Aviation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12072364-B2
Application number	US-202217669833-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2022
Priority date	Mar 18, 2021
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

According to one implementation, an aviation system 100 includes electric field sensors 112 and a ground system 114 including a computer configured to communicate with each of the electric field sensors 112 . The computer is configured to: acquire electric field intensities from the electric field sensors 112 respectively, and generate a first electric field distribution on a ground surface 16 based on the electric field intensities; derive a matrix; derive a pseudo inverse matrix of the matrix; derive an electric charge distribution on the horizontal plane by multiplying the pseudo inverse matrix by the first electric field distribution on the ground surface 16 ; and derive a second electric field distribution on a flight path based on the electric charge distribution. The first electric field distribution on the ground surface 16 is derived by multiplying the matrix by electric charges temporarily set on a horizontal plane at a predetermined altitude.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aviation system comprising:
electric field sensors; and
a ground system including a computer configured to communicate with each of the electric field sensors,
wherein the computer is configured to:
acquire electric field intensities from the electric field sensors respectively, and generate a first electric field distribution on a ground surface based on the electric field intensities;
derive a matrix, the first electric field distribution on the ground surface being derived by multiplying the matrix by electric charges temporarily set on a horizontal plane at a predetermined altitude;
derive a pseudo inverse matrix of the matrix;
derive an electric charge distribution on the horizontal plane by multiplying the pseudo inverse matrix by the first electric field distribution on the ground surface; and
derive a second electric field distribution on a flight path of an aircraft based on the electric charge distribution,

further comprising a flight control system including another computer configured to change an attitude of the aircraft according to a direction of the second electric field distribution on the flight path of the aircraft to reduce influence of a lightning strike on the aircraft.

2. The aviation system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the computer is further configured to:
smooth the derived electric charge distribution;
derive a third electric field distribution on the ground surface based on the smoothed electric charge distribution;
derive a proportional constant which is a ratio between the first electric field distribution on the ground surface and the third electric field distribution on the ground surface;
multiply the smoothed electric charge distribution by the proportional constant; and
derive the second electric field distribution on the flight path based on the electric charge distribution which has been multiplied by the proportional constant.

3. An aviation method comprising:
acquiring electric field intensities from electric field sensors respectively by a computer included in a ground system communicating with each of the electric field sensors, and generate a first electric field distribution on a ground surface based on the electric field intensities;
deriving a matrix, the first electric field distribution on the ground surface being derived by multiplying the matrix by electric charges temporarily set on a horizontal plane at a predetermined altitude;
deriving a pseudo inverse matrix of the matrix;
deriving an electric charge distribution on the horizontal plane by multiplying the pseudo inverse matrix by the first electric field distribution on the ground surface;
deriving a second electric field distribution on a flight path of an aircraft based on the electric charge distribution; and
changing an attitude of the aircraft according to a direction of the second electric field distribution on the flight path of the aircraft to reduce influence of a lightning strike on the aircraft.

4. The aviation method according to claim 3 ,
wherein:
the derived electric charge distribution is smoothed;
a third electric field distribution on the ground surface is derived based on the smoothed electric charge distribution;
a proportional constant which is a ratio between the first electric field distribution on the ground surface and the third electric field distribution on the ground surface is derived;
the smoothed electric charge distribution is multiplied by the proportional constant; and
the second electric field distribution on the flight path is derived based on the electric charge distribution which has been multiplied by the proportional constant.

5. The aviation system according to claim 1 , wherein, during the deriving of the matrix, a target area is set as a predetermined range on the horizontal plane by extending the flight path horizontally.

6. The aviation system according to claim 1 , wherein the second electric field distribution is derived on an entirety of the flight path of the aircraft based on the electric charge distribution.

7. The aviation system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the smoothing of the derived electric charge distribution includes:
making an average value of electric charges in a virtual point group, centering on a desired virtual point and consisting of longitudinal three points and lateral three points, to the electric charge at the desired virtual point using a convolution filter; and
sequentially changes the desired virtual point, and perform such smoothing processing for every desired virtual point.

8. The aviation system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the computer is further configured to:
calibrate absolute quantities changed due to the smoothing of the derived electric charge distribution.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp
• Japan Aerospace Exploration

Inventors

• Tsubata Hiroyuki
• Miyaki Hiromitsu
• Okada Takao

Classifications

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G08G5/22

  located on the ground · CPC title

• G01R29/0842

  Measurements related to lightning, e.g. measuring electric disturbances, warning systems · CPC title

• G01R29/0892

  Details related to signal analysis or treatment; presenting results, e.g. displays; measuring specific signal features other than field strength, e.g. polarisation, field modes, phase, envelope, maximum value · CPC title

• G01R29/0807

  characterised by the application · CPC title