Aircraft turbulence detection

• US 10,336,467 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safe Flight Instrument LLC
• Original Assignee: Safe Flight Instrument Corporation
• Inventors: Greene, Randall A., Beyer, Shawn P., Teter, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Laura N
• Application Number:
  US15/647,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20170305573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/008 Devices for detecting or indicating hard landing
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/04 Landing aids; Safety measures to prevent collision with earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A warning method for an aircraft includes receiving a first parameter indicative of an aircraft'"'"'s flight path, calculating a stable approach value based on the first parameter, receiving a second parameter indicative of the aircraft'"'"'s turbulence, calculating a turbulence factor based on the second parameter, calculating a safe landing value based on the stable approach value and the turbulence factor, comparing the safe landing value to a threshold value, and providing an aircraft warning when the safe landing value fails to meet the threshold value.

Claims

1. An aircraft warning method comprising:

receiving the aircraft'"'"'s vertical speed;

receiving, from a motion sensor integrated with the aircraft, at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s vertical acceleration rate and a rate of change of a parameter indicative of the aircraft'"'"'s movement about an aircraft axis;

calculating a safe landing value based on the aircraft'"'"'s vertical speed and at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s vertical acceleration rate and the rate of change of the parameter;

comparing the safe landing value to a threshold value, wherein the threshold value varies with a height of the aircraft above touchdown; and

providing an aircraft warning when the safe landing value fails to meet the threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a filter to at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s vertical speed, the aircraft'"'"'s vertical acceleration rate, and the rate of change of the parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the safe landing value comprises normalizing the aircraft'"'"'s vertical speed and at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s vertical acceleration rate and the rate of change of the parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein calculating the safe landing value comprises summing a normalized function of the vertical speed and a normalized function of at least one of vertical acceleration rate and the rate of change of the parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft warning comprises a go-around instruction, tailstrike warning, a hard landing warning, a long landing warning, or a bounce landing warning.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate of change of the parameter comprises a rotation rate of the aircraft about the axis.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rotation rate of the aircraft about the axis comprises at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s pitch, the aircraft'"'"'s yaw rate, and the aircraft'"'"'s roll rate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the rate of change of the parameter comprises the aircraft'"'"'s acceleration rate about the axis.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the aircraft'"'"'s acceleration rate about the axis comprises at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s pitch acceleration rate, the aircraft'"'"'s yaw acceleration rate, and the aircraft'"'"'s roll acceleration rate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold value is based on previous flight data.

11. An aircraft warning system comprising:

a first receiver configured to receive the aircraft'"'"'s vertical speed;

a second receiver configured to receive, from a motion sensor integrated with the aircraft, at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s vertical acceleration rate and a rate of change of a parameter indicative of the aircraft'"'"'s movement about an aircraft axis;

a processor configured to

calculate a safe landing value based on the aircraft'"'"'s vertical speed and at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s vertical acceleration rate and the rate of change of the parameter,

compare the safe landing value to a threshold value, wherein the threshold value varies with a height of the aircraft above touchdown; and

an alarm configured to provide an aircraft warning when the safe landing value fails to meet the threshold value.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to filter at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s vertical speed, the aircraft'"'"'s vertical acceleration rate, and the rate of change of the parameter.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein calculating the safe landing value comprises normalizing the aircraft'"'"'s vertical speed and at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s vertical acceleration rate and the rate of change of the parameter.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein calculating the safe landing value comprises summing a normalized function of the vertical speed and a normalized function of at least one of vertical acceleration rate and the rate of change of the parameter.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the aircraft warning comprises a go-around instruction, tailstrike warning, a hard landing warning, a long landing warning, or a bounce landing warning.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the rate of change of the parameter comprises a rotation rate of the aircraft about the axis.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the rotation rate of the aircraft about the axis comprises at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s pitch, the aircraft'"'"'s yaw rate, and the aircraft'"'"'s roll rate.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the rate of change of the parameter comprises the aircraft'"'"'s acceleration rate about the axis.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the aircraft'"'"'s acceleration rate about the axis comprises at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s pitch acceleration rate, the aircraft'"'"'s yaw acceleration rate, and the aircraft'"'"'s roll acceleration rate.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the threshold value is based on previous flight data.