Self-adjusting system for aircraft control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10287001-B2
Application number	US-201615183697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2016
Priority date	Jun 15, 2016
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A self-adjusting flight control system is disclosed. In various embodiments, an input interface receives an input signal generated by an inceptor based at least in part on a position of an input device comprising the inceptor. A processor coupled to the input interface determines dynamically a mapping to be used to map input signals received from the inceptor to corresponding output signals associated with flight control and uses the determined mapping to map the input signal to a corresponding output signal. The processor determines the mapping at least in part by computing a running average of the output signal over an averaging period and adjusting the mapping at least in part to associate a neutral position of the input device comprising the inceptor with a corresponding output level that is determined at least in part by the computed running average.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flight control system, comprising:
an inceptor comprising an input device configured to receive manual input in the form of manual movement of the input device from a neutral position to which the input device returns when no manual input is being provided, wherein the inceptor is configured to provide a corresponding inceptor output signal representative of a position of the input device relative to the neutral position as a result of the manual input;
an input interface configured to receive an input signal corresponding to the inceptor output signal generated by the inceptor based at least in part on the position of the input device comprising the inceptor relative to the neutral position as a result of the manual input; and
a processor coupled to the input interface and configured to:
determine dynamically a mapping to be used to map input signals received from the inceptor to corresponding output signals of the flight control system; and
use the determined mapping to map the input signal to a corresponding output signal of the flight control system;
wherein the neutral position of the input device is mapped initially to a default value and the processor is configured to determine the mapping at least in part by computing a running average of the output signal over an averaging period and adjusting the mapping at least in part to associate the neutral position of the input device comprising the inceptor with a corresponding output level that is determined at least in part by the computed running average and is different than the default value.

2. The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the inceptor comprises a throttle control and the corresponding output signal comprises a throttle level.

3. The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the running average is computed over a four second averaging period.

4. The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust said mapping dynamically based at least in part on a determination that a criterion to adjust the mapping has been satisfied.

5. The flight control system of claim 4 , wherein the criterion comprises one or more of the following: any change in the computed running average; a change in the computed running average that is greater than a corresponding threshold; absence of an indication that one or both of the input signal and the corresponding output signal have been changing at greater than a threshold rate of change; and absence of an indication that the aircraft is taking off, landing, or otherwise being flown intentionally to a new altitude.

6. The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the mapping at least in part by adjusting the mapping to associate the neutral position of the input device comprising the inceptor with a corresponding output level that is equal to the computed running average.

7. The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the mapping at least in part by constructing a piecewise linear function based at least in part on the computed running average of the output signal.

8. The flight control system of claim 7 , wherein the piecewise linear function includes a central segment, associated with the neutral position, and said central segment has a same prescribed slope through at least a range of values of the computed running average of the output signal.

9. The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the neutral position comprises a center position.

10. The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the neutral position comprises a position to which the input device is configured to return upon being released.

11. The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the output signal comprises a throttle signal associated with a plurality of rotors configured to control aircraft altitude.

12. The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine and use said mapping to map the input signal to the corresponding output signal based at least in part on an indication of a failure of a sensor relied on by a primary flight controller to provide altitude hold.

13. A method to control flight, comprising:
receiving via an input interface an input signal generated by an inceptor comprising an input device configured to receive manual input in the form of manual movement of the input device from a neutral position to which the input device returns when no manual input is being provided, wherein the inceptor is configured to provide a corresponding inceptor output signal representative of a position of the input device relative to the neutral position as a result of the manual input;
determining dynamically a mapping to be used to map input signals received from the inceptor to corresponding output signals associated with flight control; and
using the determined mapping to map the input signal to a corresponding output signal;
wherein the neutral position of the input device is mapped initially to a default value and the mapping is determined at least in part by computing a running average of the output signal over an averaging period and adjusting the mapping at least in part to associate the neutral position of the input device comprising the inceptor with a corresponding output level that is determined at least in part by the computed running average and is different than the default value; and
wherein one or more of an attitude, altitude, and speed of an aircraft are maintained based on the corresponding output signal.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the inceptor output signal comprises a throttle control signal and the corresponding output signal comprises a throttle level.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the running average is computed over a four second averaging period.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said mapping is adjusted dynamically based at least in part on a determination that a criterion to adjust the mapping has been satisfied.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the criterion comprises one or more of the following: any change in the computed running average; a change in the computed running average that is greater than a corresponding threshold; absence of an indication that one or both of the input signal and the corresponding output signal have been changing at greater than a threshold rate of change; and absence of an indication that the aircraft is taking off, landing, or otherwise being flown intentionally to a new altitude.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the mapping is determined at least in part by adjusting the mapping to associate the neutral position of the input device comprising the inceptor with a corresponding output level that is equal to the computed running average.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the mapping is determined at least in part by constructing a piecewise linear function based at least in part on the computed running average of the output signal.

20. A computer program to control flight, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:
receiving via an input interface an input signal generated by an inceptor comprising an input device configured to receive manual input in the form of manual movement of the input device from a neutral position to which the input device returns when no manual input is being provided, wherein the inceptor is configured to provide a corresponding inceptor output signal representative of a

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Reichert Todd
• Vawter Zachais
• Roop Joseph
• Cutler Mark Johnson

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64C13/0421

  control sticks for primary flight controls · CPC title

• B64D31/04

  actuated personally · CPC title

• B64C13/02 Primary

  Initiating means · CPC title

• B64C13/08

  Trimming zero positions · CPC title