If indeed the Seattle Times article is correct and Boeing will use a metalcentric type repair with a lap joint strip, then maybe there are a few more things to think about:
The patch will have a large pressure on it from the inside. Thus the joint between the patch and the 8 inch wide lap joint strip will be in tension (as well as shear). I think it is absolutely impossible that Boeing would trust a resin glued joint in tension. Thus I think the lapped joints must have rivets or the composite equivalent. This makes it even more of a metalcentric type repair.
If they use this method, I assume this means that the cut out and repaired area will not go across any barrel joins. In other words the whole repair area will be confined to within one barrel section. Also the Seattle Times article says they made a barrel section to cut the patch, not that they made two or three barrel sections for patches. But if this repair does have to go across a barrel join, it would add immensely to the complexity. Hard to believe that it would be possible. Anybody know the locations of the barrel joins with respect to the external damage that we could see in the photos?
Thus it seems that the size of the repair is relatively large (thus needing the specially made cut out patch) but limited in size to being within one barrel. Did the fire actually penetrate the barrel (make a hole in the fuselage?) Are there any better photos or newer information? I haven't seen anything that shows a hole, just heat damage (charring) on the outside.
If there is no significant hole, I am now surprised that they will cut out the fire damaged section. Why bother? Given that carbon fibre is pretty heat resistant, even the damaged section probably still has a fair amount of strength remaining. Just leave the damaged section in place. For the patch design, assume the damaged area has zero strength, but we get some extra strength benefit by knowing that it still has some.
Take your lovely patch, glue it on the inside of the barrel, bang in whatever rivets are needed, and put a bit of bondo on the outside of the airplane to smooth out the surface damage. Yes, some modest weight penalty to do this way (anyone have an idea what a 1 m x 2 m sized piece of the fuselage would weigh?). This method seems more secure than cutting away all the carbon fibre material that, although damaged by the fire, almost certainly still has some significant strength remaining.
Speedbump