System and methods for aircraft preflight inspection

• US 8,392,045 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Vian, John L., Saad, Emad W.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US12/205,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20100063650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/36, 701/23, 701/28, 701/3, 348/143, 356/4.01, 345/156, 434/30, 434/1, 434/4, 244/4.R
• US Class Current: 701/28
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems

Abstract

A method of inspecting an aircraft. A plurality of heterogeneous unmanned vehicles are used to perform an inspection of the aircraft, each unmanned vehicle having one or more sensors. A plurality of portions of the aircraft are assigned to the vehicles for inspection based on functional capability of each vehicle. The unmanned vehicles are configured to cooperatively use the sensors to perform the inspection.

Claims

1. A method of inspecting an aircraft comprising:

using a plurality of heterogeneous unmanned, airborne vehicles operating as a cooperative swarm, to perform a preflight inspection of the aircraft, each said unmanned airborne vehicle having one or more sensors;

assigning different designated portions of the aircraft to specific ones of the unmanned airborne vehicles for preflight inspection based on functional capability of each said unmanned airborne vehicle; and

configuring the unmanned airborne vehicles to cooperatively use the sensors to perform the inspection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein functional capability of at least one of the unmanned airborne vehicles comprises travel mode and sensor type.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving reports from the unmanned airborne vehicles as to performance of the inspection.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving reports from the unmanned airborne vehicles comprises receiving a view of a condition in real time relating to the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the view is simulated.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving reports from the unmanned airborne vehicles comprises receiving a simulated view of one or more of the vehicles in real time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the unmanned airborne vehicles with configuration data for the aircraft for use in performing the inspection.

8. A system for inspecting an aircraft, the system comprising:

a plurality of heterogeneous unmanned airborne vehicles, operating cooperatively as a swarm, and each having one or more sensors and a guidance and control system configured to allow each said unmanned airborne vehicle to operate autonomously; and

one or more processors and memory configured to;

instruct the unmanned airborne vehicles to cooperatively perform a preflight inspection of the aircraft using the sensors to obtain sensor data relating to a plurality of possible aircraft conditions, and with each said unmanned airborne vehicle inspecting a specific assigned portion of the aircraft; and

interpret the sensor data to obtain inspection results.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a display, the one or more processors and memory configured to provide an animated interpretation of one or more conditions of the aircraft based on the sensor data.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a display, the one or more processors and memory configured to provide an animated view of one of the unmanned airborne vehicles during the inspection.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and memory are configured to assign each said unmanned airborne vehicle to inspect a zone of the aircraft, and wherein two or more of the unmanned airborne vehicles are configured to cooperatively inspect a transition area of the aircraft between two of the zones.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein one of the unmanned airborne vehicles is configured to request assistance of another of the unmanned airborne vehicles to obtain sensor data.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors and memory are configured to interpret the sensor data using data from one or more databases related to the aircraft.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein one of the unmanned airborne vehicles is configured to obtain sensor data as to an object on or near the aircraft upon request by an operator of the aircraft.

15. A method of planning an inspection of an aircraft, the method comprising:

assigning a plurality of heterogeneous unmanned vehicles to operate as a cooperative swarm to perform a preflight inspection of the aircraft, each said vehicle capable of using one or more sensors in cooperation with the other ones of the vehicles to perform the inspection;

assigning each of a plurality of zones of the aircraft to specific ones of the vehicles based on functional capability of each vehicle; and

assigning to each said vehicle one or more inspection tasks associated with the assigned zone.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting each of the unmanned vehicles based on at least one of the following:

a shape of the unmanned vehicle, a travel mode of the unmanned vehicle, and a location of the aircraft.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the unmanned vehicles with configuration data for the aircraft for use in performing the inspection.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of predefined plans for inspecting the aircraft.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing to at least one of the unmanned vehicles information relating to current weather conditions.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing respectively to each said unmanned vehicle inspection guidelines relating to aircraft parts to be inspected by each one of the unmanned vehicles.