Aircraft Performance Monitoring System

• US 20140316613A1
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Jang, Jung Soon, Vian, John Lyle
• Granted Patent: US 9,061,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0286 Modifications to the monitored process, e.g. stopping operation or adapting control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring an aircraft. A current performance of the aircraft is identified during operation of the aircraft using a model of the aircraft and flight state data. A current capability of the aircraft is identified from the current performance of the aircraft. An operation is performed based on the current capability of the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an aircraft, the method comprising:

identifying a current performance of the aircraft during operation of the aircraft using a model of the aircraft and flight state data;

identifying a current capability of the aircraft from the current performance of the aircraft; and

performing an operation based on the current capability of the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the flight state data from sensor data generated by a sensor system for the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the operation based on the current capability of the aircraft comprises:

displaying limits to a group of parameters for operating the aircraft.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight state data is identified from sensor data from a sensor system for the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating the current capability of the aircraft from the current performance of the aircraft comprises:

indicating a change in the current capability of the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the operation based on the current capability of the aircraft from the current performance of the aircraft comprises at least one of displaying a current flight envelope for the aircraft, changing a route of the aircraft, or suggesting a change in the route of the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the current capability of the aircraft from the current performance of the aircraft comprises:

comparing the current performance of the aircraft from the model with a predicted performance of the aircraft from a prediction data structure;

identifying a difference between the current performance of the aircraft and the predicted performance of the aircraft; and

updating the prediction data structure based on the difference between the current performance of the aircraft and the predicted performance of the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein a prediction data structure is selected from one of a table, a database, a linked list, a flat file, an aerodynamic and engine table, and an aerodynamic and engine database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the current performance of the aircraft during the operation of the aircraft using the model of the aircraft and the flight state data is performed by a performance monitor;

identifying the current capability of the aircraft from the current performance of the aircraft is performed by a flight envelope monitor; and

performing the operation based on the current capability of the aircraft is performed by a capability identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the performance monitor includes a Kalman filter.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an aircraft performance monitoring system configured to identify a current performance of an aircraft during operation of the aircraft using a model of the aircraft and flight state data;

identify a current capability of the aircraft from the current performance of the aircraft; and

perform an operation based on the current capability of the aircraft.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the aircraft performance monitoring system is further configured to identify the flight state data from sensor data generated by a sensor system for the aircraft.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein in being configured to perform the operation based on the current capability of the aircraft, the aircraft performance monitoring system is configured to display limits to a group of parameters for operating the aircraft.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the flight state data is identified from sensor data from a sensor system for the aircraft.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein in being configured to indicate the current capability of the aircraft from the current performance of the aircraft, the aircraft performance monitoring system is configured to indicate a change in the current capability of the aircraft.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein performing the operation based on the current capability of the aircraft from the current performance of the aircraft comprises at least one of displaying a current flight envelope for the aircraft, changing a route of the aircraft, or suggesting a change in the route of the aircraft.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein in being configured to identify the current capability of the aircraft from the current performance of the aircraft, the aircraft performance monitoring system is configured to compare the current performance of the aircraft from the model with a predicted performance of the aircraft from a prediction data structure;

identify a difference between the current performance of the aircraft and the predicted performance of the aircraft; and

update the prediction data structure based on the difference between the current performance of the aircraft and the predicted performance of the aircraft.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a prediction data structure is selected from one of a table, a database, a linked list, a flat file, an aerodynamic and engine table, and an aerodynamic and engine database.

19. An aircraft performance monitoring system comprising:

a performance monitor configured to identify a current performance of an aircraft during operation of the aircraft using a model of the aircraft and flight state data;

a flight envelope monitor configured to identify a flight envelope from the current performance of the aircraft; and

a capability identifier configured to identify a current capability of the aircraft from the flight envelope.

20. The aircraft performance monitoring system of claim 19, wherein the operation is performed based on the current capability of the aircraft identified by the capability identifier.