High-low airdrop wind management

• US 8,781,719 B1
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bernhardt, Roger David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Badawi, Medhat
• Application Number:
  US13/539,884
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 244/137.1, 244/137.3, 244/152, 244/138.R, 244/142, 244/139, 701/102, 701/120, 701/3, 701/213, 340/961, 342/24, 342/36, 342/357.53
• US Class Current: 701/120
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/001 Full-field flow measurement, e.g. determining flow velocity and direction in a whole region at the same time, flow visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/105 specially adapted for unpowered flight, e.g. glider, parachuting, forced landing parachutes per se B64D17/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing an airdrop system. Wind around an aircraft is measured to form first wind information. Wind around a target location is measured to form second wind information. A four-dimensional wind profile for use in deploying the airdrop system from the aircraft is generated using the first wind information and the second wind information.

Claims

1. A method for managing a trajectory of an object to a target location, the method comprising:

measuring wind around a platform to form a first wind information;

predicting wind in a volume of air that includes potential paths from the object to the target location;

measuring wind around the target location to form a second wind information; and

generating a four-dimensional wind profile configured to assist managing the trajectory of the object using the first wind information, the second wind information, and at least one effect on a wind model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the four-dimensional wind profile includes wind information for a number of future points in time at a number of locations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the four-dimensional wind profile further comprises:

identifying wind information for the wind from the platform to the target location using a number of wind models and the first wind information and the second wind information; and

the at least one effect on the wind model being generated by at least one of;

a river, a canyon, a building, a bridge, a dam, a monument, precipitation, cloud cover, solar radiation, volcanic activity, and gravity.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the wind information for the wind from the platform to the target location using the number of wind models and the first wind information and the second wind information comprises:

identifying the wind information for the wind from the platform to the target location using the number of wind models and the first wind information and the second wind information, wherein the number of wind models takes into account effects selected from at least one of weather effects and terrain effects.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a deployment location to release the object from an aircraft using the four-dimensional wind profile such that only the object provides any data to the four dimensional wind profile based upon a target flyover.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring the wind at a number of other locations in addition to around the platform and around the target location to form additional wind information; and

generating the four-dimensional wind profile for use in deploying the object using the first wind information, the second wind information, and the additional wind information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein measuring the wind at the number of other locations in addition to around the platform and around the target location to form the additional wind information comprises:

measuring the wind at the number of other locations in addition to around the platform and around the target location at a number of already deployed airdrop systems to form the additional wind information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the wind around the platform comprises:

measuring the wind around the platform using a sensor system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein measuring the wind around the platform using the sensor system comprises:

receiving the first wind information and the second wind information by a wind profile generator;

generating the four-dimensional wind profile using the first wind information and the second wind information; and

sending the four-dimensional wind profile to at least one of an airdrop mission manager and the object.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein measuring wind in the volume of air that includes potential paths from the object to the target location comprises a measurement from a second platform located outside of the volume of air.

11. A method for managing a descent of an object, the method comprising:

receiving, in an airdrop mission manager, a target location;

identifying, using a profile generation system, a volume of air containing potential paths from the object to the target location;

identifying wind information in the volume of air, the wind information comprising at least one effect on a wind model; and

generating a four-dimensional wind profile configured to assist managing the descent of the object using the wind information and a number of wind models.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, in a wind profile generation system, validation data for the four-dimensional wind profile;

characterizing, using the wind profile generation system, a wind variability based upon the validation data;

characterizing a predicted error of managing the descent of the object based upon the wind variability and statistical variations of the wind near a platform deploying the object; and

the at least one effect on the wind model being generated by at least one of;

a river, a canyon, a building, a bridge, a dam, a monument, precipitation, cloud cover, solar radiation, volcanic activity, and gravity.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising the wind information being based on measurements by a platform that is not within the volume of air containing potential paths from the object to the target location.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a wind profile generator configured to;

receive a first wind information from a first measurement of wind around a platform, receive a second wind information from a second measurement of the wind around a target location, and generate a four-dimensional wind profile for use in deploying an object from the platform based upon the first wind information and the second wind information, and at least one effect on a wind model.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wind profile generator is configured to generate the four-dimensional wind profile for use in deploying the object from the platform using the first wind information, the second wind information, and a number of wind models, and the at least one effect on the wind model being generated by at least one of:

a river, a canyon, a building, a bridge, a dam, a monument, precipitation, cloud cover, solar radiation, volcanic activity, and gravity.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the four-dimensional wind profile includes wind information for a number of future points in time at a number of locations.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the number of locations is in a volume encompassing potential paths from the platform to the target location for the object.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wind profile generator is configured to receive additional wind information from measuring the wind at a number of additional locations in addition to around the platform and around the target location and wherein the wind profile generator is configured to generate the four-dimensional wind profile for use in deploying the object from the platform using the first wind information, the second wind information, and the additional wind information;

and

further comprising a mission manager configured to generate instructions based upon an update from the wind profile generator such that the object may change a path to the target location.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the wind profile generator is located on at least one of a mobile platform, a stationary platform, a land-based structure, an aquatic-based structure, an already deployed airdrop system, an aircraft, a surface ship, a tank, a personnel carrier, a train, a satellite, and a submarine.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a wind profile generation system configured to receive validation data for the four-dimensional wind profile and characterize a wind variability based upon the validation data, such that a predicted error may be characterized.