Method and System For Aviation Navigation

• US 20070138345A1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hoshiko LLC (Raoul Management LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/186
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/105 specially adapted for unpowered flight, e.g. glider, parachuting, forced landing parachutes per se B64D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones

Abstract

A system operates to guide an aircraft to or along a route designed to maintain the aircraft within a safe glide distance of an acceptable emergency landing area. The system uses a database of emergency landing areas with glide characteristics of an aircraft to determine a route that minimizes travel time or other specified parameter, while keeping the aircraft within a safe glide distance of a landing area in the database meeting the landing requirements for the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method for defining a flight path for an aircraft based on glide characteristics, the method comprising:

receiving flight parameters comprising an origin, a destination, and glide characteristics for an aircraft;

determining a flight path between the origin and destination, the flight path calculated to maintain the aircraft within glide range of at least one acceptable emergency landing area along a defined portion of the flight path, based on the glide characteristics and locations of acceptable emergency landing areas between the origin and destination; and

selecting the at least one acceptable emergency landing area from a database of emergency landing areas.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the at least one acceptable emergency landing area comprising a plurality of landing areas each meeting defined acceptable landing criteria for the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving the defined acceptable landing criteria comprising terrain restrictions, landing area classifications, and required minimum roll distance.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selecting step further comprises selecting landing areas according to a priority order determined at least in part from their respective classifications.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the acceptable emergency landing areas from landing areas exceeding a defined threshold of classification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises calculating the flight path to minimize at least one of travel time and fuel consumption between the origin and destination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the glide characteristics are received comprising a best glide speed and a descent rate at best glide speed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the glide characteristics are received comprising a glide speed range and a corresponding descent rate range.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises calculating the flight path using wind speed and wind direction data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing flight vectors during the flight to maintain the aircraft on the determined flight path.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically updating information pertaining to the emergency landing areas.

12. A system for defining a flight path for an aircraft based on glide characteristics, the system comprising a computer operatively associated with a memory, the memory holding instructions for:

receiving flight parameters comprising an origin, a destination, a maximum cruising altitude, a maximum airspeed, and glide characteristics for an aircraft;

determining a flight path between the origin and destination, the flight path calculated to maintain the aircraft within glide range of at least one acceptable emergency landing area along a defined portion of the flight path, based on the glide characteristics and locations of acceptable emergency landing areas between the origin and destination; and

selecting the at least one acceptable emergency landing area from a database of emergency landing areas.

13. The system of claim 12, the memory further holding instructions for selecting the at least one acceptable emergency landing area comprising a plurality of landing areas each meeting defined acceptable landing criteria for the aircraft.

14. The system of claim 12, the memory further holding instructions for receiving the defined acceptable landing criteria comprising terrain restrictions, landing area classifications, and required minimum roll distance.

15. The system of claim 12, the memory further holding instructions for selecting the acceptable emergency landing areas from landing areas exceeding a defined threshold of classification.

16. The system of claim 12, the memory further holding instructions for calculating the flight path to minimize travel time between the origin and the destination.

17. The system of claim 15, the memory further holding instructions for calculating the flight path to minimize fuel consumption between the origin and the destination.

18. The system of claim 12, the memory further holding instructions for calculating the flight path using wind speed and wind direction data.

19. The system of claim 12, the memory further holding instructions for providing flight vectors during the flight to maintain the aircraft on the determined flight path.

20. A computer-readable medium for a computer, the computer-readable medium holding instructions operative to cause the computer to:

receive flight parameters comprising a origin, a destination, a maximum cruising altitude, a maximum airspeed, and glide characteristics for an aircraft;

determine a flight path between the origin and destination, the flight path calculated to maintain the aircraft within glide range of at least one acceptable emergency landing area along a defined portion of flight path, based on the glide characteristics and locations of acceptable emergency landing areas between the origin and destination; and

select the at least one acceptable emergency landing area from a database of emergency landing areas.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further holding instructions operative to select the at least one acceptable emergency landing area comprising a plurality of landing areas each meeting defined acceptable landing criteria for the aircraft.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further holding instructions operative to receive the defined acceptable landing criteria comprising terrain restrictions, landing area classifications, and required minimum roll distance.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further holding instructions for selecting the acceptable emergency landing areas from landing areas exceeding a defined threshold of classification.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further holding instructions operative to calculate the flight path to minimize at least one of travel time and fuel consumption between the origin and the destination.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, computer-readable medium further holding instructions operative to calculate the flight path to minimize fuel consumption between the origin and the destination.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, computer-readable medium further holding instructions operative to calculate the flight path using wind speed and wind direction data.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, computer-readable medium further holding instructions operative to provide flight vectors during the flight to maintain the aircraft on the determined flight path.

28. A method for selecting an emergency landing area for an aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving a current altitude, location, glide characteristics and landing requirements for an aircraft;

selecting a nearest acceptable landing area from a database of landing areas meeting the landing requirements and within glide range;

providing a location and description of the nearest acceptable landing area.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing vectors to guide the aircraft to the nearest acceptable landing area.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing required descent speed to guide the aircraft to the nearest acceptable landing area.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing an emergency signal comprising current coordinates and location the nearest acceptable landing area.

32. A system for selecting a emergency landing area for an aircraft, the system comprising a computer operatively associated with a memory, the memory holding instructions for:

receiving a current altitude, location, glide characteristics and landing requirements for an aircraft;

selecting a nearest acceptable landing area from a database of landing areas meeting the landing requirements and within glide range;

providing a location and description of the nearest acceptable landing area.

33. The system of claim 32, the memory further holding instructions for providing required descent speed to guide the aircraft to the nearest acceptable landing area.

34. The system of claim 32, the memory further holding instructions for providing an emergency signal comprising current coordinates and location of the nearest acceptable landing area.