DE102022134637A1 - METHOD FOR REMOTELY CONTROLLING AN AIRPORT BRIDGE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for remotely controlling an aircraft passenger boarding bridge (1), wherein the aircraft passenger boarding bridge has a remotely controllable drive, wherein the position of the aircraft passenger boarding bridge (1) relative to the aircraft is determined by means of at least one sensor.
The method is improved in that at least one camera (36, 38) installed in a fixed location on an airport site is used as a sensor, wherein the position of the passenger boarding bridge (1) and/or the aircraft is automatically determined by means of the at least one camera (36, 38) installed in a fixed location on the airport site, wherein at least one camera image of the passenger boarding bridge (1) and/or the aircraft is recorded with the at least one camera (36, 38), wherein the camera image is analyzed by means of a computer system and position determination software installed on the computer system, wherein a position of the passenger boarding bridge (1) relative to the aircraft is determined by means of the position determination software.

Description

The invention relates to a method for remotely controlling an aircraft passenger boarding bridge with the features of the preamble of patent claim 1.

A passenger boarding bridge can also be referred to as a passenger bridge and connects a passenger terminal building at an airport with the cabin doors of a parked aircraft so that passengers and staff can board or disembark as directly and quickly as possible. The passenger boarding bridge is operated by an operator, the so-called bridge driver, who docks it to the door of the aircraft using a joystick and, if necessary, other electronic operating aids. The bridge driver typically stands in a tunnel or cabin of the passenger boarding bridge and operates the passenger boarding bridge from a terminal, with the terminal located in the area of the passenger boarding bridge tunnel. Most passenger boarding bridges are arranged on a rotating and height-adjustable chassis that can be moved in three spatial directions. They can therefore be adjusted in height, sideways and length to suit the different types of aircraft. The passenger boarding bridge has a padded bulge that clings to the aircraft skin and a movable bellows as a roof that is closed at the top after docking, thus allowing weatherproof access. Since the aircraft moves up and down during loading and unloading due to the weight shift of the cargo or passengers, passenger boarding bridges are equipped with a height sensor and automatically adjust to the changed height.

It is also possible to control the passenger boarding bridge from a remote control center. The passenger boarding bridge together with the control center and the associated infrastructure form a passenger boarding bridge system.

From the EP 3 907 141 A1 A passenger bridge and a method for controlling the passenger bridge are known, whereby the passenger bridge is remotely controlled. The bridge operator sits at a workstation in the control center with several monitors and, for example, a joystick or other input devices for controlling the passenger bridge, whereby the workstation is not part of the passenger bridge, but is linked to the passenger bridge via a data connection.

From the EP 3 865 408 A1 Another method for remote control of passenger boarding bridges is known, whereby the bridge operator controls several passenger boarding bridges at different airports from his workplace.

From the WO 2020/109 449 A1 A method for the automated handling of a passenger boarding bridge is known. The passenger boarding bridge is automatically docked to the aircraft or removed from it. The head of the passenger boarding bridge has a display device in the form of a traffic light. The traffic light signals to the aircraft crew whether the passenger door can be opened or not.

From the genre-forming WO 2019/229 105 A1 A method for automatically docking a passenger boarding bridge to an aircraft is known, whereby a target position relative to a door of the aircraft is determined. The passenger boarding bridge has a camera that is aimed at the aircraft door. The camera is used to detect markings on the aircraft, whereby the markings are used to align the passenger boarding bridge and to determine the target position. The passenger boarding bridge also has a distance sensor, whereby the distance sensor is used to measure the distance of the passenger boarding bridge to the aircraft. The passenger boarding bridge used here requires sensors to determine the relative position.

The methods and passenger boarding bridges known in the prior art are not yet optimally designed. A large number of sensors are required on the passenger boarding bridge to determine the position of the passenger boarding bridge relative to the aircraft. Markings on the aircraft are also required. Although remote-controlled or automated methods for docking the passenger boarding bridges have already been described, these have not been implemented to date. The disclosed methods have the further disadvantage that the aircraft crew must get used to a different method in order to work with a remote-controlled or automated passenger boarding bridge. Such changes may cause acceptance problems.

The invention is therefore based on the object of improving the process.

This problem underlying the invention is now solved by a method having the features of independent patent claim 1.

The method is used to remotely control a passenger boarding bridge. The passenger boarding bridge has a remotely controlled drive. The position of the passenger boarding bridge relative to the aircraft is determined using at least one sensor.

According to the invention, at least one camera installed at a fixed location on an airport site is used as a sensor, whereby the position of the passenger boarding bridge and/or the aircraft is automatically determined by means of the at least one camera installed at a fixed location on the flight is determined by a camera installed on the port premises, wherein at least one camera image of the passenger boarding bridge and/or the aircraft is recorded with the at least one camera, wherein the camera image is analyzed by means of a computer system and positioning software installed on the computer system, wherein a position of the passenger boarding bridge relative to the aircraft is determined by means of the positioning software.

The fixed cameras installed on the airport grounds have so far only been used to monitor the airport grounds. As part of the invention, the area of application of the cameras is expanded to determine position and thus to control the passenger boarding bridge. A fixed camera is understood to mean cameras that are located outside the aircraft and outside the passenger boarding bridge, are not part of the aircraft and not part of the passenger boarding bridge and therefore do not move with the passenger boarding bridge or the aircraft. The position and orientation of the cameras are known and stored in the computer system. For example, the fixed cameras can be installed on a building or a mast on the airport grounds. The cameras are preferably installed near the aircraft and the passenger boarding bridge. The cameras are designed as video cameras.

Preferably, a camera in the form of a stereo camera is used to obtain depth information. Stereo cameras can be purchased as ready-to-use devices, which reduces the development effort required to implement the method. Stereo cameras also provide depth information that can also be used for monitoring. The position and size of objects can be determined using the stereo camera.

Digital image processing and pattern recognition techniques are used to evaluate the images from the cameras.

Preferably, a three-dimensional model of the aircraft and/or the passenger boarding bridge is stored in the computer system, wherein the image information or depth information of the hull of the aircraft and/or the passenger boarding bridge captured by the at least one camera is used to determine a corresponding position of the model by means of a simulation, wherein the position of the model is determined as the position of the aircraft. The cameras only capture a partial area of the hull of the aircraft and/or the passenger boarding bridge. The evaluation of the depth information therefore only provides depth information, i.e. distance information for a part of the aircraft or the passenger boarding bridge. By mapping the model with the captured depth information of the part of the hull, the exact position of the entire aircraft or the entire passenger boarding bridge can be determined. This also allows the position of areas of the aircraft and/or the passenger boarding bridge not captured by the camera to be precisely determined in the simulation. When the passenger boarding bridge approaches the aircraft door, in particular the aircraft door and the open end of the passenger boarding bridge are no longer fully captured by the cameras. However, mapping can provide this important information, which simplifies the control of the passenger boarding bridge.

The dimensions of the image of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft are determined with little computational effort in the image data recorded by the camera. The real size of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft is known. By comparing the real size of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft with the size of the image of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft in the image data, the position and/or orientation of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft relative to the position of the associated camera is determined. The optical signal processing of the camera is taken into account, i.e. how reality is represented by this camera. Relevant information and dependencies are also known.

Advantageously, the positions of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft are determined on the basis of an image of a characteristic shape of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft itself, in particular a fuselage, wing, tunnel, side, roof or tail, present in the image data of the surveillance area.

The image of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft is then recalculated using the model to reflect the actual design of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft. The necessary transformations, such as rotations, distortions and/or shifts, lead to information about the orientation and distance of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft relative to the camera.

The stationary cameras can be designed to be pivotable, with a pivot angle being stored in the computer system.

According to a further embodiment of the method, a recording area of at least one of the cameras is aligned with the passenger bridge and the aircraft by panning and/or rotating this camera.

The cameras are, for example, panned and/or rotated depending on the situation in order to be aligned with a specific passenger boarding bridge and a specific aircraft. Determining the position of the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft is easier and more accurate if the passenger boarding bridge and the aircraft are in a focus area of the camera and are therefore shown more clearly in the image data. Overall, a surveillance area is enlarged by panning and/or rotating the cameras while the number of cameras remains the same, although not all areas of the surveillance area are shown at the same time or at least not with the same sharpness with the large number of cameras.

This positioning can be simplified by using artificial signal markers. These can be identified using automatic processes and located very precisely in the image. It is conceivable that the passenger boarding bridge or the aircraft on its hull have permanent markings.

Preferably, however, no permanent markers or markings are used. Preferably, markers in the form of light patterns are projected onto the hull of the aircraft and/or the passenger bridge using a projector.

In a preferred embodiment of the method, structured light, preferably a stripe, is projected onto the passenger boarding bridge and/or the aircraft using a projector and recorded by the at least one camera. This creates a stripe light scanner. The projector projects a light beam onto the measurement object, namely the passenger boarding bridge and/or the aircraft, thereby illuminating a surface point. Illumination with structured light has the advantage that, even when it is dark, the shape and thus the alignment and position of the aircraft or passenger boarding bridge relative to the cameras can be determined with high accuracy.

A stripe light scanner can be implemented using the cameras already available, which works on the principle of stripe projection. At least one pattern projector is used near the passenger bridge and the aircraft. The pattern projector illuminates the passenger bridge and/or the aircraft sequentially with patterns of parallel light and dark stripes of different widths. The cameras register the projected stripe pattern at a known angle to the projection. Each camera takes an image for each projection pattern. This creates a temporal sequence of different brightness values for each pixel of all cameras.

Before the actual calculation, one must identify the correct strip number in the camera image in order to assign it to an image position.

The projector and camera form the base of a triangle, and the projected light beam from the projector and the back-projected image point from the camera form the sides of the triangle. Since the positions of the cameras and the pattern projector are known, the base length and the angles between the light beams and the base are known, so the location of the intersection can be determined using triangle calculation, which is called triangulation.

In the light section method, a flat beam of light is projected onto the object to be measured. This beam of light creates a bright line on the object. From the direction of the projector, this line is exactly straight. From the side view of the video camera, it can be seen deformed by the object geometry due to perspective distortion. The deviation from straightness in the camera image is a measure of the object height. The distance of the object, i.e. the distance and thus the position of the passenger boarding bridge and/or the aircraft, can also be determined from the distortion.

The procedure can be extended by simultaneously projecting many parallel lines, i.e. a line grid, onto the passenger bridge and/or the aircraft. The correct strip number is then found by counting and identifying the corresponding grid line in the image.

To avoid any mismatches, it is best to take several pictures and vary the stripe pattern with a different number of stripes each time. You can start with a low number of "coarse" stripes and increase the number of stripes for each image, which makes the stripes finer and finer.

It is conceivable to use stochastic random patterns. Resolving the ambiguities is particularly problematic with discontinuous surfaces. Using the coded light approach, the ambiguities can be resolved and an absolute measuring method is thus available. There are different coded light patterns that are used for this purpose.

One possibility is very similar to the coarse-to-fine strategy mentioned above. The difference is that instead of a continuous sinusoidal light-dark sequence, a binary coded sequence with hard edges. These light code patterns, projected one after the other, are recorded by a synchronously switched camera. This means that each position in the projected light pattern contains a unique binary code sequence, which can then be assigned to a corresponding image position in the images. In other words: If you look at a single image element in the camera, this image element "sees" a unique light-dark sequence, which can be clearly assigned to the projection line that illuminated the surface element using a table.

Other light codes are, for example, random stochastic patterns. The assignment of the projection pattern to the correct image position is done by selecting a small section of the projection pattern and comparing it with the image (image matching).

A higher level of accuracy can be achieved with a phase shifting method (also called dynamic strip projection or phase-shift). Here, the projected strip grating is viewed as a sinusoidal function. With small changes in height, a light-dark edge in the camera image shifts by only fractions of a grating period. A line projected onto the object is deformed by the object geometry of the passenger bridge or the aircraft. The deviation from this line in the camera image is a measure of the object height.

If the projection grid has a sinusoidal brightness modulation, an image element in the camera signals a sinusoidal change that can be used to determine the position.

A specially designed passenger bridge is preferably used to increase the acceptance of the method. The passenger bridge used preferably has a display device for signaling when an end position of the passenger bridge has been reached. The display device is coupled to a control center via a data connection. The display device is preferably designed as a monitor. The monitor is arranged at a free end of the passenger bridge, namely on a front side of the passenger bridge and faces away from the front side of the passenger bridge so that the crew in the parked aircraft can see the monitor through the aircraft door. The bridge driver is filmed in the control center and the recording is forwarded to the monitor via the data connection. A live recording of the bridge driver is displayed on the monitor while the passenger bridge is in operation so that the aircraft crew can see the bridge driver. The monitor enables the aircraft crew to see the bridge driver of the passenger bridge as usual when they look out through the window of the aircraft door. Using the monitor, the bridge driver can signal to the aircraft crew when the passenger boarding bridge has reached its final position and the aircraft door can be opened by the aircraft crew. This signaling can be done, for example, by a hand signal or something similar. This improved communication increases acceptance for the introduction of remote-controlled passenger boarding bridges. The improved communication options help to avoid errors and make docking the passenger boarding bridge safer.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the passenger bridge used, the passenger bridge has a loudspeaker for communication with the aircraft crew. This further improves the communication options between the operator and the aircraft crew. The bridge operator can use the loudspeaker to signal to the aircraft crew that the end position has been reached or that the end position has not yet been reached and accordingly whether the door can be opened or not opened.

In a preferred embodiment of the passenger boarding bridge used, a microphone is arranged on the passenger boarding bridge, in particular at the free end of the passenger boarding bridge or near the free end, with which audio data can be recorded near the aircraft door and forwarded to the passenger boarding bridge operator via a data connection. The microphone can be used, for example, to record audio data from the aircraft crew that comes through the door. For example, the aircraft crew can call out to the operator that they are now going to open the door or that they are not yet ready to open the door. This also facilitates communication between the operator and the aircraft crew and increases the acceptance of the use of remote-controlled passenger boarding bridges.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the passenger bridge used, the passenger bridge has a knocking mechanism, wherein the knocking mechanism has a motor- or actuator-driven knocker, wherein a drive mechanism of the knocker can be remotely controlled by the bridge driver or is remotely controllable. The knocker is arranged, for example, so as to be pivotable or linearly displaceable at the free end of the passenger bridge, in particular a front side of the passenger bridge facing the aircraft, so that the bridge driver can actuate the drive mechanism and the knocker hits the aircraft door or the aircraft fuselage, thus acoustically signaling to the aircraft crew that they can now open the door. The knocking mechanism is designed in such a way that it can be switched into active knocking position and retracted to a rest position. In the knocking position, the knocker contacts a part of the aircraft, in particular the door of the aircraft. The knocker can be padded so that there is no risk of abrasion of the aircraft shell.

The drive mechanism of the knocker can have a piston and a cylinder that can be moved within the piston, the knocker preferably being connected to the piston directly or indirectly. The cylinder is attached to the passenger bridge and aligned so that the knocker can be moved in the direction of the parked aircraft by moving the piston. The piston can be driven pneumatically or hydraulically.

E provides a passenger boarding bridge system with a passenger boarding bridge and a control center, the control center having a workstation for a bridge driver. The workstation serves the bridge driver to control the passenger boarding bridge. The control center has at least one camera, the camera being able to film a bridge driver, and a recording from the camera being able to be transmitted to the monitor of the passenger boarding bridge.

The method for controlling the passenger bridge used is designed in such a way that the bridge driver is filmed with a camera, whereby the image recorded by the camera is transmitted to the monitor on the passenger bridge and thus an image of the bridge driver, in particular a live image of the bridge driver, is displayed on the monitor.

• 1 in perspektivischer Darstellung die Fluggastbrücke mit einer Kabine und mit einem am vorderen Ende der Kabine angelenkten Kuppelmodul,
• 2 eine Ansicht auf die Stirnseite der Kabine der Fluggastbrücke.

There are now a number of possibilities for designing and developing the method and the passenger bridge. For this purpose, reference is first made to the patent claims subordinate to the independent patent claims. A preferred embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings and the associated description. The drawing shows:

• 1 in perspective view the passenger bridge with a cabin and a dome module hinged to the front end of the cabin,
• 2 a view of the front of the passenger bridge cabin.

From the representation according to 1 the passenger bridge designated 1 is visible, which has at its front end a cabin 2 angled at an angle of 90° to the passenger bridge 1 and a dome module 20, which are components of the passenger bridge 1.

The passenger bridge 1 serves as a transfer for people from the aircraft directly into the airport building. Since the airport building is often higher than the door opening of the aircraft, the passenger bridge 1, which is held at the front end by a chassis, often runs diagonally downwards towards the door opening of the aircraft. At the lower end of the passenger bridge 1, the passenger bridge 1 has the cabin 2 that can be pivoted by up to 90° to the longitudinal axis of the passenger bridge 1, with the dome module 20 for the transfer from the cabin 2 into the aircraft being arranged at the front end.

The dome module 20 arranged on the cabin 2 rests against the outer skin of the aircraft with a bumper 23.

The dome module, designated as 20, is pivotably attached to the cabin 2 around an imaginary horizontal central axis 3. The dome module 20 has a frame 22 arranged on the canopy 21 on its free front side, with the bumper designated as 23 being arranged on the frame. Inside the dome module 20, an articulated arm 25 is provided on both sides, which serves to extend the canopy 21 of the dome module 20 in order to finally be able to place the bumper 23 against the outer skin of the aircraft fuselage. The dome module 20 also shows the floor 26, which the passengers step on immediately after leaving the aircraft.

The position of the passenger boarding bridge 1 relative to an aircraft (not shown) can now be determined using at least one sensor. To do this, the position of the passenger boarding bridge 1 is determined relative to at least one fixed camera 36, 38. The position of the aircraft is determined in the same way. When the absolute position of the passenger boarding bridge 1 and the absolute position of the aircraft have been determined, the relative position has also been determined.

Shown are two cameras 36, 38 that are suitable for monitoring the airport area, but are also used here for position determination. The cameras are arranged at a higher level at the top of a mast 32, 34, with the masts 32, 34 being arranged at a distance from the passenger bridge. The cameras 36, 38 record camera images from different angles.

These two cameras 36, 38, which are installed on the airport premises, are used as sensors. The position of the passenger bridge 1 and the aircraft are automatically determined by the cameras 36, 38. The two Camera 36, 38 records at least one camera image of the passenger bridge 1 and/or the aircraft. The camera images are analyzed using a computer system (not shown) and positioning software installed on the computer system, wherein the positioning software is used to determine a position of the passenger bridge 1 relative to the aircraft. When the absolute position of the passenger bridge 1 and the absolute position of the aircraft have been determined, the relative position has also been determined.

A three-dimensional model of the aircraft and/or the passenger boarding bridge 1 is stored in the computer system, wherein the imaging information or depth information of the hull of the aircraft and/or the passenger boarding bridge captured by the at least one camera 36, 38 is used to determine a corresponding position of the model by means of a simulation, wherein the position of the model is determined as the position of the aircraft and/or the passenger boarding bridge 1. The position of the cameras 36, 38 is stored in the computer system.

Structured light 44, preferably a strip, is now projected onto the passenger bridge 1 and/or the aircraft, preferably with a projector 42, and recorded by the two cameras 36, 38.

This creates a strip light scanner with the already available cameras 36, 38, which works with the principle of strip projection. This allows the position of the passenger bridge 1 to be determined particularly precisely.

2 shows a view of the front side of the cabin 2 of the passenger bridge 1, wherein the cabin 2 has an adapter frame 5 that can be screwed onto the front side of the cabin, wherein the adapter frame 5 runs around the floor 9 in a box shape and shows a web 5a and two legs 5b. Circular-arc rail sections 6a and 6b are attached to both the legs 5b and the web 5a. The arrangement of the circular-arc rail sections 6a, 6b is carried out as shown in 2 can be seen very clearly on a circular section.

The passenger bridge 1 can be moved by means of a remote-controlled drive (not shown). A display device in the form of a monitor 10 for displaying an image 11 of a bridge driver is arranged on a front side 12 of the passenger bridge 1 facing the aircraft, here the cabin 2. A loudspeaker 13 and a microphone 14 are also arranged on the front side 12 next to the monitor 10. The monitor 10, the loudspeaker 13 and the microphone 14 are connected to the control center via a data connection, in particular wirelessly.

The bridge operator can use the loudspeaker 13 to tell the aircraft crew that the final position has been reached or that the final position has not yet been reached and, accordingly, the aircraft door 18 can be opened or cannot be opened. The microphone 14 can record a response from the crew. The recording is sent to the bridge operator via the data connection.

The monitor 10 is at a free end of the passenger bridge 1 and faces away from the front 12 of the passenger bridge so that the crew in the parked aircraft can see the monitor 10 through the aircraft door 18. The bridge driver is filmed in the control center (not shown) and the recording is forwarded to the monitor 10 via the data connection. A live recording of the bridge driver is displayed on the monitor 10 while the passenger bridge 1 is in operation so that the aircraft crew can see the bridge driver. The monitor 10 enables the aircraft crew to see the bridge driver of the passenger bridge 1 as usual when they look out through the window of the aircraft door. Using the monitor 10, the bridge driver can signal to the aircraft crew when the passenger bridge 1 has reached its final position and the aircraft door 18 can be opened by the aircraft crew.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the passenger bridge 1, the passenger bridge has a knocking mechanism 15 (cf. 3 ), wherein the knocking mechanism 15 has a driven knocker 16, wherein a drive mechanism 17 of the knocker 16 can be remotely controlled or is remotely controlled by the bridge driver. The knocker 16 is arranged so as to be linearly displaceable on the front side 12 of the passenger bridge 1, namely the front side 12 of the passenger bridge 1 facing the aircraft, so that the bridge driver can actuate the drive mechanism 17 and the knocker 16 impacts against the aircraft door or the aircraft fuselage, thus acoustically signaling to the aircraft crew that they can now open the aircraft door.

The knocking mechanism 15 is designed in such a way that it can be moved into the active knocking position shown and retracted into a rest position (not shown). In the knocking position, the knocker 16 touches a part of the aircraft, in particular the aircraft door 18. The knocker 16 can be padded so that there is no risk of the aircraft shell being worn.

The drive mechanism 17 of the knocker has a piston 17b and a cylinder 17a that can be moved within the piston 17b, the knocker 16 being connected to the piston 17b via, for example, a piston rod. The cylinder 17a is attached to the passenger bridge 1 and is aligned such that the knocker 16 can be moved in the direction of the parked aircraft by moving the piston 17b. The piston 17b can be driven pneumatically or hydraulically.

List of reference symbols:

1

Passenger boarding bridge

2

Passenger bridge cabin

3

Central axis of a dome module of the passenger boarding bridge

5

Adapter frame

5a

web

5b

leg

6a

Rail section

6b

Rail section

9

Floor of the cabin

10

monitor

11

Picture of a bridge driver

12

Front side

13

speaker

14

microphone

15

Knocking mechanism

16

knocker

17

Drive mechanism

17a

cylinder

17b

Pistons

18

Aircraft door

20

Dome module

21

canopy

22

Frame

23

Bumper

25

Articulated arm

26

Bottom of the dome module

26a

Center line of the floor

30

roll

32

mast

34

mast

36

camera

38

camera

40

mast

42

projector

44

structured light in the form of a strip

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 3907141 A1 [0004]
• EP 3865408 A1 [0005]
• WO 2020109449 A1 [0006]
• WO 2019229105 A1 [0007]

Claims (10)

Method for remotely controlling a passenger boarding bridge (1), the passenger boarding bridge (1) having a remotely controllable drive, the position of the passenger boarding bridge (1) relative to the aircraft being determined by means of at least one sensor, characterized in that at least one camera (36, 38) installed in a fixed location on an airport site is used as a sensor, the position of the passenger boarding bridge (1) and/or the aircraft being automatically determined by means of the at least one camera (36, 38) installed in a fixed location on the airport site, at least one camera image of the passenger boarding bridge (1) and/or the aircraft being recorded with the at least one camera (36, 38), the camera image being analyzed by means of a computer system and position determination software installed on the computer system, a position of the passenger boarding bridge (1) relative to the aircraft being determined by means of the position determination software. Procedure according to Claim 1 , characterized in that a three-dimensional model of the aircraft and/or the passenger boarding bridge (1) is stored in the computer system, wherein the imaging information or depth information of the hull of the aircraft and/or the passenger boarding bridge captured by the at least one camera (36, 38) is used to determine a corresponding position of the model by means of a simulation, wherein the position of the model is determined as the position of the aircraft and/or the passenger boarding bridge (1). Procedure according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that a camera (36, 38) in the form of a stereo camera is used to obtain depth information. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that structured light (44), preferably a strip, is projected onto the passenger bridge (1) and/or the aircraft using a projector (42) and is recorded by the at least one camera (36, 38). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a passenger boarding bridge (1) with a display device for signaling the reaching of an end position of the passenger boarding bridge (1) in the form of a monitor (10) for displaying an image (11) of a bridge driver is used. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a passenger bridge (1) with a loudspeaker (13) is used for communication with the aircraft crew. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a microphone (14) is provided on the passenger bridge (1), in particular at the free end of the passenger bridge (1). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an aircraft passenger bridge (1) with a knocking mechanism (15) is used, the knocking mechanism (15) having a movable knocker (16), a drive mechanism (17) of the knocker being remotely controlled or remotely controllable by the bridge driver, the knocker being moved from a rest position to a knocking position by actuating the drive mechanism (17) and striking an aircraft door (18) or an aircraft fuselage in the knocking position, thus acoustically signaling to the aircraft crew that they can now open the aircraft door (18). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the knocker (16) is padded. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bridge driver is filmed with the camera, wherein the image recorded by the camera is transmitted to the monitor (10) of the passenger bridge (10) and thus an image (11) of the bridge driver, in particular a live image of the bridge driver, is displayed on the monitor (10).

Images