Automated aircraft recovery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11256253-B2
Application number	US-201615207359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2016
Priority date	Jul 11, 2016
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

An automated aircraft recovery system is disclosed. In various embodiments, the system includes an interface configured to receive sensor data; and a control mechanism configured to: perform automatically a recovery action that is determined based at least in part on the sensor data. In various embodiments, the control mechanism may determine an expected state of an aircraft, determine whether a state of the aircraft matches the expected state, and in the event the state of the aircraft does not match the expected state, perform the recovery action.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automated aircraft recovery system comprising:
a data communication interface configured to receive sensor data from a sensor configured to generate the sensor data, wherein the sensor data is associated with a state of an aircraft and includes aircraft altitude, aircraft speed, and an obstacle information; and
a processor configured to:
determine, based at least in part on the sensor data, whether the state of the aircraft matches an expected state,
determine, based at least in part on the obstacle information, whether there is an obstacle that would impede parachute deployment; and
automatically perform a recovery action based at least in part on a determination that the state of the aircraft does not match the expected state, including by:
determining whether the aircraft is in a first flight condition based at least in part on whether the aircraft altitude and the aircraft speed are above a first altitude threshold and a first speed threshold, respectively;
in response to: (1) the determination that the aircraft is in the first flight condition and (2) the determination that there is no obstacle that impedes parachute deployment activating a first recovery equipment, wherein the first recovery equipment includes a first parachute;
determining whether the aircraft is in a second flight condition based at least in part on whether the aircraft altitude and the aircraft speed are below a second altitude threshold and a second speed threshold, respectively; and
in response to: (1) the determination that the aircraft is in the second flight condition and (2) the determination that there is no obstacle that impedes parachute deployment activating a second recovery equipment, wherein the second recovery equipment includes a second parachute.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises one or more of the following: a speed, an altitude, an attitude, or a flight condition.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises a functionality, health, or state of a control, an electrical component, or a structural component of the aircraft.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises one or more of the following: global positioning system information, a proximity to an obstacle, an obstacle classification, a communication with another aircraft, or environmental information.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the recovery action is performed as part of a series of recovery actions or performed with another recovery action simultaneously.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the recovery action comprises changing a speed, an altitude, an attitude, or a flight condition of the aircraft.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the recovery action or a series of recovery actions including the recovery action comprises deploying one or more parachutes, deploying one or more parachutes in stages, delaying a parachute deployment, triggering a component of a commercial recovery system, or deploying a custom parachute system.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the recovery action or a series of recovery actions including the recovery action comprises coordinating parachute deployments and aircraft maneuvers.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises an enabled mode and a disabled mode.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first recovery equipment is optimized for the first flight condition and the second recovery equipment is optimized for the second flight condition.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein activating the second recovery equipment includes activating the second recovery equipment instead of the first recovery equipment.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine to perform the recovery action based at least in part on a determined risk associated with an obstacle in surroundings of the aircraft.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the obstacle information includes a position information associated with a second aircraft; and
determining whether there is an obstacle that would impede parachute deployment includes extrapolating the second aircraft's trajectory using the position information associated with the second aircraft.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor data include climb information associated with the aircraft; and
determining whether the state of the aircraft matches an expected state includes permitting larger climb magnitudes for the climb information during a take-off state of the aircraft compared to during a cruising state of the aircraft.

15. A method, comprising:
receiving sensor data from a sensor configured to generate the sensor data, wherein the sensor data is associated with a state of an aircraft and includes aircraft altitude aircraft speed and an obstacle information;
determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, whether the state of the aircraft matches an expected state;
determining, based at least in part on the obstacle information, whether there is an obstacle that would impede parachute deployment; and
automatically performing a recovery action based at least in part on a determination that the state of the aircraft does not match the expected state, including by:
determining whether the aircraft is in a first flight condition based at least in part on whether the aircraft altitude and the aircraft speed are above a first altitude threshold and a first speed threshold, respectively;
in response to: (1) the determination that the aircraft is in the first flight condition and (2) the determination that there is no obstacle that impedes parachute deployment activating a first recovery equipment, wherein the first recovery equipment includes a first parachute;
determining whether the aircraft is in a second flight condition based at least in part on whether the aircraft altitude and the aircraft speed are below a second altitude threshold and a second speed threshold, respectively; and
in response to: (1) the determination that the aircraft is in the second flight condition and (2) the determination that there is no obstacle that impedes parachute deployment, activating a second recovery equipment, wherein the second recovery equipment includes a second parachute.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the obstacle information includes a position information associated with a second aircraft; and
determining whether there is an obstacle that would impede parachute deployment includes extrapolating the second aircraft's trajectory using the position information associated with the second aircraft.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the sensor data include climb information associated with the aircraft; and
determining whether the state of the aircraft matches an expected state includes permitting larger climb magnitudes for the climb information during a take-off state of the aircraft compared to during a cruising state of the aircraft.

18. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
receiving sensor data from a sensor configured to generate the sensor data, wherein the sensor data is associated with a state of an aircraft and includes aircraft altitude, aircraft speed, and an obstacle information;
determining based at least in part on the sensor data whether the state of the aircraft matches an expected state;
determining, based at least in part on the obstacle information, whether there is an obstacle that would impede parachute deploymen

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Robertson Cameron
• Roop Joseph
• Reichert Todd
• Vander Lind Damon

Classifications

• B64U70/83

  using parachutes, balloons or the like · CPC title

• B64D17/80 Primary

  in association with aircraft, e.g. for braking thereof · CPC title

• B64D17/725

  by explosive means · CPC title

• B64D17/54

  automatic · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title