The Boeing Company

Robert Erik Freeman

Russell Tanner Bridgewater

Douglas Wilson

Sherwin Chunshek Li

Andrew William Houck

Prachya Panyakeow

Leonard J Inderhees

Robert E McLees

Jonathan Kyle Moore

Paul Salo

Melville Duncan Walter McIntyre

Robert E Mclees

Ryan L Pettit

Lloyd R Tomlinson

Russell T Bridgewater

Rostyslav Oleksiy Svitelskyi

Melville D W Mcintyre

William Tyler Piersol

Bryan A Lopez

Leonard John Inderhees

A system and a method include air data sensors configured to detect one more characteristics of air surrounding an aircraft. At least three of the air data sensors differ in type. The air data sensors are configured to output air data. A flight control unit is in communication with the air data sensors. The flight control unit is configured to receive the air data from the air data sensors and control at least one aspect of the aircraft based on at least a portion of the air data. In at least one example, the flight control unit is further configured to vote in relation to the air data from the air data sensors.

Systems and methods for controlling an aircraft using dissimilar air data

An example system includes a common mode pneumatic event detector to detect a common mode pneumatic event at pitot tubes of an aircraft, a latch, a relay switch in communication with the latch, and a latch controller to set the latch in a first state to cause the latch to output a first latch signal, the relay switch to output a first pressure signal in response to the first latch signal, the first pressure signal based on pressure data from the pitot tubes, and set the latch in a second state to cause the latch to output a second latch signal based on the detection of the common mode pneumatic event. The relay switch is to output a second pressure signal in response to the second latch signal. The second pressure signal includes estimated pressure data.

Apparatus, systems, and methods for managing common mode pneumatic events

A flight control module for computing glideslope deviation during landing of an aircraft is provided. The flight control module includes a communication interface and a processor. The communication interface is configured to receive inertial data for the aircraft. The processor is coupled to the communication interface and configured to compute an inertial glideslope deviation based on the inertial data.

Flight control system with synthetic inertial glideslope deviation and method of use

A flight control module for computing localizer deviation during landing of an aircraft is provided. The flight control module includes a communication interface and a processor. The communication interface is configured to receive inertial data for the aircraft. The processor is coupled to the communication interface and is configured to compute an inertial localizer deviation based on the inertial data.

Flight control system with synthetic inertial localizer deviation and method of use

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for identifying air data for an aircraft. The lift for the aircraft is identified. The number of surface positions for the aircraft is identified. The angle of attack during flight of the aircraft is identified. A synthetic dynamic pressure is computed from the lift, the number of surface positions, and the angle of attack.

Alternative method to determine the air mass state of an aircraft and to validate and augment the primary method

A signal selection and fault detection system is provided. The system includes four input equalization circuits each configured to receive an input signal from an associated sensor, wherein the input signal is indicative of a parameter measured by the associated sensor, and output an equalized signal based on the received input signal. The system further includes a five-input output selection circuit coupled to the four input equalization circuits, the five-input output selection circuit configured to receive an equalized signal from each of the four input equalization circuits, receive a previous frame output signal, and select an output signal from the four equalized signals and the previous frame output signal.

Systems and methods for signal selection and fault detection

A signal selection and fault detection system receives multiple redundant sensor input signals that are processed through an equalizing and selecting network which outputs the midvalue signal. The system provides a variable fault monitoring threshold that provides the ability to detect for oscillatory faults among input signals that are less than 10% of static tracking tolerances for the inputs, while also assuring that nuisance fault detections are very improbable. The system provides a variable equalization rate that assures satisfactory blocking of oscillatory faults under dynamic conditions when signal disagreements are increased by gain tolerances between the input signals, and maintains high signal resolution of the output under such dynamic conditions. The system also provides cross-channel equalization of the selected midvalue signal in all operating channels to assure that all channels provide the same steady state output for only two input operation, while also maximizing fault blocking capability.

Signal selection and fault detection apparatus and method

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Robert Erik Freeman