# US 12,181,489 B2 · Accuracy check methodology for an air data probe system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,489 B2 - Document ID: US12181489B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/662,594 - Filed: 2022-05-09 - Published: 2023-11-09 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-05-09 - Assignees: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - Applicants: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation - Inventors: Thomas Landers; Michael Malluck - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181489B2 ## CPC - G01P 5/16: using Pitot tubes {, e.g. Machmeter} - B64C 13/503: {Fly-by-Wire} - B64D 43/02: for indicating aircraft speed or stalling conditions - B64D 45/00: Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for - G01C 21/16: by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation - G01P 3/00: Measuring linear or angular speed; Measuring differences of linear or angular speeds (G01P5/00 - G01P11/00 take precedence; {direction and speed indication G01P13/045}; counting mechanisms G06M) - G01P 21/025: {for measuring speed of fluids; for measuring speed of bodies relative to fluids (for measuring volume flow G01F25/10)} - G01S 19/13: Receivers - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) - B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A method of checking accuracy of an air data probe system onboard a vehicle is disclosed. An embodiment of the method involves: calculating airspeed measurements from air data provided by the probe system; calculating vehicle speed measurements based on sensor data collected from at least one sensor system onboard the vehicle, wherein the vehicle speed measurements are distinct and independent of the airspeed measurements, and the vehicle speed measurements are calculated without using the air data; comparing a calculated airspeed measurement against a calculated vehicle speed measurement to obtain a speed difference, wherein the calculated airspeed measurement and the calculated vehicle speed measurement correspond to a measurement time during which the vehicle is moving forward; and initiating at least one corrective action onboard the vehicle when magnitude of the speed difference exceeds a threshold value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of checking accuracy of an air data probe system onboard an aircraft having a flight control system that supports fly-by-wire operation, the method comprising: calculating airspeed measurements from air data provided by the air data probe system; calculating vehicle speed measurements based on sensor data collected from at least one sensor system onboard the aircraft, wherein the vehicle speed measurements are distinct and independent of the airspeed measurements, and the vehicle speed measurements are calculated without using the air data; comparing a calculated airspeed measurement against a calculated vehicle speed measurement to obtain a speed difference, wherein the calculated airspeed measurement and the calculated vehicle speed measurement correspond to a measurement time during which the aircraft is moving forward, and wherein the comparing is performed by at least one computer-implemented system onboard the vehicle; and initiating at least one corrective action onboard the vehicle when magnitude of the speed difference exceeds a threshold value, wherein the at least one corrective action comprises activating an alternate fly-by-wire mode of the flight control system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one corrective action further comprises: annunciating an alert; displaying a warning indicator; generating a notification intended for an operator of the aircraft or a crew member of the aircraft; or communicating a warning message intended for an operator of the aircraft or a crew member of the aircraft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the alternate fly-by-wire mode of the flight control system does not utilize any air data subsequently provided by the air data probe system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the measurement time occurs during a takeoff phase of the aircraft; and the at least one corrective action comprises automatically aborting the takeoff phase when current flight conditions allow safe aborting of the takeoff phase. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the initiating step is performed when the calculated airspeed measurement is less than the calculated aircraft speed measurement by an amount that exceeds the threshold value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one corrective action comprises: annunciating an alert regarding a potentially covered or blocked air data probe of the air data probe system; displaying a warning indicator regarding a potentially covered or blocked air data probe of the air data probe system; generating a notification intended for an operator of the aircraft or a crew member of the aircraft, the notification regarding a potentially covered or blocked air data probe of the air data probe system; or communicating a warning message intended for an operator of the aircraft or a crew member of the aircraft, the warning message regarding a potentially covered or blocked air data probe of the air data probe system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle speed measurements are calculated based on inertial sensor data collected from at least one inertial sensor system onboard the aircraft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle speed measurements are calculated based on wheel speed data collected from at least one wheel speed sensor associated with at least one wheel of the aircraft. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein: the measurement time occurs during a takeoff phase of the aircraft, and while the at least one wheel remains in ground contact. ### Claim 10 A system onboard an aircraft having a flight control system that supports fly-by-wire operation, the system comprising: an air data probe coupled to structure of the aircraft such that at least one inlet of the air data probe is exposed to an environment outside the aircraft, the air data probe configured to provide air data; a sensor system onboard the aircraft and configured to provide sensor data; at least one processor; and at least one processor-readable medium associated with the at least one processor, the at least one processor-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions configurable to be executed by the at least one processor to perform a method of checking accuracy of the air data probe, the method comprising: calculating airspeed measurements from the air data provided by the air data probe; calculating vehicle speed measurements based on the sensor data provided by the sensor system, wherein the vehicle speed measurements are distinct and independent of the airspeed measurements, and the vehicle speed measurements are calculated without using the air data; comparing a calculated airspeed measurement against a calculated vehicle speed measurement to obtain a speed difference, wherein the calculated airspeed measurement and the calculated vehicle speed measurement correspond to a measurement time during which the aircraft is moving forward; and initiating at least one corrective action onboard the aircraft when magnitude of the speed difference exceeds a threshold value, wherein the at least one corrective action comprises activating an alternate fly-by-wire mode of the flight control system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one corrective action comprises: annunciating an alert regarding possible coverage or blockage of the air data probe; displaying a warning indicator regarding possible coverage or blockage of the air data probe; generating a notification intended for an operator of the aircraft or a crew member of the aircraft, the notification regarding possible coverage or blockage of the air data probe; or communicating a warning message intended for an operator of the aircraft or a crew member of the aircraft, the warning message regarding possible coverage or blockage of the air data probe. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein: the alternate fly-by-wire mode of the flight control system does not utilize any air data subsequently provided by the air data probe. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein: the measurement time occurs during a takeoff phase of the aircraft; and the at least one corrective action additionally comprises automatically aborting the takeoff phase when current flight conditions allow safe aborting of the takeoff phase. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein: the initiating step is performed when the calculated airspeed measurement is less than the calculated vehicle speed measurement by an amount that exceeds the threshold value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein: the sensor system comprises an inertial sensor system; the sensor data comprises inertial sensor data provided by the inertial sensor system; and the vehicle speed measurements are calculated based on the inertial sensor data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein: the sensor system comprises at least one wheel speed sensor associated with at least one wheel of the aircraft; the sensor data comprises wheel speed data provided by the at least one wheel speed sensor; and the vehicle speed measurements are calculated based on the wheel speed data. ### Claim 17 At least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions configurable to cause at least one processor to perform a method of checking accuracy of an air data probe system onboard an aircraft, the method comprising: calculating airspeed measurements from air data provided by the air data probe system; calculating vehicle speed measurements based on sensor data collected from at least one sensor system onboard the aircraft, wherein the vehicle speed measurements are distinct and independent of the airspeed measurements, and the vehicle speed measurements are calculated without using the air data; comparing a calculated airspeed measurement against a calculated vehicle speed measurement to obtain a speed difference, wherein the calculated airspeed measurement and the calculated vehicle speed measurement correspond to a measurement time during which the aircraft is moving forward, and wherein the comparing is performed by at least one computer-implemented system onboard the aircraft; and initiating at least one corrective action onboard the aircraft when magnitude of the speed difference exceeds a threshold value, wherein the at least one corrective action comprises activating an alternate fly-by-wire mode of the flight control system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein: the at least one corrective action comprises activating an alternate fly-by-wire mode of the flight control system that does not utilize any air data subsequently provided by the air data probe. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein: the measurement time occurs during a takeoff phase of the aircraft; and the at least one corrective action comprises automatically aborting the takeoff phase when current flight conditions allow safe aborting of the takeoff phase. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein: the sensor system comprises at least one wheel speed sensor associated with at least one wheel of the aircraft; the sensor data comprises wheel speed data provided by the at least one wheel speed sensor; and the vehicle speed measurements are calculated based on the wheel speed data.