Method for aligning a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft

Abstract

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.

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.