Systems and methods for real time determination of a fuel level for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12559252-B2
Application number	US-202318350791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2023
Priority date	Jul 12, 2023
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A system and a method include a control unit configured to determine one or more fuel levels for an aircraft at one or more arrival airports for one or more alternate flight plans that divert from an original flight plan. The control unit is configured to determine the one or more fuel levels based on traffic at the one or more arrival airports, and performance data for the aircraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
an aircraft including one or more fuel sensors configured to detect a current fuel level of the aircraft; and a control unit including one or more processors, wherein the control unit is in communication with the one or more fuel sensors, and wherein the control unit is configured to:
receive information from the one or more fuel sensors of the aircraft to determine the current fuel level of the aircraft,
determine fuel levels for the aircraft upon landing at one or more arrival airports for alternate flight plans that divert from an original flight plan based on traffic at the one or more arrival airports, and performance data for the aircraft.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the fuel levels when the aircraft is in flight after the aircraft departed a departure airport, and before the aircraft lands at any of the one or more arrival airports.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the fuel levels based further on one or more notifications.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more notifications include information regarding current weather at the one or more arrival airports, forecasted weather at the one or more arrival airports, and required procedures at the one or more arrival airports.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the performance data includes one or more performance models for the aircraft, wherein the one or more performance models provide information regarding operational capabilities of the aircraft.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to automatically discard any one of the alternate flight plans that does not provide the aircraft with sufficient fuel at any of the one or more arrival airports.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface in communication with the control unit, wherein the user interface comprises a display, and wherein the control unit is configured to show information regarding the alternate flight plans on the display.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to automatically select one of the alternate flight plans for the aircraft.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the aircraft is automatically operated based on one of the one or more alternate flight plans.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to express the fuel levels in terms of time including a number of hours of remaining fuel.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is an artificial intelligence or machine learning system.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is configured to be operated to fly to one of the one or more airports according to one of the alternate flight plans.

13 . A method comprising:
detecting, by one or more fuel sensors of an aircraft, a current fuel level of the aircraft; receiving, by a control unit including one or more processors in communication with the one or more fuel sensors, information regarding the current fuel level of the aircraft from the one or more fuel sensors of the aircraft; determining, by the control unit, fuel levels for the aircraft upon landing at one or more arrival airports for alternate flight plans that divert from an original flight plan based on traffic at the one or more arrival airports, and performance data for the aircraft, wherein the performance data includes one or more performance models for the aircraft, and wherein the one or more performance models provide information regarding operational capabilities of the aircraft.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said determining, by the control unit, occurs when the aircraft is in flight after the aircraft departed a departure airport, and before the aircraft lands at any of the one or more arrival airports.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said determining, by the control unit, further comprises determining the fuel levels based further on one or more notifications, and wherein the one or more notifications include information regarding current weather at the one or more arrival airports, forecasted weather at the one or more arrival airports, required procedures, and existing curfews at the one or more arrival airports.

16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising showing, by the control unit, information regarding the alternate flight plans on a display of a user interface.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
automatically selecting, by the control unit, one of the alternate flight plans for the aircraft; and automatically operating the aircraft based on the one of the alternate flight plans.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising expressing, by the control unit, the fuel levels in terms of time including a number of hours of remaining fuel.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising operating the aircraft to fly to one of the one or more airports according to one of the alternate flight plans.

20 . A system comprising:
an aircraft including one or more fuel sensors configured to detect a current fuel level of the aircraft; a control unit including one or more processors, wherein the control unit is in communication with the one or more fuel sensors, and wherein the control unit is configured to:
receive information from the one or more fuel sensors of the aircraft to determine the current fuel level of the aircraft,
determine fuel levels for the aircraft upon landing at one or more arrival airports for alternate flight plans that divert from an original flight plan based on traffic at the one or more arrival airports, performance data for the aircraft, and one or more notifications, wherein the performance data includes one or more performance models for the aircraft, wherein the one or more performance models provide information regarding operational capabilities of the aircraft, wherein the one or more notifications include information regarding current weather at the one or more arrival airports, forecasted weather at the one or more arrival airports, and required procedures at the one or more arrival airports, and wherein the control unit is further configured to express the fuel levels in terms of time including a number of hours of remaining fuel, and
automatically discard any one of the alternate flight plans that does not provide the aircraft with sufficient fuel at any of the one or more arrival airports; and
a user interface in communication with the control unit, wherein the user interface comprises a display, and wherein the control unit is configured to show information regarding the alternate flight plans on the display, wherein the aircraft is configured to be operated to fly to one of the one or more airports according to one of the alternate flight plans.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Büddefeld Michael-Christian
• Schöniger Hendrik
• Schwartz Samantha
• Sutton Forest

Classifications

• G08G5/34 Primary

  for flight plan modification · CPC title

• G01F23/802

  Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment · CPC title

• B64D45/00 Primary

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title