US 12,384,538 B2
Adaptive airdrop system and method
Karl F. Roenigk, Baltimore, MD (US); Thomas Dobbins, Plymouth, MN (US); and Matthew D. Wiebold, Plymouth, MN (US)
Assigned to HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL, INC., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on Oct. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/046,809.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/371,798, filed on Aug. 18, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0059414 A1, Feb. 22, 2024
Int. Cl. B64D 1/02 (2006.01); B64D 45/00 (2006.01); B64D 47/00 (2006.01); G01S 17/95 (2006.01); G05B 17/02 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 1/02 (2013.01) [B64D 45/00 (2013.01); B64D 47/00 (2013.01); G05B 17/02 (2013.01); G01S 17/95 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An adaptive airdrop system for an aircraft flying at a cruising altitude above ground, comprising:
a wind measurement system configured to measure at least atmospheric wind velocity at a plurality of different altitudes from the ground to the cruising altitude of the aircraft and supply wind velocity data representative thereof;
a processing system in operable communication with the wind measurement system and configured to:
(i) adaptively sample the wind velocity data,
(ii) implement a computer aided release point (CARP) model, and
(iii) iteratively process the adaptively sampled wind velocity data to calculate, using the CARP model, a precision release point for a payload and a projected trajectory of the payload if it is released from the precision release point;
and
a flight management system (FMS) in operable communication with the processing system, the FMS configured to implement a flight plan, and further configured to:
(i) receive data representative of the precision release point for the payload,
(ii) update the flight plan to reflect the precision release point, and
(iii) guide the aircraft along the updated flight plan,
wherein the wind measurement system is further configured to:
receive data representative of the projected trajectory of the payload from the processing system;
measure at least the atmospheric wind velocity at different altitudes along the projected trajectory of the payload; and
supply updated wind velocity data.