Systems and methods for guiding a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle to an emergency landing zone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11587449-B2
Application number	US-202016867134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 5, 2020
Priority date	Feb 21, 2020
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for guiding a vertical takeoff and landing, VTOL, vehicle to an emergency landing zone. The systems and methods include determining, via at least one processor, candidate landing zone data by interrogating an emergency landing zone database based at least on VTOL vehicle location, the candidate landing zone data representing a list of candidate emergency landing zones. A target emergency landing zone is selected from the list of candidate emergency landing zones based at least on VTOL vehicle related issues including at least one of unanticipated yaw issues, ground effect issues and modified trend vector issues, thereby providing target emergency landing zone data. Guidance for the VTOL vehicle is determined based on the target emergency landing zone data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for providing guidance to an emergency landing zone in a vertical takeoff and landing, VTOL, vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, via at least one processor, candidate landing zone data by interrogating an emergency landing zone database based at least on VTOL vehicle location, the candidate landing zone data representing a list of candidate emergency landing zones;
determining an approach path for each of the candidate emergency landing zones including determining a speed of the VTOL vehicle along the approach path, thereby providing approach path data for each of the candidate emergency landing zones including predicted speed and position of the VTOL vehicle;
selecting, via the at least one processor, a target emergency landing zone from the list of candidate emergency landing zones based at least on VTOL vehicle related issues, thereby providing target emergency landing zone data, wherein the selecting of the target emergency landing zone from the list of candidate emergency landing zones includes assessing each approach path with respect to minimizing the VTOL vehicle related issues, and wherein the VTOL vehicle related issues include ground effect altitudes and the method includes using parameters of the VTOL vehicle and environmental parameters including altitude, weight, available power and temperature in determining ground effect altitudes for each approach path from a database relating weight, altitude, temperature and power to ground effect altitudes and wherein VTOL vehicle related issues include predicted yaw effects and the method includes predicting yaw effects for each approach path based on relative angle of wind direction with respect to a main rotor of the VTOL vehicle, which is projected from the approach path data, wind strength and speed of the VTOL vehicle, which is predicted in the approach path data, wherein the yaw effects occur when a yaw moment provided by the VTOL vehicle does not result in actual yaw by the VTOL vehicle as a result of downwash from the main rotor impinging on a tail rotor; and
determining guidance for the VTOL vehicle based on the target emergency landing zone data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining guidance for the VTOL vehicle includes generating a display graphically identifying the target emergency landing zone and a location thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining guidance for the VTOL vehicle includes generating a display graphically identifying the target emergency landing zone, a location thereof and a descent path thereto.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining guidance for the VTOL vehicle includes generating control commands to land the VTOL vehicle at the target emergency landing zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the target emergency landing zone from the list of candidate emergency landing zones is further based on traffic data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the candidate emergency landing zone data is further based on at least one of data representing historical unofficial landing areas that have been used for a successful landing area and terrain survey data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting a target emergency landing zone from the list of candidate emergency landing zones is based at least on assessing VTOL vehicle related issues with respect to weather data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the candidate landing zone data is further based on landing requirements of the VTOL vehicle and/or remaining fuel or charge of the VTOL vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the candidate landing zone data is further based on remaining fuel or charge of the VTOL vehicle.

10. A system for providing guidance to an emergency landing zone in a vertical takeoff and landing, VTOL, vehicle, the system comprising:
a display device;
a sensor system configured to provide location data for a location of the VTOL vehicle;
at least one processor in operable communication with the sensor system and the display device and configured to execute program instructions, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to:
determine candidate landing zone data by interrogating an emergency landing zone database based at least on the location data for the VTOL vehicle, the candidate landing zone data representing a list of candidate emergency landing zones;
determine an approach path for each of the candidate emergency landing zones, wherein determining an approach path for each of the candidate emergency landing zones includes determining a speed of the VTOL vehicle along the approach path, thereby providing approach path data for each of the candidate emergency landing zones including predicted speed and position of the VTOL vehicle;
predicting yaw effects for each approach path based on relative angle of wind direction with respect to a main rotor of the VTOL vehicle, which is projected from the approach path data, wind strength and speed of the VTOL vehicle, which is predicted in the approach path data;
use parameters of the VTOL vehicle including altitude, weight and available power and environmental parameters including temperature in determining ground effect altitudes for each approach path from a database relating weight, altitude, temperature and power to ground effect altitudes;
select a target emergency landing zone from the list of candidate emergency landing zones based at least on minimizing VTOL vehicle related issues including the predicted yaw effects and the ground effect altitudes, thereby providing target emergency landing zone data; and
determine guidance for the VTOL vehicle based on the target emergency landing zone data including generating a display to be displayed by the display device that graphically identifies the target emergency landing zone and a location thereof.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to determine guidance for the VTOL vehicle including generating the display to graphically identify the target emergency landing zone, the location thereof and a descent path thereto.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to determine guidance for the VTOL vehicle including generating control commands to land the VTOL vehicle at the target emergency landing zone.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein selecting the target emergency landing zone from the list of candidate emergency landing zones is further based on traffic data.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the candidate emergency landing zone data is further based on at least one of data representing historical unofficial landing areas that have been used for a successful landing area and terrain survey data.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the candidate landing zone data is further based on landing zone requirements of the VTOL vehicle and/or remaining fuel or charge of the VTOL vehicle.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to generate a display on the display device including the approach path for the selected target emergency landing zone.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• B Jayasenthilnathan
• Baladhandapani Gobinathan
• P R Sriram
• Kanagarajan Sivakumar

Classifications

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G08G5/74

  for monitoring terrain · CPC title

• G08G5/54

  for approach or landing · CPC title

• G08G5/34

  for flight plan modification · CPC title

• G08G5/21

  located onboard the aircraft · CPC title