Method of determining aircraft ground speed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10618669-B2
Application number	US-201715787611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2017
Priority date	Oct 18, 2017
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A method for determining actual aircraft ground speed may comprise receiving a reference ground speed value; receiving a wheel speed value of a nose wheel of an aircraft; comparing the wheel speed value of the nose wheel and the reference ground speed value; and/or determining the actual aircraft ground speed based on the reference ground speed value and the wheel speed value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of determining an actual aircraft ground speed, comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a reference ground speed value based on a first wheel speed value from a first landing gear wheel and a second wheel speed value from a second landing gear wheel, wherein the first landing gear wheel and the second landing gear wheel are disposed on an aircraft aft of a nose wheel;
receiving, by the processor, a wheel speed value of the nose wheel of an aircraft;
comparing, by the processor, the wheel speed value of the nose wheel and the reference ground speed value;
determining, by the processor, the actual aircraft ground speed based on the reference ground speed value and the wheel speed value; and
analyzing, by the processor, for a non-use condition prior to the determining the actual aircraft ground speed, wherein the non-use condition is a condition which prevents the processor from utilizing the wheel speed value of the nose wheel to determine the actual aircraft ground speed,
wherein the actual aircraft ground speed is determined to be at least one of equal to or proportional to the reference ground speed value in response to at least one of the reference ground speed value being greater than the wheel speed value and detecting, by the processor, existence of the non-use condition in response to the analyzing for the non-use condition,
wherein the actual aircraft ground speed is determined to be at least one of equal to or proportional to the wheel speed value in response to the wheel speed value being greater than or equal to the reference ground speed value, and in response to detecting, by the processor, non-existence of the non-use condition in response to the analyzing for the non-use condition.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the processor, a weight signal prior to the analyzing for the non-use condition, wherein the non-use condition is the weight signal indicating a lack of weight on the nose wheel.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the non-use condition is the weight signal indicating that the lack of weight on the nose wheel caused the weight on the nose wheel to take place for less than a predetermined duration.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the processor, a wheel steering angle value prior to the analyzing for the non-use condition, wherein the non-use condition is the wheel steering angle value indicating that the nose wheel is not substantially in a base position.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the processor, a runway signal prior to the analyzing for the non-use condition, wherein the non-use condition is the runway signal indicating an adverse condition on the runway.

6. An aircraft ground speed determination system, comprising:
a landing gear wheel;
a wheel speed monitor coupled to the landing gear wheel;
a nose wheel;
a nose wheel speed monitor coupled to the nose wheel;
a processor in electronic communication with the wheel speed monitor and the nose wheel speed monitor; and
a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the processor, a reference ground speed value based on a first wheel speed value from a first landing gear wheel and a second wheel speed value from a second landing gear wheel, wherein the first landing gear wheel and the second landing gear wheel are disposed on an aircraft aft of a nose wheel;
receiving, by the processor, a wheel speed value of the nose wheel of an aircraft;
comparing, by the processor, the wheel speed value of the nose wheel and the reference ground speed value;

determining, by the processor, an actual aircraft ground speed based on the reference ground speed value and the wheel speed value; and
analyzing, by the processor, for a non-use condition prior to the determining the actual aircraft ground speed, wherein the non-use condition is a condition which prevents the processor from utilizing the wheel speed value of the nose wheel to determine the actual aircraft ground speed,
wherein the actual aircraft ground speed is determined to be at least one of equal to or proportional to the reference ground speed value in response to at least one of the reference ground speed value being greater than the wheel speed value and detecting, by the processor, existence of the non-use condition in response to the analyzing for the non-use condition,
wherein the actual aircraft ground speed is determined to be at least one of equal to or proportional to the wheel speed value in response to the wheel speed value being greater than or equal to the reference ground speed value, and in response to detecting, by the processor, non-existence of the non-use condition in response to the analyzing for the non-use condition.

7. The aircraft ground speed determination system of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving, by the processor, a weight signal prior to the analyzing for the non-use condition, wherein the non-use condition is the weight signal indicating a lack of weight on the nose wheel.

8. The aircraft ground speed determination system of claim 7 , wherein the non-use condition is the weight signal indicating that the lack of weight on the nose wheel caused the weight on the nose wheel to take place for less than a predetermined duration.

9. The aircraft ground speed determination system of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving, by the processor, a wheel steering angle value prior to the analyzing for the non-use condition, wherein the non-use condition is the wheel steering angle value indicating that the nose wheel is not substantially in a base position.

10. The aircraft ground speed determination system of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving, by the processor, a runway signal prior to the analyzing for the non-use condition, wherein the non-use condition is the runway signal indicating an adverse condition on the runway.

11. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage;
a landing gear wheel coupled to the fuselage;
a wheel speed monitor coupled to the landing gear wheel;
a nose wheel coupled to the fuselage forward of the landing gear wheel;
a nose wheel speed monitor coupled to the nose wheel;
a processor in electronic communication with the wheel speed monitor and the nose wheel speed monitor; and
a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor, the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the processor, a reference ground speed value based on a first wheel speed value from a first landing gear wheel and a second wheel speed value from a second landing gear wheel, wherein the first landing gear wheel and the second landing gear wheel are disposed on an aircraft aft of a nose wheel;
receiving, by the processor, a wheel speed value of the nose wheel of an aircraft;
comparing, by the processor, the wheel speed value of the nose wheel and the reference ground speed value;

determining, by the processor, an actual aircraft ground speed based on the reference ground speed value and the wheel speed value; and
analyzing, by the processor, for a non-use condition prior to the determining the actual aircraft ground speed, wherein the non-use condition is a condition which prevents the processor from utilizing the wheel speed value of the nose wheel to determine the actual a

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Fink Thomas

Classifications

• B64C25/34

  wheeled type, e.g. multi-wheeled bogies · CPC title

• G01P3/56

  for comparing two speeds · CPC title

• B64C25/426

  Braking devices providing an automatic sequence of braking · CPC title

• G01P3/00

  Measuring linear or angular speed; Measuring differences of linear or angular speeds (G01P5/00 - G01P11/00 take precedence; {direction and speed indication G01P13/045}; counting mechanisms G06M) · CPC title

• G01P21/02

  of speedometers · CPC title