Aircraft stop-to-position autobrake control system

• US 5,968,106 A
• Filed: 08/05/1997
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Mackness, Robert F., Yamamoto, David T., DeVlieg, Garrett H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/906,725
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 701/4, 701/14, 701/15, 701/16, 701/18, 701/70, 340/947, 340/958, 340/972, 244/183, 244/111, 303/126
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1703 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/426 Braking devices providing an automatic sequence of braking

Abstract

An aircraft automatic braking system processes the flight crew selected stopping position of the aircraft on the runway via a control display unit (30) and the aircraft'"'"'s actual position, provided by a global positioning system (34), to generate a stop-to-position deceleration control signal in a provided control logic (36). If the flight crew selects the stop-to-position autobraking mode, the system determines whether or not a stop-to-position autobraking mode meets several predetermined criteria and, if the criteria are met, applies a control signal to the aircraft'"'"'s braking system (62, 66) such that the aircraft is smoothly braked tending it to stop at the selected runway stopping position. The system eliminates the need for pilot lookup in a manual to determine a desired autobraking setting to choose based on altitude, temperature, approach speed and runway conditions and also operates to reduce pilot workload during limited visibility conditions.

Claims

1. An aircraft automatic braking system comprising:

(a) stop position input means for selecting a desired aircraft stopping position on a runway;

(b) an aircraft positioning system for determining the aircraft'"'"'s present position; and

(c) control means for continuously comparing the aircraft'"'"'s actual position with said selected stopping position and, in response thereto, predeterminedly decelerating said aircraft such that the aircraft tends to stop at said selected position.

2. An aircraft automatic braking system for automatically stopping the aircraft at a selected position on the runway, the system comprising:

(a) an aircraft brake system which is responsive to input control signals to apply braking to the aircraft;

(b) an aircraft positioning system for determining the aircraft'"'"'s present position;

(c) a stop position selection means for selecting the desired aircraft stopping position on a runway; and

(d) logic control means for continuously comparing the aircraft'"'"'s actual position with the selected stopping position and, in response thereto, applying a predetermined control signal to said aircraft'"'"'s brake system such that the aircraft brakes in a manner tending to stop the aircraft at said selected runway position.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said logic control means further includes filtering means for limiting the rate at which said control signal changes to ensure that the bandwidth of said aircraft brake system is adequate to process the filtered control signal.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said logic control means further includes control signal clamping means to prevent excessive aircraft braking.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said logic control means further includes control signal clamping means to prevent excessive aircraft braking.

6. A method for aircraft automatic braking comprising the steps of:

(a) providing for the input of a selected aircraft stopping position on a runway;

(b) determining the aircraft'"'"'s present position; and

(c) continuously comparing the aircraft'"'"'s present position with the selected stopping position and, responsive thereto, predeterminedly decelerating said aircraft such that the aircraft tends to stop at said selected position.

7. A method for automatically stopping an aircraft at a selected position on a runway, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an aircraft brake system which is responsive to input control signals to apply braking to the aircraft;

(b) determining the aircraft'"'"'s present position;

(c) providing a stop position selector for selecting the desired aircraft stopping position on a runway; and

(d) providing logic control means for continuously comparing the aircraft'"'"'s actual position with the selected stopping position and, responsive thereto, applying a predetermined control signal to the aircraft'"'"'s brake system such that the aircraft brakes in a manner tending to stop the aircraft at the selected runway position.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the logic control means further performs the step of filtering the control signal to limit the rate at which the control signal changes to ensure that the bandwidth of the aircraft brake system is adequate to process the filtered control signal.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the logic control means performs the further step of clamping the control signal to thereby prevent excessive aircraft braking.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the logic control means performs the further step of clamping the control signal to thereby prevent excessive aircraft braking.