Hardware-based weight and range limitation system, apparatus and method

• US 9,056,669 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Washington, Tom, Hisam, Thorsten, Gomez, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREENE, DANIEL LAWSON
• Application Number:
  US13/632,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 701/15
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/18 using automatic pilot
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones

Abstract

The present disclosure endeavors to provide systems, methods and apparatus for ensuring aircraft compliance with governmental guidelines, such as, for example, Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Category II compliance. A hardware-based system may be employed to reduce range and/or payload below predetermined ranges and a payload capacities. Also provided herein are hardware-based systems, methods, and apparatus for restricting a system'"'"'s range to predetermined range and/or the payload to a predetermined limit using, for example, an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) installed in the flight control system.

Claims

1. A self-contained hardware based range and weight limitation device for providing information regarding limitations to a vehicle'"'"'s range and payload weight, the device configured to be installed on an already-operating vehicle and in communication with the vehicle'"'"'s flight control system, the device comprising:

a locating device for determining the vehicle'"'"'s current location;

a processor operatively coupled to a memory device;

a transmitter device enabled to communicate an approval-to-proceed signal with the vehicle'"'"'s flight control system, wherein the flight control system is spatially and mechanically separate from the hardware based weight and range limitation system;

application specific range limitation circuitry operatively coupled to the processor for dynamically calculating the distance between the vehicle'"'"'s current location and a stored location, wherein the calculated distance is compared to a stored maximum distance value; and

application specific weight limitation circuitry operatively coupled to the processor for dynamically calculating the vehicle'"'"'s take-off acceleration, wherein the calculated take-off acceleration is compared to a stored maximum take-off acceleration value;

wherein communication of the approval-to-proceed signal to the flight control system via the transmitter device is permitted if (i) the calculated distance is less than the maximum distance value and (ii) the calculated take-off acceleration is less than a maximum take-off acceleration.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the stored location is the vehicle'"'"'s location upon take-off.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the approval-to-proceed signal is encrypted using a key having a size of at least 128 bits.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the stored maximum take-off acceleration value is the take-off acceleration value necessary to take-off with a payload value of about 500 kg or more.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the stored maximum distance value is about 300 km or more.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter device communicates a warning signal to the flight control system if the calculated distance exceeds a warning distance value, wherein the warning distance value is less than the maximum distance value.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein communication of the approval-to-proceed signal to the flight control system via the transmitter device is prohibited if an in-flight reboot has been detected.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device for determining the vehicle'"'"'s current location uses GPS technology.

9. A self-contained hardware based range and weight limitation method for providing information regarding limitations to a vehicle'"'"'s range and payload weight, the method performed by a device configured to be installed on an already-operating vehicle and in communication with the vehicle'"'"'s flight control system, comprising the steps of:

using a locating device to determine the vehicle'"'"'s current location;

dynamically calculating the distance between the vehicle'"'"'s current location and a stored location using application specific range limitation circuitry operatively coupled to a processor, wherein the calculated distance is compared to a stored maximum distance value;

calculating the vehicle'"'"'s take-off acceleration using application specific weight limitation circuitry operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the calculated take-off acceleration is compared to a stored maximum take-off acceleration value;

communicating an approval-to-proceed signal to a flight control system via a transmitter device if (i) the calculated distance is less than the maximum distance value and (ii) the calculated take-off acceleration is less than a maximum take-off acceleration, wherein the flight control system is spatially and mechanically separate from (i) the application specific range limitation circuitry and (ii) the application specific weight limitation circuitry.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the stored location is the vehicle'"'"'s location upon take-off.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the approval-to-proceed signal is encrypted using a key having a size of at least 128 bits.

12. The hardware based range and weight limitation method of claim 9, wherein the stored maximum take-off acceleration value is the take-off acceleration value necessary to take-off with a payload value of about 500 kg or more.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the stored maximum distance value is about 300 km or more.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of communicating a warning signal to the flight control system if the calculated distance exceeds a warning distance value, wherein the warning distance value is less than the maximum distance value.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein communication of the approval-to-proceed signal to the flight control system via the transmitter device is prohibited if an in-flight reboot has been detected.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the device to determine the vehicle'"'"'s current location uses GPS technology.

17. A self-contained hardware based range and weight limitation device for providing a signal corresponding to limitations to a vehicle'"'"'s range and payload weight, the device configured to be installed on an already-operating vehicle and in communication with the vehicle'"'"'s flight control system, the device comprising:

a locating device for providing the vehicle'"'"'s current location;

a processor operatively coupled to a memory device;

a transmitter device enabled to communicate an approval-to-proceed signal with a flight control system;

application specific range limitation circuitry operatively coupled to the processor for dynamically calculating the distance between the vehicle'"'"'s current location and a stored location, wherein the calculated distance is compared to a stored maximum distance value; and

application specific weight limitation circuitry operatively coupled to the processor for dynamically calculating the vehicle'"'"'s take-off acceleration wherein the calculated take-off acceleration is compared to a stored maximum take-off acceleration value;

wherein communication of the approval-to-proceed signal to the flight control system via the transmitter device is permitted if (i) the calculated distance is less than the maximum distance value and (ii) the calculated take-off acceleration is less than a maximum take-off acceleration

wherein the flight control system is spatially and mechanically separate from (i) the application specific range limitation circuitry and (ii) the application specific weight limitation circuitry.

18. The hardware based range and weight apparatus device of claim 17, wherein the stored location is the vehicle'"'"'s location upon take-off.

19. The hardware based range and weight apparatus device of claim 17, wherein the approval-to-proceed signal is encrypted using a key having a size of at least 128 bits.

20. The hardware based range and weight apparatus device of claim 17, wherein the approval-to-proceed signal is encrypted using quantum encryption techniques.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the stored maximum take-off acceleration value is the take-off acceleration value necessary to take-off with a payload value of about 500 kg or more.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the stored maximum distance value is about 300 km or more.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein the transmitter device communicates a warning signal to the flight control system if the calculated distance exceeds a warning distance value, wherein the warning distance value is less than the maximum distance value.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein communication of the approval-to-proceed signal to the flight control system via the transmitter device is prohibited if an in-flight reboot has been detected.

25. A self-contained hardware-based range and weight limitation device for providing an approval-to-proceed signal regarding a vehicle'"'"'s range and payload weight, the device configured to be installed on an already-operating vehicle and in communication with the vehicle'"'"'s flight control system, the device, comprising:

a locating device for providing the vehicle'"'"'s current location;

a processor operatively coupled to a memory device;

a transmitter device enabled to communicate an approval-to-proceed signal with a flight control system;

range limitation circuitry operatively coupled to the processor for calculating the distance between the vehicle'"'"'s current location and a stored location, wherein the calculated distance is compared to a stored maximum distance value; and

weight limitation circuitry operatively coupled to the processor for calculating the vehicle'"'"'s take-off acceleration, wherein the calculated take-off acceleration is compared to a stored maximum take-off acceleration value;

wherein communication of the approval-to-proceed signal to the flight control system via the transmitter device is prohibited if (i) the calculated distance is greater than the maximum distance value and (ii) the calculated take-off acceleration is greater than a maximum take-off acceleration

wherein the flight control system is spatially and mechanically separate from (i) the range limitation circuitry and (ii) the weight limitation circuitry.