cost to repair the complex system, the sequence including a historical component and reflecting the effectiveness of available test results to resolve each the repairs; determining possible tests that are consistent with the failure mode; and ranking the possible tests according to there respective net improvement in the average cost to repair the complex system.

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Mesa, AZ, United States of America

John F Stone