Patent Application
20190212183
This disclosure relates generally to an aircraft passenger luggage bin load weight and balance system for use in an aircraft.
Airplane turn time—the time required to unload an airplane after its arrival at the gate and to prepare it for departure again—has increased since the mid-1970s. This contributes to both flight delays and increased passenger frustration. One of the key elements of turn time in a single-aisle aircraft is passenger boarding. One factor that contributes to an increase in passenger boarding time is an increase in the amount of passenger carry-on luggage. Passengers have increased their carry-on baggage for a number of reasons, including the implementation of checked baggage fees by the airlines. During the boarding process, finding available passenger bin storage space for carry-on baggage becomes increasingly time consuming and frustrating for passengers and flight attendants, and can cause delayed departure.
Furthermore, it is also important that the balance of an aircraft (i.e., the weight distribution) be within certain specifications to ensure safe operations. The distribution of carry-on baggage among the available passenger bin storage space in an aircraft can affect the balance thereof. There is typically a wide variation in the weight of each passenger's carry-on luggage. This variation can affect the aircraft's balance because, even when each passenger luggage storage bin is filled to capacity, the weight of each such bin can vary significantly given that the loading process for each passenger luggage storage bin is essentially random and controlled only by the order of boarding and the proximity of each passenger's seat location. Because an imbalanced aircraft may expend more fuel during flight, airlines have an incentive to ensure that each departing aircraft is as balanced as possible.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method that ensures that the proper weight balance of the aircraft is maintained among the various passenger luggage storage bins during the boarding process.
In a first aspect, a load weight and balance system for passenger luggage storage bins in an aircraft includes at least one first sensor coupled to each of the passenger luggage storage bins in the aircraft for providing a first output signal proportional to an available internal volume of an associated passenger luggage storage bin. At least one second sensor is coupled to each of the passenger luggage storage bins in the aircraft for providing a second output signal proportional a weight of any luggage in the associated passenger luggage storage bin. A display device for each of the passenger luggage storage bins provides a visual indication whether or not the associated passenger luggage storage bin is filled to capacity. A main display provides a visual indication of a storage status of all of the passenger luggage storage bins. A processor is coupled to receive the first output signals from each of the at least one first sensors. The processor calculates, based upon the first output signals from the at least one first sensors, whether or not each of the associated passenger luggage storage bins is filled to capacity. The processor provides an output signal to each of the display devices causing the display device to indicate whether or not the associated passenger luggage storage bin is filled to capacity. The processor is coupled to receive the second output signals from each of the at least one second sensors. The processor calculates, based upon the second output signals from the at least one second sensors, whether or not each of the associated passenger luggage storage bins is within a predetermined weight value. The processor provides a signal to the main display causing the main display to indicate whether or not each of the passenger luggage storage bins is within a predetermined weight value.
In a further embodiment, each of the at least one second sensors may be a load sensor and the output signal from each of the at least one second sensors may be proportional to a weight of items within the associated passenger luggage storage bin. In addition, each of the at least one first sensors may be a range sensor and the output signal from each of the at least one first sensors may be proportional to an amount of empty space available within the associated passenger luggage storage bin. Further, the processor may provide a signal to the main display causing the main display to indicate whether or not whether or not each of the passenger luggage storage bins is filled to capacity. Still further, the processor may calculate a weight distribution of all of the passenger luggage storage bins in the aircraft. The processor may determine whether or not the weight distribution of all of the passenger luggage storage bins in the aircraft is balanced. The processor may determine instructions on how to adjust a contents of at least some of the passenger luggage storage bins in the aircraft to achieve balance when the processor determines that the weight distribution of all of the passenger luggage storage bins in the aircraft is not balanced. Also, the main display is a crew display. The processor may selectively provide signals to the crew display causing the crew display to display the instructions. Alternatively, the main display may be a passenger display.
In a second aspect, a load weight and balance system for passenger luggage storage bins in an aircraft has at least one sensor coupled to each of the passenger luggage storage bins in the aircraft for providing an output signal proportional a weight of any luggage in an associated passenger luggage storage bin. A main display provides a visual indication of a storage status of all of the passenger luggage storage bins. A processor is coupled to receive the output signals from each of the at least one sensors and calculates, based upon the output signals from the at least one sensors, whether or not each of the associated passenger luggage storage bins is within a predetermined weight value and provides a signal to the main display causing the main display to indicate whether or not each of the passenger luggage storage bins is within a predetermined weight value.
In a third aspect, a method for balancing a load weight of passenger luggage storage bins in an aircraft includes determining, for each passenger luggage storage bin, a weight of items within that passenger luggage storage bin. A distribution of passenger luggage storage bin weights across the aircraft is determined. Finally, it is determined whether or not the distribution of passenger luggage storage bin weights across the aircraft is balanced.
In a further embodiment, instructions are provided on adjusting contents of the passenger luggage storage bins to correct any imbalance.
The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various embodiments or may be combined in yet other embodiments, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.
The following detailed description, given by way of example and not intended to limit the present disclosure solely thereto, will best be understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
b are diagrams of a crew human machine interface showing the operation of the load weight and balance system of the present disclosure; and
In the present disclosure, like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout the drawings, which illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
The system disclosed herein helps to speed the passenger boarding process. A clear visual indication of whether there is available space may be provided in each passenger luggage storage bin. In addition, displays (human machine interface) are provided for the crew and for the passengers that indicates the storage status of each passenger luggage storage bin (e.g., empty or filled). The crew display also provides information about the relative weight of each passenger luggage storage bin (e.g., nominal weight or overweight, etc.) and also provides additional balancing instructions to the crew (e.g., instructions on moving some of the contents of one passenger luggage storage bin to another). This allows the crew to quickly identify and correct any weight imbalances in the passenger luggage storage bins during the boarding process and ensures that the aircraft will achieve the proper balance for optimal fuel efficiency during flight.
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Processor 105 is also coupled to the aircraft's data network 130, a passenger human machine interface (display) 150, and a crew human machine interface (display) 140. The passenger display 150 and the crew display 140 are main displays which provide status information about all of passenger luggage storage bins. The passenger display 150 (which may consist of numerous display screens distributed across the aircraft and may be provided as part of a multi-use display, either at each seating location or within various portions of the aircraft) provides the storage status of each passenger luggage storage bin on the aircraft (e.g., empty or filled). The crew display 140 provides storage status information to allow the flight attendants to assist boarding passengers to identify unfilled passenger luggage storage bins and also provides information about the relative weight of each passenger luggage storage bin (e.g., nominal weight or overweight, etc.). Crew display 140 also selectively provides additional balancing instructions to the crew (e.g., instructions on moving some of the contents of one passenger luggage storage bin to another). Aircraft network 130 may be, for example, an aircraft data network compliant with industry standard ARINC-664 network protocol.
As described above, in the present system each passenger luggage storage bin includes one or more bin weight sensors 110 and one or more bin volume sensors 115. Processor 105 receives signals from each of the bin weight sensors 110 and each of the bin volume sensors 115 and, based on such signals, determines, essentially in real-time, the storage status of each passenger luggage storage bin and whether the luggage stored in each passenger luggage storage bin is within a predetermined weight value or weight range. For example, the processor may determine based on the signals from the bin weight sensors 110 if each passenger luggage storage bin is at or near a nominal value or is overweight (excessive). In some exemplary embodiments, the predetermined weight value or weight range may be that of a nominal weight value that is between 200 and 250 pounds, for example. Based on such determinations, processor 105 outputs signals to each of the bin door status displays 125 that indicates current storage status information, i.e., at least whether the particular passenger luggage storage bin is either “FILLED” or “NOT FILLED,” as discussed above. Processor 105 also updates current storage status information on each of the passenger displays 150 and on each of the crew displays 140. In the event that any of the passenger luggage storage bins are found to be overweight, processor 105 also updates the weight balancing information shown on crew display 140 and determines load balancing information that is displayed on the crew display 140 upon a crew request (as discussed with respect to
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Although the present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments and various aspects thereof, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. It is intended that the appended claims be interpreted as including the embodiments described herein, the alternatives mentioned above, and all equivalents thereto.
