Systems and methods for in-flight re-routing of an electric aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12080176-B2
Application number	US-202218083974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2022
Priority date	Nov 17, 2021
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

In an aspect of the present disclosure is a system for in-flight re-routing of an electric aircraft including a battery pack configured to provide electrical power to the electric aircraft; a sensor configured to detect at least a temperature metric of the battery pack and generate a temperature datum based on the at least a temperature metric; a controller communicatively connected to the sensor, the controller configured to: receive the temperature datum from the sensor; and re-route the electric aircraft based on the temperature datum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for in-flight re-routing of an electric aircraft, comprising:
a battery pack configured to provide electrical power to the electric aircraft;
a sensor configured to generate a temperature datum according to a temperature of the battery pack; and
a controller communicatively connected to the sensor, the controller configured to:
receive the temperature datum from the sensor; and
re-route the electric aircraft, while the electric aircraft is in-flight, based on the temperature datum.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
recommend a plurality of landing sites as a function of the temperature datum; and
receive a user input, wherein the user input contains a selection of a landing site of the plurality of landing sites.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein re-routing the electric aircraft comprises re-routing the electric aircraft to the landing site of the selection.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein recommending the plurality of landing sites as a function of the temperature datum comprises recommending the plurality of landing sites as a function of a distance between each landing site of the plurality of landing sites and a current aircraft position.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein recommending the plurality of landing sites as a function of the temperature datum comprises recommending the plurality of landing sites as a function of a type of landing site.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to
issue a warning as a function of a comparison between the temperature datum and a threshold temperature.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein issuing the warning as a function of the comparison between the temperature datum and the first threshold temperature comprises issuing a visual warning as based at least in part on the comparison between the temperature datum and the threshold temperature using a display.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein re-routing the electric aircraft comprises updating a flight plan of the electric aircraft.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein re-routing the electric aircraft comprises updating a flight plan of the electric aircraft as a function of a user input.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive a user input from an input control, wherein the input control is:
communicatively connected to the controller; and
located remote to the electric aircraft.

11. A method for implementing a system for in-flight re-routing of an electric aircraft, the method comprising:
receiving, at a controller from a sensor installed in the electric aircraft, a temperature datum generated according to a temperature of a battery pack; and
re-routing, by the controller and while the electric aircraft is in-flight, the electric aircraft based on the temperature datum.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
recommending, by the controller, a plurality of landing sites as a function of the temperature datum; and
receiving, by the controller, a user input, wherein the user input contains a selection of a landing site of the plurality of landing sites.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein re-routing the electric aircraft comprises re-routing the electric aircraft to the landing site of the selection.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein recommending the plurality of landing sites as a function of the temperature datum comprises recommending the plurality of landing sites as a function of a distance between each landing site of the plurality of landing sites and a current aircraft position.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein recommending the plurality of landing sites as a function of the temperature datum comprises recommending the plurality of landing sites as a function of a type of landing site.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising
issuing, by the controller, a warning as a function of a comparison between the temperature datum and a threshold temperature.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein issuing the warning as a function of the comparison between the temperature datum and the first threshold temperature comprises issuing a visual warning based at least in part on the comparison between the temperature datum and the threshold temperature using a display.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein re-routing the electric aircraft comprises updating a flight plan of the electric aircraft.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein re-routing the electric aircraft comprises updating a flight plan of the electric aircraft as a function of a user input.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving, by the controller, a user input from an input control, wherein the input control is:
communicatively connected to the controller; and
located remote to the electric aircraft.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Foland Steven J
• Ferrier Lochie
• Warren Nick
• Palombini John

Classifications

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D31/16

  for electric power plants · CPC title

• G05D2105/22

  of humans · CPC title

• G05D2109/254

  Flying platforms, e.g. multicopters · CPC title

• G05D1/852

  in response to low power or low fuel conditions · CPC title