System, method and computer program product for accessing electronic information

A system for accessing electronic information, wherein at least a portion of the electronic information is contained within at least one collection of electronic documents indexed according to at least one predetermined indexing pattern, said system comprising:

• at least one electronic database capable of storing the electronic information, wherein the portion of electronic information that is the contained within a respective collection of electronic documents is stored according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;
• a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying at least one electronic portal document comprising a plurality of graphical elements, wherein at least one of the graphical elements is associated with at least one pointer that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic information, wherein each pointer that is associated with electronic information that is contained within a respective collection of electronic documents identifies the electronic information according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;
• and
• a processing element responsive to a selection of at least one graphical element to thereby access and display at least one associated pointer, wherein said processing element is further responsive to a selection of the at least one associated pointer to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic information, wherein said processing element is capable of locating the selected portion of electronic information based upon the selected at least one pointer and, for the selected electronic information contained within a respective collection of electronic documents, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection, and wherein said processing element is capable of retrieving the selected portion of electronic information to thereby access the selected portion of electronic information.

A computer program product for accessing electronic information, wherein at least a portion of the electronic information is contained within at least one collection of electronic documents indexed according to at least one predetermined indexing pattern, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in said medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

• a first executable portion for selecting at least one electronic portal document comprising a plurality of graphical elements, wherein at least one of the graphical elements is associated with at least one pointer that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic information, wherein each pointer that is associated with electronic information that is contained within a respective collection of electronic documents identifies the electronic information according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;
• a second executable portion for selecting at least one graphical element to thereby access at least one associated pointer to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic information;
• a third executable portion for locating the selected portion of electronic information based upon the selected at least one pointer and, for the electronic information contained within a respective collection of electronic documents, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;
• and
• a fourth executable portion for retrieving the selected portion of electronic information to thereby access the selected portion of electronic information.

A method of accessing electronic aircraft information, wherein at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information is contained within at least one collection of electronic documents indexed according to at least one predetermined indexing pattern, said method comprising:

• selecting at least one operational system document comprising a plurality of graphical line replaceable units (LRUs), wherein at least one of the graphical LRUs is associated with at least one hyperlink that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information, wherein each hyperlink that is associated with electronic aircraft information that is contained within a respective collection of electronic documents identifies the electronic information according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;
• selecting at least one graphical LRU to thereby access at least one associated hyperlink and thereafter select at least one accessed associated hyperlink to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information;
• locating the selected portion of the electronic aircraft information based upon the selected at least one hyperlink and, for the electronic aircraft information contained within a respective collection of electronic documents, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;
• and
• retrieving the selected portion of electronic aircraft information to thereby access the selected portion of electronic aircraft information.

An aircraft maintenance aid system for accessing electronic aircraft information, wherein at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information is contained within at least one collection of electronic documents indexed according to at least one predetermined indexing pattern, said system comprising:

• at least one electronic database capable of storing the electronic aircraft information, wherein the portion of electronic aircraft information that is the contained within a respective collection of electronic documents is stored according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;
• a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying at least one electronic operational system document comprising a plurality of graphical line replaceable units (LRUs), wherein at least one of the graphical LRUs is associated with at least one hyperlink that is associated with and identifies at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information, wherein each hyperlink that is associated with electronic aircraft information that is contained within a respective collection of electronic documents identifies the electronic aircraft information according to the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection;
• and
• a processing element responsive to a selection of at least one graphical LRU to thereby access and display at least one associated hyperlink, wherein said processing element is further responsive to a selection of the at least one associated hyperlink to thereby select at least a portion of the electronic aircraft information, wherein said processing element is capable of locating the selected portion of electronic aircraft information based upon the selected at least one hyperlink and, for the selected electronic aircraft information contained within a respective collection of electronic documents, further based upon the predetermined indexing pattern of the respective collection, and wherein said processing element is capable of retrieving the selected portion of electronic aircraft information to thereby access the selected portion of electronic aircraft information.