The Boeing Company

Jung Soon Jang

Kimberly Ann Hinson

Justin Cleve Hatcher

Jeffrey Lee Musgrave

Richard Golob

John Lyle Vian

Blain A Lawson

Christopher M Jacobus

Deepak Khosla

Jeong-Beom Ihn

Emad William Saad

Gregory John Clark

Fan Hin Hung

Leon Nguyen

Matthew Aaron Vavrina

Haden Harrison Smith

Dorina L Hester

Daniel Michael O'Shea

Shawn M Chamberlain

Meng Hiot Lim

Luis-Alberto J Santiago

Caishun Chen

Ian A Halley

Methods and systems for determining the connection status of a boom of a tanker aircraft with a receiver aircraft. The detection utilizes sensors mounted on the boom. Signals from the sensors are converted from a time domain to a frequency domain. Modes within the frequency domain are identified and analyzed to determine the connection status of the boom with the receiver aircraft.

Systems and method to determine connection of a boom with a receiver aircraft

Disclosed herein is methods, systems, and aircraft for performing image analysis for aiding refueling operations. A tanker aircraft includes a single camera, a refueling boom, a camera configured to generate a 2D image of the refueling boom, a processor, and non-transitory computer readable storage media storing code. The code being executable by the processor to perform operations comprising receiving the 2D image from the single camera, determining 2D keypoints of the refueling boom located within the 2D image based on a predefined point model of the refueling boom, determining keypoints in 3D space based on the 2D keypoints to produce 3D keypoints, determining a 6DOF pose using the 2D keypoints and the 3D keypoints, and estimating a position of a tip of the refueling boom based on the 6DOF pose.

Systems and methods for calculating refueling tanker boom tip 3D position for aerial refueling

Described are systems and methods for deploying and stowing a refueling boom. In certain examples, deploying the refueling boom includes lowering a refueling boom structure with a hoist while a boom aerodynamic control surface of the refueling is deactivated, determining that first transition conditions have been met, switching the hoist actuator state mode, and activating the boom aerodynamic control surface. In other examples, stowing the refueling boom includes flying the refueling boom towards a fuselage, determining that second transition conditions have been met, switching the hoist actuator state mode, and raising a refueling boom structure of the refueling boom with the hoist.

Assisted boom actuator

A system for detecting a sensor fault of an aerial refueling boom. The system comprises a data collector configured to receive sensor data from a plurality of sensors and determine an aerial refueling boom elevation angle of the aerial refueling boom based on the sensor data, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of cable length data, a dynamic pressure data or aerial refueling boom position data. The system further comprises a processing unit configured access a database table in a storage unit to determine an estimated aerial refueling boom elevation angle, a comparator configured to compare the estimated aerial refueling boom elevation angle to the determined aerial refueling boom elevation angle, and a fault detector configured to generate a sensor fault signal based on the comparison.

Boom elevation estimation using hoist cable system

Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for rate and position control modes used in the operations of a telescoping refueling boom system. In one example, a system includes a telescoping tube and an actuator coupled to the telescoping tube and configured to extend and/or retract the telescoping tube. A processor is coupled to the actuator and configured to select a telescoping tube rate control mode and/or a telescoping tube position control mode based on a telescoping tube current position error, a telescoping tube current rate of movement, and a value of a telescoping tube rate command.

Telescoping refueling boom control systems and methods

An aerial refueling boom elevation estimation ('ARBEE') system for estimating an elevation angle of an aerial refueling boom on an aerial refueling aircraft is described. The ARBEE system may include a data collector, storage unit, optimizer, and comparator.

Aerial refueling boom elevation estimation system

A control system for an aircraft refueling boom controls the movements of the boom in certain areas in a total field of movement volume of possible boom movements based on the location of the boom in the total field of movement volume and based on the current rate of movement of the boom in the total field of movement volume.

Aircraft refueling boom soft limits control

Aircraft refueling boom soft limits system

A system and methods for mission re-planning are presented. Vehicles are monitored in real-time, and an incapacitated vehicle from among the vehicles that performs an incomplete task is detected. A remaining coverage set comprising a remaining coverage area for each of the vehicles is determined. A travel distance from a task completion location of each of the vehicles to a stopped point of the incapacitated vehicle is calculated to provide a travel set. An extra coverage set is determined based on the travel set and the remaining coverage set, and an incomplete coverage area for the incomplete task is calculated. The extra coverage set is compared to the incomplete coverage area and the remaining coverage area to provide a sufficiency list, and an assigned vehicle is selected from the vehicles based on the sufficiency list.

Mission re-planning for coordinated multivehicle task allocation

Methods and systems for automated asset tracking within an aircraft are disclosed. In one example, a method for use in automated tracking of assets in a vehicle utilizing a robotic vehicle is provided. The method includes receiving inspection data concerning the vehicle and the assets. A navigation path is generated thorough the vehicle. The robotic vehicle traverses the navigation path and locates at least one asset with the vehicle along the navigation path. An identification of the asset located within the vehicle is transmitted to a remote computing device and stored in a database associated with the remote computing device.

Methods and systems for automated vehicle asset tracking

A method and apparatus for monitoring an aircraft. A current performance of the aircraft is identified during operation of the aircraft using a model of the aircraft and flight state data. A current capability of the aircraft is identified from the current performance of the aircraft. An operation is performed based on the current capability of the aircraft.

Aircraft performance monitoring system

The different advantageous embodiments may provide an apparatus that may include a number of robotic machine groups, a mission planner, and a mission control. The mission planner may be capable of generating a mission for the number of robotic machine groups. The mission control may be capable of executing the mission using the number of robotic machine groups.

Supervision and control of heterogeneous autonomous operations

A method and apparatus for inspecting an object. In response to a presence of the object in an inspection area, a volume containing the object is identified. The volume has a plurality of portions. A number of sensor systems is assigned to the plurality of portions of the volume. Each sensor system in the number of sensors systems is assigned to a number of portions in the plurality of portions of the volume based on whether each sensor system is able to generate data with a desired level of quality about a surface of the object in a particular portion in the plurality of portions. Data about the surface of the object is generated using the number of sensor systems assigned to the plurality of portions of the volume. A determination is made as to whether a number of inconsistencies is present on the surface of the object using data.

Automated visual inspection system

A method and apparatus for inspecting an object is provided. Movement of inspection vehicles relative to a surface of the object is controlled using a controller. Generation of data about the object by sensor systems configured to generate the data when the sensor systems are in a configuration with respect to a location on the object for inspection and receiving power from the inspection vehicles is controlled using the controller. The data generated by the sensor systems is stored.

Mobilized sensor network for structural health monitoring

A method and apparatus may be present for controlling robotic vehicles. A processor system may identify hardware for a robotic vehicle to form an identification. The processor system may run an interface layer for the hardware for the robotic vehicle using the identification. The interface layer may be configured to receive information from the hardware in which the information may be received using a number of protocols for the hardware. The processor system may send the information received from the hardware to a control layer in which a number of applications running in the control layer may be configured to indirectly control operation of the robotic vehicle. The information may be received in the control layer using a protocol used by the number of applications.

Growing community of inventors

Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Jung Soon Jang