Cargo handling system and control method

• US 9,932,112 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Harms, Scott, Kish, Shad
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/466,334
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/20 specially adapted for freight
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2009/006 Rollers or drives for pallets of freight containers, e.g. PDU
• 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: B64F 1/322 Cargo loaders specially adapted for loading air freight containers or palletized cargo into or out of the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 13/02 having driven rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/046 RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21028 Address of module determined by position
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21053 Each unit, module has unique identification code, set during manufacturing, fMAC address
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2621 Conveyor, transfert line
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

A cargo handling system may have power drive unit (PDU), which may include a motor and a PDU controller. The PDU controller may be in communication with the motor and configured to receive a command signal including an address corresponding to a location of the PDU. The PDU controller may comprise a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader. The PDU controller may be configured to determine the location of the PDU by reading an RFID tag.

Claims

1. A cargo handling system comprising a power drive unit (PDU), the PDU comprising:

a motor; and

a PDU controller in communication with the motor and configured to receive a command signal including an address corresponding to a location of the PDU, the PDU controller comprising;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, wherein the PDU controller is configured to determine the location of the PDU by reading an RFID tag.

2. The PDU of claim 1, wherein the PDU controller is configured to determine whether the address included in the command signal matches the location of the PDU.

3. The PDU of claim 2, wherein the PDU controller is configured to command the motor in response to the location of the PDU matching the address included in the command signal.

4. The PDU of claim 2, wherein the PDU controller is configured to disregard the command signal in response to the location of the PDU being different than the address included in the command signal.

5. The PDU of claim 1, wherein the RFID tag operates at a frequency having a read range of up to one meter.

6. The PDU of claim 1, further including a connector coupled to the PDU controller, the connector configured to couple to a wiring harness having pin programming.

7. A cargo handling system, comprising:

a tray;

a first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag coupled to the tray, the first RFID tag including a location information identifying a location of the tray;

a first power drive unit (PDU) disposed in the tray, the first PDU comprising a first PDU controller; and

a first tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the first PDU controller, the first tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the first PDU controller, cause the first PDU controller to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by the first PDU controller, a command signal including a first address corresponding to a location of the first PDU,

reading, by the first PDU controller, the first RFID tag to determine the location of the first PDU, and

determining, by the first PDU controller, whether the location of the first PDU matches the first address included in the command signal.

8. The cargo handling system of claim 7, wherein the first PDU further includes a motor coupled to the first PDU controller, wherein the motor is coupled to a drive roller.

9. The cargo handling system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise commanding, by the first PDU controller, the motor of the first PDU according to the command signal in response the first PDU determining that the first address included in the command signal matches the location of the first PDU.

10. The cargo handling system of claim 7, further including a connector coupled to the first PDU controller, the connector configured to couple to a wiring harness having pin programming.

11. The cargo handling system of claim 7, wherein the first PDU controller comprises an RFID reader.

12. The cargo handling system of claim 7, further including a ferrite pad disposed between the tray and the first RFID tag.

13. The cargo handling system of claim 7, wherein the first RFID tag operates at a frequency having a read range of up to one meter.

14. The cargo handling system of claim 7, further including a second PDU having a second PDU controller.

15. The cargo handling system of claim 14, further including a second tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the second PDU controller, the second tangible, non-transitory memory having the instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the second PDU controller, cause the second PDU controller to perform operations comprising:

reading, by the second PDU controller, a second RFID tag to determine a location of the second PDU.

16. The cargo handling system of claim 15, wherein the operations of the second PDU controller further comprise:

determining, by the second PDU controller, the location of the second PDU is different than the first address included in the command signal; and

disregarding, by the second PDU controller, the command signal in response to determining that the location of the second PDU is different than the first address included in the command signal.

17. A method of controlling a cargo handling system, comprising:

sending, by a controller, a command signal to a first power drive unit (PDU) controller and a second PDU controller, the command signal including a first address corresponding to a location of a first PDU having the first PDU controller;

reading, by the first PDU controller, a first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to determine the location of the first PDU;

determining, by the first PDU controller, the location of the first PDU matches the first address included in the command signal; and

commanding, by the first PDU controller, a motor of the first PDU according to the command signal in response the first PDU determining that the first address included in the command signal matches the location of the first PDU.

18. The method of claim 17, further including reading, by the second PDU controller, a second RFID tag to determine a location of a second PDU having the second PDU controller.

19. The method of claim 18, further including:

determining, by the second PDU controller, the location of the second PDU is different than the first address included in the command signal; and

disregarding, by the second PDU controller, the command signal in response to determining that the location of the second PDU is different than the first address included in the command signal.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first RFID tag operates at a frequency having a read range of up to one meter.