AUTOMATED RECEIVER AIRCRAFT IDENTIFICATION (ARAI)

• US 20120153084A1
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Scholes, Dallas S., Etzkorn, Karen M., Oman, Eric P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,567,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/135.A
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/00 Refuelling during flight filling or emptying fuel tanks B64D37/14

Abstract

An aerial identification and fuel inventory control system is disclosed. An RFID transponder mounted on a refueling aircraft transmits an identifier identifying the refueling aircraft in proximity to a fuel delivery aircraft. Substantially just prior to a start of fueling the refueling aircraft, the identifier is automatically logged in the fuel inventory control system. Upon completion of the fueling, a quantity of off-loaded fuel associated with the identifier is automatically logged in the fuel inventory control system. A fueling report may be automatically generated.

Claims

1. A system for automatically reporting aerial refueling data, the system comprises:

an RFID transponder coupled to a refueling aircraft and operable to automatically transmit identification information for the refueling aircraft in response to a refueling event;

an RFID transceiver coupled to a fuel delivery aircraft and operable to automatically receive the identification information in response to the refueling event;

a data recorder module operable to automatically record refueling data for the refueling aircraft in response to the refueling event;

a range detector module operable to automatically terminate the refueling event when the refueling aircraft is outside a range of the fuel delivery aircraft to obtain an end-refueling indicator; and

a report generator module coupled to the data recorder module and operable to automatically generate a refueling report in response to the end-refueling indicator.

2. The system for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 1, wherein the refueling event is initiated automatically in response to the refueling aircraft entering the range of the fuel delivery aircraft.

3. The system for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 1, wherein the refueling event is initiated manually by an operator.

4. The system for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 1, wherein the data recorder module is operable to automatically measure a duration of the refueling event.

5. The system for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 1, wherein the range detector module is further operable to:

generate an in-range indicator when the refueling aircraft is within the range of the fuel delivery aircraft; and

generate an out-of-range indicator when the refueling aircraft is out of the range of the fuel delivery aircraft.

6. The system for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 5, further comprising a display operable to:

display the in-range indicator when the refueling aircraft is within the range of the fuel delivery aircraft;

cancel the in-range indicator in response to the out-of-range indicator; and

display the out-of-range indicator if the in-range indicator is canceled.

7. The system for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 5, wherein the report generator module is further operable to generate the refueling report in response to the out-of-range indicator.

8. The system for automatically reporting aerial refueling data, according to claim 1, wherein the refueling report comprises at least one data item selected from the group consisting of:

a fuel type, a fuel quantity transferred, a pump speed, a duration of a refueling operation, an aircraft tail number, an aircraft type, and an aircraft group.

9. A method for automatically reporting aerial refueling data, the method comprises:

automatically transmitting RFID identification information for the refueling aircraft substantially just prior to a refueling event;

automatically receiving the RFID identification information at a fuel delivery aircraft; and

automatically recording refueling data for the refueling aircraft in response to a completion of the refueling event.

10. The method for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 9, further comprising automatically initiating a generation of a refueling report substantially at a beginning of the refueling event.

11. The method for automatically reporting aerial refueling data, according to claim 9, further comprising automatically measuring a duration of the refueling event.

12. The method for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 9, further comprising automatically generating:

an in-range indicator when the refueling aircraft is within a range of the fuel delivery aircraft; and

an out of-range indicator when the refueling aircraft is out of the range of the fuel delivery aircraft.

13. The method for automatically reporting refueling aerial data according to claim 12, further comprising displaying:

the in-range indicator when the refueling aircraft is within the range of the fuel delivery aircraft;

canceling the in-range indicator when the refueling aircraft is out of the range of the fuel delivery aircraft; and

displaying the out-of-range indicator if the in-range indicator is canceled.

14. The method for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 9, further comprising automatically generating a refueling report in response to the completion of the refueling event.

15. The method for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 9, further comprising transferring fuel to the refueling aircraft via a boom.

16. The method for automatically reporting aerial refueling data according to claim 9, further comprising transferring fuel to the refueling aircraft via a hose and drogue.

17. The method for automatically reporting aerial refueling data, according to claim 9, wherein the refueling report comprises at least one data item selected from the group consisting of:

a fuel type, a fuel quantity transferred, a pump speed, a duration of a refueling operation, an aircraft tail number, an aircraft type, and an aircraft group.

18. A fuel inventory control system for a fuel delivery aircraft, the system comprising:

RFID means operable to identify a refueling aircraft to obtain an identifier;

refueling means operable for refueling the refueling aircraft; and

data recording means operable to automatically log;

the identifier substantially just prior to a start of a refueling the refueling aircraft; and

refueling data in response to a completion of the refueling.

19. The fuel inventory control system, according to claim 18, wherein the refueling data comprises at least one data item selected from the group consisting of:

an amount of fuel off-loaded on the refueling aircraft, a fuel type, a fuel quantity transferred, a pump speed, a duration of a refueling operation, an aircraft tail number, an aircraft type, and an aircraft group.

20. The fuel inventory control system according to claim 18, further comprising a reporting means operable to automatically generate a refueling report when the refueling is completed.