Method and systems for controlling the service for an aircraft

• US 6,119,058 A
• Filed: 06/23/1997
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FMT International Trade AB
• Original Assignee: FMT International Trade AB
• Inventors: Anderberg, Nils-Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US08/836,171
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/35, 701/3, 705/413
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/35 for supplying electrical power to stationary aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/36 Other airport installations ground installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/362 Installations for supplying conditioned air to parked aircraft

Abstract

In a method and a device for controlling the servicing of an aircraft parked at a stand, the servicing is carried out from a plurality of servicing units which are stationarily arranged adjacent to the stand and which each are adapted to supply fuel, water, compressed air, preconditioned air or electric power to the aircraft or to service the toilets of the aircraft. A plurality of local computer units are each disposed in a a servicing unit and have an associated display as well as an associated inputting device. A central computer unit is connected to each of the local computer units and to an information receiver in or in the vicinity of the aircraft. The central computer unit transmits information to the local computer units of the servicing units on the servicing to be carried out. Each of the local computer units records information on the servicing carried out and transmits this information to the central computer unit, which in turn transmits the information to the information receiver.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the servicing of an aircraft which is parked at a stand at an airport, said servicing being carried out from a plurality of servicing units which are stationarily arranged adjacent to the stand and each of which are adapted to supply the aircraft with at least one of a fuel, water, compressed air, preconditioned air, electric power and emptying of the toilets of the aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of local computer units each disposed in a servicing unit and each having an associated display and a unique identity;

a central computer unit disposed at a distance from the servicing units and connected to each of the local computer units; and

an information receiver located at one of near the parked aircraft and within the parked aircraft, said information receiver connected to said central computer unit,

wherein prior to servicing an aircraft, said central computer unit transmits information on the servicing to be performed to the local computer units of the servicing units, wherein each of the local computer units is adapted to control the servicing and to record information on the provided servicing, and to transmit the recorded servicing information to the central computer unit, which said central computer unit is adapted to transmit to the information receiver at least some of the received information on the provided servicing.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central computer unit is connected to an administrative database of the airport.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the information receiver comprises a computer onboard an aircraft parked at the stand, and wherein the central computer unit includes a transmitter for wireless transmission of information to the information receiver.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one servicing unit supplies a fluid to the aircraft and has a flow meter for determining the volume of fluid supplied, as well as means for turning the fluid supply on and off, and wherein the local computer unit in said at least one servicing unit is connected to the flow meter and to the means for turning the fluid supply on and off and is adapted to turn the fluid supply off when a predetermined volume of fluid has been supplied.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the central computer unit is connected to a computer system of at least one airline or oil company in order to achieve an automatic invoicing for the provided servicing.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information receiver comprises a computer onboard the aircraft parked at the stand, and wherein the central computer unit includes a transmitter for wireless transmission of information to the information receiver.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one servicing unit supplies a fluid to the aircraft and has a flow meter for determining the volume of fluid supplied, as well as means for turning the fluid supply on and off, and wherein the local computer unit in said at least one servicing unit is connected to the flow meter and to the means for turning the fluid supply on and off and is adapted to turn the fluid supply off when a predetermined volume of fluid has been supplied.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the central computer unit is connected to a computer system of at least one airline or oil company in order to achieve an automatic invoicing for the provided servicing.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one servicing unit supplies a fluid to the aircraft and has a flow meter for determining the volume of fluid supplied, as well as means for turning the fluid supply on and off, and wherein the local computer unit in said at least one servicing unit is connected to the flow meter and to the means for turning the fluid supply on and off and is adapted to turn the fluid supply off when a predetermined volume of fluid has been supplied.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the central computer unit is connected to a computer system of at least one airline or oil company in order to achieve an automatic invoicing for the provided servicing.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central computer unit is connected to a computer system of at least one airline or oil company in order to achieve an automatic invoicing for the provided servicing.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each local computer unit has an inputting device for entry of an authorization code.

13. A system for controlling a refueling unit that refuels an aircraft which is parked at a stand at an airport, said

refueling unit stationarily arranged adjacent to the stand and adapted to supply fuel from a fuel line below ground to the aircraft, said refueling unit including a flow meter to measure an amount of fuel supplied during refueling, said system comprising:

a local computer unit with an associated display, said local computer unit being arranged in the refueling unit and having a unique identity;

a central computer unit disposed at a distance from the refueling unit; and

an information receiver located at one of near the vicinity of the aircraft and within the aircraft, and information receiver connected to said central computer unit, said local computer unit being adapted to control the fuel supply and then transmit information on the amount of fuel metered by the flow meter to the central computer unit, which in turn is adapted to transmit the same information on the metered amount of fuel to the information receiver.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the refueling unit comprises a hose assembly having at least one hose in communication with a fuel line, and an elevator device for mounting thereon the hose assembly, said elevator device adapted to displace the hose assembly between a position below ground and a position above ground.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, further including a fuel-filter unit for filtering the fuel from the fuel line, a recovery tank, and at least one control valve for turning the fuel from the fuel line on and off, the elevator device, fuel-filter unit, the flow meter, the control valve and the recovery tank being disposed within an underground container, said fuel filter unit, said flow meter, said control valve and said recovery tank arranged separately from the elevator device and upstream therefrom in a direction of the fuel supply, said container having a first opening for the displacement of the hose assembly between the position below ground and the position above ground and a second opening for accessing an interior of the container, as well as a lead-in forming an inlet from the fuel line.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the central computer unit is connected to an administrative database of the airport, and is adapted to transmit information to the local computer unit concerning an amount of fuel to be supplied to the aircraft when the central computer unit receives information from the administrative database indicating that an aircraft which is to park at the stand is approaching the airport.

17. A method for controlling the servicing of an aircraft which is parked at a stand at an airport, said servicing being carried out from a plurality of servicing units which are stationarily arranged adjacent to the stand, each of said servicing units having a local computer unit therein, each of said local computer units including a display, said servicing providing at least one of a supply of fuel, water, compressed air, preconditioned air, electric power and emptying of the toilets of the aircraft, comprising the steps of:

planning the servicing of the aircraft and storing information thereon in a central computer unit;

presetting the servicing units by transmitting servicing information from the central computer unit to said local computer units;

displaying information on the servicing to be performed by each of the respective servicing units on each respective local computer unit display;

performing the servicing indicated on the display under the control of the local computer unit in the respective servicing unit and storing the information in the local computer unit of the respective servicing unit;

retrieving the stored information concerning the performed servicing carried out by the associated servicing unit and transmitting the retrieved information to the central computer unit; and

directing the central computer unit to compile the servicing information obtained from each of the local computer units and then transmitting this compiled information to an information receiver located at one of near and within the aircraft.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the step of transmitting information to the local computer units is performed when the central computer unit has received information from an administrative database of the airport indicating that an aircraft which is to park at the stand is approaching the airport.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the central computer unit totals the fuel supplied to aircraft from a plurality of servicing units connected to a fuel store, and compares the total with a total amount of fuel supplied from the fuel store, wherein a difference represents a leak in the fuel lines of the airport.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein prior to performing the servicing indicated on the local computer unit display, an operator inputted authorization code is compared with a stored authorization code to verify that the operator is authorized to service the aircraft.