Method for aligning a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft
A method for aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft includes waiting for the aircraft to park within a parking space that is adjacent to the passenger boarding bridge. A determination is made of a status of the aircraft doorway, wherein the status is indicative of a door panel being either closed or open. In dependence upon the determined status being indicative of the door panel being open, an alignment operation is performed for adjusting the aircraft engaging-end of the passenger boarding bridge into an aligned relationship relative to the aircraft doorway.
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The instant invention relates generally to passenger boarding bridges, and more particularly to a method for aligning a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft.
BACKGROUNDIn order to make aircraft passengers comfortable, and in order to transport them between an airport terminal building and an aircraft in such a way that they are protected from weather and other environmental influences, passenger boarding bridges are used which can be telescopically extended and the height of which is adjustable. For instance, an apron drive bridge in present day use includes a plurality of adjustable modules, including: a rotunda, a telescopic tunnel, a bubble section, a cab, and elevating columns with wheel carriage. Manual, semi-automated and fully-automated bridge alignment systems are known for adjusting the position of the passenger boarding bridge relative to an aircraft, for instance to compensate for different sized aircraft and to compensate for imprecise parking of aircraft at an airport terminal.
A manual bridge alignment system requires that a human operator is present to perform the alignment operation each time an aircraft arrives. Delays may occur when the human operator is not standing-by to perform the alignment operation as soon as the aircraft comes to a stop. In addition, human operators are prone to errors which may result in the passenger boarding bridge being driven into the aircraft or into a piece of ground service equipment. Such collisions involving the passenger boarding bridge are costly and also result in delays. However, an experienced human operator may be better able to predict the outcome of future bridge movements compared to some of the automated bridge alignment systems that are currently on the market.
Semi-automated bridge alignment systems also require a human operator, but the human operator may be present at a remote location and interact with the bridge control system in a tele-robotic manner. Alternatively, certain movements of the bridge are automated whilst other movements are performed under the control of the human operator.
Automated bridge alignment systems provide a number of advantages compared to manual and semi-automated systems. For instance, automated bridge alignment systems do not require a human operator, and therefore the costs that are associated with training and paying the salaries of human bridge operators are reduced. Furthermore, an automated bridge alignment system is always standing by to control the passenger boarding bridge as soon as an aircraft comes to a stop. Accordingly, delays associated with dispatching a human operator to perform a bridge alignment operation are eliminated, particularly during periods of heavy aircraft travel.
Of course, each type of bridge alignment system relies upon having accurate and precise information regarding the position of the doorway to which the passenger boarding bridge is to be aligned. In the case of a manual bridge alignment system, the human operator visually identifies the location of the doorway and then drives the bridge in an appropriate direction. Similarly, an automated bridge alignment system uses sophisticated imaging and data processing systems to identify the location of the doorway. Unfortunately, poor lighting conditions and other environmental factors may make it difficult to identify precisely the position of the doorway, especially in the case of an automated bridge alignment system.
Furthermore, in some instances it may be necessary firstly to determine whether or not to perform the alignment process, even before the position of the doorway is determined precisely. In particular, the over-the-wing portion of a dual boarding bridge is not used every time an aircraft is parked, especially if the incoming and outgoing flight has a minimal passenger load or if the turn-around time of the aircraft is relatively long. Under these circumstances, the pilot may wish to transfer all passengers using only the front doorway of the aircraft, so as to reduce wear-and-tear of the over-the-wing boarding bridge of the aircraft, for instance. If the decision not to use the rear doorway of the aircraft is made at the last minute, then communicating this information to the bridge alignment system poses a problem.
It would be advantageous to provide a system and method that overcomes at least some of the above-mentioned limitations of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of at least some of the embodiments of the instant invention to provide a system and method for indicating a request to have a passenger boarding bridge aligned to a particular doorway of an aircraft.
It is an object of at least some of the embodiments of the instant invention to provide a system and method for identifying the position of a doorway of an aircraft.
In accordance with an aspect of the instant invention there is provided a method for aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft, the method comprising: waiting for the aircraft to park within a parking space that is adjacent to the passenger boarding bridge; determining a status of the doorway, the status indicative of a door panel being in one of a secured-closed condition and an unsecured-open condition within the doorway; and, in dependence upon the determined status being indicative of the unsecured-open condition, performing an alignment operation for adjusting the aircraft engaging-end of the passenger boarding bridge into an aligned relationship relative to the doorway of the aircraft.
According to an optional aspect, opening the door panel is for providing an indication for communicating a request to initiate the alignment operation for adjusting the aircraft engaging-end of the passenger boarding bridge into an aligned relationship relative to the doorway of the aircraft.
According to another optional aspect, the doorway of the aircraft is a doorway used optionally for passenger transfer, in addition to another doorway of the aircraft.
According to another optional aspect, the doorway of the aircraft is a doorway that is located aft of or over a wing of the aircraft.
According to another optional aspect, the method comprises: determining whether to transfer passengers between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge; and,
when it is determined that passengers are to be transferred between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge, opening the door panel into the unsecured-open condition.
In accordance with another aspect of the instant invention there is provided a method for aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft, the method comprising: parking the aircraft within a parking space that is adjacent to the passenger boarding bridge; opening a door panel within a doorway of the aircraft to which the passenger boarding bridge is to be aligned; using a sensor disposed at a location that is remote from the aircraft, sensing an indication that the door panel is open; in dependence upon sensing the indication that the door panel is open, providing a control signal between the sensor and a controller of an automated bridge alignment control-system, the control signal for initiating an automated alignment operation of the passenger boarding bridge; and, in dependence upon receiving the control signal at the controller, automatically aligning the passenger boarding bridge to the doorway of the aircraft.
According to an optional aspect, the doorway of the aircraft is a doorway used optionally for passenger transfer, in addition to another doorway of the aircraft.
According to another optional aspect, the doorway of the aircraft is a doorway that is located aft of or over a wing of the aircraft.
According to another optional aspect, the method comprises prior to opening the door panel, determining whether to transfer passengers between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge.
According to another optional aspect, opening the door panel is for indicating a selected doorway for passenger transfer from a plurality of available doorways of the same aircraft.
In accordance with another aspect of the instant invention there is provided a method for aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft, the method comprising: parking the aircraft within a parking space that is adjacent to the passenger boarding bridge; determining whether to transfer passengers between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge, the doorway selected from a plurality of doorways of the same aircraft that are available for transferring passengers; when it is determined that passengers are to be transferred between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge, opening a door panel within the doorway subsequent to the aircraft being parked; waiting for the passenger boarding bridge to move into an aircraft engaging position that is aligned with the doorway; and, directing passengers along a path between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge.
In accordance with another aspect of the instant invention there is provided a system for aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft, comprising: an indicator for being mounted to an aircraft internal mounting surface and adjacent to the doorway, the indicator including a portion that is extensible across the doorway in a direction away from the aircraft internal mounting surface, the portion that is extensible having characteristics that are visually distinguishable compared to an outer surface of the aircraft when the indicator is viewed through the open doorway from a location that is external to the aircraft.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSExemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the following drawings, in which similar reference numbers designate similar items:
The following description is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
Referring to
The method described with reference to
When an automated bridge alignment control system is in use, an imager replaces the human operator and captures image data that is representative of a portion of the aircraft including the doorway. The image data is processed to determine whether or not the door panel is open or closed. When it is determined that the door panel is open, the automated bridge control system aligns the aircraft engaging end of the passenger boarding bridge with the doorway of the aircraft, in an automated manner. An example of an automated bridge alignment control system suitable for use with the method of
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It is to be understood that the numbering of steps in
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Identification of the screen-type indicator 410 and/or the feature 412 results in the determination of the unsecure-open status of the doorway, which is understood to be an indication that a request is being made to have a passenger boarding bridge aligned to that doorway. Optionally, the feature 412 is disposed within a portion of the screen-type indicator 410 at a predetermined location for being reproducibly deployable to a known position within the doorway 404. In this way, once the feature 412 is identified by an automated bridge alignment system, the passenger boarding bridge may be aligned automatically with the doorway 404 based upon the known location of the feature 412 and a known relationship between the location of the feature and the location of the doorway 404.
Referring now to
Identification of the belt-type indicator 414 and/or the feature 416 results in the determination of the unsecure-open status of the doorway, which is understood to be an indication that a request is being made to have a passenger boarding bridge aligned to that doorway. Optionally, the feature 416 is disposed within a portion of the belt-type indicator 414 at a predetermined location for being reproducibly deployable to a known position within the doorway 404. In this way, once the feature 416 is identified by an automated bridge alignment system, the passenger boarding bridge may be aligned automatically with the doorway 404 based upon the known location of the feature 416 and a known relationship between the location of the feature 416 and the location of the doorway 404.
Referring now to
Identification of the light-emitting element 420 results in the determination of the unsecure-open status of the doorway, which is understood to be an indication that a request is being made to have a passenger boarding bridge aligned to that doorway. Advantageously, the light emitting element is highly visible to human bridge operators and to electronic imagers, even under conditions of poor lighting or adverse weather. Optionally, the light-emitting element 420 is disposed within a portion of the belt-type indicator 418 at a predetermined location for being reproducibly deployable to a known position within the doorway 404. In this way, once the light-emitting element 420 is identified by an automated bridge alignment system, the passenger boarding bridge may be aligned automatically with the doorway 404 based upon the known location of the light-emitting element 420 and a known relationship between the location of the light-emitting element 420 and the location of the doorway 404.
Numerous other embodiments may be envisaged without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A method for aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft, the method comprising:
- waiting for the aircraft to park within a parking space that is adjacent to the passenger boarding bridge;
- determining a status of the doorway, the status indicative of a door panel being in one of a secured-closed condition and an unsecured-open condition within the doorway; and,
- in dependence upon the determined status being indicative of the unsecured-open condition, performing an alignment operation for adjusting the aircraft engaging-end of the passenger boarding bridge into an aligned relationship relative to the doorway of the aircraft.
2. A method according to claim 1, comprising opening the door panel prior to determining the status of the doorway.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein opening the door panel is for providing an indication for communicating a request to initiate the alignment operation for adjusting the aircraft engaging-end of the passenger boarding bridge into an aligned relationship relative to the doorway of the aircraft.
4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the doorway of the aircraft is a doorway used optionally for passenger transfer, in addition to another doorway of the aircraft.
5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the doorway of the aircraft is a doorway that is located aft of or over a wing of the aircraft.
6. A method according to claim 1, comprising:
- determining whether to transfer passengers between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge; and,
- when it is determined that passengers are to be transferred between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge, opening the door panel into the unsecured-open condition.
7. A method according to claim 2, wherein opening the door panel is for providing to a bridge operator a visual indication for communicating a request to perform the alignment operation.
8. A method according to claim 2, wherein opening the door panel is for indicating a selected doorway for passenger transfer from a plurality of available doorways of the same aircraft.
9. A method according to claim 2, comprising using an imager to capture image data that is representative of a portion of the aircraft including the doorway.
10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the imager is disposed at a location that is remote from the aircraft.
11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the imager is disposed proximate the aircraft engaging end of the passenger boarding bridge.
12. A method according to claim 9, comprising processing the image data, using a processor of an automated bridge alignment control-system, to identify the visual indication of the unsecured-open condition of the doorway.
13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the automated bridge alignment control-system performs the alignment operation in an automated manner.
14. A method according to claim 2, comprising releasably securing an indicator within the doorway when the door panel is in the unsecured-open condition and prior to determining the status of the doorway.
15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the indicator includes a feature that is visually distinct from any aircraft features within a portion of the aircraft proximate the doorway.
16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the indicator visually contrasts with a portion of the aircraft proximate the doorway.
17. A method according to claim 14, wherein the indicator includes a feature that is at least one of distinctively colored, distinctively patterned, light-reflective, fluorescent, and light-emitting.
18. A method according to claim 14, comprising using an imager to capture image data that is representative of a portion of the aircraft including the doorway.
19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the imager is disposed at a location that is remote from the aircraft.
20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the imager is disposed proximate the aircraft engaging end of the passenger boarding bridge.
21. A method according to claim 18, comprising processing the image data, using a processor of an automated bridge alignment control-system, to identify the indicator within the doorway.
22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the automated bridge alignment control-system performs the alignment operation in an automated manner.
23. A method for aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft, the method comprising:
- parking the aircraft within a parking space that is adjacent to the passenger boarding bridge;
- opening a door panel within a doorway of the aircraft to which the passenger boarding bridge is to be aligned;
- using a sensor disposed at a location that is remote from the aircraft, sensing an indication that the door panel is open;
- in dependence upon sensing the indication that the door panel is open, providing a control signal between the sensor and a controller of an automated bridge alignment control-system, the control signal for initiating an automated alignment operation of the passenger boarding bridge; and,
- in dependence upon receiving the control signal at the controller, automatically aligning the passenger boarding bridge to the doorway of the aircraft.
24. A method according to claim 23, wherein opening the door panel is for providing an indication for communicating a request to initiate an automated passenger boarding bridge alignment operation.
25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the doorway of the aircraft is a doorway used optionally for passenger transfer, in addition to another doorway of the aircraft.
26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the doorway of the aircraft is a doorway that is located aft of or over a wing of the aircraft.
27. A method according to claim 23, comprising prior to opening the door panel, determining whether to transfer passengers between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge.
28. A method according to claim 23, wherein opening the door panel is for indicating a selected doorway for passenger transfer from a plurality of available doorways of the same aircraft.
29. A method according to claim 23, wherein the sensor is an imager and wherein sensing an indication that the door panel is open comprises capturing image data relating to a portion of the aircraft including the doorway, and processing the captured image data to identify the presence of the indication that the door panel is open.
30. A method according to claim 23, comprising subsequent to opening a door panel within a doorway of the aircraft to which the passenger boarding bridge is to be aligned, releasably securing an indicator within the doorway for providing the indication that the door panel is open.
31. A method according to claim 23, wherein the indicator is an electromagnetic radiation transmitter and the sensor is an electro-magnetic radiation receiver, and wherein sensing an indication that the door panel is open comprises receiving an electromagnetic signal transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver.
32. A method for aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft, the method comprising:
- parking the aircraft within a parking space that is adjacent to the passenger boarding bridge;
- determining whether to transfer passengers between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge, the doorway selected from a plurality of doorways of the same aircraft that are available for transferring passengers;
- when it is determined that passengers are to be transferred between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge, opening a door panel within the doorway subsequent to the aircraft being parked;
- waiting for the passenger boarding bridge to move into an aircraft engaging position that is aligned with the doorway; and,
- directing passengers along a path between the doorway of the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge.
33. A method according to claim 32, comprising releasably securing an indicator within the doorway for providing an indication that the door panel is open, subsequent to opening the door panel.
34. A system for aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft, comprising:
- an indicator for being mounted to an aircraft internal mounting surface and adjacent to the doorway, the indicator including a portion that is extensible across the doorway in a direction away from the aircraft internal mounting surface, the portion that is extensible having characteristics that are visually distinguishable compared to an outer surface of the aircraft when the indicator is viewed through the open doorway from a location that is external to the aircraft.
35. A system according to claim 34, comprising an imager disposed at the location that is external to the aircraft, the imager for capturing image data relating to the indicator.
36. A system according to claim 34, wherein the indicator includes a portion that is at least one of distinctively colored, distinctively patterned, light-reflective, fluorescent and electromagnetic radiation emitting.
37. A system according to claim 34, wherein the indicator includes a feature that is reproducibly positionable within the doorway of the aircraft for providing an indication of the location of the doorway.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 25, 2005
Publication Date: May 31, 2007
Applicant: DEW Engineering and Development Limited (Ottawa)
Inventor: Neil Hutton (Ottawa)
Application Number: 11/286,352
International Classification: E01D 1/00 (20060101);