Systems and methods for signaling during aerial refueling operations
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsDavid J. Black, Roger K. Dang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An example indication system for use with a refueling system including a hose for supplying fuel from a tanker aircraft to a receiver aircraft and a refueling coupler coupled to an end of the hose is described. The indication system includes a first transceiver located at the refueling coupler and configured to receive refueling information from a second transceiver located at the tanker aircraft, a plurality of light sources located at the refueling coupler, and a processor in communication with the first transceiver to receive the refueling information, and in communication with the plurality of light sources to operate the plurality of light sources based on the refueling information.
Claims20
An indication system for use with a refueling system including a hose for supplying fuel from a tanker aircraft to a receiver aircraft and a refueling coupler coupled to an end of the hose, the indication system comprising:
- a first transceiver located at the refueling coupler and configured to receive refueling information from a second transceiver located at the tanker aircraft;
- a plurality of visual light sources located at the refueling coupler;
- and
- a processor in communication with the first transceiver to receive the refueling information, and in communication with the plurality of visual light sources to operate the plurality of visual light sources such that the refueling information is visually observable by an operator of the receiver aircraft, and
- wherein the tanker aircraft includes a control processor in communication with the second transceiver, wherein the first transceiver receives from the second transceiver information indicating a length of a hose that has been deployed during refueling, wherein the length of the hose is determined by the control processor.
An indication system for use with a refueling system including a hose for supplying fuel from a tanker aircraft to a receiver aircraft and a refueling coupler coupled to an end of the hose, the indication system comprising:
- one or more sensors located at the refueling coupler to provide feedback regarding a status of refueling;
- a first transceiver located at the refueling coupler and configured to receive refueling information from a second transceiver located at the tanker aircraft, and in communication with the one or more sensors to send the status of refueling to the first transceiver for feedback to the tanker aircraft;
- a plurality of light sources located at the refueling coupler;
- and
- a processor in communication with the first transceiver to receive the refueling information, in communication with the one or more sensors to receive the feedback regarding the status of refueling, and in communication with the plurality of light sources to operate the plurality of light sources in a plurality of visual indications based on the refueling information and the status of refueling.
A method for providing indications to a receiver aircraft during a refueling operation using an indication system of a refueling system, wherein the refueling system includes a hose for supplying fuel from a tanker aircraft to a receiver aircraft and a refueling coupler coupled to an end of the hose, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a first transceiver located at the refueling coupler, refueling information from a second transceiver located at the tanker aircraft, wherein the refueling information comprises a length of the hose that has been deployed during refueling;
- and
- operating a plurality of visual light sources located at the refueling coupler such that the refueling information is visually observable by an operator of the receiver aircraft, wherein operating the plurality of visual light sources located at the refueling coupler comprises operating the plurality of visual light sources in a plurality of visual indications based on the length of the hose that has been deployed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.