AUTOMATED SELF-TESTING

• US 20190389595A1
• Filed: 03/15/2019
• Published: 12/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Inventors: Selwa, Alexander David, Cutler, Mark Johnson
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0085 Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0816 to ensure stability
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A flight-time variable associated with an aircraft is determined including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is flying. It is determined whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable. In response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, the aircraft is automatically landed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

determine a flight-time variable associated with an aircraft, including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is performing a takeoff;

determine whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable; and

in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, restrict pilot control of the aircraft.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the flight-time variable includes one or more of the following:

a payload-inclusive weight, a center of mass of the aircraft when occupied, environmental information, weather information, an amount of precipitation, a temperature, a wind speed, or an air density.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes;

comparing the flight-time variable to a first threshold; and

comparing the flight-time variable to a second threshold, wherein;

the first threshold is less than the second threshold;

it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the first threshold and does not exceed the second threshold; and

it is determined that the aircraft is not airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the second threshold;

automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy includes automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the second threshold; and

the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive weight;

determining the payload-inclusive weight includes;

obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying; and

determining the payload-inclusive weight based at least in part on the thrust;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a weight threshold; and

automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy includes automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the weight threshold.

5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive weight;

determining the payload-inclusive weight includes obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying and determining the payload-inclusive weight based at least in part on the thrust;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes;

comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a first weight threshold; and

comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a second weight threshold, wherein the first weight threshold is less than the second weight threshold;

automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy includes automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the second weight threshold; and

the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings, wherein it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the first weight threshold and does not exceed the second weight threshold.

6. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive center of gravity;

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity includes;

obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying; and

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity based at least in part on the thrust;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a center of gravity threshold represented by a three-dimensional (3D) shape; and

automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy includes automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the center of gravity threshold represented by the 3D shape.

7. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive center of gravity;

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity includes;

obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying; and

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity based at least in part on the thrust;

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity includes;

comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a first center of gravity threshold represented by a first three-dimensional (3D) shape; and

comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a second center of gravity threshold represented by a second 3D shape, wherein the first center of gravity threshold is less than the second center of gravity threshold;

automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy includes automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the second center of gravity threshold; and

the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to;

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more reduced settings, wherein it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the first center of gravity threshold and does not exceed the second center of gravity threshold.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes communicating over a wireless channel with a local weather station.

9. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes sending, via a wireless channel to a remote server, location information of the aircraft and receiving, via the wireless channel from the remote server, the environmental information in response to the location information.

10. A method, comprising:

determining a flight-time variable associated with an aircraft, including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is performing a takeoff;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable; and

in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, restricting pilot control of the aircraft.

11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the flight-time variable includes one or more of the following:

a payload-inclusive weight, a center of mass of the aircraft when occupied, environmental information, weather information, an amount of precipitation, a temperature, a wind speed, or an air density.

12. The method recited in claim 10, wherein:

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes;

comparing the flight-time variable to a first threshold; and

comparing the flight-time variable to a second threshold, wherein;

the first threshold is less than the second threshold;

it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the first threshold and does not exceed the second threshold; and

it is determined that the aircraft is not airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the second threshold;

automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy includes automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the second threshold; and

the method further includes;

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings.

13. The method recited in claim 10, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive weight;

determining the payload-inclusive weight includes;

obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying; and

determining the payload-inclusive weight based at least in part on the thrust;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a weight threshold; and

automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy includes automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the weight threshold.

14. The method recited in claim 10, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive weight;

determining the payload-inclusive weight includes obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying and determining the payload-inclusive weight based at least in part on the thrust;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes;

comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a first weight threshold; and

comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a second weight threshold, wherein the first weight threshold is less than the second weight threshold;

automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy includes automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the second weight threshold; and

the method further includes;

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings, wherein it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the first weight threshold and does not exceed the second weight threshold.

15. The method recited in claim 10, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive center of gravity;

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity includes;

obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying; and

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity based at least in part on the thrust;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a center of gravity threshold represented by a three-dimensional (3D) shape; and

automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy includes automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the center of gravity threshold represented by the 3D shape.

16. The method recited in claim 10, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive center of gravity;

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity includes;

obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying; and

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity based at least in part on the thrust;

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity includes;

comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a first center of gravity threshold represented by a first three-dimensional (3D) shape; and

comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a second center of gravity threshold represented by a second 3D shape, wherein the first center of gravity threshold is less than the second center of gravity threshold;

automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy includes automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the second center of gravity threshold; and

the method further includes;

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more reduced settings, wherein it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the first center of gravity threshold and does not exceed the second center of gravity threshold.

17. The method recited in claim 10, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes communicating over a wireless channel with a local weather station.

18. The method recited in claim 10, wherein:

the flight-time variable includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes sending, via a wireless channel to a remote server, location information of the aircraft and receiving, via the wireless channel from the remote server, the environmental information in response to the location information.

19. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

determining a flight-time variable associated with an aircraft, including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is performing a takeoff;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable; and

in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, restricting pilot control of the aircraft.