Automatic take-off and landing control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9851724-B2
Application number	US-201514940353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2015
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

An automatic take-off and landing control device for an aircraft is provided. The control device comprises at least two of at least one local tracking device adapted for receiving at least one local signal from at least one local ground station and for determining a position of the aircraft based on the local signals, at least one GNSS tracking device adapted for receiving a GNSS signal and for determining a position of the aircraft based on the GNSS signal; and at least one camera device adapted for observing an environment of the aircraft and for determining a position of the aircraft based on the camera signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic take-off and landing control device for an aircraft, the control device comprising:
at least one of a radar-based tracking device or a pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the radar-based tracking device and the pseudo-lite system based tracking device being adapted for receiving at least one local signal from at least one local ground station and for determining a position of the aircraft based on the at least one local signal, and at least one of:
at least one GNSS tracking device adapted for receiving a GNSS signal and for determining a position of the aircraft based on the GNSS signal,
at least one camera device adapted for observing an environment of the aircraft and for determining a position of the aircraft based on the camera signal;
at least one monitoring device adapted for continuously supervising a performance and a health status of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device based on analyzing signals received from the radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, one of the at least one GNSS tracking device, and the at least one camera device; and
wherein the camera device is adapted for determining the position of the aircraft if the local tracking device and the GNSS tracking device are unavailable.

2. The automatic take-off and landing control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the monitoring device is adapted for comparing the position of the aircraft as determined based on signals from at least two of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device, and the at least one camera device.

3. The automatic take-off and landing control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the monitoring device is adapted for determining a lateral displacement of the aircraft with respect to a longitudinal extension of a runway from signals received from at least one of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device, and the at least one camera device.

4. The automatic take-off and landing control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the monitoring device is adapted for determining a threshold lateral displacement value of a lateral displacement of the aircraft with respect to a longitudinal extension of a runway,
wherein a take-off or landing of the aircraft is carried out fully automatically based on the signal from at least one of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device, and the at least one camera device if a lateral displacement of the aircraft with respect to the longitudinal extension of the runway determined based on the signal from at least one of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device and the at least one camera device is smaller than the threshold lateral displacement value; and
wherein a landing trial of the aircraft is aborted if the lateral displacement of the aircraft with respect to the longitudinal extension of the runway determined based on the signal from the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device, and the at least one camera device exceeds the threshold lateral displacement value.

5. The automatic take-off and landing control device according to claim 4 ,
wherein a further landing trial is carried out if the landing trial is aborted.

6. The automatic take-off and landing control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one camera device is adapted for observing the environment of the aircraft in a forward and/or a downward direction of the aircraft, and
wherein the at least one camera device comprises an optical and/or an infrared camera.

7. The automatic take-off and landing control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one GNSS tracking device comprises at one of a military and a civil-certified GNSS unit.

8. The automatic take-off and landing control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one GNSS tracking device is adapted for receiving a differential correction signal for the GNSS signal from at least one Ground-Based Augmentation System or at least one Space-Based Augmentation System.

9. The automatic take-off and landing control device according to claim 1 , further comprising
at least one altimeter adapted for determining an altitude of the aircraft above a ground level,
wherein the altimeter is an altimeter selected from a group of Radar altimeter, barometric altimeter, and Laser altimeter.

10. An aircraft comprising the automatic take-off and landing control device according to claim 1 ,
at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device adapted for receiving at least one local signal from at least one local ground station and for determining a position of the aircraft based on the local signals,
at least one GNSS tracking device adapted for receiving a GNSS signal and for determining a position of the aircraft based on the GNSS signal,
at least one camera device adapted for observing an environment of the aircraft and for determining a position of the aircraft based on the camera signal; and
at least one monitoring device adapted for continuously supervising a performance and/or a health status of at least two of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device, and the at least one camera device based on analyzing signals received from at least two of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device, and the at least one camera device.

11. The aircraft according to claim 10 ,
wherein the aircraft is an Unmanned Air Vehicle and/or a Remotely Piloted Aircraft.

12. A method for taking-off or landing an aircraft comprising at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, at least one of: at least one GNSS tracking device, at least one camera device; wherein the camera device is adapted for determining the position of the aircraft if the local tracking device and the GNSS tracking device are unavailable; and further comprising at least one monitoring device, the method comprising:
receiving at least one signal from at least two of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device, and the at least one camera device;
analyzing the signals received from at least two of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device, and the at least one camera device;
comparing at least two positions of the aircraft determined based on signals from at least two of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device, and the at least one camera device;
determining a lateral displacement of the aircraft with respect to a longitudinal extension of a runway based on signals from at least one of the at least one radar-based or pseudo-lite system based tracking device, the at least one GNSS tracking device and the at least one camera device;
determining a threshold lateral displacement value of the aircraft with respect to the longitudinal extension of the runway;
comparing the lateral displacement of the aircraft with the threshold lateral displacement value; and
taking-off or landing the aircraft.

13. The method according to claim 12 ,
wherein taking-off or landing the aircraft is carried out fully automatically based o

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh

Inventors

• Bianchi Christiano
• Lohmiller Winfried

Classifications

• G01S19/396

  Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• B64D47/08

  Arrangements of cameras · CPC title

• G05D1/101 Primary

  specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title

• G01S19/48

  by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system · CPC title