Systems and methods for altitude capture performance monitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10691139-B1
Application number	US-201816130524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 13, 2018
Priority date	Sep 13, 2018
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A flight controller includes an altitude capture controller, an altitude profile predictor, and an alert generator. The altitude capture controller receives a first current altitude, a target altitude, and at least one energy state parameter; generates a flight control command, a first expected altitude, and a first predicted altitude. The altitude profile predictor generates a second predicted altitude. The alert generator calculates an expected altitude deviation by comparing a second current altitude of the platform to the first expected altitude; calculates a predicted altitude deviation by comparing the first predicted altitude to the second predicted altitude; and outputs an alert responsive to at least one of (i) an expected altitude threshold function indicating the expected altitude deviation exceeds an expected altitude deviation threshold or (ii) a predicted altitude threshold function indicating the predicted altitude deviation exceeds a predicted altitude deviation threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flight controller, comprising:
an altitude capture controller configured to:
receive a first current altitude of a platform, a target altitude, and at least one energy state parameter regarding the platform;
generate a flight control command expected to cause the platform to move to the target altitude based on the first current altitude and the at least one energy state parameter;
generate a first expected altitude of the platform for a first point in time based on the flight control command; and
generate a first predicted altitude of the platform for a second point in time subsequent to the first point in time based on the flight control command;

an altitude profile predictor configured to:
generate a second predicted altitude of the platform for the second point in time based on the first current altitude, the at least one energy state parameter, and an energy model representative of movement of the platform; and

an alert generator configured to:
calculate an expected altitude deviation by comparing a second current altitude of the platform for the first point in time to the first expected altitude;
calculate a predicted altitude deviation by comparing the first predicted altitude to the second predicted altitude; and
output an alert responsive to at least one of (i) an expected altitude threshold function indicating the expected altitude deviation exceeds an expected altitude deviation threshold or (ii) a predicted altitude threshold function indicating the predicted altitude deviation exceeds a predicted altitude deviation threshold.

2. The flight controller of claim 1 , wherein the expected altitude threshold function applies a first gain to the expected altitude deviation, and the predicted altitude threshold function applies a second gain to the predicted altitude deviation.

3. The flight controller of claim 1 , wherein an alert generator outputs the alert responsive to an airspeed evaluation function indicating an airspeed deviation between a target airspeed of the platform and an indicated airspeed of the platform exceeds an airspeed deviation threshold.

4. The flight controller of claim 1 , wherein the expected altitude threshold function applies a delay to a comparison of the expected altitude deviation and the expected altitude deviation threshold.

5. The flight controller of claim 1 , wherein the predicted altitude threshold function applies a delay to a comparison of the predicted altitude deviation and the predicted altitude deviation threshold.

6. The flight controller of claim 1 , wherein the flight controller uses the alert to execute an automatic mode change.

7. The flight controller of claim 6 , wherein the flight controller executes the automatic mode change by at least one of deactivating the altitude capture controller or activating an autothrottle of the platform.

8. The flight controller of claim 1 , wherein the flight controller outputs at least one of a visual representation or an audio representation of the alert.

9. The flight controller of claim 1 , wherein at least one of (i) the predicted altitude deviation threshold is set to a first value above which the platform cannot complete an altitude capture maneuver to achieve the target altitude or (ii) the expected altitude deviation threshold is set to a second value above which the platform cannot complete the altitude capture maneuver to achieve the target altitude.

10. The flight controller of claim 1 , wherein the altitude capture controller generates the flight control command by executing a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) function using an error between the target altitude and the first current altitude as a proportional parameter of the PID function, and a vertical speed and vertical acceleration as derivative parameters of the PID function.

11. An airborne platform, comprising:
an autopilot that controls a flight control surface;
a flight controller, comprising:
an altitude capture controller configured to:
receive a first current altitude, a target altitude, and at least one energy state parameter;
generate a flight control command to move to the target altitude based on the first current altitude and the at least one energy state parameter;
transmit the flight control command to the autopilot to cause the autopilot to control the flight control surface based on the flight control command;
generate a first expected profile parameter for a first point in time based on the flight control command; and
generate a first predicted profile parameter for a second point in time subsequent to the first point in time based on the flight control command;

an altitude profile predictor configured to:
generate a second predicted profile parameter of the platform for the second point in time based on the first current altitude, the at least one energy state parameter, and an energy model representative of movement of the platform; and

an alert generator configured to:
calculate an expected deviation by comparing a current profile parameter of the platform for the first point in time to the first expected profile parameter;
calculate a predicted deviation by comparing the first predicted profile parameter to the second predicted profile parameter; and

output an alert responsive to at least one of (i) an expected deviation threshold function indicating the expected deviation exceeds an expected deviation threshold or (ii) a predicted deviation function indicating the predicted deviation exceeds a predicted deviation threshold; and

a user interface configured to output an indication of the alert.

12. The airborne platform of claim 11 , wherein the first expected profile parameter includes at least one of an altitude parameter or a vertical speed parameter.

13. The airborne platform of claim 11 , wherein the first predicted profile parameter includes at least one of an altitude parameter or a vertical speed parameter.

14. The airborne platform of claim 11 , wherein the alert generator outputs the alert responsive to an airspeed evaluation function indicating an airspeed deviation between a target airspeed of the platform and an indicated airspeed of the platform exceeds an airspeed deviation threshold.

15. The airborne platform of claim 11 , wherein the autopilot includes an autothrottle, and the flight controller outputs the alert to cause the autopilot to engage the autothrottle.

16. The airborne platform of claim 11 , wherein the user interface outputs at least one of a visual representation or an audio representation of the alert.

17. A method, comprising:
receiving, at an altitude capture controller, a first current altitude of a platform, a target altitude, and at least one energy state parameter regarding the platform;
generating, by the altitude capture controller, a flight control command expected to cause the platform to move towards the target altitude based on the first current altitude and the at least one energy state parameter;
generating, by the altitude capture controller, a first expected altitude of the platform for a first point in time based on the flight control command;
generating, by the altitude capture controller, a first predicted altitude of the platform for a second point in time subsequent to the first point in time based on the flight control command;
generating, by an altitude profile predictor, a second predicted altitude of the platform for the second point in time based on the first current altitude, the at least one energy state parameter, and an energy model representative of movement of the platform;

Assignees

• Rockwell Collins Inc

Inventors

• Perich John P
• Van Der Linden Cornelis

Classifications

• G05D1/0607

  specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title

• B64D43/00 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title

• B64D43/02

  for indicating aircraft speed or stalling conditions · CPC title

• G05D1/042 Primary

  specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title

• B64C13/18

  using automatic pilot · CPC title