Telematics process for helicopters

• US 6,895,327 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Braun, Guenter, Klausing, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US10/220,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20030125849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701117-119, 701/207, 701/301, 455/456.1, 340/988, 340/989, 342/457
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/935 for terrain-avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/008 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

The invention relates to a telematics method for helicopters. According to the inventive method, the use spectrum of helicopters which are provided with all-weather flight guidance and obstacle warning systems is enlarged and flight security is further improved by transmitting data and/or speech by means of terrestrial and/or satellite-supported mobile radio telecommunications networks and by connecting to a locating system. Logistics processes of the helicopter operation and of the institutions benefiting from a helicopter use are optimized.

Claims

1. Telematic process for helicopters with an all-weather flight guidance and obstacle warning system which utilizes terrestrial or satellite-assisted mobile radiocommunications networks for the mobile communication, said processing comprising:

establishing a unit and fleet management by completely or partially automated transmission of position and operational information between the helicopter and a control center, using a cooperative association of a locating system with a mobile voice and/or data transmission;

automatically, semiautomatically or manually controlling communication with databanks to retrieve data relevant to mission purposes and/or flight safety, and to transmit actual data from surroundings of a helicopter, including weather data, obstacle backdrop, images, to databanks;

establishing and maintaining an indirect or direct mobile radiocommunications connection to existing earth-bound systems for emergency call and breakdown assistance, traffic and guiding systems system of all types;

transmitting patient diagnostic data for selection of an optimum hospital, its preparation for the primary care as well as for obtaining assistance from specialists for the emergency medical personnel on board; and

transmitting data concerning the condition of the helicopter and/or of the crew for an effective mission planning, servicing and spare parts supply.

2. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein transmission of voice and data communication is implemented via at least one of a terrestrial mobile radiocommunications network and a satellite radiocommunications network.

3. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein the transmission path or paths is selected based on criteria for quality of transmission and reachability of a distant terminal in an automatic, semiautomatic or manual manner.

4. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein:

satellite mobile radiocommunications antennas are mounted above a main rotor head and above a rear rotor of the helicopter;

in the case of helicopters without any rear rotor, the satellite mobile radicommunications antennas are mounted close to a rearward helicopter end; and

the satellite antennas are utilized both separately and jointly, with spatial and frequency separation, for an optimal radio transmission.

5. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein:

terrestrial mobile radiocommunications antennas are mounted at highest and lowest points of the helicopter, above a main rotor head and above a rear rotor;

in helicopters without a rear rotor, such antennas are mounted close to the rearward helicopter end as well as on the underside of the helicopter in the front, in the rear and in the center; and

the terrestrial mobile radiocommunications antennas are each used separately or jointly, with spatial and frequency separation for optimal radio transmission.

6. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein the satellite mobile radiocommunications antennas and the upper antennas for the terrestrial mobile radiocommunications are connected with one another or use the same radiator element.

7. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein:

the lower antennas for the terrestrial radiocommunications have a directional effect; and

during a flight, the lower antennas are mechanically or electronically tracked to a radio station.

8. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein for the purpose of a collision warning, position messages are continuously transmitted to a control center which operates an analyzing system for computing collision risks of the helicopters among one another or with other obstacles whose position is known from information of a digital map or of position messages by radio, or which transmits the position data of all helicopters operating in the area and of low-flying surface airplanes to all traffic participants in the air space, the collision risk being determined by an analyzing system implemented in the helicopter.

9. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein a road map is added to the process which is vectorized in the GDF format.

10. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein actual data or transaction data are transmitted from a digital map before and during the mission to the helicopter in order to update its database.

11. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein:

actual data concerning surroundings of the helicopter are recorded by means of an on-board optical or radar-based real sight system;

the actual data are compared with the digital map; and

transaction data are transmitted from the helicopter by way of mobile radiocommunications or storage media to the map databank for updating the obstacle background.

12. The telematic process according to claim 1, wherein actual data of all types sensed by the helicopter by means of sensors are transmitted by way of mobile radio communications or storage media to a databank.