Patent ID: 7970499

Claim:
A mobile tail support control system for controlling movement of a mobile tail support apparatus, the control system comprising: a data processing system; an output device coupled to the data processing system capable of generating signals for managing movement of a mobile tail support apparatus; a set of load sensors coupled to the data processing system and that detects a set of loads associated with a swing tail cargo door, wherein the set of load sensors comprise a first load sensor that detects a tangential load of the swing tail cargo door and a second load sensor that detects a vertical load of the swing tail cargo door; a set of position sensors coupled to the data processing system and that detects a position of the mobile tail support apparatus relative to the swing tail cargo door, wherein the set of position sensors comprise a first position sensor that detects an angle of the mobile tail support apparatus relative to the swing tail cargo door when the mobile tail support apparatus is coupled to the swing tail cargo door, a second position sensor that detects a radial displacement from a fixed distance from a centerline of a for the swing tail cargo door to a centerline for a ball fitting of the mobile tail support apparatus relative to the swing tail cargo door, and a third position sensor that detects a steering angle of a wheel on the mobile tail support apparatus; and a computer program product executing on the data processing system is capable of receiving information from the set of load sensors and the set of position sensors and is capable of generating signals to manage the mobile tail support apparatus, wherein in executing the computer program product, the data processing system generates a signal to halt the movement of the mobile tail support apparatus if the radial travel exceeds a threshold distance and the data processing system generates a set of steering signals based on the angle of the mobile tail support apparatus relative to the swing tail cargo door and the radial travel in which set of steering signals are displayed to an operator of the mobile tail support apparatus or automatically control a direction of travel of the mobile tail support apparatus.