Method and apparatus using historical data to associate deferral procedures and fault models

Claim 2

1 . A method of associating deferral procedures to a fault model for complex systems based on historical data, the method including the steps of: analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify a plurality of deferral procedures; associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with a corresponding one or more of a plurality of standard repairs; linking each of said plurality of standard repairs with a fault code; and associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with one or more of said fault codes that were linked, respectively, with said one or more of said plurality of standard repairs to thereby provide a set of associations between said plurality of deferral procedures and a plurality of fault codes.

Claim 3

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said step of analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify said plurality of deferral procedures further includes assigning a deferral procedure from a deferral procedure list to each deferral information.

Claim 4

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein a reference to the historical data is maintained with each of said plurality of deferral procedures and each of said plurality of standard repairs.

Claim 5

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein said step of associating said plurality of deferral procedures further includes creating relationships between said plurality of deferral procedures and said plurality of standard repairs utilizing the historical data that is common between a deferral procedure and a standard repair.

Claim 6

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein said step of linking said plurality of standard repairs includes selecting said fault code from a standard fault code list.

Claim 7

6 . The method of claim 1 further including a step of reviewing and accepting a portion of said set of associations.

Claim 8

7 . The method of claim 1 used to associate deferral procedures to a fault model for an aircraft.

Claim 9

8 . A software program comprising software instructions arranged to run on a processor to process information derived from historical data in order to facilitate associating deferral procedures to a fault model for complex systems based on the historical data, the software program when installed and operating on a processor resulting in the processor: analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify a plurality of deferral procedures; associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with a corresponding one or more of a plurality of standard repairs; linking each of said plurality of standard repairs with a fault code; and associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with one or more of said fault codes that were linked, respectively, with said one or more of said plurality of standard repairs to thereby provide a set of associations between said plurality of deferral procedures and a plurality of fault codes.

Claim 10

8 . A software program comprising software instructions arranged to run on a processor to process information derived from historical data in order to facilitate associating deferral procedures to a fault model for complex systems based on the historical data, the software program when installed and operating on a processor resulting in the processor: analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify a plurality of deferral procedures; associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with a corresponding one or more of a plurality of standard repairs; linking each of said plurality of standard repairs with a fault code; and associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with one or more of said fault codes that were linked, respectively, with said one or more of said plurality of standard repairs to thereby provide a set of associations between said plurality of deferral procedures and a plurality of fault codes.

Claim 11

9 . The software program of claim 8 wherein said step of analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify said plurality of deferral procedures further includes assigning a deferral procedure from a deferral procedure list to each deferral information.

Claim 12

10 . The software program of claim 8 wherein a reference to the historical data is maintained with each of said plurality of deferral procedures and each of said plurality of standard repairs.

Claim 13

11 . The software program of claim 8 wherein said step of associating said plurality of deferral procedures further includes creating relationships between said plurality of deferral procedures and said plurality of standard repairs utilizing the historical data that is common between a deferral procedure and a standard repair.

Claim 14

12 . The software program of claim 8 wherein said step of linking said plurality of standard repairs includes selecting said fault code from a standard fault code list.

Claim 15

13 . The software program of claim 8 further including a step of reviewing and accepting a portion of said set of associations.

Claim 16

14 . The software program of claim 8 used to associate deferral procedures to a fault model for an aircraft.

Claim 17

15 . An aircraft maintenance and operations support system for automatically associating deferral procedures with an aircraft fault model based on historical data, the system comprising in combination: a user interface; a computer, coupled to the user interface, having memory for storing software instructions and the historical data and a processor for; executing said software instructions to process information derived from the historical data in order to facilitate associating the deferral procedures to the aircraft fault model based on the historical data, the software program resulting in the computer: analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify a plurality of deferral procedures; associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with a corresponding one or more of a plurality of standard repairs; linking each of said plurality of standard repairs with a fault code; and associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with one or more of said fault codes that were linked, respectively, with said one or more of said plurality of standard repairs to thereby provide a set of associations between said plurality of deferral procedures and a plurality of fault codes.

Claim 18

15 . An aircraft maintenance and operations support system for automatically associating deferral procedures with an aircraft fault model based on historical data, the system comprising in combination: a user interface; a computer, coupled to the user interface, having memory for storing software instructions and the historical data and a processor for; executing said software instructions to process information derived from the historical data in order to facilitate associating the deferral procedures to the aircraft fault model based on the historical data, the software program resulting in the computer: analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify a plurality of deferral procedures; associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with a corresponding one or more of a plurality of standard repairs; linking each of said plurality of standard repairs with a fault code; and associating each of said plurality of deferral procedures with one or more of said fault codes that were linked, respectively, with said one or more of said plurality of standard repairs to thereby provide a set of associations between said plurality of deferral procedures and a plurality of fault codes.

Claim 19

16 . The system of claim 15 wherein said step of analyzing the historical data for deferral information to identify said plurality of deferral procedures further includes assigning a deferral procedure from a deferral procedure list to each deferral information.

Claim 20

17 . The system of claim 15 wherein a reference to the historical data is maintained with each of said plurality of deferral procedures and each of said plurality of standard repairs.

Claim 21

18 . The system of claim 15 wherein said step of associating said plurality of deferral procedures further includes creating relationships between said plurality of deferral procedures and said plurality of standard repairs utilizing the historical data that is common between a deferral procedure and a standard repair.

Claim 22

19 . The system of claim 15 wherein said step of linking said plurality of standard repairs includes selecting said fault code from a standard fault code list.

Claim 23

20 . The system of claim 15 further including a step of displaying said set of associations on said monitor to facilitate a user reviewing and accepting a portion of said set of associations.