Automatic braking system controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11037454-B2
Application number	US-201615343164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2016
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

An automatic braking system controller automatically decelerates an aircraft on a runway according to a brake-to-exit or a constant deceleration function. The automatic braking system controller determines whether the aircraft can decelerate to a selected velocity prior to reaching a target location along the runway. In response to determining that the aircraft can decelerate to the selected velocity prior to reaching the target location, the automatic braking system controller automatically decelerates the aircraft with a comfortable deceleration profile such that the aircraft reaches the selected velocity at the target location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for automatically decelerating an aircraft to a selected velocity at a target location on a runway, the method comprising an automatic braking system controller:
calculating a maximum target deceleration rate and a minimum target deceleration rate for the aircraft on the runway, each determined based on both thermal energy generation and runway dwell time for the aircraft;
using a current location of the aircraft and a current velocity of the aircraft for iteratively determining:
a first stopping point of the aircraft using the maximum target deceleration rate;
a second stopping point of the aircraft using the minimum target deceleration rate;
a target deceleration required to decelerate the aircraft to the selected velocity at the target location; and
a sufficiency or an insufficiency of the maximum target deceleration rate to stop the aircraft before an end of the runway;

applying, when required to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway, braking pressure for the aircraft to achieve the maximum target deceleration rate;
responsive to the maximum target deceleration rate being insufficient to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway, deriving a deceleration value that will stop the aircraft before the end of the runway, and applying braking pressure for decelerating the aircraft at the deceleration value that will stop the aircraft before the end of the runway;
responsive to the maximum target deceleration rate being sufficient to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway, preventing applying braking pressure to brakes of the aircraft on the runway until a current deceleration of the aircraft exceeds the minimum target deceleration rate; and
responsive to the target deceleration being between the minimum target deceleration rate and the maximum target deceleration rate, applying braking pressure to the brakes of the aircraft on the runway for maintaining the target deceleration until reaching the selected velocity and then maintaining the selected velocity until one of: receiving an override command disarming the automatic braking controller, or the current location of the aircraft requiring the maximum target deceleration rate for stopping the aircraft before the end of the runway.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an exit location at which the aircraft should exit the runway; and
subtracting an exit buffer distance from the exit location to determine the target location.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
continuously adjusting the target deceleration to ensure the aircraft reaches the selected velocity at the target location based on the selected velocity and a current distance between the current location of the aircraft and the target location.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the aircraft cannot decelerate to the selected velocity prior to reaching the target location, providing an alert that the aircraft cannot decelerate to the selected velocity prior to reaching the target location; and
automatically decelerating the aircraft at a preferred deceleration of the aircraft such that the aircraft reaches the selected velocity at a location beyond the target location.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to decelerating the aircraft to the selected velocity, maintaining the selected velocity until a pilot override is received.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a current distance of the aircraft to an end-of-runway location; and
in response to determining that the aircraft has passed an end-of-runway buffer location, automatically decelerating the aircraft from the selected velocity at a preferred deceleration of the aircraft or beyond as necessary such that the aircraft stops prior to overrunning the runway.

7. An auto-brake control system configured to:
control a brake system to automatically decelerate an aircraft such that the aircraft reaches a selected velocity at a target location on a runway;
calculate a maximum target deceleration rate and a minimum target deceleration rate for the aircraft on the runway, each determined based on both thermal energy generation and runway dwell time for the aircraft;
use a current location of the aircraft and a current velocity of the aircraft to iteratively determine:
a first stopping point of the aircraft using the maximum target deceleration rate;
a second stopping point of the aircraft using the minimum target deceleration rate;
a target deceleration required to decelerate the aircraft to the selected velocity at the target location; and
a sufficiency or insufficiency of the maximum target deceleration rate to stop the aircraft before an end of the runway;

apply, when required to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway, braking pressure for the aircraft to achieve the maximum target deceleration rate;
responsive to the maximum target deceleration rate being insufficient to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway, derive a deceleration value that will stop the aircraft before the end of the runway, and apply braking pressure that decelerates the aircraft at the deceleration value that will stop the aircraft before the end of the runway;
responsive to the maximum target deceleration rate being sufficient to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway, prevent an application of braking pressure to brakes of the aircraft on the runway until a current deceleration of the aircraft exceeds the minimum target deceleration rate; and
responsive to the target deceleration being between the minimum target deceleration rate and the maximum target deceleration rate, apply a braking pressure to the brakes of the aircraft on the runway that maintains the target deceleration until the aircraft reaches the selected velocity and then maintains the selected velocity until one of: receiving an override command that disarms the auto-brake control system, or the current location of the aircraft requires the maximum target deceleration rate to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway.

8. The auto-brake control system of claim 7 , wherein the auto-brake control system is further configured:
to determine an exit location at which the aircraft should exit the runway; and
to subtract an exit buffer distance from the exit location to determine the target location.

9. The auto-brake control system of claim 7 , wherein the auto-brake control system is further configured to continuously adjust the target deceleration to ensure the aircraft reaches the selected velocity at the target location based on the selected velocity and a current distance between the current location of the aircraft and the target location.

10. The auto-brake control system of claim 7 , wherein the auto-brake control system is further configured:
in response to determining that the aircraft cannot decelerate to the selected velocity prior to reaching the target location, alerting a pilot that the aircraft cannot decelerate to the selected velocity prior to reaching the target location; and
to automatically decelerate the aircraft at a preferred deceleration of the aircraft such that the aircraft reaches the selected velocity at a location beyond the target location.

11. The auto-brake control system of claim 7 , wherein the auto-brake control system is further configured:
in response to decelerating the aircraft to the selected velocity, to maintain the selected velocity until a pilot override is received.

12. The auto-brake control system of claim 7 , wherein the auto-brake control system is further configured:
to determine a current distan

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Wapenski Joseph Michael
• Forghani Nima
• Griffith Thomas Todd

Classifications

• G08G5/51 Primary

  for control when on the ground, e.g. taxiing or rolling · CPC title

• B60T7/00 Primary

  Brake-action initiating means · CPC title

• B64C25/426 Primary

  Braking devices providing an automatic sequence of braking · CPC title

• B60T8/1703

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• B60T7/12 Primary

  for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger {(limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00)} · CPC title