Process and machine for aircraft altitude control

• US 10,250,318 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Tillotson, Brian Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Isaac G
• Application Number:
  US15/606,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20180343050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 701 11
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/005 altimeters for aircraft G01C5/02, G01C5/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

Embodiments are described for a machine and process that include a computer code specially programmed on a non-transitory medium to change an altitude, of an aircraft that remains certified for flight by a pilot, such that the aircraft contains an altimeter having a fixed altimeter setting. The computer code may be configured to: receive an assigned altitude and a barometric pressure for a location of the aircraft; determine a differential between a height above mean sea level indicated on an altimeter using the new barometric pressure for the location of the aircraft and a height above mean sea level indicated on an altimeter based upon the fixed altimeter setting; modify, based upon the differential, a flight planned altitude for the aircraft, to create a pilotless altitude; send the pilotless altitude to the aircraft; and fly the aircraft at the assigned altitude via commanding flight at the pilotless altitude.

Claims

1. A process for pilotlessly flying, an aircraft certified for flight by a pilot, at a specified altitude, the process comprising:

setting a fixed barometric pressure in an altimeter in the aircraft, forming a fixed altimeter setting;

receiving an assigned altitude for the aircraft to fly;

receiving a barometric pressure for a location of the aircraft;

determining a differential between a height above mean sea level indicated on an altimeter using the barometric pressure for the location of the aircraft and a height above mean sea level indicated on an altimeter using the fixed altimeter setting;

modifying, using the differential, a flight planned altitude for the aircraft, and creating a pilotless altitude; and

flying the aircraft at the assigned altitude via directing the aircraft to fly at the pilotless altitude indicating on the altimeter in the aircraft.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

the aircraft that remains certified for flight by the pilot comprising an altimeter configured to receive the fixed barometric pressure from an input via a selector on the altimeter.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the assigned altitude for a region of airspace.

4. The process of claim 3, further comprising:

the location of the aircraft being within the region of airspace.

5. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

an air traffic control clearance comprising the assigned altitude.

6. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the pilotless altitude to the aircraft in a region requiring the aircraft to fly the aircraft at the assigned altitude.

7. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the assigned altitude for the aircraft to fly and the barometric pressure for the location of the aircraft in an operations center.

8. The process of claim 7, further comprising:

the operations center sending the pilotless altitude to the aircraft via updating a flight plan in a flight management system for the aircraft for at least a region comprising the location of the aircraft.

9. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

directing the aircraft to fly at the pilotless altitude via a flight control system receiving a height above mean sea level input from the altimeter in the aircraft.

10. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new barometric pressure for a location of the aircraft for each new region the aircraft enters.

11. The process of claim 10, further comprising:

modifying the pilotless altitude for each new region the aircraft enters.

12. A process for changing an altitude flown by an aircraft, certified for flight by a pilot, responsive to a change in barometric pressure, while flying the aircraft pilotlessly while an altimeter setting in the aircraft comprises a fixed altimeter setting, the process comprising:

setting a fixed barometric pressure in an altimeter in the aircraft, forming the fixed altimeter setting;

receiving an assigned altitude for the aircraft to fly;

receiving a barometric pressure for a location of the aircraft;

receiving a new barometric pressure for the location of the aircraft;

determining a differential between a height above mean sea level indicated on an altimeter using the new barometric pressure for the location of the aircraft and a height above mean sea level indicated on an altimeter using the fixed altimeter setting;

modifying, using the differential, a flight planned altitude for the aircraft, and creating a pilotless altitude; and

flying the aircraft at the assigned altitude, responsive to the change in barometric pressure, via directing the aircraft to fly at the pilotless altitude indicating on the altimeter in the aircraft that remains certified for flight by the pilot.

13. The process of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the assigned altitude for a region of airspace.

14. The process of claim 13, further comprising:

the location of the aircraft being within the region of airspace.

15. The process of claim 12, further comprising:

the assigned altitude being an air traffic control clearance.

16. The process of claim 12, further comprising:

the new barometric pressure applying to an air traffic control clearance for a region of space in which the aircraft is located.

17. The process of claim 12, further comprising:

creating the pilotless altitude and sending the pilotless altitude to the aircraft from an operations center receiving communications from air traffic control.

18. The process of claim 17, further comprising:

the communications from air traffic control being at least one of;

verbal and automated.

19. A machine that comprises a computer code specially programmed on a non-transitory medium to change an altitude, of an aircraft that remains certified for flight by a pilot, such that the aircraft comprises an altimeter that comprises a fixed altimeter setting, the computer code configured to:

receive an assigned altitude for the aircraft to fly;

receive a barometric pressure for a location of the aircraft;

receive a new barometric pressure for the location of the aircraft;

determine a differential between a height above mean sea level indicated on an altimeter using the new barometric pressure for the location of the aircraft and a height above mean sea level indicated on an altimeter based upon the fixed altimeter setting;

modify, based upon the differential, a flight planned altitude for the aircraft, to create a pilotless altitude;

send the pilotless altitude to the aircraft; and

fly the aircraft at the assigned altitude via commands to fly at the pilotless altitude.

20. The machine of claim 19, further comprising the computer code configured to send the pilotless altitude to a flight management system for the aircraft, such that the flight management system directs a flight control system for the aircraft configured to receive the height above mean sea level indicated on the altimeter comprising the fixed altimeter setting.