WO1995013586A1

WO1995013586A1 - A method for storing data in a memory and a computer system for carrying out the method

Info

Publication number: WO1995013586A1
Application number: PCT/EP1994/003654
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tom Bomer
Original assignee: Amis Products B.V.
Priority date: 1993-11-11
Filing date: 1994-11-04
Publication date: 1995-05-18
Also published as: NL9301953A; AU8060794A

Abstract

In a method for storing data in a memory in the form of object data, whereby the objects are groups and group members, the object data is stored in the form of collective entities or individual entities and entity values associated therewith, as a result of which a highly effective and flexibly accessible file of data is formed. Task data relating to the object is stored in a memory in the form of a set composed of the description of the part to which the task to be carried out relates, at least one unit associated with the task, and a value which may be assigned to each entity, if desired. The chaining of the task data and the object data by means of selection criteria data stored in an additional memory results in selected data, which renders it possible in a simple manner to register and plan minor and major servicing.

Description

A METHOD FOR STORING DATA IN A MEMORY AND A COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD

The present invention relates to a method for storing data in a memory in the form of object data, whereby said objects are groups and group members.

With the known method for storing data in a computer a memory, usually a two-dimensional memory array, is initiated in the memory, whereby dependent on the subject being stored fields associated with said subject are defined, usually in the form of columns and rows. In a memory which comprises n rows and m columns, and thus n x m fields, m fields are initiated for each datum being stored, whereby usually a few of said fields are filled with relevant data.

The drawback of the known method for storing data in a memory is that the filling degree of a memory of this type is very low.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a computer system for storing data in a memory in an efficient manner, wherein a more economical use is made of the memory space reserved in a computer system.

In order to achieve this the method is according to the invention characterized in that the data is stored in the form of collective entities and entity values associated with said collective entities, and also in the form of individual entities to be assigned to group members and entity values associated with said individual entities.

The inventors have realized that when the known method is used the information contained is redundant to an extent which depends on the filling degree of the memory. This insight is combined with the perception that a field is not a static entity, but that in particular collective and individual entities can be freely defined insofar as they are linked with the aforesaid associated entity values. Thus it is no longer necessary to initialize a memory matrix having a fixed row and column format in advance.

The advantage of the method according to the invention is that it is not restricted by characteristics or features which are typical of the group of objects or elements from the group to which the data being stored relates. The method according to the invention furthermore ensures a highly effective storage use, without this having any adverse effect on the possibilities of extending or limiting said storage. Collective and/or individual entities in particular may be added as desired, whereby the manner of storage in the memory remains optimally attuned to the descriptive entities of data to be stored, which may be input as desired. A dynamic growth of the contents of the entire file has become possible, whilst retaining the aforesaid advantageous characteristics. In addition to being flexible the method according to the invention can be used multifunctionally with all kinds of memory files, irrespective of the type of object to which the data being stored relates.

In one embodiment of the method according to the invention the collective or individual entities contain object data on constituent parts of the group or the group member in question.

The advantage of this embodiment of the invention is that the file can effectively store data, either about constituents which are always associated with specific group members or about constituents which are associated with specific individual group members. Of course these constituents can also be flexibly stored as entities and values associated therewith. Thus it has become possible to provide lists, for example on a display device or a printing device, which for example include all constituents or all parts of one or several group members, or which include a complete lists of parts of a specific group member.

In another embodiment of the method according to the invention the data comprises task data relating to tasks which have to be carried out with regard to constituents or parts of a group or a group member, whereby said task data is stored in the memory in the form of a set composed of: the description of the respective constituent or part to which the task to be carried out relates, - at least one unit associated with said task, and - a value which may be assigned to each entity, if desired.

The advantage of this method according to the invention is that an effective use of the memory is ensured. The data from which the set is composed can moreover be readily changed, deleted or supplemented in order to input new data that has become available by using this method, for example about an object or about a constituent of a group of objects, as an action item in the memory. This manner of storing data furthermore makes it possible to define one or more unit or units to be associated with a task to be freely selected, whereby it is even possible for the various units to have different dimensions. One unit may for example have time as a dimension, whilst the other unit has no dimension. The time units, which are to be freely specified, provide significant advantages in the planning and drawing up of flexible schedules, both maintenance schedules and flight schedules. Instead of the known obligatory planning on the basis of fixed work schedules or monthly or yearly schedules, the invention makes it possible not only to fix the starting point and end point of an interval as desired, but the interval may also have a variable duration, for example 8 or 13 days or the like, so as to make it possible to fit in scheduled servicing as efficiently as possible in an 8- or 13-day flight schedule of an aircraft, for example.

In another flexible embodiment of the method according to the invention the data comprises selection criteria data, which is stored in the memory in the form of a specified array of collective and/or individual entities with the associated entity values or entity value regions, as a result of which it becomes possible to change the relevant selection criteria data in a simple manner whilst retaining an optimum filling degree of the memory.

In yet another embodiment of the method according to the invention the object data stored in a first memory and the task data stored in a second memory are interconnected by means of selection criteria data stored in a third memory, in such a manner that this leads to the formation of selected data associated with each other, which is stored in a fourth memory and which meets the selection criteria.

By using this embodiment of the method according to the invention bidirectional coupling becomes possible. The fact is that data from the first memory can be chained to data in the second memory, and conversely data from the second memory can be chained to data in the first memory. This makes it possible on the one hand to evaluate tasks to be specified, which is advantageous in practice, in order to check to which groups of objects these task apply, whilst on the other hand all tasks which apply to a group member to be freely specified will become available by using the method.

The method according to the invention has appeared to be particularly advantageous when being used with data relating to complex objects comprising a great deal of systems, components, circuits and parts, such as for example vessels or aircraft. Especially when planning and/or carrying out activities, such as minor and/or major servicing tasks, the use of the method according to the invention makes it possible to gain an insight quickly in case the data in question has been stored in accordance with the present method.

The invention furthermore relates to a computer system to be used in conjunction with the method according to the invention.

The present invention will be explained in more detail hereafter with reference to the accompanying Figure, which shows a possible embodiment of the device according to the invention, and with reference to which the method according to the invention will likewise be explained in more detail.

The Figure shows a computer system 1, which is built up of a data input and display device 2, a first memory 2, a first memory 3, a second memory 4, a third memory 5, whereby said memories 3, 4 and 5 are each connected to the device 2, as well as a fourth memory 6 connected to the memory 5. Object data in the form of collective and individual entities and values to be assigned to each of said entities is stored in the memory 3 by means of the data input and display device 2. The term objects in particularly refers to for example vessels or aircraft, but also to systems comprising complex installations, such as power plants, in particular electric power plants, such as nuclear power plants, gas fired or coal fired power plants, but also for example to blast furnaces or cracking plants such as used in the field of chemistry for cracking oil, for example. The method to be explained in more detail hereafter can also be used for storing personal data or data referring to words or meanings of words, however.

The data stored in the memory 3 in the form of object data includes the collective entities, that is those data or entities which in principle include data typical of the group, as well as the entity values associated with the entities in question. Concentrated on the group of objects comprising aircraft, the collective entities inter alia include the data summed up in Table 1.

TABLE 1

Entity "Registration" for example has value "PH-AHJ". Collective entity "Manufacturer" has the word "Boeing" listed under value, etc. In addition to that the individual entities and the entity value associated therewith are stored in memory 3. An example of an individual entity is "number of seats" listed in Table 1, in this case having value "213". New entities, for example individual ones, can be added in a simple manner to the object data stored in memory 3. Thus the new individual entity "operational category" may be added, with the possible values: "transport", "military", "private" or in the illustrated case "liner", to indicate that a scheduled plane is concerned here. Table 1 includes a few additional individual entities and their associated entity values.

In addition to that those actions or task data are stored in memory 4 that, again concentrated on the group of objects, i.e. the aircraft, particularly relate to the maintenance tasks which need to be carried out on the various systems, components, circuits and parts of the aircraft. For example the task that relates to constituent "Nose landing system" has a unit "landings" associated with said task, which unit has a value "150" assigned thereto. Two units, namely "flying hours" and "age (months)" having values 600 and 12 respectively, are associated with the task "propeller" . For the purposes of illustration a few more tasks are listed in the table.

It is true that a specific unit is associated with a specific task, but the manner of storage of the data makes it possible to have the datum which is mentioned under a specific unit depend on a datum associated with another task.

The unit "landings" for example, which is belongs to task "nose landing system" might just as well contain an indication with regard to the number of hours that the starting generator has been in operation. Another example is a part in an aircraft engine, whereby for example maintenance work to be carried out on said part can be related to the engine to which it belongs and/or to the aircraft to which the engine belongs. The "owner" of the unit or the time indicator may be present between the part and the aircraft at any level.

In memory 5 selection criteria data is stored in the form of a specified series of collective and/or individual entities to be freely stated and their associated entity values or entity value regions. An example of this is listed in Table 2, concentrated on group '^•Aircraft".

TABLE 2

The selection criteria data of group "Aircraft" includes the entity "Manufacturer", "Cessna" in the present case. The entity value of entity "Type" should range from 150A - 150G, whilst also the serial numbers must have the specified values. The subsequent chaining of the data stored in memories 3 and 4 via the selection criteria data present in memory 5 provides selected data stored in memory 6, in the form of lists of "Cessnas" and their specified serial numbers contained in the selected entity value region "type". Selected data relating to a specific type of "Cessna" having a specific serial number can also be stored in memory 6, of course, so that it is possible to ascertain precisely what (maintenance) tasks are to be performed on that particular aircraft, given the actual/current values to be specified of the various units. These tasks for example comprise (visual) inspections, the replacing or cleaning of parts, but also tests, major overhauls or overlapping tasks, such as major overhauls in combination with subsequent testing.

The method makes it possible to register all systems, constituents, parts, parts of parts and circuits on the basis of the data stored in memory 3, and also to keep record of the history of the object or group of objects in question, drawing from the data stored in memory 4, and to plan and record functions, tasks, actions, overhauls and the like which are planned for the future. The registration and output facility with regard to this is indicated at 7 in the Figure. Facility 7 for example provides a possibility to print and/or display the aforesaid lists, possibly also by means of the data input and display device 2.

The method and the computer system 1 make it possible to a large degree to add and alter collective and/or individual entities or tasks and units and values or selection criteria associated therewith, without this having any consequences for the effective manner of storing data in the respective memories 3 - 6. After the memories 3 and 4 have been linked and the corresponding data stored therein has been put together, the selected data in memory 6 is automatically partly formed on the basis of the aforesaid altered data. In practice this flexible adaptability is of great importance. As it is it is not unusual that additional demands emanating from the regular maintenance programme are made with regard to the maintenance tasks to be performed on aircraft. The present method and arrangement of the computer system 1 make it possible to translate these additional requirements into task data to be input, so that after a selection has been made new tasks are stored in the selected data in memory 6. Additional requirements may also emanate from service bulletins and from special airworthiness instructions which are of relevance for the aircraft.

Information with regard to all tasks which are relevant for the maintenance of a specific aircraft can be provided in a simple manner. Planning is facilitated in this manner, whilst an optimum stock control of the materials, parts, tools and the like relevant to maintenance is achieved.

It will be apparent that on the other hand also the planning with regard to the various types of objects can be optimally attuned to the attendant needs with regard to human resources, materials and tools.

When for example an engine from an aircraft is exchanged and is transferred from aircraft A to aircraft B, the consequence of this is that also the maintenance tasks with regard to the parts of that engine are to be transferred from aircraft A to aircraft B. By categorizing the new motor data under the specification "data" of aircraft B, the method and the present system automatically link the maintenance of the new engine to that of the new aircraft. The same applies with regard to a new engine to be mounted in aircraft A, after the relevant data has been appropriately stored in the system.

This manner of data storage enables the system to carry out consistence test procedures applying to the stored data in an effective manner, in order to ensure that the various data has been correctly input and correctly refers to each other. A simple example:

An aircraft is known to have two engines. When the systems contains data of three engines referring to the aircraft in question, it is apparent on the basis of the procedures that the data is not correct and that it must be verified whether the data is still valid. Especially in complex systems containing an enormous amount of parts, parts of parts, parts of parts of parts, circuits, systems and the like, the occurrence of incorrectly stored data may lead to unsafe situations. This is for example the case when the state of repair of important parts of parts previously exchanged from a specific aircraft is not correctly input, recorded and/or stored.

According to the method the planning of minor or major servicing may take place in a known manner on the basis of fixed tasks which must be carried out when a certain amount of flying hours has been completed, but it is also possible to plan minor or major servicing at task level, i.e. that the planning of said servicing can be geared much more accurately to the actual state of repair of the aircraft. For example, previously planning could almost exclusively take place at minor servicing level, in which case a first 100-hour inspection had to be carried out by the end of the first period if an aircraft did 70-hour periods. The 200- hour inspection was then carried out when the aircraft had completed 70 hours following on the first 100-hour inspection. The consequence of this was that actually 30 flying hours were sacrificed per 100-hour inspection, so that for example at the time of the (first) major servicing, at 1200 flying hours, the aircraft had in fact not logged 1200 hours, but only 12 x 70 = 840 hours. In other words, in this manner too much servicing is carried out. The present method and system make it possible to plan said servicing at task level, i.e. that the first 100-hour inspection is planned when the first 70-hour period is completed and that subsequently, when the second inspection is carried out, i.e. the 200-hour inspection, the aircraft in fact has only completed 140 hours, so that a total of 60 hours has already been sacrificed by that time. However, when using the possibility of planning at task level which is now being offered the aircraft is not presented for the 300-hour inspection after having completed 210 hours, but not until 280 flying hours have actually been logged. The consequence of this method of planning is that when the 700-hour inspection is due the aircraft has actually logged almost 700 hours. In other words, this option, which can be realized in a simple manner due to the chosen method of memory storage, makes it possible to avoid a situation where one and a half times as much servicing is carried out as was usual before, when planning took place at inspection level.

The computer system includes a limiting margin memory 8, which is connected to the data input and display device 2 and which is linked to memory 4. The system 1 also comprises a comparing unit 9 connected between memories 4 and 8. Limiting margin data, which can be freely defined and which is associated with tasks to be performed during a specific inspection, is stored in storage locations of the limiting margin memory 8. Corresponding task data is stored in memory 4, together with units associated with that task, in particular time units, whereby each time unit has its own value. When it can be derived from the time unit that the associated task has to be carried out between two successive inspections, there are two possibilities. Either the task is moved ahead to the first inspection or it is delayed until the second inspection following thereon. This depends on the margin associated with that task, i.e. whether the fixed limiting margin is exceeded or not. For example, when an aircraft is presented for a 1000-hour inspection and the limiting margin for that inspection is set at 80% of the next inspection, which is to take place at 1100 flying hours, in which case the limiting margin is at 1000 + (1100 - 1000) x 0.8 = 1080 flying hours, then a task which is to be carried out at 1050 flying hours will be performed during the 1000-hour inspection. When on the other hand the margin of the task to be carried out is at 90% of the interval, i.e. at 1090 flying hours in this case, then the task in question will be delayed until the next inspection at 1100 flying hours. This manner of memory storage provides for a quick and simple planning of minor and major servicing, whereby there is a graduator for each significant task to be carried out, which graduator indicates how critical the task to be performed is. The fact is that the extent to which a task is critical is connected with the margin of the task in question.

Claims

1. A method for storing data in a memory in the form of object data, whereby said objects are groups and group members, characterized in that said data is stored in the form of collective entities and entity values associated with said collective entities, and also in the form of individual entities to be assigned to group members and entity values associated with said individual entities.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said collective or individual entities contain object data on constituent parts of the group or the group member in question.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said data comprises task data relating to tasks which have to be carried out with regard to constituents or parts of a group or a group member, whereby said task data is stored in the memory in the form of a set composed of: the description of the constituent or part to which the task to be carried out relates, - at least one unit associated with said task, and - a value which may be assigned to each entity, if desired.

4. A method according to any one of the claims 1 - 3, wherein said data comprises selection criteria data, which is stored in the memory in the form of a specified array of collective and/or individual entities with the associated entity values or entity value regions.

5. A method according to claim 4 with reference to claim 3 and claim 1 or 2, wherein said object data stored in a first memory and the task data stored in a second memory are interconnected by means of selection criteria data stored in a third memory, in such a manner that this leads to the formation of selected data associated with each other, which is stored in a fourth memory and which meets the selection criteria.

6. A method according to any one of the claims 1 - 5, wherein said groups, comprise objects, in particular complex ones, consisting of a relatively large number of components and parts co-operating with each other to a greater or lesser degree.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said objects are in particular power stations, chemical installations or transport means, such as for example vessels or aircraft, such as aeroplanes, helicopters or the like, or systems, components, circuits or parts thereof.

8. A method according to any one of the claims 3 - 7, wherein said tasks are maintenance tasks.

9. A method according to any one of the claims 1 - 8, wherein said units are units which are of relevance for maintenance, such as: the age of the object or of for example a part of system of the object that has been replaced; the number of times that an event or a series of events occurred, such as for example the number of times that activation and/or deactivation took place, or the on and/or off-time of for example an electric/mechanical/pneumatic/hydraulic system, a component or a circuit in the object; whether the unit indicates time units, such as the number of flying hours; whether the unit is for example a two-value unit, which indicates whether or not a specific event has taken place, such as for example a rough landing, a bird collision, a puncture or a stroke of lightning.

10. A method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the task data stored in said second memory is composed of data from a regular maintenance programme, from an additional service bulletin, from a special airworthiness instruction and the like.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the selected data stored in said fourth memory is for example used for planning minor and/or major servicing of one or more objects.

12. A method according to any one of the claims 1 - 11, wherein said input and storage of the object, task and selection criteria data takes place within modules defined by software.

13. A method according to any one of the claims 1 - 12, wherein said data is alphanumeric data.

14. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the data stored in said memories is subjected to consistency test procedures.

15. A method according to any one of the claims 1 - 14, wherein use is made of a computer system.

16. A computer system provided with a computer programme for carrying out the method according to any one of the claims 1 - 15.

17. A computer system according to claim 16, wherein said computer system includes a first memory to be filled with object data, a second memory to be filled with task data, a third memory to be filled with selection criteria data, which is connected to said first and second memories, and a fourth memory to be filled with selected data, which is connected to said third memory.

18. A computer system according to claim 17, wherein said data relates to maintenance data of in particular power stations, chemical installations or transport means, such as for example vessels or aircraft, such as aeroplanes, helicopters or the like, or systems, components, circuits or parts thereof.

19. A computer system according to any one of the claims 16 - 18, wherein said computer system includes a limiting margin memory comprising memory locations, which is connected to said second memory, in which limiting margin values are stored, which are associated with tasks to be carried out between two successive inspections, which limiting margin values may be linked with calculated margin values associated with the task in question, whereby a limiting margin value indicates the position of the point of time between the two inspections at which the task needs to be performed, and wherein said computer system includes a comparing unit connected to said limiting margin memory, which comparing unit plans for the task in question to be carried out during the last minor or major servicing before the limiting margin, in case the assigned margin value is smaller than the limiting margin, whilst said task is registered for being carried out during the first minor or major servicing after the limiting margin in case said margin value is greater than the limiting margin.