Methods and apparatus for automated flight preparation
AssigneeToyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
InventorsBassam H. Chamas, Ryuichi Yokota
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for automated flight preparation. Methods and apparatus may be used to automatically determine gross weight, weight and balance, take-off distance, rate-of-climb, and flight dynamics, such as fuel, time and distance for an aircraft. In addition, information such as airspeed system calibration, and power-off stall speed in angle of bank may be calculated.
Claims15
A method of determining a rate-of-climb for an aircraft, comprising:
- determining automatically a gross weight for the aircraft;
- receiving a set of data indicating a rate-of-climb for the aircraft;
- receiving information indicating conditions affecting the rate-of-climb for the aircraft;
- determining automatically a rate-of-climb for the aircraft based on the gross weight, conditions affecting the rate-of-climb, and the set of data indicating the rate-of-climb;
- and
- providing the rate-of-climb for the aircraft.
A method of determining flight dynamics information, comprising:
- determining automatically a gross weight for the aircraft;
- receiving at least one set of flight dynamics data for the aircraft;
- receiving information indicating conditions affecting the flight dynamics of the aircraft;
- and
- determining automatically at least one flight dynamics parameter for the aircraft based on the gross weight, conditions affecting the flight dynamics, and the set of flight dynamics data.
A flight preparation method, comprising:
- determining automatically a gross weight for an aircraft;
- determining automatically a balance for the aircraft based on the gross weight;
- determining automatically a takeoff distance for the aircraft based on the gross weight;
- determining automatically a best rate of climb for the aircraft based on the gross weight;
- and
- determining automatically a fuel, a time, and a distance to change to an altitude.
An apparatus for determining a rate of climb for an aircraft, comprising:
- means for determining automatically a gross weight for the aircraft;
- means for receiving a set of data indicating a rate-of-climb for the aircraft;
- means for receiving information indicating conditions affecting the rate-of-climb for the aircraft;
- and
- means for determining automatically a rate-of-climb for the aircraft based on the gross weight, conditions affecting the rate-of-climb, and the set of data indicating the rate-of-climb.
An apparatus for determining flight dynamics information, comprising:
- means for determining automatically a gross weight for the aircraft;
- means for receiving at least one set of flight dynamics data for the aircraft;
- means for receiving information indicating conditions affecting the flight dynamics of the aircraft;
- and
- means for determining automatically at least one flight dynamics information for the aircraft based on the gross weight, conditions affecting the flight dynamics, and the set of flight dynamics data.
A system for automated flight preparation, comprising:
- a first module to determine automatically a gross weight for an aircraft;
- a second module to determine automatically a balance for the aircraft;
- a third module to determine automatically a take-off distance for the aircraft;
- a fourth module to determine a rate of climb for the aircraft;
- and
- a fifth module to determine at least one dynamics information for the aircraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.