On-board unit load device weight estimation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10782179-B2
Application number	US-201816167183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2018
Priority date	Oct 22, 2018
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A system for estimating mass of a ULD while on-board a vessel includes a system controller energizing one or more PDUs in communication with a conveyance surface of the vessel, the PDUs applying first and second forces to the ULD and transmitting first and second force parameters to a system integrator, one or more sensors measuring first and second accelerations of the ULD when the ULD moves into one or more sensing zones as a result of the forces and transmits first and second acceleration parameters to the system integrator, and the system integrator, which receives the first and second force parameters, and the first and second acceleration parameters, and calculates the mass of the ULD while the ULD is on-board the vessel by performing regression analysis on ordered pairs including the first force parameter and the first acceleration parameter, and the second force parameter and the second acceleration parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for estimating a mass of a unit load device while on-board a vessel configured to transport the unit load device, comprising:
a system controller configured to energize at least one power drive unit in communication with a conveyance surface of the vessel;
wherein the at least one power drive unit having a controller and a motor is configured to apply a first force to the unit load device and transmit a first force parameter in proportion to the first force to a system integrator, and the at least one power drive unit configured to apply a second force to the unit load device and transmit a second force parameter in proportion to the second force to the system integrator;
at least one sensor configured to measure a first acceleration of the unit load device in response to the unit load device moving into a sensing zone disposed about the conveyance surface of the vessel as a result of the first force and transmit a first acceleration parameter in proportion to the first acceleration to the system integrator, the at least one sensor further configured to measure a second acceleration of the unit load device in response to the unit load device moving into the sensing zone disposed about the conveyance surface of the vessel as a result of the second force and transmit a second acceleration parameter in proportion to the second acceleration to the system integrator; and
the system integrator having a processor and a memory, the system integrator configured in electronic communication with the at least one power drive unit to receive the first force parameter and the second force parameter, and the system integrator also configured in electronic communication with the at least one sensor to receive the first acceleration parameter and the second acceleration parameter;
wherein the system integrator is configured to calculate the mass of the unit load device while the unit load device is on-board the vessel by performing regression analysis on ordered pairs comprising the first force parameter and the first acceleration parameter, and the second force parameter and the second acceleration parameter.

2. The system for estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first force parameter comprises a first electrical current applied to the at least one power drive unit by the system controller and the second force parameter comprises a second electrical current applied to the at least one power drive unit by the system controller.

3. The system for estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first force parameter comprises a first electrical voltage applied to the at least one power drive unit by the system controller and the second force parameter comprises a second electrical voltage applied to the at least one power drive unit by the system controller.

4. The system for estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a camera, a video capture device, a radar, a light sensor, a depth sensor, a position sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultrasound sensor, a light detection and ranging sensor, and a three-dimensional sensor.

5. The system for estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 1 , wherein the regression analysis is a single variable regression analysis.

6. The system for estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 1 , wherein the regression analysis is a multi-variable regression analysis.

7. The system for estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one power drive unit comprises the system integrator.

8. The system for estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises an aircraft.

9. A method of estimating a mass of a unit load device while on-board a vessel configured to transport the unit load device, comprising:
receiving, at a system integrator, a first force parameter in proportion to a first force applied to the unit load device by at least one power drive unit in communication with a conveyance surface of the vessel;
receiving, at the system integrator, a second force parameter in proportion to a second force applied to the unit load device by the at least one power drive unit in communication with the conveyance surface of the vessel;
receiving, at the system integrator, a first acceleration parameter in proportion to a first acceleration of the unit load device in response to the unit load device moving into a sensing zone disposed about the conveyance surface of the vessel as a result of the first force;
receiving, at the system integrator, a second acceleration parameter in proportion to a second acceleration of the unit load device in response to the unit load device moving into the sensing zone disposed about the conveyance surface of the vessel as a result of the second force; and
calculating, by the system integrator, the mass of the unit load device while the unit load device is on-board the vessel by performing regression analysis on ordered pairs comprising the first force parameter and the first acceleration parameter, and the second force parameter and the second acceleration parameter.

10. The method of estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 9 , further comprising generating a system response if the mass of the unit load device does not match an expected mass of the unit load device.

11. The method of estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 10 , wherein the system response comprises at least one of rejecting the unit load device from the conveyance surface, removing the unit load device from the conveyance surface, re-positioning the unit load device on the conveyance surface, and generating an alert based on the mass of the unit load device.

12. The method of estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 9 , wherein the regression analysis is a single variable regression analysis or a multi-variable regression analysis.

13. The method of estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 9 , further comprising:
performing the regression analysis before the unit load device is placed in a stowage position on the conveyance surface of the vessel.

14. The method of estimating the mass of the unit load device of claim 9 , wherein the vessel comprises an aircraft.

15. A method of estimating a mass of a unit load device while on-board a vessel configured to transport the unit load device, comprising:
a non-transitory memory configured to store instructions; and
a processor in electronic communication with the memory, the processor configured to, in accordance with the instructions,
receive a first force parameter in proportion to a first force applied to the unit load device by at least one power drive unit in communication with a conveyance surface of the vessel;
receive a second force parameter in proportion to a second force applied to the unit load device by the at least one power drive unit in communication with the conveyance surface of the vessel;
receive a first acceleration parameter in proportion to a first acceleration of the unit load device in response to the unit load device moving into a sensing zone disposed about the conveyance surface of the vessel as a result of the first force;
receive a second acceleration parameter in proportion to a second acceleration of the unit load device in response to the unit load device moving into the sensing zone disposed about the conveyance surface of the vessel as a result of the second force; and
calculate the mass of the unit load device while the

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Daw Perez Zamira A
• Pinto Alessandro
• Varma Richa
• Nair Binu M
• Zhang Xiaobin
• Roberts Aaron J
• Harms Scott

Classifications

• B64D2009/006

  Rollers or drives for pallets of freight containers, e.g. PDU · CPC title

• G01G19/414

  using electronic computing means only · CPC title

• B64D9/00

  Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like · CPC title

• G01G19/086 Primary

  wherein the vehicle mass is dynamically estimated · CPC title

• G01G19/12 Primary

  having electrical weight-sensitive devices · CPC title