Patent ID: RE39618

Claim:
A global, paperless, aircraft maintenance system comprising: an aircraft performance means for detecting aircraft performance and control parameters; a maintenance communications means, located on board an aircraft, for providing maintenance advice to maintenance personnel; a sensor multiplexer receiver and transmitter means, located on board said aircraft, for: accepting said aircraft performance and control parameters; converting said aircraft performance and control parameters, when necessary, to digital form; adding an aircraft identification and configuration label; converting said aircraft performance and control parameters and said identification and configuration label to an outgoing rf signal and broadcasting said outgoing rf signal; and receiving an incoming rf signal, converting it to a maintenance advisory, and feeding said maintenance advisory to said maintenance communication means; an aircraft manufacturer's database means for providing aircraft data and maintenance information; a central station means, located on the ground, for receiving said outgoing rf signal and converting it to said aircraft performance and control parameters and said aircraft identification and configuration label, and broadcasting said incoming rf signal; a processing means, connected to said central station means, for: archiving said aircraft performance and control parameters thus creating an archived data database; combining said aircraft performance and control parameters with said aircraft data and said maintenance information; generating said maintenance advisory based upon said configuration label; and converting said maintenance advisory to said incoming rf signal; a display and control means, connected to said processing means, for displaying operation of said processing means and for allowing operator control of said processing means; and a global rf communications network means for conveying said outgoing signal from said aircraft to said central station means and conveying said incoming rf signal from said central station means to said aircraft.