Patent ID: 12210345

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The time required to extend passenger loading bridges, to move them toward a parked aircraft, and then align them with even one aircraft door may add to the total time the aircraft spends on the ground. An aircraft may be maneuvered to park in an orientation parallel to a terminal so that both front and rear aircraft doors may be connected to passenger loading bridges, and passengers may be deboarded more efficiently once the passenger loading bridges are actually connected. However, the time that could be required to extend both bridges and to properly align them so a passenger transfer connection may be made between the aircraft and the terminal may reduce this efficiency. The method of the present invention reduces time required to make a passenger transfer connection between the aircraft and terminal when the aircraft are driven and maneuvered with electric taxi drive systems to park at the terminal and dock with one or more passenger loading bridges. When, in accordance with the present invention, the passenger loading bridges are pre-positioned to substantially align with at least a rear door and a front door on the aircraft before the aircraft reaches its assigned terminal parking location, the maneuvering required to move the passenger loading bridges into a position that enables connection with an aircraft door may be minimal, and docking may be achieved quickly with only minor adjustments. The wait for passenger loading bridges to be extended from the terminal may be eliminated, and passenger transfer may begin more quickly after the aircraft arrives at its assigned parking location than is currently possible.

The terms “airport terminal” and “terminal” used herein include an airport terminal building and like structures, whether or not attached to a terminal building. The terms “parking location,” “gate,” and “stand” all are used to refer to places or locations where aircraft are parked at or near an airport terminal for passenger transfer after arrival and before departure. The terms “ramp” and “ramp area” will be used herein to refer to the area at an airport that is intended to accommodate aircraft for the loading and unloading of passengers, mail, cargo, fueling, parking, or maintenance. The term “ramp” is synonymous with the term “apron,” which is also used to identify this area at an airport.

The terms “loading bridge” and “passenger loading bridge,” as used herein, refer to structures attached to an airport terminal used to transfer passengers between the terminal and aircraft and is contemplated to include known types of loading bridges, which may be fixed to the terminal and are extendible to reach the aircraft for passenger transfer and are retractable away from the aircraft toward the terminal when passenger transfer is complete. Passenger loading bridges typically provide an enclosed connection passageway between the airport terminal and an aircraft for passenger transfer during the deboarding and boarding processes. Passenger loading bridges that are “substantially aligned” with aircraft doors as described herein are pre-positioned or positioned with an aircraft attachment end that is roughly aligned with an aircraft door opening and may then be adjusted to be fully aligned with and connected to the aircraft door to provide a passenger transfer connection.

“Electric taxi drive systems,” “drive systems,” and “electric taxi systems” refer to pilot-controllable landing gear wheel-mounted drive systems used to drive aircraft independently of and without reliance on operation of aircraft main engines and tugs or external tow vehicles. Electric taxi drive systems may include landing gear wheel-mounted electric drive motors, gear or roller traction drive systems, clutches, and other components activatable to power landing gear wheels and drive the aircraft during ground travel in response to pilot control. An example of one type of an electric taxi drive system developed by Applicant to drive an aircraft during ground travel without reliance on operation of the aircraft's main engines and attachment to tugs is described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 10,308,352, the disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Other drive systems using drive motors that are not electric, including, for example, hydraulic or pneumatic drive motors, may also drive aircraft in connection with the automatic aircraft parking system and method of the present invention and are contemplated to be included within the terms “electric taxi drive systems” and “drive systems.” An electric taxi drive system may be mounted completely within a volume defined by wall sections of a landing gear wheel in one or more nose or main landing gear wheels. In a preferred embodiment, electric taxi drive systems are mounted completely within defined wheel wall section volumes in both nose landing gear wheels and are controlled by a pilot or flight crew from the aircraft cockpit with controls designed to operate the electric taxi drive system, power the nose landing gear wheels, and drive the aircraft during ground travel without reliance on the aircraft's main engines and external assistance from tugs.

Referring to the drawings, which are not drawn to scale,FIGS.1A and1Bshow, respectively, a schematic plan view of an electric taxi drive system-driven aircraft10being maneuvered with the electric taxi drive systems within an airport ramp area12toward a stand or parking location14at an airport terminal16. Two passenger loading bridges18and20that are of the extendible and retractable type of passenger loading bridge are shown in an extended position with terminal connection ends17and21attached to the terminal16. The passenger loading bridges18and20are shown extended outwardly of the terminal awaiting the docking of the aircraft10. Each of the loading bridges18and20has been pre-positioned with a respective aircraft connection end19and23in a location that will enable substantial alignment of the aircraft connection end of a passenger loading bridge with at least a front door22and a rear door24on the aircraft10. The passenger loading bridges18and20are ideally pre-positioned so that the aircraft connection ends19and23are located respective distances a and b away from the terminal16. The respective distances a and b may be determined prior to pre-positioning the passenger loading bridges by considerations that may include the configuration of the stand and/or the terminal, locations of adjacent stands and passenger loading bridges, and the type of aircraft to be docked at the parking location. The distance c between the passenger loading bridges may be determined prior to pre-positioning by considerations including the type of aircraft and the distance between the aircraft forward and rear doors to be connected to the aircraft connection ends19and23of the passenger loading bridges18and20.

FIG.1Bshows the aircraft10after the aircraft has been maneuvered with the electric taxi drive systems into the parking location14, the pre-positioned passenger loading bridges18and20have been adjusted to completely align with the aircraft doors22and24, and the aircraft connection ends19and23of the loading bridges have been connected with the aircraft doors22and24. The aircraft is fully docked, and passenger transfer may commence.

FIGS.1A and1Bshow the aircraft10moving toward the parking location14in a forward direction along a path with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft oriented parallel to the terminal building16. The passenger loading bridges18and20are also shown extending parallel to each other and perpendicular to the terminal16and the aircraft10.

FIG.2shows in more detail a series of steps of the present method in which the aircraft10approaches the terminal parking location14, the passenger loading bridges are pre-positioned and initially adjusted, the aircraft turns to a parallel parking orientation, the passenger loading bridges are further adjusted to connect directly to each aircraft door, and passenger transfer can take place. After passenger transfer is completed, the passenger loading bridges may be partially or fully retracted, and the aircraft turns and is maneuvered with the electric taxi drive systems out of the parking location. The direction of approach of the aircraft10to the parking location or stand14is different from that shown inFIGS.1A and1B. The aircraft approach direction inFIGS.1A and1Bis from the right, while the aircraft approach direction inFIG.2is from the left. Aircraft forward door25and rear door27on an opposite side of the aircraft from forward door22and rear door24, shown inFIGS.1A and1B, will dock with respective passenger loading bridges20and18. Whether an aircraft to be docked in the parallel orientation shown approaches the stand from the right or the left may depend on terminal and stand arrangements at specific airports. The method of the present invention provides the flexibility for aircraft to park in the parallel orientation from both approaches.

Viewing the steps from left to right inFIG.2, in the leftmost image the aircraft10is approaching the parking location14. The passenger loading bridge18to be connected to the aircraft rear door27may be almost fully extended and pre-positioned so that the aircraft connection end19requires only minor or minimal adjustment when aligned with the aircraft rear door27. The passenger loading bridge20to be connected to the aircraft front door25may be only partially extended and pre-positioned with the aircraft connection end23a shorter distance from the terminal16than that of the passenger loading bridge18. This may ensure that the aircraft10has sufficient space to be safely turned from the nose-in ground travel orientation shown at the left to the parallel parking orientation. After the aircraft is turned with the electric taxi drive systems to the parallel parking orientation, the loading bridge20may be fully extended to the pre-position distance of the loading bridge18. When a passenger loading bridge may be pre-positioned to be almost fully extended toward the aircraft as it is maneuvered into a parking location, less time will be required to fully connect the passenger loading bridge to the aircraft door than when a passenger loading bridge may be pre-positioned in a partially extended condition. Passenger transfer may be delayed somewhat, but should still begin more quickly than is possible at present.

Maneuvering the aircraft10with electric taxi drive systems enables maneuvering of the aircraft very close to the aircraft connection ends19and23of the passenger loading bridges18and20. When the aircraft connection ends19and23are in substantial alignment with the aircraft rear and front doors27and25, only minor or minimal adjustments should be needed to fully connect the loading bridges to the doors. As discussed in detail below, pre-positioning a passenger loading bridge to connect to an aircraft rear door may require more vertical adjustment than with a passenger loading bridge to be connected to a front aircraft door.

When passenger transfer is complete, the passenger loading bridges18and20are disconnected from the aircraft and may be retracted partially or completely away from the aircraft toward the terminal. As shown in the rightmost image inFIG.2, the aircraft is maneuvered with the electric taxi drive systems to turn from its parallel parking orientation to a nose-out orientation perpendicular to the terminal16and then drive out of the ramp area.

While foregoing arrangement may work well to provide simultaneous passenger transfer connections between aircraft front and rear doors27and25and the terminal16, additional ways to maneuver an aircraft with electric taxi drive systems and park in an orientation with the aircraft longitudinal axis parallel to the terminal and connect to pre-positioned passenger loading bridges are possible. These are discussed below and described in connection withFIGS.4A-4F.

Pre-positioning a passenger loading bridge to facilitate connection with an aircraft rear door may involve different considerations than pre-positioning a passenger loading bridge to connect with a front aircraft door. The rear section of the aircraft where one or more rear doors may be located is between the wings and the tail section horizontal stabilizers. The front section where one or more front doors may be located is forward of the wings and free from the potential obstructions posed by the wings and horizontal stabilizers when passenger loading bridges are extended toward an aircraft to pre-position them as described herein. After a passenger loading bridge has been laterally extended to a distance from the terminal that pre-positions the aircraft connection end at a location that may require only minor adjustments to fully align the loading bridge with the rear door, the aircraft must be maneuvered with the electric taxi drive systems into a parallel parking location that will enable connection with the pre-positioned loading bridge and the rear door and that will also permit connection of another passenger boarding bridge to a front aircraft door. In accordance with the present invention, a passenger loading bridge to be connected with a rear aircraft door may be pre-positioned so that it will be toward the aircraft tail end when the aircraft is maneuvered into the parallel parking orientation and it will be at a height that may be above or below the height of the aircraft's horizontal stabilizer.

FIG.3shows the relative heights of a terminal-facing wing32and horizontal stabilizer34on an aircraft30and a partially extended passenger loading bridge36attached at a terminal connection end35to a terminal38. Aircraft doors are generally located at heights above a ramp surface that are above the height of the wing32and may be located at heights that are close to the height of the horizontal stabilizer34. The loading bridge36may be pre-positioned at a height above the ramp surface that is above or below the height of the horizontal stabilizer34. Pre-positioning the loading bridge36at one of these heights will enable the aircraft30to turn safely from the nose-in ground travel orientation to the parallel parking orientation, as shown inFIG.2without striking the passenger loading bridge. When the aircraft30is in the orientation parallel to the terminal38, as shown inFIG.3, the passenger loading bridge36, which may be pre-positioned closer to the aircraft30than shown, may then be raised vertically to completely align with and connect to the aircraft rear door.

Passenger loading bridges that can be pre-positioned as described may require adaptation to be lowered to the height above or below that of the horizontal stabilizer so the aircraft can clear the loading bridge as it turns. At many airport terminals, the terminal connection of passenger loading bridges is at a height above the ramp surface that may be higher than the height of the aircraft doors. Passenger loading bridges may be cantilevered to connect with the lower height aircraft doors. It is contemplated that passenger loading bridges useful with the present invention may be adapted so that they may be cantilevered to lower the aircraft connection end to a height below that of at least an aircraft horizontal stabilizer and, preferably, to a height below that of the aircraft wing. The horizontal stabilizer and wing heights referred to herein may vary for different types of aircraft, and it is contemplated that this information may be stored and made available for the manual and automatic operation of passenger loading bridges to extend them and make the requisite connections to aircraft doors, particularly rear doors. An additional adaptation that may be made to a passenger loading bridge suitable for use with the present method is to enable the loading bridge to be lowered to a height lower than that of the aircraft wing, by cantilevering or otherwise. Pre-positioning a passenger loading bridge at a height below that of both the horizontal stabilizer and the wing may enable the aircraft to be maneuvered with the electric taxi drive system with even more improved safety. Lowering the passenger loading bridge to a height lower than the aircraft wing should facilitate avoiding contact between the passenger loading bridge and the wing while maneuvering and docking the aircraft. A passenger loading bridge that is lower than the wing height may require a greater vertical adjustment than a passenger loading bridge that is not lower than the wing height, but this is likely to produce a minimal increase in docking time. When the passenger loading bridge can fit under the aircraft wing, the possibility of striking the passenger loading bridge with both the wing and the horizontal stabilizer is eliminated, and the aircraft may be maneuvered with less time and positioned closer to the pre-positioned passenger loading bridge than would otherwise be possible.

Pre-positioning a passenger loading bridge for connection to a front aircraft door is a simpler process than pre-positioning a passenger loading bridge for connection to a rear aircraft door due to the shape of the front of the aircraft and the absence of aircraft structures that must be maneuvered around. Passenger loading bridges to be connected to aircraft front doors, such as loading bridge18inFIGS.1A and1Band loading bridge20inFIG.2, may be at a different height above the ramp surface than the passenger loading bridges to be connected to rear aircraft doors. Aircraft wing height may be a possible consideration in pre-positioning passenger loading bridges to be connected to front aircraft doors; this may depend on a particular aircraft's turning path, however.

FIGS.4A-4Fillustrate another embodiment of the present method showing the maneuvering of an aircraft40with electric taxi drive systems from a nose-in ground travel orientation into a parallel parking orientation to dock with one passenger loading bridge42pre-positioned to substantially align with and connect to an aircraft rear door after vertical adjustment and minimal other adjustment after the aircraft has been maneuvered with the electric taxi drive systems to turn from the nose-in orientation to the parallel orientation, extending and connecting another passenger loading bridge44that has not been fully extended and pre-positioned with an aircraft front door, undocking the aircraft from both passenger loading bridges after passenger transfer is complete, and maneuvering the aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems from the parallel to a nose-out orientation to taxi with the electric taxi drive systems out of the ramp. Markings on the ramp ground surface indicate the maneuvering path of the aircraft40as it maneuvers nose-in with the electric taxi drive systems toward a parallel parking location (FIG.4A), turns to park in the parallel parking orientation (FIG.4B), a first fully extended passenger loading bridge is aligned with and connected to an aircraft rear door, and then a second passenger loading bridge, initially only partially extended, is fully extended and connected to the aircraft front door for passenger transfer (FIG.4C). Following passenger transfer, the passenger loading bridges are disconnected from the aircraft and retracted away from the aircraft, and the aircraft is turned with the electric taxi systems to a nose-out orientation (FIG.4D). The aircraft is driven away from the parking location and out of the ramp area (FIG.4E).

It will be noted that the arrangement of passenger loading bridges42and44inFIGS.4A-4Fdiffers from that shown inFIGS.1and2. In this arrangement, the two passenger loading bridges may connect to a terminal building, represented at46, through a single connection. When the passenger loading bridge42can be lowered to a height below that of the aircraft wings48, loading bridge42can be pre-positioned quite close to the aircraft and the electric taxi drive systems may safely maneuver the aircraft40through the turn shown inFIG.4Bso that the passenger loading bridge42substantially aligns with the aircraft rear door. Only minor adjustment should be needed to fully connect the passenger loading bridge42to the aircraft rear door. The passenger loading bridge44may be extended at an angle, as shown inFIG.4C, to connect with the aircraft front door. It is anticipated that the passenger loading bridge44may be extended farther and pre-positioned closer to the aircraft40than shown inFIG.4B. The extent to which both passenger loading bridges42and44may be pre-positioned so that both may be connected to the aircraft with minimal or minor adjustment may depend on the type of aircraft and the specific arrangement of loading bridges and their connections to the terminal.

FIG.4Flabels the steps of the method shown and described in connection withFIGS.4A-4Eand shows more details of the aircraft's maneuvers with the electric taxi drive systems.FIG.4Ashows the aircraft40taxiing into the ramp parking location, andFIG.4Bshows the aircraft40being maneuvered with the electric taxi systems to turn in a specific maneuver referred to as the Twist In, in which the aircraft40is turned about 90 degrees from the taxi in position. InFIG.4C, both passenger loading bridges42and44are connected, respectively, to a rear door and to a front door of the aircraft40, and passenger transfer, during which arriving passengers deboard and departing passengers board, occurs. Upon completion of passenger transfer, the electric taxi drive systems maneuver the aircraft to turn 90 degrees in a maneuver referred to as the Twist Out, shown inFIG.4D. When the aircraft40has been maneuvered to a nose-out position, the electric taxi drive systems drive the aircraft to taxi out of the ramp area.

As noted, different types of aircraft may have different spacing between doors to be connected to passenger loading bridges. The present method may include obtaining and storing this information for the different types of aircraft that may be assigned to a stand or parking location and communicating it to an automated or other system that operates the passenger loading bridges at that location. A passenger loading bridge operating system suitable for this purpose may be programmed to receive information relating to aircraft type and door spacing for the aircraft assigned to be parked in the parallel orientation at the stand. Signals from an electric taxi drive system-driven aircraft within the ramp and approaching the stand may be sent to the passenger loading bridge operating system identifying the type of aircraft and one or more passenger loading bridges may be automatically or manually extended to a pre-positioned location that will substantially align the aircraft connection end of the loading bridge with a corresponding aircraft door.FIGS.1A,1B, and2illustrate one arrangement of pre-positioned passenger loading bridges;FIGS.4A-4-F illustrates another arrangement. Adjustment and connection of the pre-positioned passenger loading bridges to the aircraft may be assisted by sensors positioned on the passenger loading bridge aircraft connection end, on the aircraft, or on both. A system for pre-positioning passenger loading bridges to substantially align with aircraft door locations and then adjusting height and other parameters of the substantially aligned passenger loading bridges to fully align them to be connected with aircraft doors may be guided by artificial intelligence to operate automatically. Variations of the foregoing pre-positioning method are further contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention.

The present method for reducing time required for maneuvering and parking aircraft in a parallel orientation at an airport terminal has been described in connection with pre-positioning two extendible passenger loading bridges that are connected to aircraft rear and front doors for passenger transfer. Some types of aircraft have multiple front and rear doors that may be connected to multiple passenger loading bridges and used for passenger transfer. These types of aircraft may be equipped with electric taxi drive systems to power ground travel and to maneuver the aircraft into parallel parking orientations at airports with stands with multiple extendible passenger loading bridges. Two or more of the multiple passenger loading bridges may be pre-positioned in locations that may substantially align with two or more aircraft front and rear doors and facilitate connections between the pre-positioned passenger loading bridges and the doors when the aircraft is maneuvered with the electric taxi drive systems into a stand. It is anticipated that the present method may be adapted to pre-position any number of passenger loading bridges at an airport stand so that they are in substantial alignment with corresponding aircraft front and rear doors and may be connected to the doors with minor or minimal adjustment to dock aircraft in parallel parking orientations.

While the present invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, this is not intended to be limiting, and other arrangements and structures that perform the required functions are contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The method of the present invention will have its primary applicability where it is desired to facilitate and minimize time for connection of electric taxi drive system-driven aircraft to passenger loading bridges and docking the aircraft at a parking location when aircraft are maneuvered with the electric taxi drive systems into parallel parking orientations at airport terminal stands for passenger transfer.