Abstract: A system is provided for panoptic visualization of a 3D representation of a complex system. The system includes a visualization engine configured to receive a digital 3D model of a complex system and produce a plurality of electronic document components including 2D images depicting elements of the complex system. The system also includes a data extractor configured to generate 2D derivatives of the 3D model, and communicate the 2D derivatives for inclusion in a panoptic visualization document collection. The data extractor may be configured to receive a document component including a 2D image depicting an element of the complex system, and extract from the 3D model, information identifying a spatial, design or functional relationship between the respective element and one or more other elements of the complex system. The data extractor may then be configured to provide the extracted information in metadata associated with the document component.

Abstract: A system is provided that includes a localization module configured to receive and process range measurements and odometry data relative to a physical instance of a complex system to calculate an unknown location within a coordinate system of the complex system. A search engine configured to identify a document component that depicts an element of the complex system at or within a volume about the location. The document component is from a collection for which at least some components depict elements of the complex system and have associated metadata that includes information reflecting the 3D geometry of at least some depicted elements. A layout engine configured to generate a layout of panoptically-arranged document components including the identified document component and other document component(s) identified according to the associated metadata for the identified document component, which further includes information identifying a link between the respective document components.

Abstract: A panoptic visualization document navigation system includes a navigation engine and request interface, and is configured effect navigation of components of a document collection in a layout, panoptically arranged in a manner that reflects logical relationships between their content, which may in turn reflect relationships between the subjects or their objects depicted by the content. These logical relationships may be established by links between document components, which may be identified by information provided in associated metadata for the document components. Navigation options for navigating the layout may likewise be selected according to the associated metadata. This type of arrangement and its navigation may enable a user to see the content in a single view, and in an arrangement that facilitates a better understanding of the relationships between the content and their subjects or objects, which may be otherwise difficult to comprehend.

Abstract: A method for creating a computerized visualization of a wiring topology is described that includes combining three-dimensional wire harness data with logical wire content using a process executed on a computer processing device, and displaying a graphical wire topology, output from the process, within a three dimensional model of the platform within which the wiring topology is contained.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for panoptic visualization of an illustrated parts catalog (IPC). The system includes a layout engine configured to generate a layout of pages of an IPC for a complex system, panoptically arranged in a manner that reflects logical relationships between the pages, which may in turn reflect relationships between the elements of the complex system. These logical relationships may be established by links between pages, which may be identified by information provided in associated metadata for the pages. This type of arrangement may enable a user to see the content in a single view, and in an arrangement that facilitates a better understanding of the relationships between the pages and elements they depict, which may be otherwise technically complex. This may in turn ease the difficulty and time required to search and/or navigate even the most massive amounts of information contained in some IPCs.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for implementation of a system for visualization and analysis of a complex system such as an aircraft composed of a plurality of elements. The apparatus may be caused to receive and process data for physical instance(s) of the complex system to identify a topical element. The apparatus may be caused to receive a digital 3D model of the complex system, generate a visual presentation of at least a portion of the digital 3D model, with the visual presentation depicting the topical element and one or more other elements of the plurality of elements. And the apparatus may be caused to apply a visual effect to the topical element depicted by the visual presentation to distinguish the topical element from the other element(s) depicted by the visual presentation.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for implementation of a system for integrated visualization and analysis of a complex system such as an aircraft composed of a plurality of elements. The apparatus may receive data for a physical instance of the complex system, and this data may include a list of the plurality of elements that reflects a relationship between at least some of them. The apparatus may generate a visual presentation of a digital three-dimensional (3D) model of the complex system. The apparatus may generate a layout of document components depicting elements of the plurality of elements, with the layout including one or more two-dimensional (2D) images depicting at least some of the elements. And the apparatus may integrate the data, visual presentation of the 3D model and layout to produce a visual definition of the complex system.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for implementation of a system for visualization and diagnostic analysis of a complex system such as an aircraft composed of a plurality of elements. The apparatus may receive and process data for a physical instance of the complex system to identify a maintenance message for the complex system. A diagnostic procedure defined for and associated with the maintenance message, may involve or implicate one or more interested elements of the plurality of elements. The apparatus may generate a visual presentation of at least a portion of the complex system. The visual presentation may be digital media and depict the interested element(s) and one or more other elements of the plurality of elements. And the apparatus may apply a visual effect to the interested element(s) depicted by the visual presentation to distinguish the interested element(s) from the other element(s) depicted by the visual presentation.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for implementation of a system for visualization and analysis of a complex system such as an aircraft composed of a plurality of elements. The apparatus may be caused to receive and process data for physical instance(s) of the complex system to identify a topical element. The apparatus may be caused to receive a digital 3D model of the complex system, generate a visual presentation of at least a portion of the digital 3D model, with the visual presentation depicting the topical element and one or more other elements of the plurality of elements. And the apparatus may be caused to apply a visual effect to the topical element depicted by the visual presentation to distinguish the topical element from the other element(s) depicted by the visual presentation.

Abstract: A system includes a database management system engine, data manipulation subsystem and layout engine. The management system engine is configured to manage a database having stored therein a panoptic visualization document collection of document components each of which has associated metadata providing information about the respective document component, with the document components and metadata being stored in respective records of the database. The data manipulation subsystem includes a query language engine configured to receive a request for the respective records of document components and associated metadata, and the management system engine is configured to retrieve the requested, respective records from the database. The layout engine is configured to generate a layout of panoptically-arranged visual representations of the document components. And the query language engine is configured to communicate the layout and retrieved, respective records of the associated metadata.

Abstract: A method is provided that includes locating a barcode applied to a part of a complex system. The barcode may encode links to respective system-related resources for the part, which may include software-based systems and/or electronic documents. At one or more instances during a lifecycle of the part, then, the method may include scanning the barcode, and decoding the links from the barcode. The method may include displaying the links in a graphical user interface, and affecting navigation of at least one of the links through the graphical user interface to access a respective at least one of the system-related resources for the respective part.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to identify components from images of components are disclosed. An example method includes generating first keypoint signatures of an object from at least one image of the object and identifying the object using the first keypoint signatures. Identifying the object comprises: comparing the first keypoint signatures to assembly reference keypoint signatures at a first level in a hierarchical database, the assembly reference keypoint signatures comprising keypoint signatures of multiple views of assemblies containing sets of components; and based on the comparison of the first keypoint signatures to the assembly reference keypoint signatures, comparing the first keypoint signatures to component keypoint signatures at a second level in a hierarchical database lower than the first level, the component reference keypoint signatures comprising keypoint signatures of the components.

Abstract: A verification method for an aircraft system comprises retrieving logical design data associated with the system, and physical design data associated with the system; extracting data from a computer model of the system; converting the retrieved logical and physical design data and the extracted data into a common data format; and performing a difference analysis of the logical and physical design data with the extracted data from the model to identify any non-conformances between the logical design data, the computer model and the physical design data.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to identify components from images of components are disclosed. An example method includes generating first keypoint signatures of an object from at least one image of the object and identifying the object using the first keypoint signatures. Identifying the object comprises: comparing the first keypoint signatures to assembly reference keypoint signatures at a first level in a hierarchical database, the assembly reference keypoint signatures comprising keypoint signatures of multiple views of assemblies containing sets of components; and based on the comparison of the first keypoint signatures to the assembly reference keypoint signatures, comparing the first keypoint signatures to component keypoint signatures at a second level in a hierarchical database lower than the first level, the component reference keypoint signatures comprising keypoint signatures of the components.

Abstract: A system is provided for access to system-related resources for complex-system parts. The system includes a barcode reader and front-end engine coupled thereto. The barcode reader is configured to scan a barcode located on a complex-system part. The barcode encodes links to respective system-related resources for the complex-system part, including software-based systems and/or electronic documents. The barcode reader, then, is configured to decode the links from the barcode. The front-end engine is in turn configured to generate a portal that identifies the complex-system part, and that includes the links decoded from the barcode. The front-end engine is also configured to cause display of the portal in a graphical user interface through which the links are navigable to access the respective system-related resources for the complex-system part.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more embodiments, a system for facilitating transfer of data and information over a network includes a database component, a communication component adapted to communicate with a user via a portable communication device over the network, and a processing component adapted to receive a request for data and information from the user via the portable communication device over the network and process the request by accessing one or more documents from the database component related to at least one component of a machine specified by the user passed with the request. The communication component transfers the one or more documents from the database component to the portable communication device for viewing by the user.

Abstract: A method for differentiating between variations of an apparatus design is provided. The method includes digitally characterizing at least two aspects of a first expression wherein the at least two aspects include at least logical data and physical data relating to the first expression, and digitally characterizing the at least two next aspects of at least one next expression other than the first expression wherein the at least two next aspects include at least logical data and physical data relating to the at least one next design expression. The method further includes identifying selected differences between the at least two aspects and the at least two next aspects and displaying the first expression and at least one of the at least one next expression in a visual display wherein the selected differences are presented using at least one visually identifiable distinction.

Abstract: A system is provided for panoptic visualization of a document having a structure defined according to a particular schema. The system is configured to generate a layout of pages of the document, panoptically arranged in a manner that reflects logical relationships between the pages according to the structure of the document, which may in turn reflect relationships between the subjects or their objects depicted by the content. These logical relationships may be established by links between pages, which may be identified by information provided in associated metadata for the pages. This type of arrangement may enable a user to see the content in a single view, and in an arrangement that facilitates a better understanding of the relationships between the content and their subjects or objects, which may be otherwise difficult to comprehend.

Abstract: A computer-based system for accessing content. The system includes a database in which the content is included in a plurality of content nodes. Each content node is uniquely identified by an identifier in a database table. The table is configured recursively to represent the content nodes. A browser uses one of the identifiers to format a table of contents (TOC) node referring to the corresponding content node. The browser inserts the TOC node into a TOC for accessing one or more of the content nodes. The TOC is recursively configurable in accordance with at least a portion of the table configuration.

Abstract: A system is provided for panoptic visualization of an illustrated parts catalog (IPC). The system includes a layout engine configured to generate a layout of pages of an IPC for a complex system. The IPC has a plurality of pages depicting elements of the complex system, and having associated metadata providing information about respective pages. The layout includes a panoptic arrangement of visual representations of pages according to their associated metadata. In this regard, the metadata also includes information identifying links between pages that establish logical relationships between the pages according to structural relationships between elements of the complex system depicted by the pages. The system also includes a navigation engine configured to select navigation options for navigating a visual presentation of the layout. The layout and navigation engines are also configured to communicate the layout and selected navigation options.