Computer aided maintenance and repair information system for equipment subject to regulatory compliance5987474Abstract A computer based apparatus and method which provide access to complex technical information employed to maintain and repair complicated equipment, such as aircraft, to enable compliance with regulatory requirements. Claims What is claimed is:
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AMIS Electronic Logbook
Code
Description Table
Field Name Type
Length
__________________________________________________________________________
Profile File Structure
Registratin Number or user identity
Profile ID Alpha
18
Computer Generated Key identifying
Y Profile Key
Num 4
this Profile
Active Status Flag Active Alpha
1
Date Profile Created
Profile Created Date
Date
6
Date Profile Changed Last
Profile Changed Date
Date
6
Aircraft Operator Name
Operator Name
Alpha
40
Principal Contact Operator Contact
Alpha
30
Principal Contact's Title
Operator Contact Title
Alpha
24
Address Line 1 Operator Address 1
Alpha
30
Address Line 2 Operator Address 2
Alpha
30
Address Line 3 Operator Address 3
Alpha
30
City Operator City
Alpha
20
State Y Operator State
Alpha
2
Zip Code Operator Zip
Alpha
9
Country Operator Country
Alpha
20
Postal Zone Operator Zone
Alpha
8
Business Phone Number
Operator Phone
Alpha
20
Fax Phone Number Operator Fax
Alpha
20
Home Phone Number Operator Home Phone
Alpha
20
Certificate of Airworthiness Issued
Certificated Date
Date
6
Date
FAR Registration (91, 125, 131)
FAR Registration
Alpha
3
User Text 1 User Text 1
Alpha
80
User Text 2 User Text 2
Alpha
80
Compliance Event File Structure
Computer Generated Key identifying
Compliance Event Key
Num 4
this Compliance Event
Computer Generated Key from
Y Profile Key
Num 4
Profile File
Inspection File Key
Y Inspection Key
Num 4
Component File Key
Y Component Key
Num 4
Squawk ID Key Y Squawk ID Key
Num 4
Recurring Instances Sequence
Instance Num 2
Service information Document Type
Document Type
Alpha
4
or Procedure Code
Service Information Document ID
Document ID
Alpha
16
Compliance Type Code
Y Compliance Type
Alpha
1
Compliance Action Code
Y Compliance Action
Alpha
1
Date of Compliance Compliance Date
Date
6
Aircraft Hours at Compliance
Compliance Hours
Num 5
Frequency Type Code
Y Compliance Frequency
Alpha
1
Units of specified Frequency Type at
Compliance Units
NuM 5
compliance
Operation Type to Comply
Operation Alpha
8
Method of Compliance
Method of Compliance
Alpha
80
Authorization Type Code (IA, A&P,)
Y Authorization Type
Alpha
1
Authorization ID (Certificate #)
Y Authorization ID
Num 12
Comment Comment Alpha
80
Recurring Event Flag
Reccuring Flag
Alpha
1
Last Compliance Date
Last Compiled Date
Date
6
Last Compliance at specified
Last Compiled Units
Num 5
Frequency Type
Next Compliance Due Date
Next Due Date
Date
6
Next Compliance Due at specified
Next Due Date
Num 5
Frequency Type
Inspections File Structure
Computer Generated Key identifying
Y Inspection Key
Num 4
this specific Inspection
Compute Generated Key from
Y Profile Key
Num 4
Profile File
Inspection Type Y Inspection Type
Alpha
1
Inspection Date Inspection Date
Date
6
Flight Hours at this Inspection
Flight Hours
Num 5
Cycles at this Inspection
Flight Cycles
Num 5
Inspection Frequency Type 1
Y Inspection Frequency 1
Alpha
1
Inspection Units at Frequency 2
Inpection Units 1
Num 5
Inspection Frequency Type 2
Y Inspection Frequency 2
Alpha
1
Inspection Units at Frequency 2
Inspection Units 2
Num 5
Inspection Frequency Type 2
Y Inspection Frequency 3
Alpha
1
Inspection Units at Frequency 2
Inspection Units 3
Num 5
Repair Station # Repair Station #
Alpha
12
Facility Name Facility Alpha
40
Principal Contact Facility Contact
Alpha
30
Principal Contact's Title
Facility Contact Title
Alpha
24
Address Line 1 Facility Address 1
Alpha
30
Address Line 2 Facility Address 2
Alpha
30
Address Line 3 Facility Address 3
Alpha
30
City Facility City
Alpha
20
State Y Facility State
Alpha
2
Zip Code Facility Zip
Alpha
9
Country Facility Country
Alpha
20
Business Phone Number
Facility Phone
Alpha
20
Fax Phone Number Facility Fax
Alpha
20
User Text 1 Inspection Text 1
Alpha
80
Description BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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Color Conventions
Where What Text/Elements
Background
______________________________________
System Main Area N/A Blue
Product White Dark Blue
Title Bar
Mode Icons Square Grey
Control Function
Rectangle Grey
Icons
Icon Areas Multi-colored
Grey
square Icons
Dialog Boxes
Title Bars White Dark Blue
Input Area Black/Grey White
Information Boxes
Title Bars Yellow Black
Text Area Black Yellow
Document Display
Default Black White
Text Search Hits White Black
and Highlighting
White Black
Text Hyperlinks
Sticky Notes
Yellow White
ATP Prepared
Orange White
Regulatory Red White
Maint. Manual
Green White
Service Info.
Grey White
IPC's Blue White
Vendor Refs Purple White
Document Selection List
White Orange
Display Regulatory White Red
Title Strips
Maint. Manual
White Green
Service Info.
White Grey
IPC's White Blue
Vendor Refs White Purple
Document Graphics Black White
Display
______________________________________
The maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention uses black text on white screens when color conventions do not specify other color usage. In general, the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention employs bright primary colors. It does not mimic use of pastels and other muted colors found in Windows. The text display specifications for each publication type are set forth in the display attributes tables. Those tables outline how text and figure references within the various publications are to appear in document display. A mouse pointer is provided in the form of a white airplane with a pointy nose. The airplane mouse pointer changes from white to black whenever it is positioned over any area of the screen where clicking the mouse will perform an action (i.e., a Co-Pilot help area, function icon, or data entry screen). When the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention is busy and the airplane pointer is "out of service," a hanger appears over the airplane pointer until the airplane pointer is available again. Various title strips are provided. The following vocabulary is used. A publication is one specific printed book, manual, issue, Airworthiness Directive (AD), Service Information (SI), Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR), etc. This refers to the complete printed document as it was originally released in paper form. For example, a FAR "publication" includes all its parts, namely, preamble and rule. A publication type refers to a category of publication. For example, AD is a publication type, AD 89-02-12 is a publication of that publication type. For the regulatory library, most of the books presented on the Bookshelf represent publication types composed of many publications. For a particular manufacturer, such as a Gulfsteam product, the maintenance manual on the Bookshelf represents a single publication, for example, the G-IV maintenance manual. A document is the portion of a publication which is the unit useful for InnerView display. For example, a FAR is organized by Part, Subpart, and Section within a Rule; the InnerView document level of a FAR will likely be Section. InnerView documents are the items presented in selection lists. In many cases the publication is also the document (i.e., AD, SI, Type Certificate (TC), or Supplemental Type Certificate (STC)). A document can also refer to whatever is currently being viewed in document display; and, therefore, a selection list or history list might also be referred to as the document currently being viewed. Because of the ability to point to specific places within an InnerView document using Segment pointers, the division of some publication types into documents is not important to the usefulness of selection lists and is therefore not specified. Programmers can determine the InnerView document level based on best software performance. Those publication types are noted under Bookshelf Browse, as will be described in more detail below. Issue type refers to the different kinds of service information publications published by manufacturers. Each manufacturer may produce several different issue types as service information publications. When first starting up, the title strip at the top of the screen lists the software program title (i.e., Maintenance Information System). After a product(s) has been selected, the title strip at the top of the screen contains the CD-ROM product title (e.g., U.S. Federal Regulatory Library) and the revision date of the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention. This strip is only one text-line tall. When the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention is in document display, corner icons and two more lines of text are added to the top title strip. The left top and right top corners of the screen will contain graphical icons. Displayed between these two icons will be one title strip which is three text-lines tall and colored according to the type of document being displayed. When a selection list generated by the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention is being displayed, both icons can be predetermined logos to identify the library service provider. The left icon can indicate that this list was generated by and is the property of the library service provider. When the user clicks on the left icon, a product title, copyright notice, and revision information are preferably displayed. The right icon is always employed to indicate how the user got to the current document in document display and the number of documents that were available at every step, where applicable. Clicking on this icon drops a box from the icon with fields listing: publication type selected, browse/search function (either or), search criteria specified, and sort order (access method or browse sequence). The search criteria specified only include those elements that are specified by the user (or filled out automatically based on user specifications) on the search dialog box. Even when a specific document is being displayed, document identification and issuance would not be part of this list if they were not part of the original search. The top line of the title strip contains the product title (as before). The middle line of the title strip contains the name of the list (i.e., Advisory Circular Selection List). Note that when presenting service information of a manufacturer, the second line of a selection list presenting service information reads "Service Information Selection List," rather than identifying the issue type. This allows more than one issue type to be listed in the selection list. The bottom line of the title strip displays a brief of the selection criteria information (as defined above for the right icon.) Of the selection criteria information, the publication type can be eliminated since it is reflected in the selection list title. The third line indicates browse or search and what sort order was employed in creating the list. Search criteria are either eliminated or truncated depending on space available with top priority given to any word search expression used in a search. When a history list is displayed, the top line of the title strip contains a product title (as before). The middle line of the title strip contains the name of the list which is "History of Documents Viewed." The bottom line of the title strip indicates either "Current History for this Session" or the name of the history file loaded. When the contents of a publication (text or graphics) are displayed, the title strip is in the same format as the title strip for selection lists. The right icon still provides a detailed report listing every step in the process to arrive at the current document and the number of documents available at each step where applicable, but the left icon changes to the publisher's icon (manufacturer's logo) to indicate who authored the document. The publisher's icon displays a list of text or graphics parts associated with the document that the user rarely wants to see, and these have therefore been moved out of the normal access path to the important information in the document. Fields in the drop-down box that is displayed by clicking on the publisher's icon include: title page, masthead, page footer, list of effected pages, and disclaimer. Clicking on one of these fields takes the user to that information in document display. Text pages referred to by these fields take the user to that page of text, which includes appropriate graphic references, such as "See Masthead" or "See Signature." Graphics referred to take the user to that graphic. It is noted that these pages may be presented as part of the document appearing before a designated starting pointer into the document; or they may be presented as separate documents altogether. This depends upon the desire to use InnerView segments to point to a starting position. It may also depend upon how standard parts, such as the disclaimer, appear for a publication type (i.e., whether one disclaimer can be used for all publications within a publication type; or perhaps across publication types). It is preferred that manufacturers will follow Gulfstream's lead in providing one disclaimer that applies to all of their publications. The background color of the title strip depends upon the type of document being displayed, as described earlier in connection with color usage. The top line of the title strip contains the document type name and document numeric identifier (e.g., Federal Aviation Regulation--FAR 91.1.1). The middle line of the title strip generally contains the Manufacturer's Short Name or Document title, revision information, and sometimes a truncation of the document description. If a field must be truncated then ". . . " is inserted as the last three characters. To accommodate the different issue types of service information, the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention substitutes the issue type for the publication type in the first line of service information title strip. The bottom line of the title strip contains a brief of the selection criteria. The specific contents of line three will depend upon how the user accessed the document or selection list being displayed. The brief will be derived from the information presented under the right icon as described above.
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TCs - - - Selection List
Ln 1:
[product title].sub.-- [revision date]
Ln 2:
[list name = "Type Certificate Selection List"]
TC Headers - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name = "Type Certificate"].sub.-- -.sub.-- [doc type code
=
"TC"].sub.-- [TC number]
Ln 2:
[Manufacture Short Name].sub.-- [issue date].sub.-- [1st 40
characters of the
series model block]
TC Model Block - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name = "Type Certificate"].sub.-- -.sub.-- [doc type code
=
"TC"].sub.-- [TC number].sub.-- [model block number]
Ln 2:
[Manufacture Short Name].sub.-- [1st 40 characters of the series
model
block]
TC Notes - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name = "Type Certificate"].sub.-- -.sub.-- [doc type code
=
"TC"].sub.-- [TC number].sub.-- [text = "Notes"]
Ln 2:
[Manufacture Short Name].sub.-- [1st 40 characters of the series
model
block]
ADs - - - Selection List
Ln 1:
[product title].sub.-- [revision date]
Ln 2:
[list name = "Airworthiness Directive Selection List"]
12/21 ADs - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name = "Airworthiness Directive"].sub.-- -.sub.-- [doc
type code =
"AD"].sub.-- [AD number]
Ln 2:
[Manufacture Short Name].sub.-- [revision date].sub.-- [1st 40
characters of
the RMS description]
SI - - - Selection List
Ln 1:
[product title].sub.-- [revision date]
Ln 2:
[list name = "Service Information Selection List"]
SI - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name.sup.. ].sub.-- -[doc type code.sup.. ].sub.--
].sub.-- [doc number]
Ln 2:
[Manufacture Short Name].sub.-- [revision date].sub.-- [1st 40
characters of
the RMS description]
______________________________________
.sup.. For service information publications, the doc type in the first
line is being "infused" with issue type, which is more commonly known out
in the field.
The doc type code is also being infused with a two-character code actually representing the issue type. It is to be noted that for consistency within the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention, these fields are still the "doc type name" and "doc type code." Therefore, in one respect, several new doc types are being added. However, all SI's are lumped together in the Bookshelf Mode.
______________________________________
FARs - - - Selection List
Ln 1:
[product title].sub.-- [revision date]
Ln 2:
[list name = "Federal Aviation Regulation Selection List"]
FAR Preamble - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name = "Federal Aviation Regulation"].sub.-- -.sub.-- [doc
type
code = "FR"].sub.-- [part number].[section number]
Ln 2:
[text = "Part"].sub.-- [part number].sub.-- -.sub.-- [text =
"Preamble"]
FAR Rule - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name = "Federal Aviation Regulation"].sub.-- -.sub.-- [doc
type
code = "FR"].sub.-- [part number].[section number]
Ln 2:
[text = "Part"].sub.-- [part number].sub.-- -.sub.-- [text =
"Rule"]
FAR Appendix - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name = "Federal Aviation Regulation"].sub.-- -.sub.-- [doc
type
code = "FR"].sub.-- [part number].[section number]
Ln 2:
[text = "Part"].sub.-- [part number].sub.-- -.sub.-- [text =
"Appendix"]
Orders - - - Selection List
Ln 1:
[product title].sub.-- [revision date]
Ln 2:
[list name = "FAA Orders Selection List"]
Orders - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name = "FAA Orders"].sub.-- -.sub.-- [doc type code =
"??"].sub.-- [order number]
Ln 2:
[order number].sub.-- [revision info].sub.-- [order title].sub.--
[date]
ACs - - - Selection List
Ln 1:
[product title].sub.-- [revision date]
Ln 2:
[list name = "Advisory Circular Selection List"]
ACs - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name = "Advisory Circular"].sub.-- -.sub.-- [doc type code
=
"AU"].sub.-- [part].sub.-- [section]-[revision]
Ln 2:
[document title].sub.-- [revision date]
______________________________________
For FAA purposes, alerts are a unique flavor of ACs, since maintenance information system alerts are to be broken out as a separate document type. From a Standard Generalized Markup language (SGML) point of view, these documents break into parts (similar to TCs), with each part having different affectivity.
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STCs - - - Selection Lists
Ln 1:
[product title].sub.-- [revision date]
Ln 2:
[list name = "Supplemental Type Certificate Selection List"]
STCs - - - Inner View
Ln 1:
[doc type name = "Supplemental Type Certificate"].sub.-- -.sub.--
[doc type
code = "??"].sub.-- [STC number]
Ln 2:
[truncated description.sup.. ]. . ..sub.-- [issue date]
______________________________________
.sup.. Truncated length is determined according to field lengths and spac
availability.
The document display area is a unique space on the screen where the user views informational text and uses specific document viewing tools provided by the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention (which includes TMS InnerView and TMS FAX functionality). Three types of documents that can be presented in document display are: InnerView documents (tagged and paged SGML text files consisting of text and graphics stored on the CD-ROM), selection lists (ordered and sorted lists of documents created "on the fly" by the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention based on user inquiry procedures), and Document Navigation History (the chronological list of documents, not including selection lists, that the user has viewed since he or she entered document display). It is noted that publication lists (created on the fly by the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention) and the Aircraft Profile (created by the user) are two other dynamic lists, but they are displayed in dialog boxes according to dialog box conventions, as will be described later in connection with the Aircraft Specific Mode. When the document display area is invoked, the document display area covers the entire area under the title strip except for the control function icons at the bottom of the screen, which are always visible. A three-line title strip tops every document display area in accordance with the conventions outlined for title strips. For the purpose of the Path Forward/Reverse control function (which moves along the path one screen at a time), document display is considered to be a single screen. This screen can display several different documents (selection lists and publications) while invoked, but when the user clicks on the Reverse Path control function, the user is returned to the preceding screen, the screen just before entering document display. Navigation within documents is through the use of scroll bars and document control tools contained in the document control toolbox. The primary navigation aid from within the document display area is hyperlinking, the ability to click on a reference to another document or section within the current publication (indicated by colorized text) and jump to another referenced location. In the case of selection lists, colored text (used to display document cross-references only) operates in the same manner as the hyperlinks described above to take the user directly to a specific document. The maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention also provides for scrolling one screen of text to the next by clicking on the scroll bar above or below the position marker. The maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention does not provide for scrolling according to the original pages. When a selection list is displayed, vertical scrolling is supported whenever the document length exceeds the window height. When an InnerView document is displayed, horizontal and vertical scrolling is always supported. Vertical and horizontal scrolling is always supported while viewing an image. One contemplated modification of the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention (dependent upon InnerView) is that the horizontal scroll bar can be intelligent. It would only appear when there is actually text to be viewed beyond that being displayed on the screen. As shown in FIG. 1, the vertical scroll bar provides "double arrow" boxes at the top and bottom of the scroll bar (in addition to the single arrow boxes which allow the user to scroll line by line). Although some Windows programs use such boxes to represent page up and page down within a document, in the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention, these boxes always take the user to the next or previous document dependent upon how they are ordered on the CD-ROM, that is, the published order. This allows for logical progression through FARs and TC's despite the way they have been split, and it allows the user to page through all DOC types in published order, which are sometimes content related one to the next. These double arrow boxes are not active when the user is viewing a selection or history list. It is noted that the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention associates page identifications (the physical page markers) with the InnerView page tag. This provides for the insertion of page breaks when printing. Nonetheless, equating page identifications with a printer page break does not ensure that an original page will fill up a single page when it is printed. There are several document display tools that are only used for controlling the display of a document in document display. These document display tools include: selection list (next/previous); history (next/previous); word search hit (Next/Previous); zoom (in/out); and view (text, graphics). These document display tools are presented through icons in the Document Display Toolbox. This toolbox is always displayed as part of the document display, even if none of its features are active. As shown in FIG. 2, the Selection List next and previous icon allows the user to change the document that is currently being displayed in document display according to the order of documents on the preceding selection list. This is a three-part icon. While a publication is being viewed, if the user clicks on the "selection list" title portion of the icon, he or she will be returned to the preceding selection list. If the user clicks on the up or down arrow portions of this icon, the next or previous document on the selection list (relative to the last document on the selection list that was viewed) will be displayed. It is to be noted that this feature remains fully active, even if a user has hyperlinked off the selection list, since next and previous are relative to the last document viewed that was part of the selection list. If no selection list were used to gain access to the publication, the Selection List icon is grayed out. (Recall the scroll bars described above for information on browsing in Published Order.) When a selection list itself is viewed, the "selection list" title portion of the icon is grayed out, but the up and down arrows will launch the user directly to the publication before or after the publication on the selection list that was last viewed. Whenever a user happens to be at an end of the list, the appropriate arrow is also grayed out. (The arrows do not scroll the list; that is the function of the scroll bar.) Of course, with any selection list, the user can always click on a document in the list to view it directly. The selection list icon is fully active when a history list is being displayed, as will be described later in connection with History (Next/Previous) below. The item pointed to by a search or last selected on a selection list is be highlighted. This indicates where in the list the user is oriented. The History (Next/Previous) icon is also a three-part icon similar in appearance to the Selection List icon. It also functions similarly, but with respect to the history list being compiled by the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention. The History List is a list of the documents that the user has viewed during the current session using the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention. It is noted that the History List is a list of all of the documents that the user has viewed in this entire session (i.e., since log-on), not merely those documents that have been viewed since entering the document display screen. Clicking on the "History List" title portion of the icon brings up the current history list as a document in document display so that the user can see where he or she has travelled. Only true InnerView documents are on this list. That is, selection lists and previous visits to the history list are not noted on this list. As in the case of the selection list icon, the title portion of the icon is grayed out when a history list itself is being displayed, but the up and down arrows will still launch the user to the next or previous document in the list. The history list is also fully active when a selection list is being displayed. When the Word Search Hit (next/previous) function is active, clicking on this two-sided icon moves ahead or backward to the next or previous occurrence of a word search hit. This icon not only functions within a single document but across any documents that were included in a preceding selection list. The user also has the ability to Zoom in on a graphic in predetermined incremental steps (defined by preferences in InnerView). This is accomplished by clicking on the two-sided zoom in/out icon located in the Document Display Toolbox. Pressing the +or -keys also supports zoom in and zoom out in predetermined increments. Regarding the View (text/graphics) function, the view toggle allows the user to move back and forth between current text being displayed and the graphic that was last displayed by InnerView, even if the user has left document display and performed another search. If no graphic has been displayed yet during the current session, then the graphic button is inactive. It is noted that when switching between text and graphics, the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention must remember what part of a page of text, or what part and magnification of a document, the user is viewing so that the user can toggle back and forth between the desired views of each page. Until compound documents (both text and graphics on the same screen) are supported by InnerView the user needs to click on graphic hyperlinks to see a graphic. Insofar as text display is concerned, text within the document display area is generally black on a white background. However colored text indicates a link to another document, other text in the same document, or a graphic. When a document is finally displayed as a result of a word search, hits from the word search are highlighted within the document, and the user is able to jump from one word hit to another within the current document and across documents in the order they appeared in the selection list that resulted from the word search. Regarding graphics display, graphics are the figures associated with publications. These bit-mapped images are configured as pages within an InnerView document. In addition to using the incremental zoom feature available from the toolbox, the user can zoom in and out on any graphic in the following manner. Initially, the user moves the mouse pointer to a corner of the area he or she wants to zoom in on. Next, he or she presses and holds the left mouse button. Then, the user drags the mouse pointer to the opposite corner of the area to be zoomed. Finally, he or she releases the mouse button. As the user "clicks and drags," a border defines the area to be zoomed. Upon release of the mouse, the defined area enlarges to fill the document display area. Since the user is unlikely to define an area that matches the aspect ratio of the screen, the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention relies on InnerView to display all of the image requested by the user. Selection Lists are ordered lists of documents created "on-the-fly" by the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention from which the user can select an individual document to view. A detailed breakdown of what is presented on a selection for each document type is available from the Authority File Tables in Table I. For some selection lists, a single document listing in the selection list must be able to cross-reference multiple document types.
TABLE 1
__________________________________________________________________________
Aviation Maintenance Information System
Authority Files Required for
Browse and Search Functions
Document Type Look
Field
Display
Data
Usage Browse
Search
List
Link
Field up Size
Size
Source
__________________________________________________________________________
.sunburst.
Serial # Effectivity
.sunburst.
12 Avcom
ON; AFTER; BEFORE search criteria
.sunburst.
Issued .sunburst. Code
Actual Issue Date input by User
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Issue Date .sunburst.
8 8 RMS/SGML
Created by user .sunburst.
Word Search User
Expression
TMS InnerView Operators .sunburst.
Word Search Code
Operator
ATP Created Words List .sunburst.
Word Search List
.sunburst. ATP/IV
Chapter, Section and Figure Titles
.sunburst.
InnerView Doc Title
40 RMS/SGML
Publication Type .sunburst.
.sunburst.
Publication Type
.sunburst.
16 RMS
CD-ROM Revision Cycle/Data
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Revision Date
.sunburst.
8 8 RMS
Manufacturer Effected .sunburst.
.sunburst.
Manufacturer
.sunburst. RMS
Effected
Model Effected .sunburst.
.sunburst.
Model Effected
.sunburst.
12 RMS
Reserved for Serial # Capability Serial # Effectivity Avcom
ON; AFTER; BEFORE search criteria
.sunburst.
Issued .sunburst. Code
Actual Issue Date Input by User
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Issue Date .sunburst.
8 8 RMS/SGML
Created by user .sunburst.
Word Search User
Expression
TMS InnerView Operators .sunburst.
Word Search Code
Operator
ATP Created Words List .sunburst.
Word Search List
.sunburst. ATP/IV
Chapter, Section and Figure Titles
.sunburst.
Publication RMS/SGML
Document Title
Document Titles .sunburst.
.sunburst.
Document ID RMS
Publisher Issue Date .sunburst.
Issue Date RMS
Description .sunburst.
Description of RMS
Change
Publisher .sunburst.
Publisher RMS
Publication Type .sunburst.
.sunburst.
Publication Type
.sunburst. RMS
Manufacturer .sunburst.
Manufacturer
.sunburst. RMS
Model .sunburst.
Model .sunburst. RMS
Created by user .sunburst.
Word Search User
Expression
TMS InnerView Operators .sunburst.
Word Search Code
Operator
ATP Created Words List .sunburst.
Word Search List
.sunburst. ATP/IV
Publication Title .sunburst.
Publication Title
First Fiche # .sunburst.
First Fiche #
Airworthiness Directives
Small A/C & Rotorcraft; Large Aircraft
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Size .sunburst.
1A RMS
AD Categories (Airframe, Engine, Propeller,
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Category .sunburst.
1A 12 RMS/SGML
Accessories & other)
ATP Short Form & Long Form
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Manufacturer
.sunburst.
2A 20 RMS/SGML
Refers to Model but includes Series
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Model .sunburst.
4N RMS/SGML
Portion of Doc ID after issue type
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
AD # .sunburst.
16 11 RMS/SGML
Cumulative or Numerical Order
.sunburst.
Sort By .sunburst.
11 Code
Cross Reference maintained in RMS
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
TC # .sunburst. RMS
To accomodate serial # searching
.sunburst.
Serial # Avcom
Internal FAA reference .sunburst.
Amendement ? SGML
Internal FAA reference .sunburst.
Docket ? SGML
On; After; Before-User Search Criteria
.sunburst.
Issued .sunburst.
1 6 Code
Actual Issue Date .sunburst.
.sunburst.
Issue Date 8 8 RMS/SGML
Created by user .sunburst.
Word Search User
Expression
TMS InnerView operators .sunburst.
Word Search
.sunburst. Code
Operator
ATP created words List .sunburst.
Word Search List
.sunburst. ATP/IV
Abstracted Description .sunburst.
AD Description 42W RMS
Cross Reference in the Text .sunburst.
.sunburst.
Applicable SI 16 RMS/SGML
First 5 digits of AD number
2 2 Bi-Weekly .sunburst. Code
Data from the Bi-Weekly 2 AD Subject 22 SGML
Data from the Bi-Weekly 2 General Applicability
34 SGML
Proposed Airworthiness
Directives
To be captured at conversion
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Proposed AD Docket
14 SGML
Number
To be captured at conversion
.sunburst.
Federal Register 8 SGML
Date
To be captured at conversion
.sunburst.
Action Required
8 SGML
Date
To be captured at conversion
.sunburst.
Proposed AD 52 SGML
Description
Related Service Information
ATP Short Form & Long Form
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Manufacturer
.sunburst.
2 RMS/SGML
Combination Modtab & Serlib ??
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Model .sunburst.
4/8 RMS/SGML
Combination of Pub Type and Issue Type
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
Publication Type
.sunburst.
2 RMS
Issue Number .sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
.sunburst.
SI Issue Number
.sunburst.
16 16 RMS/SGML
Any screen that requires the user to enter data, or to enter choices, is presented in the form of a dialog box. The dialog boxes in connection with the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention obtain information from the user in five different ways: data input fields; radio buttons; check boxes; control buttons in a control panel; or word wheel text entry. Rules are defined below to insure consistency between dialog boxes. The vast majority of dialog boxes fit the rules. However, the rules should not force awkward dialog box presentation when there is an obvious, intuitive alternative, even if the alternative violates the rules. Data input fields allow the user to input text in any form limited only by a field length. Radio buttons allow the user to select one item from a variety of choices, but never initiate an action. Check boxes allow multiple (or single) items to be selected from a finite list of choices, but do not initiate an action when clicked. Control buttons always initiate an action when clicked. Double clicking on a radio button or check box will select or toggle the desired item and initiate action as if the user had also clicked on the OK button. A word wheel text entry field allows the user to indicate a search string. A user can choose a search string from a finite list of words or phrases by scrolling the list and clicking on a word or phrase in the list, or by typing the first letters to uniquely identify a choice. A user can also elect to search for any word or phrase (even if it is not on the list), since the word search text entry field will accept any valid Boolean search. A control panel is the bottom area of a dialog box where two or more control buttons are placed. Since every dialog box has at least an OK and a CANCEL button, every dialog box must have a control panel. All dialog boxes have a shadowed black border around the entire box and a shadowed title bar at the top with white letters on a black background. When a dialog box contains more than one group of data inputs, the dialog box is subdivided into sub-areas. Different areas of a dialog box are distinguished by fine lines, and the line at the top is broken with the title of that area spelled out. The control panel is not named. It is set apart on the bottom of every box by a black line. Control panels always appear on the bottom of dialog boxes. No other control buttons appear elsewhere in a dialog box. Check box items and radio buttons appear above the control panel. If check boxes and radio buttons appear in the same dialog box, they are placed side-by-side as often as possible. The commonality among choices within a dialog box sub-area is reflected in the title of that sub-area so that the common theme does not necessarily have to be repeated in the text of every choice (i.e., Profile, . . . , Create, Delete, Edit, Import, Export in the pictured example). Dialog boxes employ color only in the display of publication types or publication titles (publication lists are the type of dialog box where this use of color will occur). Colors conform to the color conventions established for publication types. When the same dialog box is used for several different features or across several different products, some of the dialog box options may not be applicable in all situations. It is preferable to show the same dialog box with options grayed out. In this manner, the user only has to become familiar with one dialog box, instead of ten different variations which may not be recognized as the same. "Insofar" as the word wheel is concerned, whenever the user needs to enter a word or phrase from a finite but long list of choices, the choices are presented in word wheel. To work a word wheel, the user positions the cursor in the text entry field of the word wheel and then starts typing the first letters of the desired word or phrase. In most cases, the word wheel is the default focus of the dialog box so the cursor is already positioned in the text entry field. As letters/numbers are typed into the text entry field, the text in the list box automatically adjusts to reflect the closest match to what is being typed. Boolean searching is also supported by word wheels throughout the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention. Word wheel text entry fields allow the user to build a complete word search expression complete with Boolean links. Word wheel lists appear in a box below the text entry field and are driven by a vertical scroll bar. Scrolling allows a user who may not know the first letters of a choice to select from the list of words or phrases offered as possible choices. The current word(s) that appear in the expression field are accepted when the user initiates an action with a control button such as OK The maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention suggests default choices to users on radio buttons or check boxes where certain choices are most commonly invoked, or where some users may not understand all of the choices, but one will always function. For example, some users may not be familiar with a print queue, so the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention suggests "print now" as the default. Defaults allow the user to press OK without filling out the dialog box. Although the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention is designed to be used with a pointing device, keyboard alternatives are available for those users who have and prefer to use a keyboard. Each control function is associated with a function key (e.g., "Help" is F1). Within dialog boxes, TAB and SHIFT-TAB change the focus. Focus is shown within a dialog box by a thin dotted line that surrounds the text of the check box, radio button, or control button that is the current focus. Focus on a text entry field is shown by the dotted line that surrounds the sub-area title (or more appropriate text within the text entry field if there is any) and by the appearance of a flashing cursor. The change of focus with TAB and SHIFT-TAB is intuitively left to right then down (i.e., the way the tab key would operate on a page of text). When a radio button, check box, or control button is in focus, pressing the space bar is the equivalent of clicking on that item. The ENTER key invokes OK. The ESC key invokes CANCEL. Arrow keys, backspace, and delete are active within a word wheel text entry field when that field is in focus. Control buttons can be invoked with an ALT-[letter] key combination. The letter that activates a control button when pressed with ALT is indicated by the one letter that is underlined in the name of the control button. The maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention also provides information boxes. An information box is a unique type of dialog box that presents system information or help information to the user. This is the one type of dialog box where no input is required from the user other than clicking OK to remove it. Information boxes conform to the standard dialog box title format. They also have a control panel area, but only the OK button appears there. One difference of information boxes is their color. An information box has yellow background and the text in the title bar is yellow on black. Error messages are presented in information boxes. The title strip reads "Error ###" with the three digit number being used to track the error message and the text associated with that message. Error numbering facilitates the future creation of an error cross-reference (either printed or part of the on-line reference manual) providing corrective information to the user. Additionally, help boxes are information boxes with the help icon incorporated into the layout of text in the box. The help icon along with a uniform title bar that reads "Help ###" uniquely identifies these as help dialog boxes. A three digit help number is used to track this help screen and it's associated text. The foregoing describes the general attributes of the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention. General aspects of the operation of the system will now be described. The files of the maintenance and repair information system 10 contain the expected return code from a Security Key. The system files also contain the authorized product code(s) and respective subscription dates. For each product code there is a corresponding library service, revision date, authorized data type access, and authorized program functionality. If the Security Key does not provide the expected return code, then an error condition will be generated. Otherwise, the product information in the system files will be utilized. The maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention decodes the authorization number to generate product and subscription date information. An additional program is required for the library service provider which tracks customers, CD-ROM products, CD-ROM product subscriptions, and security key serial numbers. This program generates the authorization number to be given to the customer after payment has been received for the subscription. The security key preferably has a six-month expiration. No renewal is possible. This is a unique code that is different from the real code to prevent future attempts to "hot-wire" CD-ROM access. A CD-ROM check is performed. The system files are checked to see what kind of CD-ROM setup is in place. The CD-ROM drives are checked and the CD-ROM disc volume label(s) are checked against the system authorized product file. An error is generated if the CD-ROM volume label does not match the authorized list. Another error is generated if the revision of a product falls outside the subscription date. Otherwise, the CD-ROM check provides a list of available products (and revisions), as well as sets the required drivepath specifications required to access these products. If an update error is generated during the CD-ROM checks, an opportunity is preferably provided to users with supervisory level authority to start and monitor a CD-ROM product update. The supervisor may be called upon to re-establish bookmark and annotation links which were broken as part of the product update cycle. Various update procedures are contemplated. The entire product CD-ROM disc can be changed. Alternatively, soft updates can be generated on floppy disk which are applied through the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention maintenance facility. Preferably, soft updates can be issued via CD-ROM disc, the CD-ROM disc actually containing a number of soft updates for a number of products. If the subscription has expired, there is an opportunity for the supervisor to enter a subscription update code which will alter the security key and change the expiration data. Once the expiration date has been changed, the supervisor level used will be offered an opportunity to update the product. If operation is abnormally terminated (i.e., power down or reboot), the program can recognize that it was abnormally terminated during it's last use and inform the user of the unusual termination. In Aircraft Specific Mode while creating or editing a profile, the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention does not save any temporary data files. Individual component records are stored as created. Therefore, a partially completed profile would be available after an abnormal termination, although a partially completed component record would be lost. For example, if the user had previously entered a portion of an aircraft profile when the power went out, when the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention was restarted, it would inform the user that the program was abnormally interrupted before proceeding with normal startup. A record is maintained of program activity and will specifically record any retrieval of documents and the method in which the documents were accessed. This information is recorded on the hard disk and will be available to library service provider for analysis of documents viewed and the method of access to retrieve the documents. It is desired that a supervisor level user could "record" his keystrokes/mouse actions for "playback" by a novice level user. An example would be for a supervisor to record reference landing gear maintenance procedures. The novice user could then "run" the standard routine, stopping only for selection of the aircraft profile identification and always be presented with the landing gear maintenance procedure. Another example is if the supervisor wanted to "record" the displaying of all new publisher bookmarks for a product update. The novice user could simply "playback" the bookmarks for review. The operation of the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention will now be described in detail. The following chronologically details the use of the maintenance and repair information system 10 in accordance with the invention. The functionality is the primary focus of the following description. Contemplated modifications to functionality will be noted secondarily, set apart by paragraphs and italics. The following description of operation is organized using a numbering convention as outlined below. These numbers set the groundwork for an element tracking scheme and are a convenient way to identify any part of the software. At every level of the functionality section, the description provides the following types of information: the graphic element(s); name; description; functionality; examples; cross-references; and contemplated modified implementations. Graphic representations of program screens (dumps and hand-scratch) appear in the accompanying figures to supplement detailed functionality descriptions. 0.0.0 Startup Description: When the maintenance and repair information system 10 is started, there is a series of operations that must be completed before accessing one of the five modes. The process of stepping through those operations is referred to as startup. Functionality: The maintenance and repair information system 10 is started either by clicking on the icon for the maintenance and repair information system, or it is automatically started when the computer is turned on. 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