The Boeing Company

Millie Irene Sterling

Matthew Bonbright Hendrian

Joerg Robert Oliver Schmidt

Cash Neil Johnson

Jeremy Richards

Darren Brian Macer

Garoe Gonzalez Parra

Michael Christian Büddefeld

Miriam Cornel

André Dugas

André Brodbeck Dugas

Stuart Cocks

Andres Munoz Hernandez

A method of detecting ice on a surface of an aircraft includes obtaining a first series of images captured by one or more cameras onboard the aircraft. The method also includes performing data reduction operations to generate a second series of images. The method further includes generating feature data based on the second series of images, where the feature data is indicative of changes over time of pixel data of the second series of images. The method also includes generating, based on the feature data, input data for a trained classifier and determining, using the trained classifier, whether ice is present on one or more surfaces of the aircraft.

Aircraft ice detection

A host aircraft includes a flight data system, the latter including a mobile device, central data server, and transceiver. The mobile device has a processor, memory programmed with a method embodied as computer-readable instructions, and a radio frequency (RF) communications circuit, GPS receiver, and sensor suite. The sensor suite collects raw flight data. Execution of the instructions by the processor causes the mobile device to process the raw flight data into synthesized data, and filter out human-induced motion of the mobile device from the synthesized data using a filtering model, and thereby generate time-stamped filtered flight data. The central data server is in wireless communication with the RF communications circuit, and receives the time-stamped filtered flight data therefrom. The transceiver, which is communicatively coupled to the central data server, disseminates the time-stamped filtered flight data to a user located remotely from the host aircraft.

Host aircraft with mobile device-based system for collecting and disseminating flight data

A flight data aggregation system for a plurality of aircraft includes one or more portable electronic devices in electronic communication with one or more central computers. The one or more portable electronic devices each monitor flight data from a corresponding aircraft. The one or more portable electronic devices analyze the flight data in real-time to determine an insight event indicating an incident of significance is presently occurring upon the corresponding aircraft. Each central computer includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The central computers are caused to receive the flight data collected during the insight event from an individual portable electronic device. The central computers determine overall flight data patterns based on the flight data collected during the insight event received from the individual portable electronic device and historical data stored in the one or more databases.

Flight data aggregation system including portable electronic devices

A turnaround monitoring system and method are configured to monitor a turnaround of an aircraft at an airport. The turnaround monitoring system and method include receiving, by a turnaround analysis control unit, turnaround data regarding the aircraft at the airport, and determining, by the turnaround analysis control unit, a turnaround status of the aircraft based on the turnaround data.

Aircraft turnaround monitoring systems and methods

A system for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at a destination includes a landing coordination control unit that is configured to switch the UAV from a normal operating mode to a landing mode in response to the UAV entering a regulated airspace in relation to the destination. The normal operating mode includes normal instructions for flying and navigating to the destination. The landing mode includes landing instructions for a landing sequence into a landing zone at the destination.

Growing community of inventors

Darmstadt, Germany

Millie Irene Sterling