US 9,310,222 B1 · Flight assistant with automatic configuration and landing site selection method and apparatus

Abstract

A system and apparatus assists pilots and flight crews in determining the best course of action at any particular point inflight for any category of emergency. The system monitors a plurality of static and dynamic flight parameters including atmospheric conditions along the flight path, ground conditions and terrain, conditions aboard the aircraft, and pilot/crew data. Based on these parameters, the system may provide continually updated information to the pilot or crew about the best available landing sites or recommend solutions to aircraft configuration errors. In case of emergency, the system may provide the pilot with procedure sets associated with a hierarchy of available emergency landing sites (or execute these procedure sets via the autopilot system) depending on the specific nature of the emergency.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method for determining aircraft flight configuration during a flight, comprising:

(a) establishing aircraft position, altitude, and flight trajectory based upon aircraft position and altitude over time;
(b) establishing aircraft flight segment based on at least one of time since departure, position, altitude, and flight trajectory;
(c) determining aircraft attitude from sensing at least one of angle and rate for at least one of pitch, bank, and yaw;
(d) sensing aircraft acoustics from at least one of airframe vibration and aircraft sound;
(e) determining an expected aircraft configuration based at least in part on said established aircraft flight segment;
(f) determining aircraft configuration from said sensed aircraft attitude and said aircraft acoustics for aircraft configurations attributable to said sensed attitude and acoustics for said flight segment;
and
(g) announcing an aircraft configuration different from said expected aircraft configuration.

5 more elements

A method for directing a pilot flying an aircraft to a reachable alternative landing site, comprising:

(a) determining at least one of current aircraft trajectory, anticipated future aircraft position and altitude, and anticipated future trajectory;
(b) determining at least one of expected aircraft position, altitude, and trajectory based on at least one of time since departure, position, altitude, groundspeed and heading;
(c) determining a difference between:
(i) said current aircraft trajectory, said future position and altitude, and said future trajectory and
(ii) said expected position, altitude and trajectory;
(d) determining the magnitude of difference between:
(i) at least one of said current aircraft trajectory and said future position, altitude, and trajectory;
and
(ii) at least one of said expected position, altitude, and trajectory;
(e) determining the rate of change of said magnitude of difference;
(f) determining whether a difference between said current aircraft trajectory and said future position, altitude, and trajectory and said expected position, altitude, and trajectory is the result of an emergency at least in part from said magnitude of difference and at least one of traffic and weather deviation, flight plan change, air traffic control requirement, and arrival change;
(g) determining a level of emergency, where the emergency has been determined, from a hierarchy of emergencies, selected from at least one of land immediately, land as soon as possible, and land as soon as practicable;
(h) continually selecting from a hierarchy of selectable landing site preferences and said selected level of emergency an alternative landing site at least one of reachable by said current trajectory and reachable by an available configuration change;
(i) preparing a procedure for safely positioning said aircraft in a landable configuration at the approach of said reachable alternative landing site;
and
(j) announcing at least one of said prepared procedure and in seriatim the elements of said prepared procedure.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flight assistant with automatic configuration and landing site selection method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Flight assistant with automatic configuration and landing site selection method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25