IP Library Granted Patent US 10,273,021
Granted Patent B1
US 10,273,021 · App. 16/016,009 · Granted Apr 30, 2019

Automated self-testing

Inventors: Alexander David Selwa (Mountain View, CA); Mark Johnson Cutler (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
B64D45/00G07C5/008G07C5/0808B64D2045/0085G05D1/0816
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,273,021
App. No.
16/016,009
Granted
Apr 30, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

A flight-time variable associated with an aircraft is determined including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is flying. It is determined whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable. In response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, the aircraft is automatically landed.

Claims (99)

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:

determine a flight-time variable associated with an aircraft including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is flying, wherein the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive weight determined by obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying and determining the payload-inclusive weight based at least in part on the thrust;

determine whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable including by:

comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a first weight threshold; and

comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a second weight threshold,

wherein the first weight threshold is less than the second weight threshold;

in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, automatically land the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the second weight threshold; and

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings, wherein it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the first weight threshold and does not exceed the second weight threshold.

2. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the flight-time variable further includes one or more of the following: a center of mass of the aircraft when occupied, environmental information, weather information, an amount of precipitation, a temperature, a wind speed, or an air density.

3. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein:

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes:

determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the first weight threshold and does not exceed the second weight threshold; and

determining that the aircraft is not airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the second weight threshold;

and

the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to: in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings.

4. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the flight-time variable further includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes communicating over a wireless channel with a local weather station.

5. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the flight-time variable further includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes sending, via a wireless channel to a remote server, location information of the aircraft and receiving, via the wireless channel from the remote server, the environmental information in response to the location information.

6. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:

determine a flight-time variable associated with an aircraft including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is flying, wherein the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive center of gravity determined by obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying and determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity based at least in part on the thrust,

determine whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable including by:

comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a first center of gravity threshold represented by a first three-dimensional (3D) shape, and

comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a second center of gravity threshold represented by a second 3D shape, wherein the first center of gravity threshold is less than the second center of gravity threshold;

in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, automatically land the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the second center of gravity threshold;

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more reduced settings, wherein it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the first center of gravity threshold and does not exceed the second center of gravity threshold.

7. The system recited in claim 6 , wherein the flight-time variable further includes one or more of the following: a center of mass of the aircraft when occupied, environmental information, weather information, an amount of precipitation, a temperature, a wind speed, or an air density.

8. The system recited in claim 6 , wherein:

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes:

determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the first weight threshold and does not exceed the second weight threshold; and

determining that the aircraft is not airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the second weight threshold; and

the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to: in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings.

9. The system recited in claim 6 , wherein:

the flight-time variable further includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes communicating over a wireless channel with a local weather station.

10. The system recited in claim 6 , wherein:

the flight-time variable further includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes sending, via a wireless channel to a remote server, location information of the aircraft and receiving, via the wireless channel from the remote server, the environmental information in response to the location information.

11. A method comprising:

determining a flight-time variable associated with an aircraft, including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is flying, wherein the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive weight determined by obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying and determining the payload-inclusive weight based at least in part on the thrust;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable including by:

comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a first weight threshold; and

comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a second weight threshold, wherein the first weight threshold is less than the second weight threshold;

in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the second weight threshold; and

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configuring the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings, wherein it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the first weight threshold and does not exceed the second weight threshold.

12. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein:

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes:

determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the first threshold and does not exceed the second threshold; and

determining that the aircraft is not airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the second threshold;

and

the method further includes: in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings.

13. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein the flight-time variable further includes one or more of the following: a center of mass of the aircraft when occupied, environmental information, weather information, an amount of precipitation, a temperature, a wind speed, or an air density.

14. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein:

the flight-time variable further includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes communicating over a wireless channel with a local weather station.

15. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein:

the flight-time variable further includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes sending, via a wireless channel to a remote server, location information of the aircraft and receiving, via the wireless channel from the remote server, the environmental information in response to the location information.

16. A method comprising:

determining a flight-time variable associated with an aircraft, including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is flying, wherein the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive center of gravity determined by:

obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying; and

determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity based at least in part on the thrust;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable including by:

comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a first center of gravity threshold represented by a first three-dimensional (3D) shape; and

comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a second center of gravity threshold represented by a second 3D shape, wherein the first center of gravity threshold is less than the second center of gravity threshold;

in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the second center of gravity threshold; and

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configuring the aircraft with a set of one or more reduced settings, wherein it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the first center of gravity threshold and does not exceed the second center of gravity threshold.

17. The method recited in claim 16 , wherein the flight-time variable further includes one or more of the following: a center of mass of the aircraft when occupied, environmental information, weather information, an amount of precipitation, a temperature, a wind speed, or an air density.

18. The method recited in claim 16 , wherein:

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy includes:

determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the first threshold and does not exceed the second threshold; and

determining that the aircraft is not airworthy in response to determining that the flight-time variable exceeds the second threshold; and

the method further includes: in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings.

19. The method recited in claim 16 , wherein:

the flight-time variable further includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes communicating over a wireless channel with a local weather station.

20. The method recited in claim 16 , wherein:

the flight-time variable further includes environmental information; and

determining the environmental information includes sending, via a wireless channel to a remote server, location information of the aircraft and receiving, via the wireless channel from the remote server, the environmental information in response to the location information.

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

determining a flight-time variable associated with an aircraft, including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is flying, wherein the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive weight determined by obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying and determining the payload-inclusive weight based at least in part on the thrust;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable including by:

comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a first weight threshold; and

comparing the payload-inclusive weight to a second weight threshold, wherein the first weight threshold is less than the second weight threshold;

in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the second weight threshold; and

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configure the aircraft with a set of one or more constrained settings, wherein it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the payload-inclusive weight exceeds the first weight threshold and does not exceed the second weight threshold.

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

determining a flight-time variable associated with an aircraft, including by determining the flight-time variable while the aircraft is flying, wherein the flight-time variable includes a payload-inclusive center of gravity determined by obtaining a thrust associated with a rotor while the aircraft is flying and determining the payload-inclusive center of gravity based at least in part on the thrust;

determining whether the aircraft is airworthy based at least in part on the flight-time variable including by:

comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a first center of gravity threshold represented by a first three-dimensional (3D) shape, and

comparing the payload-inclusive center of gravity to a second center of gravity threshold represented by a second 3D shape, wherein the first center of gravity threshold is less than the second center of gravity threshold

in response to determining that the aircraft is not airworthy, automatically landing the aircraft in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the second center of gravity threshold; and

in response to determining that the aircraft is marginally airworthy, configuring the aircraft with a set of one or more reduced settings, wherein it is determined that the aircraft is marginally airworthy in response to determining that the payload-inclusive center of gravity exceeds the first center of gravity threshold and does not exceed the second center of gravity threshold.

Assignments (7)
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2018
From: SELWA, ALEXANDER DAVID; CUTLER, MARK JOHNSON
To: KITTY HAWK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046850/0606 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,202,597 US 12,703,511