The present invention relates generally to an
integrated system for monitoring the condition of a
deployed product, and in particular, to an integrated
system for monitoring a product deployed on an aircraft.
The present application has been divided out of Indian
Patent Application No. 611/CAL/2002 filed on 25th October,
2002 (hereinafter referred to as the "Parent Application").
There are three general types of maintenance for
products. They are on-demand maintenance (usually when
a product breaks), scheduled maintenance (based upon
the factory's best estimate when something will wear out
with normal usage), and condition based maintenance
(maintenance that occurs when maximum usage is obtained
from a part but just prior to part failure) . On demand
maintenance is self-explanatory - a component fails
and has to be repaired or replaced. This normally occurs as
an end result of its operators not understanding its
component life or the conditions of its use, and the
highest costs - both physical and lost time - are
associated with it. Unfortunately, it is also among the
most common maintenance. Scheduled maintenance is less
costly but can be very wasteful. Depending upon the
product's usage, one may be replacing parts that still have a
significantly useful life. This is also where corners tend to
be cut by the customer when budgets become tight, and often lead
back to the first type of maintenance described above, sometimes
with catastrophic results. The third form of maintenance is
condition-based maintenance and is the holy grail of maintenance
in many industries. If a manufacturer or service organization
can accurately ascertain the maximum life of a component based
upon actual wear, tear, and usage, it would then allow for the
optimized, just-in-time servicing and replacement of that
component, thereby allowing for the user to gain maximum product
life and to schedule the replacement at a non-critical time. As
a result, a manufacturer utilizing condition based maintenance
could better plan its spares production and save millions of
dollars in unnecessary production, warehousing and inventory
taxes.
There is however a catch to condition-based maintenance -
there must exist a closed feedback loop system of information
related to each product's use. Without first-hand knowledge of
how a product is being used after it is sold and deployed to the
field, a manufacturer or service provider has no real way of
knowing when components will wear out based on usage, and must
therefore default back to using one or both of the first two
types of maintenance described above. Operators are in the best
position to gather this first hand knowledge, but most are too
busy operating and making money with the product and have little
time, money and/or inclination to attempt to capture this
information to provide feedback to the manufacturer or service
provider - even though it is in their own best interest to do
so.
In an attempt to gather useful information from the field,
a variety of methods have been used to try and solve the
collection of product usage data. On the low end, customer
surveys, feedback forms, and interaction with field support
personnel have been the primary means of obtaining a rudimentary
form of feedback. For complex and expensive products, such as
aircraft engines, the most common form is that of paper-based
operational logs. This is a highly manual and painful method of
collecting operational information. Over the years, computer
collection systems have tried to make this process easier, but
they still require a great deal of manual intervention.
More recent advances have involved the incorporation of
automated data recording devices onto products, such as engine
data units (or EDUs), which are used on turbine engines, which
communicate with an engine's electronic control systems and
record operational data using a variety of sensors. However, it
is still extremely difficult and costly to gather information
from these data collection devices, as it must be done manually

by mechanics in the field using specialized equipment or laptop
computers with cables, with which they usually have little
familiarity or interest. The only other option is to wait until
the product is returned to a shop environment for a major
overhaul and repair, at which point the data from a preventative
maintenance perspective is moot, and useful only from a post
analysis or fleet average perspective.
A number of industries normally attempt to gather product
usage intelligence through manual inspections and, more
recently, laptop computer downloads performed concurrently with
scheduled or on-demand maintenance service calls. This is
normally accomplished by one of two methods - sending the
service person to the product, bringing the product to a service
center, or both. Examples of the former include products with
fixed installations, such as elevators, HVAC systems, nuclear
power plants, and large home appliances. Examples of the latter
include automobiles, small home appliances, home electronics
equipment, lawnmowers, or anything small enough to be easily
carried or shipped. Both methods are inefficient and result in
significant down time.
With advances in low cost computing and the advent of
wireless technologies and the Internet, companies are now
looking at how they can collect product usage intelligence in an
automated and remote fashion. Many of the systems which have

evolved such as VHF frequency, cell phone, or wireless land-
based data download methods, tend to be very expensive as have
attempts at using emerging technologies to accomplish
essentially the same thing - remote data file compression and
download to a central location using a public or private
network/Internet where the information can then be manually
uncompressed and analyzed. As a result, the high cost
associated restricts the application of wireless remote
monitoring to high value products, such as jet aircraft and
helicopters. Thus, there remains a need for a low cost,
wireless system which accurately ascertains the condition of a
deployed product based upon actual wear, tear, and usage and
present information about that condition to a user, a
manufacturer, an operator, or any other interested party, that
is deployable with the product and that provides greater
flexibility interaction than simple data downloading.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention and that
of the parent application to provide an integrated system for
monitoring the condition of a deployed product, gathering data
about the deployed product, and disseminating the data to
interested parties.
It is a further object of the present invention and that of
the parent application to provide an integrated system as above
which allows remote diagnostic operations by a manufacturer of,
service provider for, or operator of a deployed product.
It is still a further object of the invention and that of the parent
application to provide an integrated system as above which has particular
utility in the gathering of information about a deployed product on a
movable platform, such as a vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention and that of the
parent application to provide an integrated system as above which allows
for remote, two way communications with a mobile product after it has
been sold and is in use in the field.
The foregoing objects are attained by the integrated system of the
present invention and that of the parent application.
In accordance with the parent application there is provided an
integrated system for monitoring a deployed product on a movable
platform, gathering data about the deployed product, and disseminating
the data about the deployed product broadly comprises a server located on
the movable platform, said server communicating with a source of data
about said deployed product, and means for enabling communication with
the server from a remote location. The server can be stand alone or
integrated with another product component.
The system of the above mentioned invention has broad applicability
and may be used to monitor, gather data about, and distribute data about
a deployed product, system or component on an aircraft, automobile, a
marine vessel, a spacecraft, or any other movable platform.

In the present invention, there is provided an
integrated system comprising : a deployed product ; a
server integrated with a movable platform said server
communicating with at least one source of data about said
deployed product ; and means for enabling two-way
communication with said server from a remote location.
The present invention provides an integrated system for
monitoring a product deployed on an aircraft, said system
comprising : a server onboard the aircraft, said aircraft
having at least one engine ; a web page hosted by said
server, said web page communicating with a vehicle data
storage unit having data about said at least one engine ;
and means for accessing said web page.
Other details of the integrated system of the present
invention, and those of the parent application, as well as
other objects and advantages attendant thereto, are set
forth in the following detailed description and the
accompanying drawings(s) wherein like reference numerals
depict like elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 The figure is a schematic representation of an
integrated system for monitoring, gathering data
about, and disseminating data about a deployed
product in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT (S)
Referring now to Figure 1, a system 10 is presented which
is capable of monitoring a deployed product, gathering data
about the deployed product, and disseminating the data to
interested parties. It is also capable of monitoring and
restricting interested parties' access to its data, and can
accept data for storage or integration within the product
itself, such as firmware revision updates. As used herein, the
term 'deployed product" has broad applicability and refers to
any product, component, or system on a vehicle. For example,
the deployed product may be a propulsion system, on a vehicle, a
compartment of a vehicle, or a braking system for a vehicle.
The system 10 includes a server 12 located on a movable
platform 14. The movable platform 14 may be a boat, an
airplane, a spacecraft, an automobile, a truck, or any other
entity that is movable. The server 12 may monitor the condition
of and/or gather data about the deployed product in a number of
ways. For example, the server 12 may be connected to or
integrated with a vehicle data storage unit 16 which contains
data about the deployed product. The server 12 may also' be
connected to a video camera 18, such as video web camera, to
provide pictures, in real-time or on a delayed basis, of the
deployed product. Still further, the server 12 may be connected
to a number of sensors 20, such as a vibration sensor or a
temperature sensor, which provide additional or environmental
information about the condition of the deployed product.
The server 12 may be programmed in any suitable language
known in the art to gather the data about the deployed product
and present the data to interested parties in a desired format.
For example, the server 12 may be used to host a web page which
provides information about one or more deployed products on the
movable platform. The web page may have a menu which allows an
interested party to gain access to gathered data about a
particular deployed product. The data about the deployed
product(s) may be organized on the server 12 and presented in
any desirable format or manner. The server 12 may also be
programmed to allow an interested party to carry out diagnostic
operations on the deployed product(s) and/or to upgrade software
associated with the deployed product(s).
While it is contemplated that the system 10 of the present
invention would primarily be used to allow interested parties in
remote locations to obtain information about a deployed product,
there will be times when a mechanic or an engineer may want to
interact with the server 12 while he or she is onboard the
movable platform 14. To this end, the server 12 may be provided
with a local USB or other communications port 22 for direct
hook-up. A mechanic or engineer could then gain access to the
server 12 by hooking up a promtop, laptop computer or another
device such as a video borescope or a bar code reader to the
communications port 22. Other examples of communication ports
through which access may be gained to server 12 include wireless
peer-to-peer communication links. The mechanic or engineer
could then conduct a desired diagnostic operation or even fix a
problem with the deployed product.
The server 12 may comprise any suitable computer or
processing unit known in the art. In a preferred embodiment of
the present invention, the server 12 is a hand-held sized
microserver using a Linux-based operating system. Further, the
server 12 may be provided with its own web address, a firewall,
and security protocols known only to selected individuals, such
as the manufacturer of the deployed product.
In accordance with the present invention, the server 12 is
capable of being accessed by interested parties via a portal 24
and the Internet or world wide web. To this end, the server 12
may have a communications device, such as a modem, built within
it to allow communication between the server 12 and the portal
24. The communication device may allow for radio frequency
communications such as cellular communication, satellite
communication, an/or wireless communication between the server
12 and the portal 24. In addition, communications between the
server 12 and the portal 24 may be achieved by optical means
such as an infrared link.
The portal 24 is hosted by an external server which may be
any suitable server known in the art. The server hosting the
portal 24 also has appropriate communication means associated it
to allow it to gain access to and be accessed by the server 12.
Data gathered by and stored on the server 12 may be
downloaded to the portal 24 as desired. For example, the server
12 may be programmed to periodically download data to the server
hosting the portal 24 or to download data on specific events
such as when an aircraft lands or when a truck or automobile
reaches a particular destination. The server 12 may also

download data to the portal 24 upon the activation of a switch
by an operator onboard the moving platform. Alternatively, the
portal server may upload data to the microserver, such as
product firmware revisions or technical manuals for access by
interested parties.
The portal 24 may be provided with a number of software
tools called gadgets to automatically analyze, organize, and
sort the data which has been received from the server 12. The
data is preferably sorted so that different communities gain
access to different portions of the data. For example, actual
and potential customers of a vendor of a deployed product may
form one community and have access to certain data, while
support engineers and product designers may form a second
community and have access to another form of the data. As can
be seen from the foregoing discussion, the portal 24 offers
great flexibility as to how and to whom the data is
disseminated. Still further, the portal 24 provides virtual
shared spaces which allow for the common space posting and
access of information about a deployed product in a shared
awareness between customers, support engineers, field
operatives, and even product designers. The portal 24 may also
be designed to provide chat rooms, bulletin boards, and on-line
meeting capabilities where interested parties can communicate
with each other.
One of the advantages to using the portal 24 is that its
functionality can be carried out in a secure, user friendly,
web-based environment. Members of a particular community can
log in by presenting an identification and/or a password and
gain access to current information about a deployed product.
Another advantage to using the portal 24 is that it can be used
to upload data, information, instructions, software, diagnostic
programs, etc. to the server 12. Thus, an engineer can perform
diagnostic tests on a deployed product from a remote location
using the Internet.
Access to the portal 24 may be gained in a number of
different ways by a variety of devices as described below. For
example, an interested party in can communicate with the portal
24 through his/her personal computer 38 and the web browser on
the computer 38. The computer 38 may be a PC workstation at the
user's office or a laptop or PC at the user's home. Even a
computer 40 in an Internet cafe may be used to gain access to
the portal 24. A wireless PC tablet 3 6 on the shop floor of a
manufacturer of the deployed product may also be used to
communicate with the portal 24. The portal 24 may also be in
communication with the internal network 30 of the manufacturer
of or a vendor of the deployed product. When the portal 24 is
to be in communication with the network 30, a secure data pipe
32 may be used for crawlers for automated data exchange. If
desired, the portal 24 may communicate with the internal network
30 via a wireless PDA.
The system 10 may also be configured to allow the internal
network 30 to communicate directly with the server 12 via the
Internet by dialing up the web address for the server 12. When
in such a configuration, a firewall may be provided between the
internal network 30 and the server 12.
As can be seen from the foregoing discussion, the system 10
of the present invention has broad applicability and can be used
for a wide variety of purposes. For example, as previously
mentioned, the system 10 can be used by an engineer working for
a manufacturer of the deployed product to gain access to the
server 12 and to then carry out a diagnostic operation or a fix
on a particular deployed product. All of this can be carried
out while the movable platform 14 is in motion and in a location
remote from the engineer, thus avoiding having to return a
deployed product to a manufacturer for diagnosis and repair.
The system 10 may also be used to check the status of a
deployed product. For example, an operator of a fleet of
airplanes having a network 30 may contact the server 12 on a
particular airplane, either directly or through the portal 24,
and learn the location of and the status of that airplane.
Alternatively, a manufacturer of a jet engine may access the
server 12 through its network, again either directly or through

the portal 24, to ascertain the condition of a particular jet
engine or a particular component on the jet engine to determine
when that engine or component may require servicing, and to
collect data in determining product and fleet averages for
improved product design and support. This can save the
manufacturer unnecessary warranty, maintenance wear, and spare
parts production costs.
One advantage to the system of the present invention is
that it may be easily and cheaply installed into a vehicle. For
example, the server 12 may be installed in the cabin of an
aircraft, by using existing test ports already wired into the
engine/airframe.
WE CLAIM:
1. An integrated system for monitoring a product deployed
on an aircraft, said system comprising :
a server onboard an aircraft, said aircraft having at
least one engine ;
a web page hosted by said server, said web page
communicating with a vehicle data storage unit having data
about said at least one engine ; and
means for accessing said web page.
2. An integrated system as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said web page has a menu for invoking a particular
function;
said server comprises a hand held miniserver ;
said web page accessing means comprises a portal
located remotely from said server and means for enabling
communication between said portal and server via the
Internet ;
said portal has software tools for analyzing and
organizing the data received from the server ; and
said software tools comprises a software tool which
organizes said data into communities with a first community
having access to a first set of data and a second community

having access to a second set of data different from said
first set of data.
3. An integrated system as claimed in claim 2, comprising
said portal having means for uploading at least one of
information and instructions to said server, and wherein
said instructions are instructions for performing a
diagnostic operation on said engine.
4. An integrated system as claimed in claim 1, comprising
a network internal to a manufacturer of said engine and
said accessing means comprises means for direct
communication between said network and said server via the
Internet.
5. An integrated system for monitoring a product deployed
on an aircraft as claimed in claim 1, substantially as
herein described, particularly with reference to and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to an integrated system (10) for monitoring a
deployed product on a movable platform (14), gathering data about the deployed
product, and disseminating the data about the deployed product. The system
(10) comprises a server (12) located on the movable platform (14) capable of
communication with the server (12) from a remote location. The server (12)
communicates with a source of data about the deployed product. The system
(10) also comprises a portal onto which data gathered by the server (12) may be
downloaded and with which one can upload information to the server (12).