Loading System and Method for Loading a Cargo Hold of an Aircraft

• US 20110313563A1
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telair International GmbH (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Telair International GmbH (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huber, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A loading system for loading a cargo hold (2) of an aircraft (1), containers, pallets or like ULDs (20) for accommodating freight being introduced into the cargo hold through an access opening, being transported by means of a transport device (60) and being fastened in transport positions. With the ULDs are identification devices (30), e.g. RFID transponders, which identification devices have storage devices for storing first data, especially identification data. The system comprises at least one first reading device (40) for reading the first data of a ULD introduced into the cargo hold, and at least one first transmitter device (50) for transmitting the first data to at least one first recipient (11).

Claims

1. Loading system for loading a cargo hold of an aircraft, containers, pallets or like unit load devices for accommodating freight being introduced into the cargo hold through an access opening, being transported by means of transport devices and being fastened in transport positions, wherein a cargo control computer is provided, comprising:

identification devices, e.g. RFID transponders (tags), connected to the ULDs, which identification devices have storage devices for storing first data, especially identification data,

at least one first reading device for reading the first data of a ULD introduced into the cargo hold and

and at least one first transmitter device for transmitting the first data to at least one first recipient.

2. Loading system according to claim 1, further comprising:

that a cargo control computer, which includes the first transmitter device or is connected to this device, is provided to control and/or monitor the transport devices.

3. Loading system according to claim 2, wherein the cargo control computer is configured in such a way that two data, in particular error data, are transmitted via errors in the transport devices to at least one first recipient.

4. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitter device is configured in such a way that the first and/or second data are transmitted before a take-off of the aircraft.

5. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the first reading device is configured and attached to the access opening in such a way that the freight'"'"'s data can be read as it is passing through said access opening.

6. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the identification devices include writable storage devices for storing the data describing the freight.

7. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein provided in one of the cargo hold and on the ULDs are environmental sensors for recording environmental data, wherein the data is stored in one of the identification devices and first transmitter device and transmitted via the first transmitter device in particular together with time signals.

8. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitter device is configured for the transmission of signals in mobile phone networks and/or satellite networks.

9. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitter device has transmitter/receiving devices of several standards in respect of operating frequency, coding and test protocols.

10. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the first reading device is configured for communication with the identification devices and enables communication with RFID transponders at 868 MHz and 915 MHz.

11. Loading system according to claim 1, the at least one first recipient is configured to pass on received data to further recipients.

12. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the first reading device or a second reading device is configured for reading of second data which are stored in further identification devices which are connected to the freight.

13. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the first reading device is connected to a detection device which ascertains the presence of a ULD at the first reading device in order to detect ULDs without identification device so that these can be identified manually.

14. Loading system according to claim 12, the cargo control computer has storage devices for storing and input devices for inputting target freight data, and that comparator devices are provided in order to compare the second data of the further identification device with the target freight data and to emit alarm annunciations if no match exists.

15. Loading system according to one claim 9, wherein a standard identification device is provided, which sets the transmitter devices to transmit data according to standards applicable at the location based either on position data or on test signals.

16. Loading system according to claim 10, wherein the reading device is configured in such a way that RFID standards are checked through and the reading device is then set to a specific standard, when an identification device responds to a signal receipt of the reading device transmitting in this standard.

17. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein PDUs, connected to the cargo control computer via bus devices, are provided in the cargo hold for moving the ULDs, disposed in or on said ULDs are reading devices, the output signals of which can be transmitted to the cargo control computer via the bus devices.

18. Loading system according to claim 17, wherein the reading devices include sensor devices which are attached to the transport devices for ascertaining the presence of ULDs.

19. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the identification devices include measurement data storage devices, in which measurements of the ULDs including the freight are storable and can be read off from the reading device in such a manner that a favourable collision-free stowage space for this ULD in the cargo hold can be ascertained in the cargo control computer.

20. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the identification devices are attached in an outwardly projecting lower margin of the ULD that is configured as a container or pallet.

21. Loading system according to to claim 20, wherein the lower margin is configured as a hollow body or hollow section and, in the region of antenna devices of the identification devices is made from a material that is permeable to electromagnetic waves.

22. Loading system according to claim 1 wherein, at least two identification devices are attached to the ULDs at a distance from each other.

23. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein at least one identification device includes a transponder that has at least two antenna devices standing at an angle to each other.

24. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein a ULD reading device, that is attached to the ULD in such a manner that during or after unloading of freight its identification data is read off via the ULD reading device and is stored in the identification devices connected to it or is transmitted via transmitter devices for storage at a remote location.

25. Loading system according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitter device is configured in such a way that at least one of the following:

the first data, second data and third data, which include position data of the aircraft, are transmitted during a flight with the involvement of a second transmitter device that is installed in the aircraft.

26. Loading system according to claim 6, wherein the identification devices include receiving devices for receiving the data describing the individual items of freight from individual items of freight in the cargo.

27. Loading system according to claim 6, wherein the ULD includes at least one of the following:

an electrically conductive base, wall, and an electrically conductive cover as an antenna for transmission of at least one of the following;

the first data and the data describing the freight to one of the reading devices.

28. Method for loading a cargo hold of an aircraft, containers, pallets or like ULDs for accommodating freight being introduced into the cargo hold through an access opening, being transported by means of a transport device and being fastened in transport positions whereby identification devices, are connected to the ULDs, which identification devices have storage devices for storing first data, especially identification data, whereby the first data of a ULD introduced into the cargo hold are read by a first reading device and are transmitted by means of a transmitter device to at least one first recipient.