Non-binary collaborative recovery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11592839-B2
Application number	US-201916552634-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2019
Priority date	Aug 27, 2018
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

The processor supplies flight commands to the flight control system by selectively blending pilot input with control signals from the autopilot. The processor generates a projected recovery trajectory through successive iterations, each beginning at the current aircraft location and using a recovery constraint selectable by the processor to influences a degree of flight aggressiveness. A detection system that identifies and invokes a state of threat existence if a threat exists along the projected recovery trajectory. The processor during threat existence in a first iteration commands an initial soft recovery, with permitted blended pilot input. If the threat exists on subsequent iteration, the processor commands a more aggressive recovery while attenuating blended pilot input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hazard recovery system for an aircraft having a flight control system capable of receiving flight commands from a pilot input and from an autopilot system comprising:
a processor programmed to supply flight commands to the flight control system concurrently using inputs from both pilot input and autopilot by selectively blending pilot input with control signals from the autopilot to generate a blended projected recovery trajectory;
the processor programmed to generate the projected recovery trajectory through successive iterations that each begin at the current aircraft location and utilize a recovery constraint selectable by the processor that influences a degree of flight aggressiveness;
a detection system that identifies and invokes a state of threat existence if a threat exists along the projected recovery trajectory;
the processor during the state of threat existence, being programmed to execute in a first iteration: (a) command the autopilot system to fly a first instantiation of the projected recovery trajectory using a first recovery constraint selected to allow the aircraft to avoid the threat with first degree of flight aggressiveness and (b) apply a first weighting factor to the pilot input to programmatically and responsive to the detection system attenuate the degree to which the pilot input can adversely alter the projected recovery trajectory, the first weighting factor being selected as a first value within a range between no attenuation and full attenuation inhibiting pilot input;
the processor during the state of threat existence being programed to execute in a successive iteration: (a) command the autopilot to fly a second instantiation of the projected recovery trajectory using a second recovery constraint selected by the processor to allow the aircraft to avoid the threat with second degree of flight aggressiveness greater than the first degree and (b) apply a second weighting factor different than the first weighting factor to the pilot input to programmatically and responsive to the detection system attenuate the degree to which the pilot input can adversely alter the projected recovery trajectory, the second weighting factor being selected as a second value in the range between no attenuation and full attenuation inhibiting pilot input different from the first value.

2. The hazard recovery system of claim 1 wherein the attenuation of pilot input that oppose the recovery is disparate from the attenuation of pilot input that aid the recovery.

3. The hazard recovery system of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to precompute the projected trajectory through successive iterations whether the detection system identifies existence of a threat or not.

4. The hazard recovery system of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed for a series of iterations, to compute the projected trajectory and assess existence of a threat for each of the series of iterations.

5. The hazard recovery system of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to iteratively adjust the weighting factor during the state of threat existence such that pilot input is attenuated from iteration to iteration.

6. The hazard recovery system of claim 1 wherein the processor is programmed to revert to a blending state permitting the pilot input to produce an earlier degree of blending when the predicted margin to the threat is increased.

7. The hazard recovery system of claim 1 wherein the detection system is configured to recognize a plurality of different types of threats according to a common schema.

8. A hazard recovery system for an aircraft having a flight control system capable of receiving flight commands from a pilot input and from an autopilot system comprising:
a processor programmed to generate a precedent projected recovery trajectory;
the processor being further programmed to recognize a state of threat existence when a threat is detected along the precedent projected recovery trajectory;
the processor being programmed during the state of threat existence to initially command the autopilot to fly the precedent projected trajectory and to then to command the autopilot to fly more aggressive subsequent projected trajectory if the precedent projected trajectory is inadequate to avoid the detected threat; and
a sensor fusion system that concurrently blends pilot input with control signals from the autopilot to allow pilot input to alter the projected trajectory being flown;
the sensor fusion system applying a variable weighting factor to the pilot input, to attenuate the degree to which the pilot input can adversely alter the subsequent projected trajectory, the variable weighting factor being selected as a value in the range between no attenuation and full attenuation inhibiting pilot input.

9. The hazard recovery system of claim 8 wherein the processor is programmed to control the sensor fusion system to adjust the ratio of pilot input to autopilot control signal input.

10. The hazard recovery system of claim 8 further comprising:
a signal fusion system that blends pilot input with control signals from the autopilot; wherein the processor is programmed to control the signal fusion system to produce a first ratio of blending between pilot input and autopilot control while the precedent projected recovery trajectory is being flown and to produce a second ratio of blending between pilot input and autopilot control while the subsequent projected trajectory is being flown.

11. The hazard recovery system of claim 10 wherein the second ratio of blending attenuates pilot input different from the first blending ratio.

12. A method of performing hazard recovery in an aircraft having a flight control system capable of receiving flight commands from a pilot input and from an autopilot system comprising:
using a processor onboard the aircraft to generate a precedent projected recovery trajectory;
the processor programmed to recognize a state of threat existence when a threat is detected along the precedent projected recovery trajectory;
the processor during the state of threat existence initially commanding the autopilot to fly the precedent projected trajectory; and then
commanding the autopilot to fly more aggressive subsequent projected trajectory if the precedent projected trajectory is inadequate to avoid the detected threat,
the processor concurrently blending pilot input with control signals from the autopilot to allow pilot input to alter the projected trajectory being flown by applying a variable weighting factor to the pilot input, to attenuate the degree to which the pilot input can adversely alter the subsequent projected trajectory, the variable weighting factor being selected as a value in the range between no attenuation and full attenuation inhibiting pilot input.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
using the processor to adjust the ratio of pilot input to autopilot control signal input used to alter the projected trajectory being flown.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
using a sensor fusion system that blends pilot input with control signals from the autopilot; and
using the processor to control the sensor fusion system to produce a first blending ratio between pilot input and autopilot control while the precedent projected recovery trajectory is being flown and to produce a second blending ratio between pilot input and autopilot control while the subsequent projected trajectory is being flown.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the second blending ratio attenuates pilot input as compared with the first blending ratio.

1

Assignees

• Gulfstream Aerospace Corp

Inventors

• Prosser Kevin
• Landers Thomas
• Sakhaei Alborz
• Vaidya Abhishek
• Finlayson Blake

Classifications

• G08G5/80

  Anti-collision systems · CPC title

• G08G5/59

  in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/34

  for flight plan modification · CPC title

• G08G5/74

  for monitoring terrain · CPC title