ITCT20130006A1 - COMPUTERIZED PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTIONS OF AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURES RELATED TO FLIGHT ACTIVITIES - Google Patents

Description

Description attached to the patent application for industrial invention, entitled: "Software / procedure for runway inspections and airport infrastructures related to flight activities"

Technical field of the invention

This system is nothing more than a control process assisted by a computer program, which automates and secures inspections inside airports. The technical field of the invention is therefore the airport sector industry. In summary, all the ordinary and extraordinary inspection procedures to keep the entire airport infrastructure safe.

State of the art and citations

Currently these inspection procedures, both ordinary and extraordinary, are carried out with the paper means. In an inspection phase, the operator in the field, once an anomaly has been identified, (e.g. a hole or an object in the runway, or faulty warning lights, etc.) must describe it on paper, through pre-printed templates, notify at the same time all departments possibly interested in restoring safety conditions or even worse for the possible closure of an area of the airport, finally the necessary filing. With this system, errors (or oversights) on the part of operators very often occur, which can compromise the internal security of airports. Furthermore, the operator will never be able to prove that he has performed inspections in accordance with the directives and that he has checked all areas at risk. All paper documents produced are archived and consequently any search for past anomalies becomes very difficult as well as expensive.

Technical problem to be solved

The airport manager must define a methodology for assessing the state of the infrastructure and defining a maintenance and rehabilitation plan for the infrastructure in the face of any anomalies that have emerged. According to the current protocols, a minimum of 4 daily inspections of the infrastructure are foreseen: 1. Inspection of the MANEUVERING AREA

2. Inspection APRON, FENCES AND MORE

3. TRACK inspection

4. MOTION AREA inspection

In addition, the airport manual provides for a constant assessment of the infrastructure through extraordinary inspections. The inspections are carried out by MOS employees who have the task of assessing the condition of the infrastructure and reporting the anomalies found in a specific pre-set form.

Limitations of the traditional method:

• Difficult process traceability

• Storage space problems

• Lack of the precise point of the anomaly site

• Lack of visual feedback from the offices concerned

Description of the invention

Inspection Procedure (Tablet Software or Other Portable Electronic Media)

Faced with the problems encountered (as listed above) we decided to adopt a new system / procedure to examine the infrastructure respecting the current protocols, improve them and make them more secure. This system provides for the inspection procedure with the aid of a Tablet device or other electronic support, eliminating paper from the traditional method.

The phases of the new inspection procedure are: (see drawing n.1 block diagram)

• Authentication phase (see drawing 2)

MOS employee will have to authenticate to the system by entering their surname and personal password (the data relating to the authentication of the employees are stored in a database on a remote server).

Authentication status:

o Success: The employee is authenticated to the system, then moves on to the next stage. o Authentication error: If the data entered are incorrect (therefore they are not present in the database) then a failure warning message will be displayed. The assistant can repeat the authentication procedure again or exit the App.

o Connection error: If the device is not connected to the internet, a warning will be displayed with this warning. The assistant can repeat the authentication procedure again or exit the App.

Preview phase

Once you have successfully logged in, you will be taken to the preview phase. In this phase it is possible to view the anomalies that have not been returned that have been reported and possibly monitored by some previous inspection / s. To go to the next step, click on the menu and select “close preview”.

Inspection Start Phase (see drawing 3)

At this stage, the assistant must:

o Choose the colleague or colleagues with whom you are going to carry out the inspection procedure (if they are present).

o Choose the type of inspection (those listed above)

o Choose the weather conditions (e.g. weather and wind conditions)

It is also possible to view a notification or a report left by the department manager, this notification (if present) can be reported specifically for the type of inspection chosen as: current date, or generic, for all inspections, or for any date.

Once the fields listed above have been filled in, the employee can move on to the next step by clicking on the "Start" button or exit the App by pressing "Exit".

o Start: before moving on to the next step, the app will send the data chosen by the employee to the server. (e.g. ID of employees, weather condition, type of inspection, start time, etc.)

o Exit: pressing exit will terminate the App without sending any data to the server.

Inspection phase (see drawing 4)

In this phase the GPS is initialized. Once the GPS is initialized, a location icon is shown on the map that represents the point where we are. By pressing the "Menu" button and choosing the item "Show Route" it is possible to view the route taken. As in the preview phase, it is possible to view the anomalies that have been reported / monitored. Furthermore, at this stage it is possible to Report a new anomaly or Monitor an anomaly that has not yet returned. The icons of the anomalies vary according to the type of anomaly and / or the place where they were reported.

o Indication: (see drawing 5) By clicking on the map, a larger and more detailed map is shown. In the menu on the right, by clicking on the "Anomaly" icon, a circle is marked taking the coordinates of the GPS point where we are (it is also possible to adjust the position with the movement cursors that are displayed on the screen). At this point, pressing the "Ok" confirmation button displays an interface where you can set the data relating to the anomaly (see drawing 6). The data defined according to the protocols are:

- Area in which the anomaly is located (eg. TRACK AND RELATED STRIP, SQUARE, etc.) - Anomaly code

- Severity of the anomaly (low, medium or high)

- Usability

- Note

In addition to these standards, we have added other features to have a more detailed response to the anomaly (see drawing 7)

- Photo

- GPS coordinates

- Target (more detailed anomaly area, useful for searches)

Once you have filled in all the necessary fields, by pressing the "Upload" button you can send the data to the server. Then you automatically return to the previous screen (large map) where an icon of the anomaly just reported is displayed instead of the circle marked previously. In addition to the "Upload" button, there are also the "Ok" and "Cancel" buttons. Pressing Cancel cancels the report and returns to the large map. By pressing Ok the data are not uploaded to the server but are saved on the device, so it is possible to review the anomaly at a later time and subsequently upload the data.

For an anomaly just reported it is possible to make a temporary return or a monitoring. If an anomaly has been filled in with certain severity characteristics, the server will automatically send emails, sms, mms, to the preset addresses. In addition, the system provides for the resending of emails, if the receipt has not been confirmed within a set deadline.

By clicking on an icon that represents any anomaly, it is possible to view the history of that anomaly, therefore, by whom it was reported, the reporting date, time of reporting, photos, notes, etc. (see drawing 8) The same information can be displayed for each monitoring carried out on that anomaly. In addition to viewing the information of the anomaly, the following options are provided:

o Temporary return: if an anomaly was reported in this inspection with serious characteristics that require the closure of the track, the software provides for a temporary return (as per standard procedures). Then the operator, after having restored the anomaly, by pressing the "Temporary return" button will signal to everyone the temporary restoration of the same (the selection of gravity is required eg medium or low, a photo on the condition of the anomaly) and it will be possible the reopening of the runway, always keeping the problem under control.

o Monitoring: the monitoring phase of an anomaly is very similar to the temporary return. Unlike the temporary return, the monitoring can be carried out on any anomaly (old or new), moreover it is possible to carry out a definitive return by choosing instead of severity (high, low, medium) "Re-entry" (in the case of re-entry, the icon of the anomaly from the map)

Closing phase

The procedure involves the insertion of a general inspection note, this can be done by simply clicking on the menu and choosing the item "Write note" and finally it is possible to end the inspection procedure by choosing "End inspection" from the menu. During the closing phase, all the data relating to the GPS (route) and the anomaly data that have not yet been sent to the server are sent.

Contingency management

If the application is terminated unexpectedly (hardware error or any other error) a current inspection recovery system has been implemented. So in this case, after the authentication phase, the system resumes the previous inspection, skipping the inspection start phase.

Search / Review / Return Planning Procedure (PC Software)

The key points of the operations room software are:

1. Have an updated view of the airport infrastructure from all the relevant offices equipped with this software. (see drawing 9, icon map)

2. Research

3. View the route taken in a given inspection and check if the inspections were carried out correctly and on time. (see drawing 10, track map) 4. Planning of the re-entry of anomalies.

5. Print

All the data sent with the new inspection procedure are stored in the redundant electronic archives. The Client program allows you to see the current state of the infrastructure in real time, search for inspections, anomalies and related data related to the inspection procedure. Manage the MOS employees and schedule the return dates.

Authentication - Review - Schedule

To use the client software, you must authenticate to the system using a preset username and password. Once the authentication phase has been successfully completed, it is possible to view the current situation of the infrastructure (drawing 9). The map displays all the anomalies that have not been included, by clicking on them it is possible to view the information relating to that anomaly in detail (see drawing 11). It is also possible to set some parameters as a return date. Client software can be installed in any office such as, for example, ENAC, AOS, VETTORI etc.

Research

Currently there are two types of searches, a search by anomaly and a search by inspection:

- Search by Anomaly: the search by anomaly can be done by anomaly id or by date. In the search by date also from - to it is possible to select specific fields to have a very accurate search (e.g. search from 12/12/2012 to 01/01/2013, all the anomalies returned that have been reported in an extraordinary inspection)

-Search by Inspection: the search by inspection allows you to perform a search based on the conditions that have been chosen during the initial phase of the search (e.g. search from 12/12/2012 to 01/01/2013, all extraordinary inspections where the weather condition was "cloudy")

Plot

You can view the complete trace of any inspection performed with the new procedure. The route taken in a given inspection is marked with a red line on the map. In addition to the path, this function allows you to view only the anomalies reported in that inspection. The office clerk can also check if the teams in the field have carried out all the steps required on the track on the junctions, etc.

Statistics

Through the electronic archive it is possible to carry out statistics of all kinds, such as: frequency of certain anomalies, average return times of anomalies, frequency and time of closure of aprons, runways, junctions due to anomalies, intervention times by of third parties for the resolution of anomalies, etc.

Advantages of the invention

Among the most important advantages that the invention gives us, the following must necessarily be highlighted:

• the traceability of the inspection phase, which makes it possible to verify the effective regular execution of the activity, which is essential for the purposes of Safety.

• The objectivity of the surveys carried out which, being shared in real time with the responsible authorities, can determine the consequent actions with the help of photographic documentation and without encountering those misunderstandings that often occur through telephone management.

• Obtain a correct definition of the type and severity of the anomaly shared between the inspector and the repairer.

• Track the history of the anomaly to keep it under control and verify the effectiveness of the corrective action.

• Create a database that gives the opportunity to monitor in real time the history and location of anomalies present on the flight infrastructure.

• The creation of a historical database, necessary and fundamental for airport management purposes, with all the data referring to each inspection activity (executor, timetables, etc.) • Low economic impact

• Reduced organizational and operational impact.

Claims (6)

Claims 1) The computerized procedure of which the invention is claimed is designed and perfectly adapted to the inspection and maintenance procedures of airport infrastructures connected to flight activities, such as: runway inspections, junctions, taxiways, aprons, perimeter, etc., currently performed with paper documents, instead conceived by us as a macro system consisting of: a software application for portable media (tablets or other) used by inspection staff, a software application installed in the offices of the control bodies (PC), and an archive where all the data transmitted by the applications converge and are processed with a new inspection concept. 2) Using this computerized control procedure, the operator and therefore the manager will be able to demonstrate that they have carried out all the mandatory inspection operations and be sure that they can be documented. With the traditional method it is not possible to reconstruct all these phases due to the complexity of the information and the many players in the field. 3) This computerized procedure is an absolute novelty, as it was conceived, because through the software interface it guides the operator in charge of inspections, step by step in the exact compilation of the anomalies found during the inspections of the movement areas of the airports, without possibility of error and with the possibility of monitoring and following the anomaly itself until the problem is resolved. These anomalies sometimes disappear after months of reporting and in these cases with the current system it is very difficult to monitor all open anomalies. 4) This procedure standardizes the inspection inspections for airports, improves them, adapts them and introduces technological innovations, such as: geolocation in place of the grid-map, traceability of movements through georeferenced map, real-time sharing of information with all the offices involved, the automatic assignment of anomaly codes, the archiving of photos, the simultaneous sending of messages (email, sms, mms) to all staff and offices involved in the maintenance procedures of the airport infrastructure, electronic archive with the possibility of carrying out statistics of all kinds. Virtually a new procedure complete with all the information (without neglecting anything) and completely automated. 5) The strength of the system is the intelligent interaction between the two software applications and the remote database connected to each other through the internet or intranet, using the GPRS UMTS, WIFI, LAN, ADSL systems (making it a unique "brainwashed ") And which allows real-time sharing and management of any anomalies with all the offices, so as to plan in a short time all the interventions to be carried out for the restoration, without the possibility of errors or oversights. 6) The effectiveness of the procedure lies in the fact that the operator, who is about to carry out an inspection, will use a tablet (or other electronic medium) to enter the system (drawing2), from that moment all his movements will be tracked (drawing 10). Once an anomaly has been identified, it enters the data into the electronic medium, through the very intuitive software interface that complies with all the rules and standards dictated by the airport authorities (drawing 6), and sends it to the system with a simple click (drawing 7). From that moment on, the information is elaborated in an intelligent way, shared by all the offices concerned (Drawing 9), which are equipped with the PC application, (operator id, anomaly code, accessibility of the junction runway and taxiways, photos, etc.) and if the anomaly is serious, the system will automatically and selectively send messages to alert the restoration staff. A real revolution in the field of airport procedures that until now uses old procedures and completed on paper. 7) (Drawing 9) Also using the PC application, which can be installed in one or more offices (even outside the airport), the system will allow you to view all the reported anomalies that have not yet been returned to a large monitor. By going with the mouse on the icon of the anomaly, the operator will be able to view the entire history of the anomaly itself: who reported it, the type of anomaly, how long it has been reported for, the high-definition photograph, and if you want you can set the return dates for the resolution of the same. Each icon will have a different color and image based on the type of anomaly it must represent. 8) Another strength of this system is the uniformity of the procedures and information processed, so as to make all these data comparable to exchange information and statistics with all the airports that use this procedure. In order to be able to understand, by drawing up statistics, which are the anomalies that occur most frequently, the reason, the average recovery times, etc. Research that has been impossible or very complex and expensive (expensive) up to now, with current procedures . 9) In conclusion, this new procedure assisted by a computer program will allow airport managers to perform and monitor all ordinary and extraordinary maintenance procedures in a much simpler way, saving resources and increasing safety, furthermore, the manager will have the possibility of being able to to provide almost instantaneously all the information that the control bodies or carriers will request to assess the reliability of the entire airport infrastructure.