Aircraft guidance with transmitting beacons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11726480-B2
Application number	US-202016842332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2020
Priority date	Apr 7, 2020
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

Aircraft guidance with transmitting beacons is disclosed. An example apparatus includes a transceiver of an aircraft to receive signals from deployed beacons, a signal analyzer to analyze the signals to determine distances of the respective beacons relative to the aircraft, and a position calculator to calculate a positional zone of the aircraft based on the distances.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a transceiver of an aircraft to receive first, second and third signals from deployed first, second and third beacons including respective global positioning system (GPS) receivers;
a signal analyzer to analyze the first, second and third signals to determine distances of the respective first, second and third beacons relative to the aircraft; and
a position calculator configured to:
determine a positional drift of ones of the first, second and third beacons based on GPS data therefrom,
calculate a positional zone of the aircraft based on the distances, positions of the first, second and third beacons, and the determined positional drift in response to the aircraft proceeding to or being positioned in an area with relatively low GPS signals,
determine a change of a flight path of the aircraft, and
direct at least one of the first, second or third beacons to move based on the change of the flight path of the aircraft.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further including a guidance controller to direct a movement of the aircraft based on the calculated positional zone.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft includes a container to store the first, second and third beacons, and wherein the first, second and third beacons are deployed from the aircraft.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the signal analyzer determines the distances based on relative signal strengths of the first, second and third beacons.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the position calculator is to direct at least one of the first, second or third beacons to move based on the flight path of the aircraft.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the position calculator is to determine the positional drift based on a movement from a release point.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is to deploy the first, second and third beacons to an area with sufficient GPS signals.

8. A system for determining a positional zone of an aircraft, the system comprising:
first, second and third beacons, the first, second and third beacons deployed to transmit first, second and third signals, respectively, the first, second and third beacons including respective global positioning system (GPS) receivers;
a transceiver of the aircraft to receive the first, second and third signals; and
a position calculator configured to:
determine a positional drift of ones of the first, second and third beacons based on GPS data therefrom,
determine, in response to the aircraft proceeding to or being positioned in an area with relatively low GPS signals, a positional zone of the aircraft based on distances between the aircraft and the first, second and third beacons, positions of the first, second and third beacons, the determined positional drift, and the distances determined from the first, second and third signals,
determine a change of a flight path of the aircraft, and
direct at least one of the first, second or third beacons to move based on the change of the flight path of the aircraft.

9. The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first, second and third beacons include floating buoys.

10. The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the position calculator determines the positional zone based on a lateration.

11. The system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first, second and third beacons are deployed from the aircraft.

12. The system as defined in claim 11 , wherein the first, second and third beacons include parachutes.

13. A method of determining a positional zone of an aircraft, the method comprising:
deploying first, second and third beacons;
transmitting first, second and third signals from the first, second and third beacons, respectively;
determining, by executing instructions with at least one processor, distances between the aircraft and the first, second and third beacons based on the first, second and third signals;
determining, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, a positional drift of ones of the first, second and third beacons based on global positioning system (GPS) data therefrom;
calculating, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, the positional zone based on the distances, the determined positional drift and positions of the first, second and third beacons in response to the aircraft proceeding to or being positioned in an area with relatively low GPS signals;
determining, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, a change of a flight path of the aircraft; and
directing, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, at least one of the first, second or third beacons to move based on the change of the flight path of the aircraft.

14. The method as defined in claim 13 , further including guiding, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, movement of the aircraft based on the positional zone and the flight path of the aircraft.

15. The method as defined in claim 13 , further including determining, by executing instructions with the at least one processor, positions of the first, second and third beacons.

16. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein deploying the first, second and third beacons includes deploying the first, second and third beacons from the aircraft.

17. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein the positional zone includes a position of the aircraft.

18. The method as defined in claim 13 , wherein calculating the positional zone includes performing a lateration calculation based on signal strengths of the first, second and third signals.

19. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed, cause a processor to at least:
cause a transceiver to receive first, second and third signals transmitted from first, second and third deployed beacons, respectively;
determine distances between an aircraft and the first, second and third deployed beacons, the distances determined based on the first, second and third signals transmitted from the first, second and third beacons, respectively;
determine a positional drift of ones of the first, second and third beacons based on global position system (GPS) data therefrom;
calculate a positional zone of the aircraft based on the determined distances, the determined positional drift, and the positions of the first, second and third beacons in response to the aircraft proceeding to or being positioned in an area with relatively low GPS signals;
determine a change of a flight path of the aircraft, and
direct at least one of the first, second or third beacons to move based on the change of the flight path of the aircraft.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 19 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to determine positions of the first, second and third beacons.

21. The non-transitory machine readable medium as defined in claim 19 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to guide movement of the aircraft based on the positional zone and the flight path of the aircraft.

Assignees

• Insitu Inc

Inventors

• Rysdyk Rolf
• Mack Torsten
• Nasroullahi Mohammad Ehsan

Classifications

• G05D1/0202 Primary

  specially adapted to aircraft · CPC title

• G01S1/0423 Primary

  Mounting or deployment thereof · CPC title

• G01S5/14

  Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location · CPC title

• G05D1/101

  specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title

• G01S19/11

  wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters · CPC title