US 2013/0200209 A1 · SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING AIRCRAFT GROUND TRAVEL SPEED AND DIRECTION

Abstract

A system and method for setting, controlling, or maintaining a selected taxi speed and route for one or more aircraft equipped with an onboard non-engine powered drive means powering one or more aircraft wheels to move the aircraft during taxi is provided. Taxi speed and/or route can be set, maintained, or controlled by the aircraft pilot or ground traffic control in conjunction with taxi speed and travel of other aircraft and ground vehicles. A pilot activates a speed control to set and control taxi speed. The aircraft will automatically travel on the ground at that speed without input from the pilot until it is necessary to change the speed manually or automatically. Airport ground traffic control can generate taxi profiles for all non-engine driven aircraft to automatically control, subject to pilot capability to override, the taxi of multiple aircraft at an airport in conjunction with ground vehicle movement.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A system for setting, controlling, and maintaining ground travel speed or direction in an aircraft equipped with onboard non-engine drive means for driving the aircraft on the ground, wherein said system comprises:

a. an aircraft equipped with one or more drive means drivingly connected to one or more aircraft wheels;
b. a source of power to power said drive means;
c. drive means activation and control means in communication with said drive means for operating said drive means during aircraft ground travel;
d. speed hold control means in communication with said drive means for setting a speed for aircraft ground travel and maintaining a set speed during aircraft ground travel;
e. sensor means in communication with said drive means and said speed hold control means for sensing speed of said aircraft and communicating information relating to the sensed speed to said speed hold control means;
and
f. speed adjustment means in communication with said speed hold control means for receiving information relating to the sensed speed and adjusting the power supplied to said drive means as required to move the aircraft at the set speed.

4 more elements

A method for setting, controlling, or maintaining ground travel speed or direction of ground travel in an aircraft equipped with onboard non-engine drive means drivingly connected to one or more aircraft wheels for driving an aircraft on the ground, wherein said method comprises:

a. providing one or more drive means drivingly connected to one or more aircraft nose wheels or main wheels;
b. providing a source of power to power said drive means;
c. providing drive means activation and control means in communication with said drive means and said source of non-engine power and operating said drive means during aircraft ground travel to cause said drive means to move the aircraft on the ground;
d. providing speed control means in communication with said drive means and activating said speed hold control means to set a desired speed for aircraft ground travel and maintaining the set speed during aircraft ground travel;
e. providing sensor means in communication with said drive means and said speed hold control means for sensing speed of said aircraft and communicating information relating to the sensed speed to said speed control means;
f. automatically or manually adjusting the aircraft ground speed in response to the sensed speed and adjusting the power supplied to said drive means as required to move the aircraft at the set speed and maintain aircraft movement at the set speed;
and
g. automatically or manually modifying the direction of travel of said aircraft along a desired ground travel route.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for maintaining aircraft ground travel speed and direction

Life of this patent

System and method for maintaining aircraft ground travel speed and direction

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims39