IP Library Granted Patent US 10,223,925
Granted Patent B2
US 10,223,925 · App. 15/470,660 · Granted Mar 5, 2019

Emergency landing using inertial sensors

Inventor: Mark Johnson Cutler (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
G08G5/025B64C27/08B64C27/12B64C39/028B64D25/00B64D45/04G05D1/0055G05D1/0088G05D1/0676G05D1/105G08G5/0039G08G5/0056G08G5/0069G08G5/0086B64C2201/141B64C2201/18B64D2045/008G08G5/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,223,925
App. No.
15/470,660
Granted
Mar 5, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An emergency landing procedure that includes a sequence of control settings is continuously generated. An aircraft is landed, including by using the sequence of control settings and a set of one or more inertial sensors to control an actuator.

Claims (52)

1. An aircraft, comprising:

a monitored sensor:

an actuator;

a set of one or more inertial sensors; and a processor configured to:

prior to a status signal indicating that the monitored sensor has a failure, use information from the monitored sensor to continuously and proactively generate an emergency landing procedure that includes a sequence of control settings;

after the status signal indicates that the monitored sensor has a failure, land the aircraft, including by using the sequence of control settings and the set of inertial sensors to control the actuator;

wherein the sequence of control settings includes a sequence of desired attitudes; the emergency landing procedure further includes a plurality of execution times at which the sequence of desired attitudes are executed; and

landing the aircraft further includes executing the sequence of desired attitudes according to the plurality of execution times.

2. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein:

the actuator is associated with one of a plurality of rotors in a multicopter; and

the sequence of control settings are associated with rotational speed.

3. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is further configured to receive an indication to land the aircraft; and

the processor lands the aircraft, including by using the sequence of control settings and the set of inertial sensors to control the actuator, in response to receiving the indication.

4. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is further configured to receive an indication to land the aircraft;

the processor lands the aircraft, including by using the sequence of control settings and the set of inertial sensors to control the actuator, in response to receiving the indication; and

the indication is transmitted from an on-the-ground controller.

5. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is further configured to receive an indication to land the aircraft;

the processor lands the aircraft, including by using the sequence of control settings and the set of inertial sensors to control the actuator, in response to receiving the indication; and

the indication is received via a controller included in the aircraft.

6. The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a set of one or more actuator control signals;

receive state information associated with the aircraft and which results from the set of one or more actuator control signals; and

set, based at least in part on the set of actuator control signals and the state information, a setting associated with continuously generating the emergency landing procedure.

7. A method, comprising:

prior to a status signal indicating that a monitored sensor has a failure, using information

from the monitored sensor to continuously and proactively generate an emergency landing procedure that includes a sequence of control settings;

after the status signal indicates that the monitored sensor has a failure, landing an aircraft, including by using the sequence of control settings and a set of one or more inertial sensors to control the actuator;

wherein the sequence of control settings includes a sequence of desired attitudes; the emergency landing procedure further includes a plurality of execution times at which the sequence of desired attitudes are executed; and

landing the aircraft further includes executing the sequence of desired attitudes according to the plurality of execution times.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

the actuator is associated with one of a plurality of rotors in a multicopter; and

the sequence of control settings are associated with rotational speed.

9. The method of claim 7 further including receiving an indication to land the aircraft, wherein landing the aircraft includes using the sequence of control settings and the set of inertial sensors to control the actuator, in response to receiving the indication.

10. The method of claim 7 further including receiving an indication to land the aircraft, wherein:

landing the aircraft includes using the sequence of control settings and the set of inertial sensors to control the actuator, in response to receiving the indication; and

the indication is transmitted from an on-the-ground controller.

11. The method of claim 7 further including receiving an indication to land the aircraft, wherein:

landing the aircraft includes using the sequence of control settings and the set of inertial sensors to control the actuator, in response to receiving the indication; and

the indication is received via a controller included in the aircraft.

12. The method of claim 7 further including:

receiving a set of one or more actuator control signals;

receiving state information associated with the aircraft and which results from the set of one or more actuator control signals; and

setting, based at least in part on the set of actuator control signals and the state information, a setting associated with continuously generating the emergency landing procedure.

13. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

prior to a status signal indicating that a monitored sensor has a failure, using information

from the monitored sensor to continuously and proactively generate an emergency landing procedure that includes a sequence of control settings;

after the status signal indicates that the monitored sensor has a failure, landing an aircraft, including by using the sequence of control settings and a set of one or more inertial sensors to control the actuator;

wherein the sequence of control settings includes a sequence of desired attitudes; the emergency landing procedure further includes a plurality of execution times at which the sequence of desired attitudes are executed; and

landing the aircraft further includes executing the sequence of desired attitudes according to the plurality of execution times.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2023
From: ONE AERO, LLC
To: KITTY HAWK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063713/0367 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2022
From: KITTY HAWK CORPORATION
To: ONE AERO, LLC
Reel/Frame 059503/0382 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2021
From: KITTY HAWK CORPORATION
To: ONE AERO, LLC
Reel/Frame 058029/0610 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 22, 2020
From: KITTY HAWK CORPORATION
To: ONE AERO, LLC
Reel/Frame 054206/0714 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2018
From: KITTY HAWK CORPORATION
To: ONE AERO, LLC
Reel/Frame 047739/0947 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2018
From: KITTY HAWK CORPORATION
To: ONE AERO, LLC
Reel/Frame 047308/0927 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15371045 · Dec 6, 2016
Related Publication 20180158344A1 · Jun 7, 2018