Communication of landing conditions

• US 7,626,513 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Shafaat, Sayed T., Goodman, William L., Imrich, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Toan N
• Assistant Examiner(s): McNally; Kerri L
• Application Number:
  US11/464,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20090267798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 340/971, 340/945
• US Class Current: 340/945
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

The invention discloses differing embodiments of methods, aircraft, and apparatus for communicating the braking conditions of a runway. In one embodiment, braking information may be determined from a first aircraft which has landed on the runway. The braking information may be communicated to air traffic control and/or a second aircraft. Communication of the braking information may take place utilizing an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast system (ADS-B) and/or other type of automatic networking system.

Claims

1. A method for communicating the braking conditions for a runway comprising:

determining braking information in real-time from a first aircraft landing on the runway using an automated apparatus on the first aircraft comprising at least one computer, wherein said braking information comprises at least one of (1) a real-time braking performance measurement comprising at least one runway real-time deceleration measurement of the landing first aircraft based on an initial touch-down runway location of said first aircraft, an initial velocity of said first aircraft at said initial touch-down runway location, a final runway location of said first aircraft, and a final velocity of said first aircraft at said final runway location, and (2) a real-time normalized braking performance measurement comprising an expected braking performance of a standard aircraft on said runway, the real-time normalized braking performance measurement further comprising the normalization of a real-time deceleration rate of the landing first aircraft which takes into account at least one of wind speed, wind direction, a weight of the first aircraft, a type of the first aircraft, air temperature, configuration of the first aircraft, Minimum Equipment List conditions, thrust reverse conditions, non-normal conditions, the initial velocity of said first aircraft at the initial touchdown runway location, and the final velocity of said first aircraft at the final runway location;

communicating in real-time said real-time braking information to at least one of air traffic control and a second aircraft, comprising an incoming aircraft, utilizing at least one of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast system (ADS-B) and an automatic networking system; and

determining in real-time the expected braking performance of said second aircraft on said runway based on said real-time braking information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining whether said second aircraft should land on said runway based on said real-time expected braking performance of said second aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of preparing a dynamic display showing said braking information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said dynamic display shows braking information for multiple landing aircraft.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said dynamic display shows said braking information in at least one of said air traffic control, and said second aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining whether the runway should be shut down due to hazardous conditions based on said braking information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said final runway location comprises at least one of a location where said first aircraft is ready to taxi off said runway, a pre-determined location on said runway, and a location where said first aircraft is stopped.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said pre-determined location on said runway is based, at least in part, on a length of said runway.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said apparatus further comprises an auto-braking apparatus.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the braking information comprises determining said braking performance measurement.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the braking information comprises determining said normalized braking performance measurement.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said standard aircraft represents a generic, non-descript aircraft.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the braking information comprises determining said normalized braking performance measurement which further represents the expected braking performance of the standard aircraft on a standard day on said runway.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said standard day represents a day with normal landing conditions.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of communicating said braking information comprises the first aircraft communicating said braking information directly to the second aircraft.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said braking information comprises both the real-time braking performance measurement and the real-time normalized braking performance measurement.

17. A landed aircraft wherein braking information regarding landing of said aircraft was determined in real-time using an automated apparatus on the landed aircraft comprising at least one computer and said braking information was communicated in real-time utilizing at least one of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast system and an automatic networking system to at least one of air traffic control and another landing aircraft, and an expected braking performance of the another landing aircraft was determined based on said braking information, wherein said braking information comprised at least one of:

(1) a real-time braking performance measurement comprising at least one runway deceleration measurement of the landed aircraft based on the initial touch-down runway location of the landed aircraft, an initial velocity of the landed aircraft at the initial touch-down runway location, a final runway location of the landed aircraft, and a final velocity of the landed aircraft at the final runway location, and (2) a real-time normalized braking performance measurement comprising the normalization of a deceleration rate of the landed aircraft representing the expected braking performance of a standard aircraft on the runway taking into account at least one of wind speed, wind direction, a weight of the landed aircraft, a type of the landed aircraft, air temperature, configuration of the landed aircraft, Minimum Equipment List conditions, thrust reverse conditions, non-normal conditions, the initial velocity of the landed aircraft at the initial touchdown runway location, and the final velocity of the landed aircraft at the final runway location.

18. The landed aircraft of claim 17 wherein said apparatus further comprised an auto-braking apparatus.

19. The landed aircraft of claim 17 wherein a decision as to whether it was safe to land said another landing aircraft was made based on said braking information.

20. The landed aircraft of claim 19 wherein the decision as to whether it was safe to land said another landing aircraft was made based on said braking information received on board said another landing aircraft utilizing a Cockpit Display of Traffic Information system (CDTI).

21. The landed aircraft of claim 17 wherein said braking information was displayed on a dynamic display.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein said braking information comprised the braking performance measurement.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein said braking information comprised the normalized braking performance measurement.

24. The landed aircraft of claim 17 wherein the braking information was communicated directly from the landed aircraft to the another landing aircraft.

25. The landed aircraft of claim 17 wherein said braking information comprises both the real-time braking performance measurement and the real-time normalized braking performance measurement.

26. An apparatus for determining and communicating braking information in real-time regarding landing of an aircraft on a runway to at least one of air traffic control and another landing aircraft in order to determine an expected braking performance of the another landing aircraft on the runway based on said braking information, wherein said apparatus comprises at least one automated computer and at least one of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast system and an automatic networking system, and wherein said braking information comprises at least one of a (1) real-time braking performance measurement comprising at least one runway deceleration measurement of the landing aircraft based on an initial touch-down runway location of the landing aircraft, an initial velocity of the landing aircraft at the initial touch-down runway location, a final runway location of the landing aircraft, and a final velocity of the landing aircraft at the final runway location, and (2) real-time normalized braking performance measurement comprising the normalization of a deceleration rate of the landing aircraft representing the expected braking performance of a standard aircraft on the runway taking into account at least one of wind speed, wind direction, a weight of the landing aircraft, a type of the landing aircraft, air temperature, configuration of the landing aircraft, Minimum Equipment List conditions, thrust reverse conditions, non-normal conditions, the initial velocity of the landing aircraft at the initial touchdown runway location, and the final velocity of the landing aircraft at the final runway location.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said apparatus further comprises a Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) system.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the braking information comprises said braking performance measurement.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the braking information comprises said normalized braking performance measurement.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the apparatus communicated the braking information directly from the landing aircraft to the another landing aircraft.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said braking information comprises both the real-time braking performance measurement and the real-time normalized braking performance measurement.