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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11702192-B2
Application number	US-202117515418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2021
Priority date	May 14, 2021
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

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, the system comprising:
an electric aircraft, wherein the electric aircraft is configured to include:
a first control element;
a first actuator coupled to the first control element, wherein the first actuator is configured to:
receive a 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 as a function of the first command datum.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is further configured to receive the control data from a remote pilot control.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is further configured to include a computing device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is further configured to include a motor.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a flight controller communicatively coupled to the first actuator, wherein the flight controller is 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.

6. The system of claim 5 , 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.

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

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein filtering the control data comprises a voting process.

9. 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.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second actuator is configured to:
receive the second command datum; and
actuate a second control element as a function of the second command datum.

11. A method of fly-by-wire reversionary flight control for an electric aircraft, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first actuator coupled to a first control element, a control data;
determining, at the first actuator coupled to the first control element, a first command datum as a function of the control data and a distributed control algorithm; and
actuating, at the first actuator coupled to the first control element, a first control element as a function of the first command datum.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first actuator is further configured to receive the control data from a remote pilot control.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first actuator is further configured to include a computing device.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first actuator is further configured to include a motor.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving, at a flight controller communicatively coupled to the first actuator, the control data;
determining, at the flight controller, the first command datum as a function of the control data; and
transmitting, at the flight controller, the first command datum to the first actuator.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining, at the first actuator, that the first actuator is not receiving the first command datum from the flight controller; and
determining, at the first actuator, the first command datum in response to being unable to receive the first command datum from the flight controller.

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

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein filtering the control data comprises performing a voting process.

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

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
receiving, at the second actuator, the second command datum; and
actuating, at the second actuator, a second control element as a function of the second command datum.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B64C13/503 Primary

  Fly-by-Wire · CPC title

• B64C13/0421

  control sticks for primary flight controls · CPC title

• G05D1/0077

  using redundant signals or controls · CPC title

• B64C13/22

  readily revertible to personal control · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title