Beacon docking system with visual guidance display

Abstract

A method of aligning a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway of an aircraft comprises initiating an automated alignment process for aligning the aircraft-engaging end of the passenger boarding bridge to the doorway. An input signal is received from a user aboard the aircraft, which is indicative of an emergency stop request. A control signal relating to the input signal is transmitted using a transmitter that is disposed aboard the aircraft. The control signal is received at a location that is remote from the aircraft, and the control signal subsequently is provided to a bridge controller of the passenger boarding bridge. The automated alignment process currently in progress is stopped in response to receiving the control signal at the bridge controller.

1 . A system for aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway that is disposed along a lateral surface of an aircraft, comprising: 
 a bridge controller for aligning automatically the aircraft-engaging end of the passenger boarding bridge to the doorway;    a control module disposed aboard the aircraft for receiving from a user aboard the aircraft an input signal that is indicative of an emergency stop request;    a transmitter disposed aboard the aircraft and in communication with the control module, the transmitter for receiving from the control module a signal relating to the emergency stop request and for transmitting a control signal in dependence thereon; and,    a receiver disposed at a location that is remote from the aircraft, the receiver in communication with the bridge controller for receiving the transmitted control signal and for automatically providing the transmitted control signal to the bridge controller.    
   
   
       2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is disposed proximate the aircraft-engaging end of the passenger boarding bridge.  
   
   
       3 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is a radio frequency (RF) transmitter.  
   
   
       4 . A system according to  claim 3 , wherein the receiver is a RF receiver.  
   
   
       5 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is an optical transmitter.  
   
   
       6 . A system according to  claim 5 , wherein the receiver is an optical receiver.  
   
   
       7 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is a transmitter portion of a first transceiver.  
   
   
       8 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is a receiver portion of a second transceiver.  
   
   
       9 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the second transceiver is disposed proximate the aircraft-engaging end of the passenger boarding bridge.  
   
   
       10 . A method of aligning an aircraft-engaging end of a passenger boarding bridge to a doorway that is disposed along a lateral surface of an aircraft, the method comprising: 
 initiating an automated alignment process for aligning the aircraft-engaging end of the passenger boarding bridge to the doorway that disposed along the lateral surface of the aircraft;    receiving from a user aboard the aircraft an input signal that is indicative of an emergency stop request;    transmitting a control signal relating to the input signal using a transmitter that is disposed aboard the aircraft;    receiving the control signal at a location that is remote from the aircraft;    providing the control signal to a bridge controller of the passenger boarding bridge; and,    stopping the automated alignment process currently in progress in response to receiving the control signal at the bridge controller.    
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein stopping the automated alignment process comprises stopping the aircraft-engaging end of the passenger boarding bridge at a current position.  
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein initiating the automated alignment process comprises receiving from a user aboard the aircraft an input signal that is indicative of a request to initiate the automated alignment process.  
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the input signal is received from the user via a control module that is disposed aboard the aircraft and that is in communication with the transmitter.  
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the transmitter is a radio frequency (RF) transmitter, and wherein transmitting a control signal relating to the input signal comprises transmitting a RF signal that is encoded with control signal information.  
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the transmitter is an optical transmitter, and wherein transmitting a control signal relating to the input signal comprises transmitting an optical signal that is encoded with control signal information.  
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the optical signal is transmitted using a wavelength of light that is selected from one of the ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.  
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein transmitting a control signal relating to the input signal comprises transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal that is encoded with control signal information.  
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein transmitting a control signal relating to the input signal comprises transmitting an optical signal that is encoded with control signal information.  
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the optical signal is transmitted using a wavelength of light that is selected from one of the ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.