Expedited preflight readiness system for aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752376-B2
Application number	US-201815978518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2018
Priority date	Mar 21, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

An expedited preflight readiness system for aircraft includes a power source having one or more battery modules for storing electrical power. An integrated controller is electrically and communicatively coupled with the power source for monitoring and controlling the power source to provide electrical power to aircraft subsystems. A mobile device is communicatively coupled with the integrated controller for communicating instructions to the integrated controller for initiating preflight readiness of the aircraft and for monitoring preflight readiness. A method for preconditioning an aircraft includes determining a state-of-charge of an APU and activating an environmental control subsystem for preconditioning the aircraft by adjusting a current temperature according to a preconditioning profile based on one or more of a target temperature, a target time, the current temperature, an outside air temperature, an amount of energy, and a state-of-charge of the APU.

First claim

We claim:

1. An automated preflight readiness system for initiating preflight readiness of an aircraft, comprising:
a power source having one or more battery modules for storing electrical power, the power source being electrically coupled to a plurality of aircraft subsystems for enabling preflight readiness;
an integrated controller electrically and communicatively coupled with the power source for monitoring and controlling the power source and for receiving instructions for initiating the plurality of aircraft subsystems;
a mobile device communicatively coupled with the integrated controller, the mobile device being capable of determining its location and providing location information to the integrated controller; and
a virtual location boundary determined using the integrated controller for establishing when the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the aircraft such that the aircraft automatically begins preflight readiness routines when the mobile device crosses the virtual location boundary.

2. The expedited preflight readiness system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device includes a global-positioning-satellite (GPS) receiver for determining its location.

3. The expedited preflight readiness system of claim 2 , wherein the virtual location boundary is a geofence based on GPS coordinates surrounding the aircraft.

4. The expedited preflight readiness system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated controller automatically initiates the preflight readiness routines without user-activated instructions.

5. The expedited preflight readiness system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device automatically displays information about the plurality of subsystems for monitoring preflight readiness after the mobile device has crossed the virtual location boundary.

6. The expedited preflight readiness system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated controller automatically notifies a ground-based operator if a tire pressure indicator indicates that at least one tire has a pressure below a predetermined pressure after the mobile device has crossed the virtual location boundary.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated controller automatically unlocks one or more aircraft doors following a predetermined time after the mobile device crosses the virtual location boundary.

8. The expedited preflight readiness system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual location boundary is partially based on an outside air temperature at the aircraft such that an environmental control system has sufficient time to precondition a cabin of the aircraft prior to arrival by a user of the mobile device.

9. A method for automatically preconditioning an aircraft, the aircraft having an integrated controller electrically and communicatively coupled with a plurality of aircraft subsystems, the method comprising:
establishing when a mobile device of a user of the aircraft is within a predetermined distance of the aircraft;
estimating a target time when the mobile device will arrive at the aircraft based on the predetermined distance;
measuring a current temperature and an outside air temperature;
calculating an amount of energy to reach a predetermined target temperature based on the current temperature, the outside air temperature, and the target time;
determining a state-of-charge of an auxiliary-power-unit (APU); and
activating an environmental control subsystem for preconditioning the aircraft by adjusting the current temperature according to a preconditioning profile based on one or more of the target temperature, the target time, the current temperature, the outside air temperature, the amount of energy, and the state-of-charge of the APU.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein establishing when the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the aircraft is based on a virtual location boundary surrounding the aircraft as determined by the integrated controller.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein activating the environmental control subsystem for preconditioning the aircraft occurs without personnel in attendance at the aircraft.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising automatically sending a notification to the mobile device after the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the aircraft for alerting the user about the preconditioning of the aircraft.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising automatically activating heaters for preheating one or more of a cockpit, a cabin, a seat, a control interface, an engine oil, a main battery, and for wing leading-edge anti-icing/deicing, and windshield-defrosting after the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the aircraft.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein activating the environmental control subsystem for preconditioning the aircraft comprises:
following the step of establishing when the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the aircraft,
activating one or more heaters when the current temperature is less than the target temperature; and
activating one or more of vapor-cycle-cooling subsystems (VCCS) when the current temperature is greater than the target temperature.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising operating a variable-speed compressor motor of the one or more vapor-cycle-cooling subsystems at a reduced speed to reduce energy use based on the preconditioning profile.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising operating the variable-speed compressor motor continuously at a reduced speed to provide a consistent and quieter environmental noise signature by avoiding intermittent high-current discharge surges from the APU.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising operating the variable-speed compressor motor at different speeds to facilitate estimation of energy usage and to facilitate determination of a precooling profile based on a constant cooling rate as opposed to a constant compressor speed.

18. An automated preflight readiness method for an aircraft, comprising:
establishing when a mobile device of a user of the aircraft is within a predetermined distance of the aircraft;
sending a signal via a mobile device to a server after the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the aircraft;
determining whether the signal is a request for data or a command to operate an aircraft subsystem; and
when the signal is a request for data,
searching aircraft diagnostic data of the server for requested data; and
transmitting requested data from the server to the mobile device for display; and

when the signal is a command,
transmitting the command to an integrated controller for operating aircraft subsystems for preflight readiness; and
transmitting status of the subsystems to the mobile device for displaying progress of preflight readiness.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising requesting authentication by a user of the mobile device after the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the aircraft.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising preprogramming preflight readiness instructions, such that the integrated controller automatically operates subsystems for preflight readiness the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the aircraft without receiving a command from the mobile device.

Assignees

• Textron Aviation Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Chang Vernon Weng-Yew
• Beuning Charles Bernard
• Wolfe Adam Blake
• Ta Phuong Ngoc
• Hansen Mark Christopher

Classifications

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• G05D1/0011

  associated with a remote control arrangement · CPC title

• H01M50/249

  specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64) · CPC title

• H01M50/204

  Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells · CPC title

• H01M50/569

  Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals (battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364) · CPC title