Apparatus For An Automated Aerial Refueling Boom Using Multiple Types Of Sensors

• US 20090248225A1
• Filed: 06/09/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Stecko, Stephen M, Takacs, John F., Speyer, Jason L., Williamson, Walton
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/00 Refuelling during flight filling or emptying fuel tanks B64D37/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/188 for accumulated errors, e.g. by coupling inertial systems with absolute positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

A system for automated control of a refueling boom coupled to a tanker aircraft is provided. The system includes: a first inertial measurement unit (IMU) providing inertial measurements for the tanker aircraft; a first GPS receiver providing a GPS location for a GPS antenna attached to the tanker aircraft; and a processor adapted to calculate a first inertial navigation state for the tanker aircraft through integration of the inertial measurements, the processor being further adapted to calculate a first inertial navigation state error relative to the GPS location and to filter the first inertial navigation state error and the first inertial navigation state based upon noise characteristics of the first IMU and the first GPS receiver to provide an updated inertial navigation state for the tanker aircraft, the processor being further adapted to control the refueling boom relative to a receiver aircraft based upon the first and updated inertial navigation states.

Claims

1. A system for automated control of a refueling boom coupled to a tanker aircraft, comprising:

a first inertial measurement unit (IMU) providing inertial measurements for the tanker aircraft;

a first GPS receiver providing a GPS location for a GPS antenna attached to the tanker aircraft; and

a processor adapted to calculate a first inertial navigation state for the tanker aircraft through integration of the inertial measurements, the processor being further adapted to calculate a first inertial navigation state error relative to the GPS location and to filter the first inertial navigation state error and the first inertial navigation state based upon noise characteristics of the first IMU and the first GPS receiver to provide an updated inertial navigation state for the tanker aircraft, the processor being further adapted to control the refueling boom relative to a receiver aircraft based upon the first and updated inertial navigation states.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to calculate the first inertial navigation error by translating an IMU location from the first inertial navigation state to the GPS location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to filter the first inertial navigation state using a Kalman filter.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the Kalman filter is an extended Kalman filter.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second IMU providing inertial measurements the receiver aircraft; and

a second GPS receiver providing a GPS location for a GPS antenna attached to the receiver aircraft;

wherein the processor is further adapted to integrate the inertial measurements from the second IMU to provide a second inertial navigation state for the receiver aircraft, and wherein the processor is further adapted to calculate a second inertial navigation state error relative to the GPS location for the second GPS receiver and to filter the second inertial navigation state error and the second inertial navigation state based upon noise characteristics of the second IMU and the second GPS receiver to provide an updated inertial navigation state for the receiver aircraft, the processor being further adapted to control the refueling boom relative to a receiver aircraft based upon the first inertial navigation state, the second inertial navigation state, and the updated inertial navigation states.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor is adapted to calculate the second inertial navigation error by translating an IMU location on the receiver aircraft from the second inertial navigation state to the GPS location for the GPS antenna on the receiver aircraft.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising

an electro-optic (EO) sensor adapted to image a plurality of reference points on the receiver aircraft, wherein the processor is further adapted to control the refueling boom relative to errors determined through comparison of (EO) sensor-derived locations for the reference points to second-inertial-navigation-state-derived locations for the reference points.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor comprises at least a first processor on the tanker aircraft and a second processor on the receiver aircraft.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a wireless link between the receiver aircraft and the tanker aircraft adapted to permit the first and second processors to exchange positional information to aid the control of the refueling boom.

10. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

an RF ranging sensor adapted to measure a range between the receiver aircraft and the tanker aircraft, wherein the processor is further adapted to control the refueling boom based upon the measured range.

11. A system for control of a refueling boom coupled to a tanker aircraft, comprising:

an IMU providing tanker inertial measurements for the tanker aircraft;

an IMU providing receiver inertial measurement for a receiver aircraft; and

means for controlling the refueling boom so as to automatically mate with the receiver aircraft, wherein the means is adapted to control the refueling boom by filtering the tanker and receiver inertial measurements relative to measurements from a sensor selected from the group consisting of a GPS receiver and an EO sensor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor is a tanker aircraft GPS receiver and a receiver aircraft GPS receiver.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means is adapted to filter the tanker and receiver inertial measurements through integration of the tanker and receiver inertial measurements to provide tanker and receiver inertial navigation states.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means is further adapted to calculate tanker and receiver inertial navigation errors through comparison of the tanker and receiver inertial navigations states to positions derived from the tanker aircraft GPS receiver and the receiver aircraft GPS receiver.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the means is further adapted to control fuel transfer from the tanker aircraft to the receiver aircraft.