Autonomous swarm for rapid vehicle turnaround

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10620629-B2
Application number	US-201715629994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2017
Priority date	Jun 22, 2017
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

An example computing device may detect through a sensor that an aircraft started a particular phase of flight. The computing device may autonomously take independent actions on behalf of service operators to automatically allocate and assign resources to the aircraft based on availability of the resources and the flight phase of the aircraft. The computing device may thus trigger preparation of a particular service ahead of arrival of the aircraft, such that the associated service equipment is ready when the aircraft arrives at the gate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, by a computing device in communication with a plurality of sensors categorized into groups of sensors, each group of sensors being associated with detecting a respective flight phase of an aircraft different from other flight phases respectively detected by other groups of the sensors of the plurality of sensors, based on information received from a first group of sensors of the groups of sensors, that the aircraft is in a descent flight phase prior to the aircraft reaching a gate at an airport by a first predetermined amount of time;
responsively, triggering, by the computing device, preparation of servicing equipment associated with servicing the aircraft to be ready for a subsequent flight, wherein preparation time of the servicing equipment is substantially equal to or less than the first predetermined amount of time;
determining by the computing device, based on information received from a second group of sensors of the groups of sensors, that the aircraft landed and has started a taxi-in flight phase prior to reaching the gate by a second predetermined amount of time, wherein the second group of sensors configured to indicate that the aircraft landed and has started the taxi-in flight phase is different from the first group of sensors configured to indicate that the aircraft is in the descent flight phase;
responsively, triggering, by the computing device, deployment of the servicing equipment toward the gate, wherein arrival of the servicing equipment at the gate takes substantially the second predetermined amount of time or less;
determining by the computing device, based on information received from a third group of sensors in communication with the computing device, that the aircraft has arrived at the gate; and
responsively, triggering, by the computing device, use of the servicing equipment to prepare the aircraft for the subsequent flight.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the servicing equipment is a first set of servicing equipment, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining, based on information received from a fourth group of sensors in communication with the computing device, that the aircraft is in an approach flight phase at a particular altitude prior to the aircraft reaching the gate by a third predetermined amount of time; and
responsively, triggering preparation of a second set of servicing equipment associated with servicing the aircraft to be ready for the subsequent flight, wherein respective preparation time of the second set of servicing equipment is substantially equal to or less than the third predetermined amount of time, and wherein triggering deployment of the servicing equipment toward the gate comprises triggering deployment of the first and second sets of servicing equipment, wherein arrival of the first and second sets of servicing equipment at the gate takes substantially the second predetermined amount of time or less.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the servicing equipment is a first set of servicing equipment, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining, based on information received from a fourth group of sensors in communication with the computing device, that the aircraft is in a landing flight phase prior to reaching the gate by a third predetermined amount of time; and
responsively, triggering preparation of a second set of servicing equipment associated with servicing the aircraft to be ready for the subsequent flight, wherein respective preparation time of the second set of servicing equipment is substantially equal to or less than the third predetermined amount of time, and wherein triggering deployment of the servicing equipment toward the gate comprises triggering deployment of the first and second sets of servicing equipment, wherein arrival of the first and second sets of servicing equipment at the gate takes substantially the second predetermined amount of time or less.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the fourth group of sensors comprises a load sensor coupled to a landing gear of the aircraft, wherein determining that the aircraft is in the landing flight phase is based on the load sensor indicating an increase in load experienced by the landing gear upon the landing gear touching a runway.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first, second, or third group of sensors include at least one sensor coupled to the aircraft and one sensor that is ground-based.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is in communication with a database including information indicative of weather conditions in a vicinity of the airport, and wherein the method further comprises:
modifying at least one of the first or second predetermined amount of time based on weather information received from the database, wherein determining, based on information received from the first group of sensors of the groups of sensors, that the aircraft is in the descent flight phase comprises:
assigning to each sensor a weight indicative of a degree of accuracy of the sensor based on the weather conditions in the vicinity of the airport.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the servicing equipment includes at least one autonomous vehicle, and wherein triggering deployment of the servicing equipment toward the gate comprises transmitting a command to the autonomous vehicle to autonomously navigate toward the gate.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that, in response to execution by a computing device in communication with a plurality of sensors categorized into groups of sensors, each group of sensors being associated with detecting a respective flight phase of an aircraft different from other flight phases respectively detected by other groups of the sensors of the plurality of sensors, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
determining, based on information received from a first group of sensors of the groups of sensors, that the aircraft is in a descent flight phase prior to the aircraft reaching a gate at an airport by a first predetermined amount of time;
responsively, triggering preparation of servicing equipment associated with servicing the aircraft to be ready for a subsequent flight, wherein preparation time of the servicing equipment is substantially equal to or less than the first predetermined amount of time;
determining, based on information received from a second group of sensors of the groups of sensors, that the aircraft landed and has started a taxi-in flight phase prior to reaching the gate by a second predetermined amount of time, wherein the second group of sensors configured to indicate that the aircraft landed and has started the taxi-in flight phase is different from the first group of sensors configured to indicate that the aircraft is in the descent flight phase;
responsively, triggering deployment of the servicing equipment toward the gate, wherein arrival of the servicing equipment at the gate takes substantially the second predetermined amount of time or less;
determining, based on information received from a third group of sensors in communication with the computing device, that the aircraft has arrived at the gate; and
responsively, triggering use of the servicing equipment to prepare the aircraft for the subsequent flight.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the servicing equipment is a first set of servicing equipment, and wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, based on information received from a fourth group of sensors in communication with the computing device, that the aircraft is in an approach flight phase at a particular altitude prior to reaching the gat

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Laughlin Brian D
• Glatfelter John W

Classifications

• B64F1/368

  Arrangements or installations for routing, distributing or loading baggage · CPC title

• G06Q10/06316

  Sequencing of tasks or work · CPC title

• B64F1/002

  Taxiing aids · CPC title

• G08G5/00 Primary

  Traffic control systems for aircraft · CPC title

• G06Q10/08

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title