US 10,377,481 B2Granted

Systems and methods to launch aircraft

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsJames J. Childress, Daniel J. Perron

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Abstract

Systems and methods to launch an aircraft are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system to launch an aircraft comprises a launch arm comprising at least one load cell, an aircraft coupled to the launch arm, and a release mechanism in communication with the at least one load cell, wherein the release mechanism releases the aircraft when the at least one load cell indicates that a load on the launch arm is below a predetermined threshold. Other embodiments may be described.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a body comprising a stow compartment, the stow compartment configured to store an aircraft;
a launch arm configured to couple to the aircraft, the launch arm comprising:
a shaft including a first end and a second end;
a rotatable joint coupling the first end of the shaft to a floor of the stow compartment, the rotatable joint configured to rotate the shaft relative to the floor between a stowed position and a launch position, wherein the stowed position corresponds to the aircraft being in the stow compartment, wherein the shaft is substantially parallel with the floor of the stow compartment while in the stowed position, and wherein the shaft is non-parallel with the floor while in the launch position;
a load cell configured to:
autonomously generate load data indicative of a load exerted on the launch arm by the aircraft;
and
autonomously transmit the load data to a processor device;
and
a head configured to couple the second end of the shaft to the aircraft, the head configured to gimbal, while the launch arm is in the launch position, with respect to the launch arm to allow the aircraft to rotate on the launch arm, to pitch on the launch arm, and to yaw on the launch arm;
and
a release mechanism configured to release the aircraft from the head based on an autonomous determination, by the processor device, whether the load indicated by the load data satisfies a load threshold, wherein the processor device is configured to:
in response to the autonomous determination that the load fails to satisfy the load threshold, autonomously transmit a signal to a thrust generator to cause the thrust generator to adjust a thrust vector of the aircraft, wherein the thrust generator is configured to increase a thrust output in response to the signal;
and
in response to the autonomous determination that the load satisfies the load threshold, autonomously cause a release of the aircraft from the head of the launch arm.

12 more elements

A system comprising:

a mobile vehicle comprising:
a first body comprising a stow compartment;
a launch arm comprising:
a shaft including a first end and a second end;
a rotatable joint coupling the first end of the shaft to a floor of the stow compartment, the rotatable joint configured to rotate the shaft relative to the floor between a stowed position and a launch position, wherein the shaft is substantially parallel with the floor of the stow compartment while in the stowed position, and wherein the shaft is non-parallel with the floor while in the launch position;
a load cell configured to:
autonomously generate load data indicative of a load exerted on the launch arm;
and
autonomously transmit the load data to a processor device;
and
a head coupled to the second end of the shaft;
and
an aircraft coupled to the launch arm via the head, wherein the stowed position corresponds to the aircraft being in the stow compartment, the aircraft comprising:
a second body configured to couple to the launch arm;
a thrust generator configured to generate a force on the second body;
and
the processor device communicatively coupled to the load cell, the processor device configured to:
determine, autonomously, whether the load indicated by the load data satisfies a load threshold;
and
transmit, autonomously, a signal:
in response to a determination that the load indicated by the load data fails to satisfy the load threshold, to the thrust generator to cause the thrust generator to adjust a thrust vector of the second body;
and
in response to a determination that the load indicated by the load data satisfies the load threshold, to a release mechanism to release the second body from the head, wherein the head is configured to couple an end of the launch arm to the aircraft, and wherein the head is configured to, while the launch arm is in a launch position, gimbal with respect to the launch arm to allow the aircraft to rotate on the launch arm, to pitch on the launch arm, and to yaw on the launch arm.

20 more elements

A method comprising:

initiating rotation of an aircraft by rotating a single shaft of a launch arm relative to a mobile vehicle, the single shaft including a first end connected to a surface of the mobile vehicle by a rotatable joint and a second end connected to a head, the head coupled to the aircraft and configured to gimbal, while the launch arm is in a launch position, with respect to the launch arm to allow the aircraft to rotate and to pitch or yaw on the launch arm, wherein rotating the single shaft moves the aircraft from a stowed position to a launch position, wherein the stowed position corresponds to the aircraft being in a stow compartment of the mobile vehicle, wherein the single shaft is substantially parallel with a floor of the stow compartment while in the stowed position, and wherein the single shaft is non-parallel with the floor while in the launch position;
determining load data indicative of a load exerted on the launch arm by the aircraft at a load cell coupled to the launch arm;
receiving a first signal from a flight control system indicating whether the load satisfies a load threshold at a first time responsive to transmitting the load data to a processor device of the flight control system;
responsive to the first signal indicating that the load fails to satisfy the load threshold, autonomously transmitting, by the processor device of the flight control system, a second signal to a thrust generator of the aircraft to cause the thrust generator to adjust a thrust vector of the aircraft;
receiving a second signal from a flight control system indicating whether the load satisfies the load threshold at a second time;
responsive to the second signal indicating that the load satisfies the load threshold, autonomously activating, by the processor device of the flight control system, a release mechanism that is coupling the aircraft to the head while the second signal is received;
and
releasing, by the release mechanism, the aircraft from the launch arm in response to the activation.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An apparatus comprising:

a body comprising a stow compartment, the stow compartment configured to store an aircraft;
a launch arm configured to couple to the aircraft, the launch arm comprising:
a shaft including a first end and a second end;
a rotatable joint coupling the first end of the shaft to a floor of the stow compartment, the rotatable joint configured to rotate the shaft relative to the floor between a stowed position and a launch position, wherein the stowed position corresponds to the aircraft being in the stow compartment, wherein the shaft is substantially parallel with the floor of the stow compartment while in the stowed position, and wherein the shaft is non-parallel with the floor while in the launch position;
a load cell configured to:
autonomously generate load data indicative of a load exerted on the launch arm by the aircraft;
and
autonomously transmit the load data to a processor device;
and
a head configured to couple the second end of the shaft to the aircraft, the head configured to gimbal, while the launch arm is in the launch position, with respect to the launch arm to allow the aircraft to rotate on the launch arm, to pitch on the launch arm, and to yaw on the launch arm;
and
a release mechanism configured to release the aircraft from the head based on an autonomous determination, by the processor device, whether the load indicated by the load data satisfies a load threshold, wherein the processor device is configured to:
in response to the autonomous determination that the load fails to satisfy the load threshold, autonomously transmit a signal to a thrust generator to cause the thrust generator to adjust a thrust vector of the aircraft, wherein the thrust generator is configured to increase a thrust output in response to the signal;
and
in response to the autonomous determination that the load satisfies the load threshold, autonomously cause a release of the aircraft from the head of the launch arm.

12 more elements