Patent classifications
G05D1/0083
Roll attitude-dependent roll rate limit
Systems and methods are provided for a roll attitude dependent roll rate limit that may limit an aircraft to a lower roll rate limit under normal flight conditions. The systems and methods may detect situations where a higher roll rate limit may be desirable and allow the aircraft to exceed the lower roll rate limit, to either a higher roll rate limit or a roll rate between the lower and higher roll rate limit.
Integration of braking action information with flight deck runway functions
Flight deck systems are provided for integrating braking action information with flight deck runway functions. In one embodiment, the flight deck system includes a cockpit display device on which an airport display, such as a two dimensional or three dimensional Airport Moving Map, is generated. A controller is coupled to the cockpit display device and configured to produce a braking action graphic on the airport display indicative of the current braking action of a first runway approached for usage by the aircraft. The controller may determine the current braking action of the runway from braking action information received over a datalink. Further, in certain embodiments, the controller can assign the current braking action of the runway to a predetermined braking action category and produce the braking action graphic to visually identify the assigned braking action category.
ROLL ATTITUDE-DEPENDENT ROLL RATE LIMIT
Systems and methods are provided for a roll attitude dependent roll rate limit that may limit an aircraft to a lower roll rate limit under normal flight conditions. The systems and methods may detect situations where a higher roll rate limit may be desirable and allow the aircraft to exceed the lower roll rate limit, to either a higher roll rate limit or a roll rate between the lower and higher roll rate limit.
METHOD FOR GUIDING AN AIRCRAFT
The guiding method such as described correctly guides an aircraft on a platform of an airport, even in complex taxiing areas.
E-Taxi predictive performance system
An electric taxi predictive performance system may provide a predicted performance for an electric based taxi system (eTaxi) based on environmental information related to a vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle may be an aircraft using eTaxi systems to move around an airport runway system. The electric predictive taxi performance system may provide real-time displayed data to help pilots evaluate eTaxi capabilities of the aircraft as conditions change.
AUTOMATIC IN/OUT AIRCRAFT TAXIING, TERMINAL GATE LOCATOR AND AIRCRAFT POSITIONING
The systems and methods of the present disclosure generally provide a plurality of onboard and off board positioning, anti-collision, and path following systems that may provide an accurate picture of where each aircraft, proximate a given airport, is located at any given moment in time. The systems and methods may also include determining what obstacles are around each aircraft, and what path the aircraft should follow while taxiing around the airport. Any given aircraft may be automatically navigated along a determined route using at least one engines-off taxiing system.
Automated aircraft ground threat avoidance system
This disclosure is directed to methods, systems, and computer program products for automated avoidance of ground threats by an aircraft. In one example, a method includes determining, by one or more processing devices, whether a sufficient evasive maneuver for an aircraft to avoid a detected ground surface threat is performed via pilot controls of the aircraft within a selected threshold after an alert of the ground surface threat is outputted via one or more cockpit systems of the aircraft. The method further includes, in response to determining that a sufficient evasive maneuver via the pilot controls is not performed within the selected threshold, controlling, by the one or more processing devices, one or more flight systems of the aircraft to perform an automated evasive maneuver to avoid the ground surface threat.
AIRCRAFT STEERING SYSTEM CONTROLLER
A controller for an aircraft steering system, the controller being configured to receive a steering input representative of a desired direction of travel of a steerable nose landing gear, and to receive one or more force-based inputs representative of lateral forces acting upon the nose landing gear, wherein the controller is adapted to automatically adjust the steering input based upon the force-based input(s) so as to output an adjusted steering command for a steering actuator of the nose landing gear.
Method for defining and controlling aircraft taxi profile
A system and method are provided for defining, optimizing, and controlling taxi profiles for aircraft equipped with onboard non-engine drive means controllable to drive one or more nose or main landing gear wheels to drive an aircraft autonomously during taxi. An onboard taxi profile control system may employ smart software to determine selected taxi operational data at an airport and use this data to control and maintain torque of the drive means at desired selected levels that move the aircraft during taxi in response to determined taxi data or predetermined programmed taxi parameters. The system is designed to set default taxi profiles for each taxi cycle to achieve efficient aircraft taxi and to extend operational life of drive means components. Taxi profiles are modified and updated at periodic intervals or in real time in response to actual taxi conditions to optimize aircraft taxi at a specific airport.
Monitoring system for an aircraft
A monitoring system 300 for an aircraft 100 including a controller 301 to determine, based on one or more conditions, one or more expected operating characteristics of a steering system of the aircraft. The one or more conditions include one or more aircraft conditions indicative of an internal condition of the aircraft and/or one or more external conditions indicative of an external influence on the aircraft. The controller compares the one or more expected operating characteristics with the one or more actual operating characteristics. The controller is configured to determine, based on the compare, whether to issue a signal indicating a condition of the aircraft. An avionics system 3000 comprising the monitoring system, an aircraft comprising the monitoring system or the avionics system, and a method 600 of monitoring an aircraft.