Aircraft landing gear drive wheel identification system
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G08G-005/06
B64D-047/06
B64D-045/08
B64C-025/40
B64D-041/00
B64F-001/00
출원번호
US-0173966
(2016-06-06)
등록번호
US-9802716
(2017-10-31)
발명자
/ 주소
Vana, Jan
Cox, Joseph J.
Cox, Isaiah W.
Edelson, Jonathan S.
출원인 / 주소
Borealis Technical Limited
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
5
초록▼
An identification system and method are provided for aircraft equipped with electric taxi systems for autonomous ground movement that enables airport ground personnel and others outside the aircraft to safely and easily identify the aircraft moving on ground surfaces at an airport as equipped with a
An identification system and method are provided for aircraft equipped with electric taxi systems for autonomous ground movement that enables airport ground personnel and others outside the aircraft to safely and easily identify the aircraft moving on ground surfaces at an airport as equipped with a pilot-controlled electric taxi system and to distinguish these aircraft from aircraft not moved by electric taxi systems. The identification system may be mounted with nose or main landing gear drive wheels supporting the electric taxi system. The identification system includes an identifying lighting system with lighting elements of a selected number, shape, color, or arrangement positioned on at least a visible face of one or more landing gear wheels. Automatic or manual controls may actuate the identification system to identify electric taxi system-equipped aircraft when the aircraft are moved with the electric taxi system or are stopped.
대표청구항▼
1. A system for identifying an aircraft equipped with an electric taxi system for autonomous ground movement without reliance on aircraft engines or tow vehicles, comprising: a. an electric taxi system with system components mounted within one or more nose or main landing gear wheels of an aircraft,
1. A system for identifying an aircraft equipped with an electric taxi system for autonomous ground movement without reliance on aircraft engines or tow vehicles, comprising: a. an electric taxi system with system components mounted within one or more nose or main landing gear wheels of an aircraft, wherein said electric taxi system components comprise at least an electric drive motor, an activatable drive system, and a source of electric power for said electric taxi system;b. an identifying lighting system mounted on a clearly visible outboard face of each of the one or more aircraft landing gear wheels with electric taxi system components mounted within said landing gear wheels, comprising lighting elements of a selected number and type arranged to clearly and easily identify said aircraft to persons outside the aircraft as an aircraft equipped with said electric taxi system and a source of electric power to provide electric power to illuminate said identifying lighting system; andc. an automatic or manual control system connected with said electric taxi system and said identifying lighting system activatable to direct electric power from at least one of said electric taxi system source of electric power or said identifying lighting system source of electric power to said identifying lighting system to illuminate the identifying lighting system when said electric taxi system is operating to drive the aircraft during ground movement and when an aircraft equipped with said electric taxi is stopped. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said lighting elements comprise light emitting diode (LED) light elements selected to be clearly visible to persons externally of the aircraft in a wide range of light, weather, and environmental conditions. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said identifying lighting system comprises a selected number, shape, or color of said lighting elements mounted in a selected pattern on said outboard face of said one or more aircraft landing gear wheels. 4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a cover element made of a light-transmitting material covering said outboard face of said one or more landing gear wheels. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein said electric taxi system source of electric power and said identifying lighting system source of electric power comprises the aircraft's electrical power system or the aircraft's auxiliary power system. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein said identifying lighting system is alternatively or additionally mounted on a selected landing gear structure visible to persons outside the aircraft. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein said selected landing gear structure comprises a wire harness structure mounted externally on an aircraft nose or main landing gear wheel to provide an electric connection between said electric taxi system and an aircraft source of electric power for said electric taxi system. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein said source of electric power providing electric power to said identifying lighting system comprises a dedicated source of electric power separate from said source of electric power for said electric taxi system. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein said dedicated source of electric power providing electric power comprises brush wiring, a battery system, or a rotary transformer element in electrical contact with a rotating component of said electric taxi system. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein said selected pattern comprises an arrangement of colored or non-colored lighting elements selected to identify a specific airline's aircraft to said persons outside the aircraft. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein said persons outside the aircraft comprise pilots of other aircraft, ground personnel, drivers of ground service vehicles, and airport control tower personnel. 12. A method for identifying aircraft using an airport that are equipped with electric taxi systems for autonomous ground movement without reliance on aircraft engines or tow vehicles to quickly and clearly identify the aircraft as electric taxi-equipped aircraft to persons externally of the aircraft at a range of distances and during a range of environmental light and weather conditions, comprising a. in aircraft equipped with one or more nose or main landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi systems, providing an identifying lighting system on at least an outboard face of at least one landing gear wheel that is clearly visible to persons outside the aircraft;b. providing a source of electric power for the identifying lighting system;c. selecting a number, shape, color, or arrangement of lighting elements in the identifying lighting system that clearly identifies the aircraft as an aircraft equipped with at least one landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi system; andd. automatically or manually controlling the source of electric power to illuminate the lighting elements in the identifying lighting system as required when the electric taxi system is operating to move the aircraft autonomously on the ground or when the electric taxi system-equipped aircraft is stationary. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising additionally or alternatively mounting the identifying lighting system on a wire harness or external landing gear structure clearly visible to persons outside the aircraft. 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting the number, shape, or color of the lighting elements in the identifying lighting system to illuminate the at least one landing gear wheel to be clearly visible to persons externally of the aircraft to identify the airline of the aircraft equipped with said electric taxi system. 15. The method of claim 12, further comprising automatically controlling the source of electric power to illuminate the lighting elements of the identifying lighting system only when the electric taxi system is operating to move the aircraft autonomously on the ground. 16. The method of claim 12, further comprising automatically or manually controlling the source of electric power to illuminate the lighting elements of the identifying lighting system when the electric taxi system is operating to move the aircraft autonomously on the ground and when the electric taxi system-equipped aircraft is stationary to identify moving and stopped aircraft as equipped with electric taxi systems. 17. The method of claim 12, further comprising mounting the identifying lighting system on an outboard face of nose main landing gear wheels on opposite sides of the aircraft so that the identifying lighting systems are clearly visible to persons outside the aircraft viewing the aircraft from opposite sides.
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