Actuator monitoring system using inertial sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11628950-B2
Application number	US-202017028773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2020
Priority date	Aug 29, 2017
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

Sensor data is received from an inertial measurement unit on a vehicle. An observed attitude and an observed attitude rate of the vehicle are determined based on the sensor data. Using a model associated with a vehicle failure mode, an expected attitude and an expected attitude rate of the vehicle are determined. A malfunctioning rotor is determined based on the observed attitude, the observed attitude rate, the expected attitude, and the expected attitude rate. In response to identifying the malfunctioning rotor, a responsive action is performed, including by updating a geometry matrix so that at least one non-malfunctioning rotor in the plurality of rotors compensates for the malfunctioning rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:
receive vehicle state information and at least one actuator command from a vehicle;
determine a model associated with a vehicle failure mode, wherein the model includes an output state vector representing a vehicle state in the vehicle failure mode, the output state vector being determined based at least in part on at least one function that: receives the vehicle state information and the at least one actuator command, models each failure mode independently, and outputs the output state vector;
determine an observed flight characteristic and an observed flight characteristic rate of the vehicle based at least in part on sensor data from an inertial measurement unit on the vehicle;
determine an expected flight characteristic and an expected flight characteristic rate of the vehicle based at least in part on the model associated with a vehicle failure mode;
identify, from a plurality of rotors associated with the vehicle, a malfunctioning rotor based at least in part on the observed flight characteristic, the observed flight characteristic rate, the expected flight characteristic, and the expected flight characteristic rate; and
in response to identifying the malfunctioning rotor, perform a responsive action.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the observed flight characteristic includes an observed attitude;
the observed flight characteristic rate includes an observed attitude rate;
the expected flight characteristic includes an expected attitude; and
the expected flight characteristic rate includes an expected attitude rate.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output state vector includes an expected attitude associated with the vehicle failure mode.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output state vector includes an expected attitude rate associated with the vehicle failure mode.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein modeling each failure mode independently includes applying a respective function for each failure mode to determine a respective output value based on a same set of inputs provided to all functions.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle state information includes historical vehicle state information; and
the at least one actuator command includes at least one historical actuator command.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle state information includes at least one of: an attitude, an attitude rate, a position, a velocity, a wind velocity, or a geometry of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the vehicle state information identifies the vehicle failure mode associated with a set of data.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining the model includes at least one of grouping or sorting data to generate the model.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle includes at least one tilt wing; and
determining the model is based at least in part on at least one of a direction or a mode of the at least one tilt wing.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the model includes selecting a model to use during flight based at least in part on at least one of a direction or a mode of the at least one tilt wing.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to update the model in real time as the vehicle is flying.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein updating the model in real time as the vehicle is flying includes collecting flight data during flight to update the model which the vehicle is airborne.

14. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the responsive action includes updating a geometry matrix, which is used to generate a plurality of actuator commands for the plurality of rotors, including by updating a previous geometry matrix with a precomputed geometry matrix.

15. The system recited in claim 14 , wherein:
the malfunctioning rotor is associated with a first region of the vehicle; and
updating the geometry matrix includes increasing an authority of a second region of the vehicle in response to detection of the malfunctioning rotor in the first region.

16. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a processor, vehicle state information and at least one actuator command from a vehicle;
determining, by a processor, a model associated with a vehicle failure mode, wherein the model includes an output state vector representing a vehicle state in the vehicle failure mode, the output state vector being determined based at least in part on at least one function that: receives the vehicle state information and the at least one actuator command, models each failure mode independently, and outputs the output state vector;
determining, by a processor, an observed flight characteristic and an observed flight characteristic rate of the vehicle based at least in part on sensor data from an inertial measurement unit on the vehicle;
determining, by a processor, an expected flight characteristic and an expected flight characteristic rate of the vehicle based at least in part on the model associated with a vehicle failure mode;
identifying, by the processor, from a plurality of rotors associated with the vehicle, a malfunctioning rotor based at least in part on the observed flight characteristic, the observed flight characteristic rate, the expected flight characteristic, and the expected flight characteristic rate; and
in response to identifying the malfunctioning rotor, performing, by a processor, a responsive action.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the vehicle includes at least one tilt wing; and
determining the model is based at least in part on at least one of a direction or a mode of the at least one tilt wing.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the model includes selecting a model to use during flight based at least in part on at least one of a direction or a mode of the at least one tilt wing.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising updating the model in real time as the vehicle is flying.

20. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to be configured for:
receiving vehicle state information and at least one actuator command from a vehicle;
determining a model associated with a vehicle failure mode, wherein the model includes an output state vector representing a vehicle state in the vehicle failure mode, the output state vector being determined based at least in part on at least one function that: receives the vehicle state information and the at least one actuator command, models each failure mode independently, and outputs the output state vector;
determining an observed flight characteristic and an observed flight characteristic rate of the vehicle based at least in part on sensor data from an inertial measurement unit on the vehicle;
determining an expected flight characteristic and an expected flight characteristic rate of the vehicle based at least in part on the model associated with a vehicle failure mode;
identifying, from a plurality of rotors associated with the vehicle, a malfunctioning rotor based at least in part on the observed flight characteristic, the observed flight characteristic rate, the expected flight characteristic, and the expected flight characteristic rate; and
in response to identifying the malfunction

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Cutler Mark Johnson

Classifications

• B64D45/00 Primary

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C13/16

  actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors · CPC title

• B64D2045/0085

  Devices for aircraft health monitoring, e.g. monitoring flutter or vibration · CPC title

• G01C21/166

  Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems · CPC title

• B64F5/60

  Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems · CPC title