US 12,640,043 B2Granted

Systems and methods for reducing a likelihood of using a go around maneuver while landing an aerial vehicle

AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.

InventorsXiaodong Chen, Yang Liu, Alan Hickman, Zuowei He, Kun Wu

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Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for landing of an aerial vehicle on a runway. The systems include a runway overrun awareness and alerting system (ROAAS) configured to: monitor flight parameters during an approach phase and landing phase of a flight, and determine a landing distance value based on the flight parameters, an automatic flight control system (AFCS) including an automatic flight runway overrun awareness and alerting system (AF-ROAAS) protection mode configured to adjust energy of the aerial vehicle during the approach phase and/or the landing phase to reduce a likelihood of the aerial vehicle overrunning the runway, and a controller configured to: compare the landing distance value and an available runway length value to a threshold criterion, wherein the threshold criterion corresponds to the likelihood of the vehicle overrunning the runway, and automatically activating the AF-ROAAS protection mode in response to a determination that the threshold criterion is met.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for an aerial vehicle, comprising:

monitoring, with a runway overrun awareness and alerting system (ROAAS) of the aerial vehicle, flight parameters during an approach phase and/or a landing phase of a flight of the aerial vehicle;
continuously or periodically determining, with the ROAAS, a landing distance value for the aerial vehicle based on the flight parameters;
comparing the landing distance value and an available runway length value or value(s) derived therefrom to a threshold criterion to determine whether the threshold criterion is met, wherein the threshold criterion corresponds to a likelihood of a runway excursion;
automatically activating an automatic flight runway overrun awareness and alerting system (AF-ROAAS) protection mode of an automatic flight control system (AFCS) of the aerial vehicle in response to a determination that the threshold criterion is met;
adjusting, with the AFCS, energy of the aerial vehicle during the approach phase and/or the landing phase of the flight to reduce the likelihood of the runway excursion;
automatically generating an alert in response to the AF-ROAAS protection mode being active when the aerial vehicle drops below a threshold altitude;
and
performing, with the AFCS, an automatic go around maneuver in response to receiving a go around command.

5 more elements

A system for an aerial vehicle, comprising:

a runway overrun awareness and alerting system (ROAAS) configured to:
monitor flight parameters during an approach phase and landing phase of a flight;
and
continuously or periodically determine a landing distance value for the aerial vehicle based on the flight parameters;
an automatic flight control system (AFCS) including an automatic flight runway overrun awareness and alerting system (AF-ROAAS) protection mode configured to adjust energy of the aerial vehicle during the approach phase and/or the landing phase of the flight to reduce a likelihood of the aerial vehicle overrunning a runway;
and
a controller in operable communication with the ROAAS and the AFCS, the controller configured to, with one or more processors:
compare the landing distance value and an available runway length value or overrun-related value(s) derived therefrom to a threshold criterion to determine whether the threshold criterion is met, wherein the threshold criterion corresponds to the likelihood of the aerial vehicle overrunning the runway;
and
automatically activating the AF-ROAAS protection mode in response to a determination that the threshold criterion is met,
wherein the AFCS is configured to generate recommended corrective actions to a pilot of the aerial vehicle while in the AF-ROAAS protection mode to reduce an energy state of the aerial vehicle,
wherein the AFCS is configured to perform the recommended corrective actions in response to receiving a command from the pilot to perform the recommended corrective actions.

9 more elements

An aerial vehicle, comprising:

a runway overrun awareness and alerting system (ROAAS) configured to:
monitor flight parameters received from a sensor system of the aerial vehicle during an approach phase and landing phase of a flight;
and
continuously or periodically determine a landing distance value for the aerial vehicle based on the flight parameters;
an automatic flight control system (AFCS) including an automatic flight runway overrun awareness and alerting system (AF-ROAAS) protection mode configured to adjust energy of the aerial vehicle during the approach phase and/or the landing phase of the flight to reduce a likelihood of the aerial vehicle overrunning a runway;
and
a controller in operable communication with the ROAAS and the AFCS, the controller configured to, with one or more processors:
compare the landing distance value and an available runway length value or overrun-related value(s) derived therefrom to a threshold criterion to determine whether the threshold criterion is met, wherein the threshold criterion corresponds to the likelihood of the aerial vehicle overrunning the runway, wherein comparing the landing distance value and the available runway length value or the value(s) derived therefrom to the threshold criterion includes determining a status value by dividing the landing distance value by the available runway length value and compare the status value to a threshold value and determining that the threshold criterion is met in response to the status value exceeding the threshold value;
and
automatically activating the AF-ROAAS protection mode in response to a determination that the threshold criterion is met.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.