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Apparatus for an automated aerial refueling boom using multiple types of sensors

  • US 8,757,548 B2
  • Filed: 04/30/2007
  • Issued: 06/24/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of controlling a refueling boom relative to a tanker aircraft and a receiver aircraft, comprising:

  • deriving an inertial navigation state for the tanker aircraft;

    deriving an inertial navigation state for the receiver aircraft;

    determining a GPS-sensor-derived position estimate for a GPS sensor on the tanker aircraft;

    determining an inertial measurement unit (IMU)-derived position estimate for the GPS sensor on the tanker aircraft using an IMU on the tanker aircraft;

    determining a UPS-sensor-derived position estimate for a GPS sensor on the receiver aircraft;

    determining an IMU-derived position estimate for the GPS sensor on the receiver aircraft using an IMU on the receiver aircraft;

    determining a GPS relative difference between the GPS-sensor-derived position estimates;

    determining an IMU relative difference between the IMU-derived position estimates;

    determining an absolute difference between the IMU-derived position estimate and the GPS-sensor-derived position estimate for a first one of the tanker and receiver GPS sensors;

    filtering the absolute difference, the IMU relative difference, and the GPS relative difference to derive an absolute navigation state error for the aircraft having the first GPS sensor and to derive a relative navigation state error between the aircraft having the first GPS sensor and a remaining one of the tanker and receiver aircrafts;

    correcting the inertial navigation states using the absolute and relative navigation state errors; and

    controlling the refueling boom based upon the corrected inertial navigations states so as to automatically mate with the receiver aircraft.

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