Determining suitable areas for off-airport landings

• US 7,689,328 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Spinelli, Charles B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaud; Gertrude Arthur
• Application Number:
  US11/643,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 701/5, 701/7, 701/13, 701/16, 701/201, 701/206, 701209-210, 701/29, 340/945, 340/947
• US Class Current: 701/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/15 Aircraft landing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/105 specially adapted for unpowered flight, e.g. glider, parachuting, forced landing parachutes per se B64D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913

Abstract

A routing tool is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method and system include receiving flight data and geographic data in the aircraft, and generating route data based on the flight data and the geographic data. The route data provides information about attainable landing areas for the aircraft.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a landing of an aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving flight data in the aircraft;

receiving geographic data in the aircraft; and

generating route data based on the flight data and the geographic data, wherein the route data provides information about attainable landing areas for the aircraft, wherein the attainable landing areas comprise one or more off-airport landing areas, wherein the flight data comprises aircraft-performance data, and wherein the aircraft-performance data comprises one or more of runway surface and length requirements, and type of runway surfaces required.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the flight data comprises one or more flight parameters.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more flight parameters comprise one or more of a route and pilot preferences.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the aircraft-performance data comprises one or more of climb performance, cruise performance, descent performance, weight and balance data, and fuel capacity and burn rates.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the geographic data is provided by one or more of a terrain database, a roads database, an airport database, a populated areas database, an airspace database, an obstructions database, a weather data database, a utilities database, and a vegetation database.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the route data is further based on navigation data.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the navigation data comprises one or more of inertial navigation system data, attitude and heading reference system data, and global positioning system data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the route data is further based on aircraft system data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the aircraft system data comprises one or more of aircraft configuration information, current weight and balance, fuel burn rate and quantity, and engine parameters.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the route data further comprises glide limits.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the glide limits are based on one or more of a real-time position of the aircraft and real-time conditions surrounding the aircraft.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the route data further comprises a velocity vector, wherein the velocity vector is based on one or more of a current aircraft attitude, position, ground speed, and heading.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the route data further comprises a vertical vector, wherein the vertical vector is based on one or more of a current aircraft attitude, position, ground speed, altitude, and vertical speed.

14. A computer-readable medium containing program instructions for facilitating a landing of an aircraft, which when executed by a computer system cause the computer system to execute a method comprising:

receiving flight data in the aircraft;

receiving geographic data in the aircraft; and

generating route data based on the flight data and the geographic data, wherein the route data provides information about attainable landing areas for the aircraft, wherein the attainable landing areas comprise one or more off-airport landing areas, wherein the flight data comprises aircraft-performance data, and wherein the aircraft-performance data comprises one or more of runway surface and length requirements, and type of runway surfaces required.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the flight data comprises one or more flight parameters.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the one or more flight parameters comprise one or more of a route and pilot preferences.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the aircraft-performance data comprises one or more of climb performance, cruise performance, descent performance, weight and balance data, and fuel capacity and burn rates.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the geographic data is provided by one or more of a terrain database, a roads database, an airport database, a populated areas database, an airspace database, an obstructions database, a weather data database, a utilities database, and a vegetation database.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the route data is further based on navigation data.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the navigation data comprises one or more of inertial navigation system data, attitude and heading reference system data, and global positioning system data.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the route data is further based on aircraft system data.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the aircraft system data comprises one or more of aircraft configuration information, current weight and balance, fuel burn rate and quantity, and engine parameters.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the route data further comprises glide limits.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the glide limits are based on one or more of a real-time position of the aircraft and real-time conditions surrounding the aircraft.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 wherein the route data further comprises a velocity vector, wherein the velocity vector is based on one or more of a current aircraft attitude, position, ground speed, and heading.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the route data further comprises a vertical vector, wherein the vertical vector is based on one or more of a current aircraft attitude, position, ground speed, altitude, and vertical speed.

27. An airplane comprising:

a plurality of aircraft systems; and

a flight planning system coupled to the plurality of aircraft systems, wherein the flight planning system is operable to receive flight data in the airplane, receive geographic data in the airplane, and generate route data based on the flight data and the geographic data, wherein the route data provides information about attainable landing areas for the airplane, wherein the attainable landing areas comprise one or more off-airport landing areas, wherein the flight data comprises aircraft-performance data, and wherein the aircraft-performance data comprises one or more of runway surface and length requirements, and type of runway surfaces required.

28. The airplane of claim 27 wherein the flight data comprises one or more flight parameters.

29. The airplane of claim 28 wherein the one or more flight parameters comprise one or more of a route and pilot preferences.

30. The airplane of claim 27 wherein the aircraft-performance data comprises one or more of climb performance, cruise performance, descent performance, weight and balance data, and fuel capacity and burn rates.

31. The airplane of claim 27 wherein the geographic data is provided by one or more of a terrain database, a roads database, an airport database, a populated areas database, an airspace database, an obstructions database, a weather data database, a utilities database, and a vegetation database.

32. The airplane of claim 27 wherein the route data is further based on navigation data.

33. The airplane of claim 32 wherein the navigation data comprises one or more of inertial navigation system data, attitude and heading reference system data, and global positioning system data.

34. The airplane of claim 27 wherein the route data is further based on aircraft system data.

35. The airplane of claim 34 wherein the aircraft system data comprises one or more of aircraft configuration information, current weight and balance, fuel burn rate and quantity, and engine parameters.

36. The airplane of claim 27 wherein the route data further comprises glide limits.

37. The airplane of claim 36 wherein the glide limits are based on one or more of a real-time position of the aircraft and real-time conditions surrounding the aircraft.

38. The airplane of claim 27 wherein the route data further comprises a velocity vector, wherein the velocity vector is based on one or more of a current aircraft attitude, position, ground speed, and heading.

39. The airplane of claim 27 wherein the route data further comprises a vertical vector, wherein the vertical vector is based on one or more of a current aircraft attitude, position, ground speed, altitude, and vertical speed.

40. A method for facilitating a landing of an aircraft, the method comprising:

receiving flight data in the aircraft;

receiving geographic data in the aircraft; and

generating route data based on the flight data and the geographic data, wherein the route data provides information about attainable landing areas for the aircraft, and wherein the attainable landing areas comprise one or more off-airport landing areas, wherein the flight data comprises aircraft-performance data, wherein the aircraft-performance data comprises one or more of climb performance, cruise performance, descent performance, weight and balance data, fuel capacity and burn rates, runway surface and length requirements, and type of runway surfaces required, and wherein the geographic data is provided by one or more of a terrain database, a roads database, an airport database, a populated areas database, an airspace database, an obstructions database, a weather data database, a utilities database, and a vegetation database.