US009672263B1

(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 9,672.263 B1 dipia (45) Date of Patent: Jun. 6, 2017

(54) RELIABILITY ENGINEERING DATA 7,248,978 B2 * 7/2007 Ransom ...... GOD 4f004 INTEGRATION TO2, 182 7,270,491 B2* 9/2007 Oda ...... B41J 3.01 (71) Applicant: Michael A. diPilla, Philadelphia, PA 101,288 (US) 7,574,030 B2 * 8/2009 Fors ...... HO4N 1 OO132 358/487 (72) Inventor: Michael A. diPilla, Philadelphia, PA 7,596,571 B2 ck 92009 Sify. GO6F 17,3089 (US) (Continued) (73) Assignee: The United States of America as OTHER PUBLICATIONS represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US) Michael diPilla, Kathy Miraglia, and John Gierchak, “LCS and the Reliability Engineering Data Integration (REDI) System.” Intelli *) NotOt1Ce: Subjubject to anyy d1Sclaimer,disclai theh term off thisthi gent Ships IX Symposium, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Penn patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Sylvania, May 25-26, 2011 (6 pages). U.S.C. 154(b) by 188 days. (Continued) (21) Appl. No.: 14/312,273 Primary Examiner — Daniel Kuddus (22) Filed: Jun. 23, 2014 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Howard Kaiser e Afa 9 (51) Int. Cl. (57) ABSTRACT G06F 7/00 (2006.01) Exemplary practice of the present invention provides an G06F 7/30 (2006.01) electronic system for integrating information from various (52) U.S. Cl. network Sources. The inventive system includes a server CPC ...... G06F 17/30575 (2013.01) computer and at least one client computer (e.g., tablet). (58) Field of Classification Search According to the Software logic resident in the server CPC ...... GO6F 1773O283. GO6F 17/3O286 GO6F computer, information is transmitted from various online 17/30557. GO6F 17/30587. GO6F resources (e.g., web-accessible collections of data) to an s 1730575 enterprise service bus (ESB), and the ESB collates some or USPC ...... 707/610, 611, 755, 711: 709/248 all of the information received and stores the collated See application file for complete search history. information in a network . According to the Soft ware logic resident in each client computer, the collated (56) References Cited information stored in the network database is downloaded onto an online webpage, parsed, stored in a local database, U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS synched, and downloaded onto an offline webpage. A client can direct the server to collate a particular segment of 6,820,046 B1 * 1 1/2004 Lamson ...... GO6F 17/5036 257/209 information, thus affording the client offline access to per 6.961,723 B2 * 1 1/2005 Faybishenko ... GO6F 17,3O867 tinent, well-organized information on a portable, wireless 7,117,223 B2 * 10/2006 Koizumi ...... GO6F 17,2836 platform Such as a tablet. 7,231,356 B1* 6/2007 Ward ...... G06Q 10/00 TO3/6 18 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets

ERVERSIDE .. TCLIENTSIDE...... Y...v.,.. Data is SOL Obtained s (Central) wia al al Database and SON OWSer

Data is Parsed User Identifies Enterprise Focus of y Service inquiry Data is Stored Bus (ESB) (e.g., Locally in a Web Ship) SQL Database x Internet (e.g., Waintenance way Systems and browser) Synched

Databases} US 9,672.263 B1 Page 2

(56) References Cited 2014/0297427 A1* 10/2014 Qian ...... G06Q 30/0276 705/14.71 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 2014/037.9654 A1* 12/2014 Kothule ...... GO6F 17,30581 TO7/634 7,788.425 8, 2010 Ikemoto ...... GO6F 21.57 2015, 0026604 A1 1/2015 Mulukuri ...... G06Q 50/01 T10,113 715/758 8,086,701 12/2011 Goel ...... HO4L 41,0803 2015, 0046393 A1 2/2015 Kamal ...... G06Q 10/103 TO9.220 707,617 8,229,776 T/2012 Woodward et al. 8,396,958 3/2013 Hilferty 8,532,970 9, 2013 White ...... GO9B 19.0053 OTHER PUBLICATIONS TO3/13 8,589,133 11, 2013 Dalessandro et al. Matthew Conti, Charles Slavik, and Brad Ross, “Enhanced Multi 8,832,061 9, 2014 Kothule ...... GO6F 17,30581 Dimensional Condition Based Monitoring.” ASNE EMTS (Electric 707/707 Machines Technology Symposium) 2012, Philadelphia, PA, May 9,152,787 10, 2015 Gathala et al. 23-24, 2012 (17 pages). 9,189.624 11/2015 Gathala et al. “Condition Based Maintenance: OstiaEdge Smarthship CBM Tech 9,298.494 3, 2016 Gathala ...... GO6N 5,043 nology.” ESRG (Engineering Software Reliability Group), http:// 9,324,034 4, 2016 Gupta et al. www.esrgtech.com/marine/condition-based-maintenance, Copy 9,495,537 11, 2016 Gupta et al. 9,591,022 3/2017 Purpura right 2014 (2 pages; accessed online on Jun. 4, 2014). 2002, 0083145 6, 2002 Perinpanathan ...... HO4L 29/06 “SERMC (Southeast Regional Maintenance Center) Uses Tablet TO9,213 PCs for Maintenance.” CNRMC (Commander Navy Regional 2007,029.4370 12, 2007 Fay ...... G06Q 10/109 Maintenance), NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command), http:// TO9,219 www.navsea.navy.mil/CNRMC/Lists/News/Article.aspx?ID=7. 2009/0083650 3, 2009 Kennedy ...... GO6F 17,30557 Oct. 25, 2011 (1 page; accessed online on Jul. 10, 2014). 71.5/771 2009,0271360 10, 2009 Bestgen ...... GO6F 17,30463 * cited by examiner U.S. Patent US 9,672.263 B1

U.S. Patent Jun. 6, 2017 Sheet 3 of 6 US 9,672.263 B1

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U.S. Patent Jun. 6, 2017 Sheet 4 of 6 US 9,672.263 B1

U.S. Patent US 9,672.263 B1

(SSOSO‘SSO3) U.S. Patent Jun. 6, 2017 Sheet 6 of 6 US 9,672.263 B1

SOSOÏSSOE US 9,672,263 B1 1. 2 RELIABILITY ENGINEERING DATA embodiments provide easy accessibility of required equip INTEGRATION ment information by coupling existing and evolving infor mation systems together in a useful and effective web BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION interface, thereby accomplishing Sustainment of condition based maintenance (CBM). It must be emphasized, however, The present invention relates to reliability engineering, that the present invention can be practiced in many contexts more particularly to computer-related and network-related and for many purposes, as inventive principles of data methods and systems for integrating data pertaining to transfer from web-based sources to a portable platform are reliability engineering. useful for multifarious applications. Reliability engineering is engineering that focuses upon 10 reliability (dependability) in the lifecycle management of In the maintenance realm, inventive practice can serve, mechanical systems and components. Reliability concerns for instance, to streamline CBM and logistics assessments the ability of a system or component to function properly for the U.S. Navy. Through its unique implementation of a under given conditions for a quantified period of time. Many tablet platform (portable tablet computers) and other com commercial and military entities seek to balance mainte- 15 puter and networking technologies, inventive practice Suc nance needs versus practical constraints with regard to their ceeds in modernizing maintenance, reducing maintenance machinery and equipment. time, and mobilizing capabilities for the Navy Fleet. Ship The United States Navy endeavors to modernize and personnel using tablets are afforded simplified and straight Sustain an aging fleet and to achieve target numbers of ships. forward views of navy maintenance and logistics informa As the Navy transitions, many facets of operations and 20 tion. REDI provides for multiple real-time users with a maintenance are impacted. Mission requirements are single login for each user. Moreover, REDI involves no expanding, while resources (e.g., manpower, money, and client-side installs, since the tablet is web-browser-based. time) are diminishing. The accessing of necessary mainte A typical conventional process for performing consoli nance data is time-consuming, and data is not readily dated maintenance evaluation involves people logging into available in a particular shipboard system for a user to 25 various systems manually, and takes several man-hours per aCCCSS, job; accordingly, considerable time is spent confirming The Navy uses diverse legacy maintenance systems and configuration information, clarifying deficiency write-ups, that support execution of shipboard work. The and copying and pasting former maintenance requirement Navy's maintenance systems and databases include, inter forms into newer formats. All of these tasks are automated alia, the following: Maintenance Engineering Library Server 30 by the present invention's REDI. Exemplary inventive prac (MELS); Integrated Condition Assessment System (ICAS); tice allows for robustness, extensibility, security, speed, ease Organizational Maintenance Management System. Next of use, and accessibility of requisite hardware. Generation (OMMS-NG); Planned Maintenance System, Website capabilities for a desktop PC onboard a ship have planned/preventative maintenance Scheduling software previously been developed by the Navy. Exemplary inven (PMS, SKED); Regional Maintenance Automated Informa- 35 tive practice implements mobile technology for shipboard tion System (RMAIS); Maintenance and Material Manage use. Providing capabilities on a tablet PC, the present ment System (3M); Ship Configuration and Logistic Infor invention affords ease of use and intuitive operation. Exem mation System (SCLSIS); Integrated Class Maintenance plary inventive embodiments implement software developed Plan (ICMP); Configuration Data Managers Database-OA in HTML5, and thus can be ported to any platform. Through (CDMD-OA); Maximo R (IBM's asset management soft- 40 the present invention’s unique methodology, data can be ware); maintenance replacement rate (MRR) data; condi seamlessly transferred from server to tablet for mobile use tion-based maintenance (CBM) data. onboard ship. The many maintenance informational groupings (e.g., An exemplary REDI system provides a computer tablet maintenance systems and maintenance databases) of the user onboard a ship a view of, among other things: updated Navy are “separate” in the sense that they may use or share 45 CBM data; current ship's maintenance plan (CSMP); sched data from or with each other, but they are not linked or uled preventive maintenance (PMS); PMS procedures; tech coupled directly with each other. The Navy's conventional manuals; related EOSS documents. In addition, ship per approach to all-encompassing maintenance documentation Sonnel can redline the various ILS documents and create the requires manual data searches and entries that are numerous, appropriate Navy feedback forms. inefficient, unwieldy, and repetitive due to the multiplicity of 50 Exemplary practice of the present invention integrates legacy maintenance systems that are required to be used in information from different sources. Data is input from plural execution of Such maintenance documentation. Current informational groupings into an enterprise service bus. At Navy integration of various maintenance systems involves least a portion of the data that is input into the enterprise paper printouts filled out by hand (e.g., paper printed spiral service bus is collated. The collated data is stored in a bound books), and manual data transfer among the systems. 55 network database. The collated data that is stored in the These conventional methods for comprehensive mainte network database is downloaded onto an online webpage. nance documentation are exceptionally labor-intensive, par The collated data that is downloaded onto the online web ticularly as they require ship's force to investigate machin page is parsed. The parsed collated data is stored in a local ery field correlation before creating a work candidate. database. The parsed collated data that is stored in the local 60 database is synched. The synched parsed collated data that SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION is stored in the local database is downloaded onto an offline webpage. According to frequent inventive practice, the The present inventor has dubbed his invention “Reliabil client computer (e.g., tablet) user selects a Subject, the data ity Engineering Data Integration, with the acronym that is input into the enterprise service bus pertains to the “REDI. Exemplary practice of the present invention avails 65 selected Subject, and the selected Subject is communicated to itself of existing maintenance informational groupings (e.g., the enterprise service bus prior to the storing in a network maintenance systems/databases). Exemplary inventive database. US 9,672,263 B1 3 4 The term “informational grouping is broadly defined tecture that automates interactions among the diverse Navy herein to encompass any set, body, or collection of data or logistics legacy systems. REDI thus facilitates the mainte information. An informational grouping is characterized by nance process for the assessor, the planner, and the main organization, and typically contains related data or informa tainer. A first important feature of an exemplary REDI tion that is organized for access or retrieval by a computer, system is its implementation of a modem technology archi Such as via web, internet, intranet, or network. Informational tecture known as the enterprise service bus (ESB). A second groupings include but are not limited to entities variously important feature of an exemplary REDI system is its referred to as “databases.” “systems.” “records,” “indexing implementation of a portable tablet so that the tablet inter tools.” “search engines, etc. An informational grouping faces to a central server. may include the actual data/information and the Supporting 10 Frequent inventive practice implements an electronic data structures. Accordingly, a maintenance-related body/ device commonly known as a “tablet” or “tablet PC.” Other collection of data/information of any name or description kinds of platforms can also be implemented in inventive (e.g., database, system, record, indexing tool, search engine) is designated herein a “maintenance informational group practice. A conventional tablet is a portable, wireless per ing. 15 Sonal computer (PC) that includes a computer component Incorporated herein by reference is the following six-page and a display component; that is, a tablet includes a proces paper co-authored by the present inventor: Michael diPilla, Sor, memory/storage (both volatile and non-volatile), and a Kathy Miraglia, and John Gierchak, “LCS and the Reliabil touchscreen display. Depending on the inventive embodi ity Engineering Data Integration (REDI) System.” Intelli ment, inventive software resident in the memory of the tablet gent Ships IX Symposium, Drexel University, Philadelphia, may be coded in practically any computer programming Pa., 25-26 May 2011. language. The present invention can be embodied, for instance, as a method (e.g., a computer-implemented BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS method), a system or an apparatus including a computer, or a computer program product. The present invention will now be described, by way of 25 Many embodiments of the present invention implement example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, an ESB having computer code that is executable by the ESB wherein: and is characterized by computer program “business' logic. FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating an example of a ship The business logic is designed to ensure consistency, coher to-shore/shore-to-ship high-level architecture characterizing ency, efficiency, and accuracy of information obtained by a integration of maintenance information in accordance with 30 tablet user. An exemplary ESB according to the present the present invention. An Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) invention's REDI is a coupled-standards-based Enterprise receives maintenance-related data input from various main Service Bus (ESB). The ESB integrates, in near real-time, tenance informational groupings. Through implementation Navy maintenance systems and databases through open of the ESB, tablet computers, server-side programming, and interfaces. REDI integrates all applicable maintenance data/ client-side programming, ship personnel can travel through 35 information for particular equipment to be analyzed, thereby out the ship while wirelessly accessing intelligible presen facilitating planning and scheduling and affording holistic tations of relevant data. perspectives of information germane to maintenance. FIG. 2 is a schematic illustrating server-side program According to exemplary business logic of inventive prac ming and client-side programming that are included in an tice, an enterprise service bus (ESB) provides a single exemplary embodiment of integration of maintenance infor 40 source user interface. The ESB manages the transfer of data. mation in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 The pertinent data is combined in one central site and is shows the communication between the server side and the logically connected via business rules that enable the user to client side, and the transformation of server-side data to more effectively manage the health and reliability of the client-side data viewable on a local webpage of a handheld subject equipment. Details of the ESB tool can be custom tablet. 45 ized to allow for different utilizations, depending on user FIG. 3 is a schematic illustrating input of maintenance preferences. information into an enterprise service bus (ESB), and pro REDI remotely monitors the machinery, leveraging vari cessing thereby. The ESB receives maintenance data from ous utilities to produce recommended action reports and diverse informational groupings, and collates the informa machinery status reports. These reports provide recommen tion so as to order and index numerous maintenance items. 50 dations based on machinery operational information. The FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are schematics illustrating different present invention's ESB design reduces complexities of examples, in accordance with the present invention, of integrating disparate applications by leveraging service various maintenance-related offline webpages that may be oriented architecture principles and standardized packaging displayed on a portable tablet used by a person onboard a frameworks. Based on business logic in REDI's ESB, only ship. Orderly assimilations of information deriving from 55 necessary data is presented by REDI to users. The users are various maintenance informational groupings are displayed thus permitted to concentrate on key decisions, instead of wirelessly and offline on portable tablets used by various mundane tasks (such as login, manually aggregating key shipboard personnel. data into Excel or other offline tools, etc.). FIG. 6 is a table describing the six maintenance-related FIGS. 1 through 6 exemplify inventive practice in Navy offline webpages shown in FIG. 5 in accordance with the 60 shipboard maintenance applications. A portable tablet can present invention. display a variety of webpages, including but not limited to any of the webpages shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. For instance, DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, these webpages can include: a EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Parts webpage; a Tech Manuals webpage; a 2-Kilo webpage; 65 a Current Ship’s Maintenance Project (CSMP) webpage; an Referring to the figures, in exemplary practice the present Operational Sequencing System (OSS) webpage, e.g., an invention's REDI represents an open interface modemarchi Engineering Operational Sequencing System (EOSS) and/or US 9,672,263 B1 5 6 a Combat Systems Operational Sequencing System “AJAX is a term that refers to any of various web (CSOSS) webpage; a Planned Maintenance System (PMS) applications used on the client side to send data to and webpage. retrieve data from a server, doing so in the background (e.g., Particularly with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, an exem "asynchronously”) without interfering with the performance plary REDI system has various Software components. Such of the existing page. JSON is an open standard format using as .Net, Oracle, Microsoft, JavaScript, jQuery, JSON, human-readable text, as an alternative to XML, to transmit AJAX, WEBSQL, and HTML5. REDI aggregates and data between a server and . Web applications accesses all of the related information for the user. Further, such as AJAX and JSON communicate with a server in the REDI transfers the related information to a tablet to be used background, without interfering with the current state of the in a mobile environment. REDI thus transforms information 10 webpage. JSON is used to pass AJAX updates between client and server. available on a server to information having a usable format In exemplary inventive practice, SQL (central) server data on the tablet. is exported to a JSON file format for exchange of data. The REDI gathers data (information) from the Internet (e.g., user logs into the tablet with a standard browser. The from different data sources and servers on the shore), and 15 webpage is written so that, via AJAX calls, data is pulled compounds the data into a central SQL Server database from the SQL central server database to a web page. The using various web services, SQL net, and/or that have data is then parsed and stored locally into a Web SQL been made available by maintenance system/database own database on a client side database browser. When storage of ers. The user communicates with the ESB to request a the data in the Web SQL database is completed, the data is particular subject, for instance a particular ship. The ESB no longer on the Internet. AJAX is used to retrieve JSON can filter the data for any ship that the user chooses. Data files, and the JSON files are parsed using jQuery. A JSON sources/servers currently availed of by the Navy include file that is retrieved by AJAX is parsed using jQuery, which 3M, MELS, SCLSIS, OMMS, CDMD, RMAIS, PMS, and is a JavaScript library used on the client side to simplify SKED. Scripting of HTML. Parsing is a process involving analysis As shown in FIG. 3, the data filtering performed by the 25 of a string of data that is in a JSON file. ESB includes data collation. The ESB collates the data As distinguished from the online network browser that is received from the internet maintenance informational group used to store and retrieve data from the central (SQL) ings (e.g., websites, systems, databases, records, search/ database, an offline local browser is used to store and indexing tools). That is, the ESB orders and indexes the retrieve data from the local (Web SQL) database. The online collective information as various maintenance items. Con 30 database is on the server side; the offline database is on the sequently, the client computer (e.g., tablet) user has, for client side. The local browser is local on the user's tablet, presentation at his/her disposal, a coherent synthesis of operating without a network. Once the user has synched information that is internally linked at the maintenance-item (synchronized) the Web SQL data to his tablet, he is now level. As a hypothetical example, the tablet user can access mobile. The user can go throughout the ship with all of the all information pertaining to “widget number 99, wherein 35 relevant data, and can run his/her webpage as if he or she such information has been gathered from the collective were wirelessly connected to the network. Exemplary inven maintenance informational groupings. tive practice thus represents what may be described as an In computer technology, the terms “collate' and “colla “alternative WIFI solution' for large groups of people in tion” are commonly understood to refer to merging of large areas Such as ships. People can go about, with tablet in sequenced data from plural datasets or files to produce a new 40 hand, keeping wirelessly informed in a sizable region in sequenced dataset or file. The term “maintenance item” is which WIFI or other wireless connection is undependable or broadly defined herein to refer to a part, a component, a problematical. machine, a piece of equipment, or any other entity that can The present invention, which is disclosed herein, is not to be a subject of maintenance-related activity in a technical be limited by the embodiments described or illustrated (e.g., machinery or industrial) environment. 45 herein, which are given by way of example and not of Accordingly, the user of a tablet or other computer limitation. Other embodiments of the present invention will platform (mobile phone, laptop, desktop, etc.) can select a be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration maintenance item of interest and view all information rel of the instant disclosure, or from practice of the present evant thereto, as collated by the ESB. For instance, a person invention. Various omissions, modifications, and changes to onboard ship can use his tablet touchpad to view all infor 50 the principles disclosed herein may be made by one skilled mation that the ESB has consolidated that pertains to a in the art without departing from the true scope and spirit of particular machine part. The present inventions REDI sys the present invention. tem thus takes data from disparate sources and integrates the What is claimed is: data in such a fashion as to be usefully and intelligibly 1. A computer-implemented method for integrating infor presented on a platform such as a tablet. 55 mation from different sources, the method comprising: The data filtered by the ESB is formatted by means of a inputting data from plural informational groupings into an webpage, one or more web applications for asynchronous enterprise service bus, the inputting being performed in data transfer (such as AJAX and JSON), and data parsing. accordance with a selected Subject wirelessly transmit Generally speaking, as the terms "asynchronous” and “syn ted from a mobile computing device to the enterprise chronous are used in computer programming, an asynchro 60 service bus, the mobile computing device having resi nous process operates in a manner independent of all other dent therein a local browser operating in the absence of processes, whereas a synchronous process operates in a a network, wherein the wireless transmission of the manner dependent upon one or more other processes. Exem selected subject from the mobile computing device plary inventive practice implements JSON (JavaScript includes implementation of the local browser; Object Notation) and AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and 65 collating at least a portion of the data that is input into the XML). JSON is a file format; AJAX is a tool to get data out enterprise service bus; of the JSON file. storing the collated data in a network database;

US 9,672,263 B1 9 10 said client computer-readable program code portions said local browser for communicating said at least one include: a first said client computer-readable program specified topic to said enterprise bus; code portion, for downloading, onto an online web wherein said inputting of said data from said plural page, said collated data that is stored in said network informational groupings into said enterprise service bus database; a second said client computer-readable pro is performed in accordance with said at least one gram code portion, for parsing said collated data that is specified topic communicated by said client computer downloaded onto said online webpage; a third said to said enterprise bus, said communication by said client computer-readable program code portion, for client computer to said enterprise bus including imple storing said parsed collated data in a local database; a mentation of said local browser. fourth said client computer-readable program code 10 15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein portion, for synching said parsed collated data that is said informational groupings are maintenance informational stored in said local database; a fifth said client com groupings, and wherein said collating includes ordering and puter-readable program code portion, for implementa indexing plural maintenance items. tion of a local browser for downloading, onto an offline 16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein webpage, said synched parsed collated data that is 15 said client computer is a mobile computing device. stored in said local database, said local browser resi 17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein dent in said client computer and operating in the said mobile computing device is a tablet. absence of a network; a sixth said client computer 18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein readable program code portion, for implementation of said informational groupings are maintenance informational said local browser for displaying said offline webpage groupings, and wherein said collating includes ordering and on a client computer; a seventh said client computer indexing plural maintenance items. readable program code portion, for implementation of k k k k c