How Airport Vehicles Automatically Park Safely Next to Airplanes
A smart navigation system that helps airport service vehicles like catering trucks park safely at aircraft doors by identifying targets and avoiding restricted zones.
Original patent title: “Electronic system for controlling the docking of a vehicle with a docking area, and corresponding method”
A smart navigation system that helps airport service vehicles like catering trucks park safely at aircraft doors by identifying targets and avoiding restricted zones. Granted to TLD EUROPE in 2024 with 39 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This system uses cameras and sensors to help ground vehicles automatically approach an aircraft door. First, it identifies specific visual markers (targets) on the plane to pinpoint exactly where the door is located. It then calculates a safe path for the vehicle, cross-referencing the type of aircraft with a database to ensure the vehicle avoids 'exclusion zones'—areas where it shouldn't go, such as sensitive sensors or wings. Finally, it forces the vehicle to align itself along a straight 'docking line' for the last two meters of the approach to ensure a gentle, perpendicular connection.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover manual docking where a human driver controls the steering.
- Does not cover systems that lack a database of exclusion zones for specific docking destinations.
- Does not cover docking paths that do not include a final straight-line approach of at least two meters.
- Does not cover generic vehicle navigation that ignores the specific geometry of the docking target.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system doesn't just look for a door; it calculates a specific circular arc trajectory based on the vehicle's rear suspension geometry, ensuring the vehicle arrives perfectly squared up to the target.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Automated baggage belt loaders
Autonomous aircraft catering trucks
Self-docking airport ground support equipment
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Airport ground operations are high-stakes environments where collisions between service vehicles and aircraft can cause millions of dollars in damage or flight delays. By automating the final approach, this technology reduces human error and increases the consistency of docking procedures, which is critical for the efficiency of modern airline turnarounds.
Filed
August 10, 2018
Granted
March 19, 2024
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
TLD Europe is a major player in airport ground support equipment and is actively integrating these types of automated guidance systems into their fleet. Other industrial automation firms specializing in airport logistics are also moving toward sensor-fused autonomous docking to improve safety.
Market impact
This patent supports the industry-wide shift toward 'smart airports' where ground operations are increasingly automated. By standardizing the safety protocols for vehicle-to-aircraft docking, it provides a framework for reducing ground-handling accidents, which remain a significant cost burden for airlines.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This system uses cameras and sensors to help ground vehicles automatically approach an aircraft door. First, it identifies specific visual markers (targets) on the plane to pinpoint exactly where the door is located. It then calculates a safe path for the vehicle, cross-referencing the type of aircraft with a database to ensure the vehicle avoids 'exclusion zones'—areas where it shouldn't go, such as sensitive sensors or wings. Finally, it forces the vehicle to align itself along a straight 'docking line' for the last two meters of the approach to ensure a gentle, perpendicular connection.
The clever bit
The system doesn't just look for a door; it calculates a specific circular arc trajectory based on the vehicle's rear suspension geometry, ensuring the vehicle arrives perfectly squared up to the target.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover manual docking where a human driver controls the steering.
- Does not cover systems that lack a database of exclusion zones for specific docking destinations.
- Does not cover docking paths that do not include a final straight-line approach of at least two meters.
- Does not cover generic vehicle navigation that ignores the specific geometry of the docking target.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$43K – $138K
Midpoint $86K · 12.2 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
39 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
BESSE, C., & Decoux, L. (2024). How Airport Vehicles Automatically Park Safely Next to Airplanes (U.S. Patent No. 11,932,418). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11932418/starship-propellant-transfer
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Airport Vehicles Automatically Park Safely Next to Airplanes cover?
A smart navigation system that helps airport service vehicles like catering trucks park safely at aircraft doors by identifying targets and avoiding restricted zones.
Who owns patent US 11932418?
TLD EUROPE owns this patent, granted in 2024.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on March 19, 2044, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Airport ground operations are high-stakes environments where collisions between service vehicles and aircraft can cause millions of dollars in damage or flight delays. By automating the final approach, this technology reduces human error and increases the consistency of docking procedures, which is critical for the efficiency of modern airline turnarounds.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover manual docking where a human driver controls the steering.
Patent monitoring