Aircraft landing systems and methods for monitoring a vertical landing of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10625876-B2
Application number	US-201816058530-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2018
Priority date	Aug 8, 2018
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

An aircraft landing system for landing of an aircraft includes at least one force sensor and a processor. The at least one force sensor is coupled with a landing gear of the aircraft for sensing forces applied to the landing gear at a plurality of positions during landing at a landing zone. The processor is configured to receive force measurements from the at least one force sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft landing system for landing of an aircraft, the aircraft landing system comprising:
at least one force sensor coupled with a landing gear of the aircraft for sensing a first force applied to a first portion of the landing gear and a second force applied to a second portion of the landing gear during landing at a landing zone; and
a processor configured to receive information from the at least one force sensor corresponding to the sensed first and second forces and determine a suitability of the landing zone for landing based on the received information corresponding to the sensed first and second forces.

2. The aircraft landing system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to flag for an unsuitable landing zone based on the suitability of the landing zone for landing.

3. The aircraft landing system of claim 2 wherein the processor is further configured to issue a command to a flight control system of the aircraft based on the flag for the unsuitable landing zone.

4. The aircraft landing system of claim 3 wherein the command includes signaling the flight control system of the aircraft to direct the aircraft to another landing zone.

5. The aircraft landing system of claim 2 wherein the processor is further configured to transmit an alert or command to another vehicle based on the flag for the unsuitable landing zone.

6. The aircraft landing system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to receive data from at least one of an acoustic sensor and an optical sensor.

7. The aircraft landing system of claim 6 wherein the processor is further configured to analyze the force information received from the at least one force sensor and the data from the at least one of the acoustic sensor and the optical sensor.

8. The aircraft landing system of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a suitability of the landing zone for landing based on the force information from the at least one force sensor and the data from the at least one of the acoustic sensor and the optical sensor.

9. The aircraft landing system of claim 1 wherein the at least one force sensor is positioned on a bottom of the landing gear.

10. The aircraft landing system of claim 1 wherein the aircraft is a helicopter comprising a skid, and wherein the at least one force sensor is positioned on a bottom of the skid.

11. A method for monitoring a landing of an aircraft, the method comprising:
sensing a first force applied to a first portion of a landing gear and a second force applied to a second portion of the landing gear during landing at a landing zone; and
determining a suitability of the landing zone for landing based on the sensed first and second forces.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising flagging for an unsuitable landing zone based on the suitability of the landing zone for landing.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising issuing a command to a flight control system of the aircraft based on the flag for the unsuitable landing zone.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the command includes signaling the flight control system of the aircraft to direct the aircraft to another landing zone.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising transmitting an alert or command to another vehicle based on the flag for the unsuitable landing zone.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving data from at least one of an acoustic sensor and an optical sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising analyzing the sensed first and second forces and the data from the at least one of the acoustic sensor and the optical sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining a suitability of the landing zone for landing based on the sensed first and second forces and the data from the at least one of the acoustic sensor and the optical sensor.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one force sensor is coupled with the landing gear of the aircraft for sensing the first and second forces applied to the landing gear at the first and second positions during landing.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein determining a suitability of the landing zone for landing includes comparing the sensed first and second forces to a predetermined threshold corresponding to a potential landing obstacle.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the aircraft is a helicopter comprising a skid, and wherein the at least one force sensor is positioned on a bottom of the skid.

Assignees

• Aurora Flight Sciences Corp

Inventors

• Bosworth William R

Classifications

• B64D45/04 Primary

  Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface · CPC title

• B64C25/001 Primary

  Devices not provided for in the groups B64C25/02 - B64C25/68 · CPC title

• B64C2025/325

  specially adapted for helicopters · CPC title

• G01L5/0052

  measuring forces due to impact (G01L5/0061, G01L5/14 take precedence; impact testing of structures G01M7/08; impact testing of material G01N3/00) · CPC title

• B64C25/52

  Skis or runners · CPC title