System and methods for automatically landing aircraft
AssigneeAurora Flight Sciences Corporation
InventorEdward Lim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to methods of determining a vessel-relative off-deck waypoint (VRODW) location comprising the steps of providing an aircraft in flight; determining vessel range and vessel bearing relative the aircraft; and determining the VRODW location using the range and bearing measurements of the vessel. The present invention is further directed to methods of landing an aircraft on a vessel.
Claims29
A method of determining a vessel-relative off-deck waypoint (VRODW) location for an aircraft in flight, the method comprising:
- determining a vessel range and a vessel bearing of a vessel relative to the aircraft;
- tracking an altitude of the aircraft relative to the vessel by isolating vertical motion of the vessel from vertical motion of the aircraft, wherein vertical motion of the vessel is isolated using a pseudo-altitude reference value;
- determining the VRODW location as a function of the vessel range and the vessel bearing;
- and
- maintaining the aircraft in flight at the VRODW location until the vessel sends to the aircraft a land command through a communications link.
A method of landing an aircraft in flight at a vessel-relative off-deck waypoint (VRODW) location aft of a vessel, the method comprising:
- determining a vessel velocity vector;
- approaching the vessel from the VRODW location along the vessel velocity vector after the aircraft receives a land command from the vessel through a communication link;
- identifying a landing area of the vessel;
- hovering the aircraft above the landing area;
- tracking an altitude of the aircraft relative to the landing area by filtering vertical motion of the vessel from vertical motion of the aircraft, wherein vertical motion of the vessel is filtered using a pseudo-altitude reference value;
- descending to the landing area as a function of said pseudo-altitude reference value;
- and
- landing the aircraft on the vessel.
A method of landing an aircraft in flight at a vessel-relative off-deck waypoint (VRODW) location aft of a vessel, the method comprising:
- navigating the aircraft to the vessel from the VRODW location in response to a land command from the vessel to the aircraft through a communication link;
- identifying a landing area of the vessel using LIDAR;
- hovering the aircraft above the landing area;
- filtering vertical motion of the vessel from vertical motion of the aircraft, wherein vertical motion of the vessel is filtered using a pseudo-altitude reference value;
- descending the aircraft to the landing area as a function of said pseudo-altitude reference value;
- and
- landing the aircraft on the vessel at the landing area.
A method of landing an aircraft on a vessel comprising:
- determining a vessel range and a vessel bearing of the vessel;
- identifying a vessel-relative off-deck waypoint (VRODW) location using the vessel range and vessel bearing;
- navigating the aircraft to the VRODW location;
- determining a vessel velocity vector,
- maintaining the aircraft in flight at the VRODW location until the vessel sends a land command to the aircraft through a communication link;
- approaching the vessel from the VRODW location along the vessel velocity vector upon receipt of the land command through the communication link;
- identifying a landing area on the vessel using LIDAR;
- hovering the aircraft above the landing area at a first altitude;
- descending the aircraft from the first altitude to a second altitude at a first descent speed;
- hovering the aircraft above the landing area at the second altitude;
- descending the aircraft from the second altitude to the landing area at a second descent speed;
- and
- landing the aircraft on the vessel at the landing area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.