Abstract: An integrated monitoring system and method are provided with the capability for monitoring ground surface movements of electric taxi drive system-driven aircraft, ground vehicles and personnel, and objects within airport ramp areas. Monitoring units may include a scanning LiDAR device with and without cameras or other sensing devices to transmit meshed real time encrypted data from multiple locations to an artificial intelligence-based processing system that generates a visual display of the monitored area for communication to aircraft cockpits and locations responsible for controlling ramp operations. Monitoring units may be mounted in single or multiple exterior locations on aircraft and/or in locations on ground vehicles and equipment, ground personnel, and the airside portion of an airport terminal.

Abstract: An improved ground collision avoidance system and method is provided for aircraft driven during ground operations by electric taxi drive systems. One or more monitoring devices employing scanning LiDAR technology may be mounted in exterior locations on or near aircraft landing gears or aerodynamically in locations on the aircraft fuselage selected to generate panoramic three-dimensional images from any point of view within or without the aircraft as the aircraft is driven independently within an airport ramp area. The point of view images are transmitted in real time to displays in the aircraft cockpit and may be transmitted to displays outside and remote from the aircraft, allowing the pilot and airport personnel to monitor the aircraft moving within the ramp environment and to respond quickly to control the aircraft's electric taxi drive system-powered ground travel to avoid and prevent a potential collision.

Abstract: A monitoring system and method are provided to monitor ground movement of aircraft driven with electric taxi drive systems and movement of ground service vehicles and equipment and personnel within airport ramp areas. Monitor and sensor devices, including those that are intelligent and employ scanning technology to generate image, positional, and other data may be mounted in locations on aircraft, ground service vehicles and equipment, passenger loading bridges, an airport terminal, and other ramp locations to generate a constant stream of data as the aircraft moves into, within, and out of an airport ramp area. The data stream is transmitted to an artificial intelligence-based processing system to identify and communicate possible safety hazards to multiple locations so that the aircraft's ground travel or a ground vehicle's travel may be altered to avoid identified safety hazards and to avoid collisions.

Abstract: A cockpit control system and method for efficiently controlling ground travel in an aircraft equipped with engine-free electric taxi drive systems are provided. The cockpit control system is configured with a display that provides a maximum amount of information during aircraft ground movement with a minimal amount of input from and distraction to pilots or cockpit crew to facilitate essentially hands free operation and control of aircraft ground travel. System test and drive procedures ensure safe aircraft ground travel with the engine-free electric taxi system. Constant pilot hand or other input is not required to achieve safe and maximally efficient aircraft ground travel powered by the aircraft's engine-free electric taxi drive systems or, under selected defined conditions, by the aircraft's engines to achieve this maximum efficiency. The system may further be designed to be uninterruptible by unauthorized persons.

Abstract: A method for designing and operating an aircraft nose landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi system moves aircraft with optimal torque during a broad range of ground travel conditions. Electric taxi system components may be sized to produce optimal ground travel torque to move aircraft during the majority of aircraft ground travel conditions and operated to produce a maximum or breakaway torque to move the aircraft with the electric taxi system when a higher level of torque is required. Turning the nose landing gear wheels to a selected angle or through a range of angles simultaneously as the electric taxi system is operated produces the breakaway torque required to get the aircraft moving. When lower torque is needed, the aircraft may be driven with the nose landing gear wheels parallel to the longitudinal axis to produce optimal torque for electric taxi system-powered aircraft ground travel.

Abstract: A cockpit control system and method for efficiently controlling ground travel in an aircraft equipped with an engine-free electric taxi system are provided. The cockpit control system is configured with a display that provides a maximum amount of information during aircraft ground movement with a minimal amount of input from and distraction to pilots or cockpit crew to facilitate essentially hands free operation and control of aircraft ground travel. System test and drive procedures ensure safe aircraft ground travel with the engine-free electric taxi system. Constant pilot hand or other input is not required to achieve safe and maximally efficient aircraft ground travel powered by the aircraft's engine-free electric taxi system or, under selected defined conditions, by the aircraft's engines to achieve this maximum efficiency. The system may further be designed to be uninterruptible by unauthorized persons.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel drive assembly, particularly useful in an aircraft, is provided. The vehicle wheel drive assembly is mounted completely within a space defined by structural dimensions of a vehicle wheel and includes a drive means controllable to power the wheel and move the vehicle autonomously on a ground surface, a gear assembly drivingly connected to the drive means, and a clutch assembly operatively connected to the gear assembly. The clutch assembly is operatively mounted with respect to the gear assembly completely within an interior portion of a vehicle wheel axle on which the wheel drive assembly is mounted, thereby maximizing the space functionally available for all of the other components of the wheel drive assembly.

Abstract: A method for accelerated power push back of an aircraft equipped with a pilot-controlled engines-off taxi system that drives the aircraft without reliance on the aircraft's main engines or tugs is provided. An aircraft is quickly and efficiently moved out of a gate where it is positioned in a nose-in orientation. The pilot controls the taxi system to drive the aircraft in reverse along a perpendicular path away from the terminal to a location where there is sufficient space for the aircraft to stop and turn, and the aircraft is turned and driven in a forward direction to a takeoff runway. Pilot reliance on ground personnel guidance during push back maneuvers is minimized by providing a monitoring system designed to monitor gate and ramp areas around the aircraft in any visibility or environmental conditions and provide feedback to the pilot.

Abstract: An improved monitoring and control system capable of providing automatic control of ground movement in an aircraft equipped with non-engine drive means for autonomous ground movement to enhance airport ground safety and efficient ground travel is provided. The monitoring and control system is installed on aircraft equipped with non-engine drive means controllable to move the aircraft autonomously on the ground and includes monitoring means positioned in locations on the aircraft selected to obtain a maximum amount of information relating to an aircraft's ground position and operation, processor means, data transmission means, and manual or automatic control means to control and direct operation of an aircraft's non-engine drive means to move the aircraft autonomously, safely and efficiently on the ground. The improved monitoring and control system can be employed with one or a number of aircraft simultaneously to increase safety and efficiency of airport ground operations.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for improving efficiency of aircraft gate services and reducing time spent by an aircraft parked parallel to an airport terminal wherein aircraft utilities and gate services provided during turnaround are supported by an arrangement of flexibly movable, service and utility-carrying extendable passenger boarding bridges that enable passenger and baggage exchange concurrently with connection of utilities and provision of gate services to the aircraft. Baggage transfer is facilitated by conveyors mounted on one or more loading bridges and designed to provide a direct connection between an aircraft and a terminal. Aircraft are maneuvered by a pilot into and out of a parallel parking location in a forward direction by an engines-off electric taxi system, enabling loading bridge, utility, and service connections to be made to multiple aircraft doors as soon as the aircraft reaches a parking location and then quickly disconnected upon departure.

Abstract: A method is provided for improving both landing gear wheel drive assembly performance and energy efficiency performance in an aircraft equipped with one or more landing gear wheel drive assemblies to move the aircraft autonomously on the ground without reliance on the aircraft's engines. Aircraft moved on the ground by thrust from aircraft engines may also show improved energy efficiency. The present method employs a discovered relationship between aircraft tyre pressure and landing gear wheel drive assembly performance and maintains aircraft tyre inflation pressure at an optimum high pressure that enhances both landing gear wheel drive assembly performance and aircraft energy efficiency while the aircraft are driven on the ground by the landing gear wheel drive assemblies. Operation of the landing gear wheel drive assembly may be automatically prevented by a failsafe mechanism when optimum high tyre inflation pressure levels are not maintained during aircraft ground travel.

Abstract: A permanent wireless onboard to ground operations communications system is provided for an aircraft equipped with a pilot-controllable drive wheel drive system for autonomous ground movement without reliance on the aircraft's engines or external tow vehicles, including an onboard wireless communications link installed to remain permanently with the aircraft designed to interface wirelessly with ground personnel at any airport, aerodrome, or airfield where the aircraft lands immediately upon landing. The permanent wireless onboard to ground operations communications system provides a substantially instantaneous connection between a pilot and ground personnel to facilitate guidance of pilot-controlled autonomous ground movement during taxi, parking in nose-in and parallel orientations, and pushback without reliance on visual signals.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel drive assembly, particularly useful in an aircraft, is provided. The vehicle wheel drive assembly is mounted completely within a space defined by structural dimensions of a vehicle wheel and includes a drive means controllable to power the wheel and move the vehicle autonomously on a ground surface, a gear assembly drivingly connected to the drive means, and a clutch assembly operatively connected to the gear assembly. The clutch assembly is operatively mounted with respect to the gear assembly completely within an interior portion of a vehicle wheel axle on which the wheel drive assembly is mounted, thereby maximizing the space functionally available for all of the other components of the wheel drive assembly.

Abstract: A method is provided for maximizing efficiency of ground travel in aircraft equipped with landing gear wheel-mounted non-engine drive motors for autonomous ground travel. Selective operation of the non-engine drive motors and selective operation of the aircraft's engines are integrated to power aircraft movement when different ground travel speeds or airport ground travel conditions require operation of engines or non-engine drive motors for optimal efficiency of aircraft ground travel. The non-engine drive motors may be specifically designed to move aircraft at lower speeds optimal for ground maneuvers in a ramp area or elsewhere, and one or more of the aircraft's engines may be operated at a thrust level that moves the aircraft efficiently at higher taxi speeds.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel drive assembly, particularly useful in an aircraft, is provided. The vehicle wheel drive assembly is mounted completely within a space defined by structural dimensions of a vehicle wheel and includes drive means controllable to power the wheel and move the vehicle autonomously on a ground surface, a gear assembly drivingly connected to the drive means, and a clutch assembly operatively connected to the gear assembly. The clutch assembly is operatively mounted with respect to the gear assembly completely within an interior portion of a vehicle wheel axle on which the wheel drive assembly is mounted, thereby maximizing the space functionally available for all of the other components of the wheel drive assembly.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method for monitoring an autonomous accelerated pushback process in an aircraft equipped with an engines-off taxi system is provided to maximize safety and facilitate the accelerated pushback process. The aircraft is equipped with a monitoring system including a number of different kinds of sensors and monitoring devices positioned to maximally monitor the aircraft's exterior ground environment and communicate the presence or absence of obstructions in the aircraft's path while the pilot is controlling the engines-off taxi system to drive the aircraft in reverse away from a terminal gate and then turn in place at a selected location before driving forward to a taxiway. The sensors and monitoring devices may be a combination of cameras, ultrasound, global positioning, radar, and LiDAR or LADAR devices, and proximity sensors located at varying heights adapted to continuously or intermittently scan or sweep the aircraft exterior and ground environment during aircraft ground movement.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel drive assembly, particularly useful in an aircraft, is provided. The vehicle wheel drive assembly is mounted completely within a space defined by structural dimensions of a vehicle wheel and includes drive means controllable to power the wheel and move the vehicle autonomously on a ground surface, a gear assembly drivingly connected to the drive means, and a clutch assembly operatively connected to the gear assembly. The clutch assembly is operatively mounted with respect to the gear assembly completely within an interior portion of a vehicle wheel axle on which the wheel drive assembly is mounted, thereby maximizing the space functionally available for all of the other components of the wheel drive assembly.

Abstract: A cockpit control system and method for efficiently controlling ground travel in an aircraft equipped with an engine-free electric taxi system are provided. The cockpit control system is configured with a display that provides a maximum amount of information during aircraft ground movement with a minimal amount of input from and distraction to pilots or cockpit crew to facilitate essentially hands free operation and control of aircraft ground travel. System test and drive procedures ensure safe aircraft ground travel with the engine-free electric taxi system. Constant pilot hand or other input is not required to achieve safe and maximally efficient aircraft ground travel powered by the aircraft's engine-free electric taxi system or, under selected defined conditions, by the aircraft's engines to achieve this maximum efficiency. The system may further be designed to be uninterruptible by unauthorized persons.