Aircraft load management system for interior loads

• US 8,694,235 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Eadie, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Application Number:
  US12/280,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20090319165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,674 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/124, 244/118.1, 244/137.1, 414/373, 702/174, 700/214, 700/217, 700/226
• US Class Current: 701/124
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 9/00 Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like emergency equipment B64D17/00, B64D19/00, B64D25/00; structures integral with fuselage to facilitate loading, fuselage floors specially adapted for freight, steps mounted on and retractable within aircraft B64C; ground installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/07 for weighing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/125 of aircraft

Abstract

An aircraft load management system determines a cargo through a wireless communication system to rapidly position the cargo. RFID emitter tags on each piece of cargo are triangulated relative to an aircraft internal cargo bay. Real time cargo position information is displayed to facilitate direction of drivers, loadmasters and aircrew. Cargo data is also relayed to onboard systems for mission planning, and for communication to a global information network to prioritize cargo delivery and dynamic mission re-planning. Even prior to onloading, cargo data is wirelessly communicated to the load management system to automatically plan the cargo load sequence. The load management system also autonomously loads remote controlled ground vehicles and equipment through communication therewith.

Claims

1. A system to manage a load relative to an internal cargo bay, comprising:

a wireless communication system adjacent to an internal cargo bay, said wireless communication system comprises a sensor system adjacent the internal cargo bay to wirelessly communicate with and gather information from cargo external to the internal cargo bay prior to loading the cargo, and to wirelessly communicate with and gather information from cargo within the internal cargo bay; and

a load management system in communication with said wireless communication system to determine a cargo position relative to the internal cargo bay.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor system comprises a multiple of sensors operable to determine a three dimensional cargo position.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless communication system is in communication with said sensor system to determine a three dimensional cargo position of the cargo within said internal cargo bay and external to said internal cargo bay.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said load management system is operable to determine a cargo position within the aircraft internal cargo while the cargo is external to the internal cargo bay, the cargo position determined to maintain an aircraft C.G. within a predefined limit.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a display in communication with said load management system, said display operable to display symbology which represents the cargo relative a Cargo Bay Floor Plan View representative of the position of the cargo relative to the internal cargo bay.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said load management system is an aircraft load management system for a rotary-wing aircraft.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein said wireless communication system comprises at least one sensor mounted external to and remote from said internal cargo bay.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an active controlled floor roller system in communication with said load management system.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, further comprising an active cargo-locking system within said active controlled floor roller system.

19. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless communication system is in communication with said sensor system to determine a three dimensional cargo position of the cargo external to said cargo bay.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein said cargo is stationary when the position is measured.

21. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor system adjacent the internal cargo bay is to wirelessly communicate with stationary cargo external to the internal cargo bay, and the stationary cargo is entirely outside the internal cargo bay.

22. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless communication system comprises at least one sensor mounted to aircraft landing gear, at least one sensor mounted to an aircraft tail, or both.

10. A method of managing an aircraft load for an aircraft with an internal cargo bay comprising:

(A) wirelessly communicating with a set of emitters attached to, and gathering information from, cargo external to said internal cargo bay and within said internal cargo bay;

(B) calculating a three-dimensional position of the cargo within the internal cargo bay and external to the internal cargo bay with a load management system; and

(C) displaying symbology representing the cargo relative to a Cargo Bay Floor Plan View of the aircraft in response to said step (B).

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

(D) determining an aircraft cargo arrangement to maintain an aircraft C.G. within a predefined limit.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said step (D) further comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a position within the internal cargo bay for the cargo while the cargo is external to the internal cargo bay.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said step (a) further comprises:

(i) moving the cargo along an active controlled floor roller system in communication with the load management system; and

(ii) locking the cargo with an active cargo-locking system at the position within the internal cargo bay after said step (i).

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said step (a) further comprising:

(i) wirelessly detecting a set of emitters attached to each of a plurality of cargo pieces; and

(ii) determining a position within the aircraft for each of the plurality of cargo pieces prior to the cargo being loaded within the internal cargo bay.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

(D) wirelessly communicating with a remote control vehicle as the cargo, and

(E) controlling movement of the remote control vehicle relative to the internal cargo bay in response to said step (D) through the load management system.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said step (D) further comprising:

(a) triangulating a three dimensional cargo position of the cargo relative to the internal cargo bay.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said step (D) further comprising:

(a) triangulating a three dimensional cargo position of the cargo within the internal cargo bay.

18. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

(D) communicating cargo data from the set of emitters attached to the cargo to the load management system.