IP Library Granted Patent US 11,091,279
Granted Patent B1
US 11,091,279 · App. 16/902,005 · Granted Aug 17, 2021

Motor wear metric generator

Inventors: Dennis Young Kwon (San Jose, CA); Alexander David Selwa (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
B64F5/60G07C5/0808G07C5/0816B64C2201/042B64D2045/0085
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,091,279
App. No.
16/902,005
Granted
Aug 17, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

In an embodiment, a system for generating a motor wear metric includes a process configured to obtain a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft, determine a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal, and output information about motor wear based at least in part on the determined motor wear metric. The system includes a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions and store the determined motor wear metric.

Claims (53)

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to:

obtain a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft;

determine a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal including by:

incrementing the motor wear metric at a first rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is above a threshold; and

incrementing the motor wear metric at a second rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is below the threshold, wherein the second rate is less than the first rate; and

output information about motor wear based at least in part on the determined motor wear metric; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions and store the determined motor wear metric.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the information about motor wear including by:

determining that the motor wear metric is over a threshold; and

determining a recommendation in response to determining that the motor wear metric is over a threshold.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the threshold is based at least in part on a user preference.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the threshold is based at least in part on a regulation or specification.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor configured to measure the signal associated with a motor of an aircraft, wherein the signal is for a motor part associated with the motor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal associated with the motor is obtained in real time from at least one of: a sensor provided in the aircraft or a calculated value.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the motor wear metric associated with a motor including by:

obtaining at least one of a flight path or aircraft characteristics;

determining a flight-time variable based at least in part on the obtained at least one of a flight path or aircraft characteristics; and

determining the motor wear metric associated with a motor based at least in part on the flight-time variable.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the motor wear metric monotonically changes.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information about motor wear includes at least one of a probability of motor failure, predicted life remaining, or resources consumed.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the information about motor wear including at least one of a probability of motor failure, predicted life remaining, or resources consumed.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the information about motor wear including by:

determining a time to failure based at least in part on the motor wear metric; and

determining a recommendation based on the determined time to failure.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to

limit at least one function of the aircraft in response to the determination that the motor wear metric is over the threshold.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to

prevent the aircraft from taking off in response to the determination that the motor wear metric is over the threshold.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to reset the motor wear metric in response to a determination that the motor has been replaced.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal includes updating a value of the motor wear metric in response to a determination that the obtained signal is unexpected for a given flight condition.

16. A method comprising:

obtaining a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft;

determining a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal including by:

incrementing the motor wear metric at a first rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is above a threshold; and

incrementing the motor wear metric at a second rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is below the threshold, wherein the second rate is less than the first rate

obtaining a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft a flight path and aircraft characteristics;

determining the motor wear metric based at least in part on the flight path and aircraft characteristics; and

outputting information about motor wear based at least in part on the determined motor wear metric.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the motor wear metric monotonically changes.

18. A method comprising:

obtaining a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft;

determining a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal including by:

incrementing the motor wear metric at a first rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is above a threshold; and

incrementing the motor wear metric at a second rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is below the threshold, wherein the second rate is less than the first rate; and

outputting information about motor wear based at least in part on the determined motor wear metric.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining the information about motor wear including at least one of a probability of motor failure, predicted life remaining, or resources consumed.

20. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

obtaining a signal associated with a motor of an aircraft;

determining a motor wear metric based at least in part on the obtained signal including by:

incrementing the motor wear metric at a first rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is above a threshold; and

incrementing the motor wear metric at a second rate in response to a determination that a value of the signal associated with the motor is below the threshold, wherein the second rate is less than the first rate; and

outputting information about motor wear based at least in part on the determined motor wear metric.

Assignments (5)
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2020
From: KWON, DENNIS YOUNG; SELWA, ALEXANDER DAVID
To: KITTY HAWK CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053270/0961 →