Systems and methods for fly-by-wire reversionary flight control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208200-B1
Application number	US-202117320309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 14, 2021
Priority date	May 14, 2021
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

Some aspects relate to systems and methods for fly-by-wire reversionary flight control including a pilot control, a plurality of sensors configured to: sense control data associated with the pilot control, and transmit the control data, a first actuator communicative with the plurality of sensors configured to receive the control data, determine a first command datum as a function of the control data and a distributed control algorithm, and actuate a first control element according to the first command datum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for fly-by-wire reversionary flight control comprising:
a pilot control;
a plurality of sensors configured to:
sense control data associated with the pilot control; and
transmit the control data;

a first actuator communicative with the plurality of sensors configured to:
receive the control data;
determine a first command datum as a function of the control data and a distributed control algorithm; and
actuate a first control element according to the first command datum.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flight controller communicative with the plurality of sensors and the first actuator, the flight controller configured to:
receive the control data;
determine the first command datum as a function of the control data; and
transmit the first command datum to the first actuator; and

wherein the first actuator is configured to receive the first command datum from the flight actuator.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first actuator is further configured to:
determine that the first actuator is not receiving the first command datum from the flight controller; and
determine the first command datum as a function of the control data.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distributed control algorithm comprises filtering the control data.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein filtering the control data comprises a voting process.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distributed control algorithm comprises finding an average of two or more control datums of the control data.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distributed control algorithm comprises finding a difference between two or more control datums of the control data.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is further configured to:
determine a second command datum as a function of the control data and the distributed control algorithm; and
transmit the second command datum to a second actuator communicative with the first actuator.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second actuator is configured to:
receive the second command datum; and
actuate a second control element according to the second command datum.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first control element comprises a propulsor.

11. A method of fly-by-wire reversionary flight control comprising:
sensing, using a plurality of sensors, control data associated with a pilot control;
transmitting, using the plurality of sensors, the control data;
receiving, using a first actuator communicative with the plurality of sensors, the control data;
determining, using the first actuator, a first command datum as a function of the control data and a distributed control algorithm; and
actuating, using the first control actuator, a first control element according to the first command datum.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving, using a flight controller communicative with the plurality of sensors and the first actuator, the control data;
determining, using the flight controller, the first command datum as a function of the control data;
transmitting, using the flight controller, the first command datum to the first actuator; and
receiving, using the first actuator, the first command datum from the flight controller.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining, using the first actuator, that the first actuator is not receiving the first command datum from the flight controller; and
contingently determining, using the first actuator, the first command datum when unable to receive the first command datum from the flight controller.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the distributed control algorithm is configured to filter the control data.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein filtering the control data comprises performing a voting process.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the distributed control algorithm is configured to find an average of two or more control datums of the control data.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the distributed control algorithm is configured to find a difference between two or more control datums of the control data.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, using the first actuator, a second command datum as a function of the control data and the distributed control algorithm; and
transmitting, using the first actuator, the second command datum to a second actuator communicative with the first actuator.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
receiving, using the second actuator, the second command datum; and
actuating a second control element according to the second command datum.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first control element comprises a propulsor.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Auerbach Joshua E
• Giroux Andrew
• Townsend Chris
• Richter Timothy Gerard
• Sheppard Matthew John

Classifications

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title

• B64C13/503 Primary

  Fly-by-Wire · CPC title

• B64C13/22

  readily revertible to personal control · CPC title

• G05D1/0077

  using redundant signals or controls · CPC title

• B64C13/0421

  control sticks for primary flight controls · CPC title