IP Library › Patent Application 17029304

Patent Application

App. No. 17/029,304

PROVIDING ENHANCED FUNCTIONALITY IN AN INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC TECHNICAL MANUAL

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Patent No.: US None
App. No.: 17/029,304

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Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, apparatus, systems, computer program products for displaying parts via one or more windows of an interactive electronic technical manual system (IETM) configured to provide electronic and credentialed access via an IETM viewer to technical documentation for an item. In one embodiment, a method is provided comprising: receiving selection of a topic; responsive to receiving the selection, retrieving textual information for the topic; for each part on a list of parts: searching the information to identify occurrences of the part, and configuring each occurrence as selectable; providing a topic window for display with the identified occurrences of each part as selectable; receiving a selection of a particular occurrence of a part; and responsive to receiving the selection: retrieving information on the part, generating a preview window for the part comprising the information, and providing the preview window for display via the IETM viewer.

Claims (117)

1 . A method for displaying parts via one or more windows of an interactive electronic technical manual system (IETM) configured to provide electronic and credentialed access via an IETM viewer to technical documentation for an item, the method comprising:

receiving input of a selection of a topic found in the technical documentation for the item, wherein the selection of the topic is performed by a user signed into the IETM via the IETM viewer executing on a user computing entity;

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the topic, retrieving textual information for the topic found in the technical documentation for the item;

for each part on a list of parts identifying the parts found in the technical documentation for the item:

programmatically searching the textual information to identify occurrences of the part in the textual information, and

configuring each occurrence of the identified occurrences of the part in the textual information as selectable;

providing a topic window for display via the IETM viewer, the topic window comprising the textual information for the topic with the identified occurrences of each part of the list of parts as selectable;

receiving input of a selection of a particular occurrence of a part in the textual information, wherein the selection of the particular occurrence of the part is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive of receiving the input of the selection of the particular occurrence of the part:

retrieving information on the part found in the technical documentation of the item,

generating a preview window for the part, the preview widow comprising the information on the part, and

providing the preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the topic window.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each occurrence of the identified occurrences of each part in the list of parts in the textual information comprises at least one of a part name and a part identifier.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the preview window comprises an order mechanism to cause display of a form configured to facilitate the user ordering the part directly from the IETM and the method further comprises:

receiving input of a selection of the order mechanism, wherein the selection of the order mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the order mechanism:

querying a stock identifier based at least in part on a part identifier for the part,

querying data for the part from a remote system based at least in part on the stock identifier,

retrieving an electronic interactive order form based at least in part on the item,

auto-populating the electronic interactive order form with the data, and

providing the electronic interactive order form for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the electronic interactive order form is configured to allow the user to at least one of edit the data and enter additional data into the electronic interactive order form and the electronic interactive order form provides one or more submit order mechanisms to allow the user to submit the order for the part directly from the IETM.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information displayed on the preview window comprises an identifier for the part that is selectable and the method further comprises:

receiving input of a selection of the identifier of the part, wherein the selection of the identifier for the part is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the identifier for the part:

programmatically searching the technical documentation for the item for occurrences of the part in the technical documentation,

generating a preview window of the results, the preview window of the results comprising identifiers for the occurrences of the part, and

providing the preview window of the results for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the preview window of the results is superimposed over at least a portion of the topic window.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein each identifier of the identifiers for the occurrences of the part in the technical documentation is selectable and the method further comprises:

receiving input of a selection of an identifier for a particular occurrence of the part, wherein the selection of the identifier for the particular occurrence of the part is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the identifier for the particular occurrence of the part:

retrieving information for the particular occurrence of the part from the technical documentation for the item,

generating an occurrence window, the occurrence window comprising the information for the particular occurrence of the part, and

providing the occurrence window for display via the IETM viewer.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information displayed on the preview window comprises a list of selectable identifiers for maintenance procedures related to the part and the method further comprises:

receiving input of a selection of an identifier for a particular maintenance procedure, wherein the selection of the identifier for the particular maintenance procedure is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the identifier for the particular maintenance procedure:

retrieving information for the particular maintenance procedure from the technical documentation for the item,

generating a maintenance procedure window, the maintenance procedure window comprising the information for the particular maintenance procedure, and

providing the maintenance procedure window for display via the IETM viewer.

7 . An apparatus for displaying parts via one or more windows of an interactive electronic technical manual system (IETM) configured to provide electronic and credentialed access via an IETM viewer to technical documentation for an item, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive input of a selection of a topic found in the technical documentation for the item, wherein the selection of the topic is performed by a user signed into the IETM via the IETM viewer executing on a user computing entity;

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the topic, retrieve textual information for the topic found in the technical documentation for the item;

for each part on a list of parts identifying the parts found in the technical documentation for the item:

programmatically search the textual information to identify occurrences of the part in the textual information, and

configure each occurrence of the identified occurrences of the part in the textual information as selectable;

provide a topic window for display via the IETM viewer, the topic window comprising the textual information for the topic with the identified occurrences of each part of the list of parts as selectable;

receive input of a selection of a particular occurrence of a part in the textual information, wherein the selection of the particular occurrence of the part is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive of receiving the input of the selection of the particular occurrence of the part:

retrieve information on the part found in the technical documentation of the item,

generate a preview window for the part, the preview widow comprising the information on the part, and

providing the preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the topic window.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each occurrence of the identified occurrences of each part in the list of parts in the textual information comprises at least one of a part name and a part identifier.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the preview window comprises an order mechanism to cause display of a form configured to facilitate the user ordering the part directly from the IETM and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive input of a selection of the order mechanism, wherein the selection of the order mechanism is performed by a user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the order mechanism:

query a stock identifier based at least in part on a part identifier for the part,

query data for the part from a remote system based at least in part on the stock identifier,

retrieve an electronic interactive order form based at least in part on the item,

auto-populate the electronic interactive order form with the data, and

provide the electronic interactive order form for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the electronic interactive order form is configured to allow the user to at least one of edit the data and enter additional data into the electronic interactive order form and the electronic interactive order form provides one or more submit order mechanisms to allow the user to submit the order for the part directly from the IETM.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the information displayed on the preview window comprises an identifier for the part that is selectable and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive input of a selection of the identifier of the part, wherein the selection of the identifier for the part is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the identifier for the part:

programmatically search the technical documentation for the item for occurrences of the part in the technical documentation;

generate a preview window of the results, the preview window of the results comprising identifiers for the occurrences of the part; and

provide the preview window of the results for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the preview window of the results is superimposed over at least a portion of the topic window.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each identifier of the identifiers for the occurrences of the part is selectable and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive input of a selection of an identifier for a particular occurrence of the part, wherein the selection of the identifier for the particular occurrence of the part is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the identifier for the particular occurrence of the part:

retrieve information for the particular occurrence of the part from the technical documentation for the item;

generate an occurrence window, the occurrence window comprising the information for the particular occurrence of the part; and

provide the occurrence window for display via the IETM viewer.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the information displayed on the preview window comprises a list of selectable identifiers for maintenance procedures related to the part and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive input of a selection of an identifier for a particular maintenance procedure, wherein the selection of the identifier for the particular maintenance procedure is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the identifier for the particular maintenance procedure:

retrieve information for the particular maintenance procedure from the technical documentation for the item;

generate a maintenance procedure window, the maintenance procedure window comprising the information for the particular maintenance procedure; and

provide the maintenance procedure window for display via the IETM viewer.

13 . A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions for displaying parts via one or more windows of an interactive electronic technical manual system (IETM) configured to provide electronic and credentialed access via an IETM viewer to technical documentation for an item, the instructions being configured to cause one or more processors to at least perform operations configured to:

receive input of a selection of a topic found in the technical documentation for the item, wherein the selection of the topic is performed by the user signed into the IETM via the IETM viewer executing on a user computing entity;