Landing aircrafts with optimal landing spot selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9645582-B2
Application number	US-201514750746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for landing aircrafts with optimal landing spot selection. In one aspect, a method includes initiating an autorotation of an aircraft in response to detecting all engine failure, determining a plurality of flight characteristics and conditions of the aircraft at a time of initiating the autorotation, the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions comprising an aircraft altitude, an aircraft velocity, and wind direction, determining total air-time for glideslope and flare control, and a geographic area within which to land the aircraft by autorotation based on the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions, and controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation within the geographic area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by a data processing apparatus, the method comprising:
initiating, by the data processing apparatus, an autorotation of an aircraft in response to detecting engine failure;
determining, by the data processing apparatus, a plurality of flight characteristics and conditions of the aircraft at a time of initiating the autorotation, the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions comprising an aircraft altitude, an aircraft velocity, and wind direction;
determining, by the data processing apparatus, a geographic area within which to land the aircraft by autorotation based on the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions; and
controlling, by the data processing apparatus, the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation within the geographic area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation within the geographic area comprises:
determining a glideslope angle and a flare control point for the aircraft based at least in part on the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions;
determining a flight path along which to descend the aircraft by autorotation.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the flight path along which to descend the aircraft by autorotation comprises:
storing, in a computer-readable storage device, a plurality of flight paths, a plurality of glideslope angles and a plurality of flare control points, each stored flight path associated with a corresponding stored glideslope angle and stored flare control point; and
comparing the determined glideslope angle and the flare control point with the plurality of glideslope angles and the plurality of flare control points, respectively.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
monitoring the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions while controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation to determine changes to the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions;
determining changes to the glideslope angle and the flare control point based on the changes to the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions; and
modifying the flight path along which to descend the aircraft by autorotation based on the changes to the glideslope angle and the flare control point.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a presence of obstacles in the geographic area while controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation; and
modifying the flight path along which to descend the aircraft to avoid the obstacles.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation within the geographic area comprises orienting the aircraft to face headwind based on the wind direction.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a geographic area within which to land the aircraft by autorotation based on the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions comprises successively determining a plurality of geographic areas within which to land the aircraft while controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation, each geographic area determined at a lower altitude relative to a preceding geographic area, each geographic area smaller than the preceding geographic area.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions comprises receiving flight condition signals from a plurality of flight characteristics and conditions sensors mounted on-board the aircraft, each flight condition sensor configured to sense at least one of the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving flight condition information from a data processing apparatus of a ground control station communicatively connected to the data processing apparatus.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the geographic area within which to land the aircraft by autorotation based on the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions comprises determining a landing spot within the geographic area on which to land the aircraft by autorotation.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining at least one alternative landing spot within the geographic area on which to land the aircraft by autorotation;
while controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation within the geographic area, determining that the determined landing spot is unavailable to land the aircraft; and
controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation on the alternative landing spot in response to determining that the determined landing spot is unavailable to land the aircraft.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling, by the data processing apparatus, the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation within the geographic area comprises controlling the aircraft without user intervention.

13. A computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
initiating, by the data processing apparatus, an autorotation of an aircraft in response to detecting engine failure;
determining, by the data processing apparatus, a plurality of flight characteristics and conditions of the aircraft at a time of initiating the autorotation, the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions comprising an aircraft altitude, an aircraft velocity, and wind direction;
determining, by the data processing apparatus, a geographic area within which to land the aircraft by autorotation based on the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions; and
controlling, by the data processing apparatus, the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation within the geographic area.

14. The medium of claim 13 , wherein controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation within the geographic area comprises:
determining a glideslope angle and a flare control point for the aircraft based at least in part on the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions;
determining a flight path along which to descend the aircraft by autorotation.

15. The medium of claim 14 , wherein determining the flight path along which to descend the aircraft by autorotation comprises:
storing, in a computer-readable storage device, a plurality of flight paths, a plurality of glideslope angles and a plurality of flare control points, each stored flight path associated with a corresponding stored glideslope angle and stored flare control point; and
comparing the determined glideslope angle and the flare control point with the plurality of glideslope angles and the plurality of flare control points, respectively.

16. The medium of claim 14 , the operations further comprising:
monitoring the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions while controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation to determine changes to the plurality of flight characteristics and conditions; and
determining changes to the glideslope angle and the flare control point based on the changes to plurality of flight characteristics and conditions; and
modifying the flight path along which to descend the aircraft by autorotation based on the changes to the glideslope angle and the flare control point.

17. The medium of claim 14 , the operations further comprising:
determining a presence of obstacles in the geographic area while controlling the aircraft to land the aircraft by autorotation; and
modifying the flight path along which to descend the aircraft to avoid the obstacles.

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Shue Shyhpyng Jack

Classifications

• G05D1/102

  specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft · CPC title

• G05D1/0072

  to counteract a motor failure · CPC title

• G05D1/105 Primary

  specially adapted for unpowered flight, e.g. glider, parachuting, forced landing (parachutes per se B64D17/00) · CPC title

• G08G5/54

  for approach or landing · CPC title

• G08G5/32

  for flight plan preparation · CPC title