Automated elevational adjustment of passenger loading bridge

Abstract

Vertical alignment of a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft is achieved by moving a sensor disposed on the movable bridge in a generally downward direction so as to sense a position of an upper surface of the aircraft. The upper surface of the aircraft has a known elevational relationship relative to the doorway of the aircraft, which is used along with the sensed position to align an aircraft engaging portion of the movable bridge with the doorway. The method accommodates different heights of a same model of aircraft resulting from differences in the aircraft loads and is easily implemented using either contact or non-contact sensors.

1 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft, comprising: 
 providing a sensor disposed on the movable bridge for sensing a vertical position of the top of the aircraft fuselage, the top of the aircraft fuselage defining upper surface of the aircraft having a known elevational relationship relative to the doorway of the aircraft;    aligning an aircraft engaging portion of the movable bridge with the doorway of the aircraft in a direction along the length of the aircraft and such that the sensor is disposed elevationally above the defined upper surface of the aircraft;    moving the sensor in a generally downward direction; and,    sensing an indication that the sensor is approximately at a same elevational position as the defined upper surface of the aircraft.    
   
   
       2 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 1 , comprising providing the sensor at a location proximate the aircraft engaging portion of the movable bridge.  
   
   
       3 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining an elevational position of the sensor when the indication is sensed; and,    adjusting an elevational position of the aircraft engaging portion of the movable bridge based upon the determined elevational position of the sensor when the indication is sensed and based upon the known elevational relationship between the defined upper surface of the aircraft and the doorway of the aircraft.    
   
   
       4 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 1 , comprising adjusting the sensor relative to the moveable bridge so that when the indication is sensed, the aircraft engaging portion of the moveable bridge is elevationally aligned with the doorway of the aircraft,  
     wherein moving the sensor in a generally downward direction is performed by moving the aircraft engaging portion of the moveable bridge in a generally downward direction.  
   
   
       5 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein providing a sensor comprises providing at least one transmitter element for transmitting electromagnetic radiation having a range of wavelengths selected from a known portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and further comprises providing at least one detector element for sensing at least an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation having the range of wavelengths selected from the known portion of the electromagnetic spectrum after reflection from the defined upper surface of the aircraft.  
   
   
       6 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 5 , wherein the range of wavelengths is selected from one of the infrared, ultraviolet and visible portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.  
   
   
       7 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one transmitter is a laser light source.  
   
   
       8 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 1 , wherein providing a sensor comprises providing an imager including an array of CCD elements.  
   
   
       9 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 2 , wherein providing a sensor comprises providing an elongated body having a mounting end and an indicating end, the mounting end for being mounted to a surface of the moveable bridge at a location proximate the aircraft engaging portion and the indicating end for being moved toward the defined upper surface of the aircraft.  
   
   
       10 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 9 , wherein the mounting end is pivotally mounted to the surface of the moveable bridge at the location proximate the aircraft engaging portion.  
   
   
       11 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 9 , wherein the sensor comprises a contact sensor and wherein sensing an indication that the sensor is at a same elevational position as the defined upper surface of the aircraft comprises sensing a change in state of the contact sensor resulting from a contact between of the elongated body and the defined upper surface of the aircraft.  
   
   
       12 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 9 , wherein the sensor comprises a non-contact sensor and wherein sensing an indication that the sensor is at a same elevational position as the defined upper surface of the aircraft comprises sensing a close approach of the indicating end to the defined upper surface of the aircraft.  
   
   
       13 . A method for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 1 , comprising: 
 identifying a model of the aircraft; and,    retrieving from memory data that is indicative of the known elevational relationship between the elevational limit of the surface of the aircraft and the doorway of the aircraft for the identified model of the aircraft.    
   
   
       14 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft, comprising: 
 a sensor for sensing an elevational limit of the aircraft fuselage, the sensor being disposed at a known position relative to an aircraft engaging portion of the movable bridge;    a processor in communication with the sensor for receiving a signal therefrom, the signal containing information relating to a position of the sensed elevational limit of the aircraft fuselage, the processor for determining an elevational adjustment of the aircraft engaging portion of the movable bridge based upon the signal and based upon data indicative of a known elevational difference between the elevational limit of the aircraft fuselage and a door sill of the doorway, and the processor for providing a control signal relating to the determined elevational adjustment to a controller of a vertical alignment mechanism of the movable bridge.    
   
   
       15 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one transmitter element for transmitting electromagnetic radiation having a range of wavelengths selected from a known portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, and least one detector element for sensing at least an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation having the range of wavelengths selected from the known portion of the electromagnetic spectrum after reflection from a surface of the aircraft.  
   
   
       16 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least one transmitter is a laser light source.  
   
   
       17 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the at least one transmitter element and the at least one detector element is movable independent a movement of the moveable bridge.  
   
   
       18 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least one transmitter element is angularly adjustable.  
   
   
       19 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensor comprises an imager including an array of CCD elements.  
   
   
       20 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 14 , wherein the sensor comprises an elongated body having a mounting end and an indicating end, the mounting end for being mounted to a surface of the moveable bridge proximate the aircraft engaging portion and the indicating end for being moved along a vertical direction toward the aircraft fuselage.  
   
   
       21 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 20 , wherein the mounting end is pivotally mounted to the surface of the moveable bridge proximate the aircraft engaging portion.  
   
   
       22 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 21 , wherein the sensor comprises a contact sensor.  
   
   
       23 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 20 , wherein the sensor comprises a non-contact sensor  24 . An apparatus for elevationally aligning a movable bridge with a doorway of an aircraft according to  claim 23 , wherein the indicating end comprises at least one inductive sensor.