System and method for the autonomous transition of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11835969-B2
Application number	US-202217871017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2022
Priority date	Aug 17, 2021
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

A system for autonomous flight of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The system may include a pusher component, a lift component, a flight controller, and a pilot override switch. The pusher component is mechanically coupled to the eVTOL aircraft. The lift component is mechanically coupled to the eVTOL aircraft. The flight controller is communicatively connected to the pilot override switch. The flight controller is configured to identify a transition point, initiate operation of the pusher component, and terminate operation of the lift component. A method for flight control of an eVTOL aircraft is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for flight control of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the system comprising:
a horizontal thrust component attached to an eVTOL aircraft;
a lift component attached to the eVTOL aircraft;
a pilot override switch, wherein the pilot override switch is operable by a pilot of the eVTOL aircraft and is configured to alter control of the eVTOL aircraft; and
a flight controller communicatively connected to the pilot override switch, wherein the flight controller is configured to:
initiate autonomous flight of the eVTOL;
identify a flight transition point;
initiate operation of the horizontal thrust component as a function of the flight transition point;
adjust an attitude of the eVTOL aircraft by modulating at least a control surface;
initiate modulation of the lift component; and
receive a pilot override signal from the pilot override switch, wherein the pilot override signal transitions the eVTOL from the autonomous flight to full control by the pilot.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight controller is configured to access information associated with a trajectory from substantially vertical flight of the eVTOL aircraft to substantially horizontal flight of the eVTOL aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal thrust component comprises at least a propulsor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the horizontal thrust component is a pusher component.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lift component is configured to generate an upward thrust for the eVTOL aircraft.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lift component comprises a plurality of lift components.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight controller comprises a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight controller is further configured to:
increase a rotational speed of the horizontal thrust component; and
decrease a rotational speed of the lift component.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein initiating operation of the horizontal thrust component as a function of the flight transition point comprises initiating operation of the horizontal thrust component such that the eVTOL aircraft follows a transition flight path.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a control surface is an aileron.

11. A method for flight control of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the method comprising:
initiating, by a flight controller incorporated in an eVTOL aircraft, autonomous flight of an eVTOL;
identifying, by the flight controller, a flight transition point;
initiating, by the flight controller, operation of a horizontal thrust component mechanically coupled to the eVTOL aircraft as a function of the flight transition point;
adjusting, by the flight controller, an attitude of the eVTOL aircraft by modulating at least a control surface;
initiating, by the flight controller, modulation of a lift component mechanically coupled to the eVTOL aircraft; and
receiving, by the flight controller, a pilot override signal from a pilot override switch, wherein a pilot override signal transitions the eVTOL from the autonomous flight to full control by the pilot.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising accessing, by the flight controller, information associated with a trajectory from substantially vertical flight of the eVTOL aircraft to substantially horizontal flight of the eVTOL aircraft.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the horizontal thrust component comprises at least a propulsor.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the horizontal thrust component is a pusher component.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the lift component is configured to generate an upward thrust for the eVTOL aircraft.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the lift component comprises a plurality of lift components.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the flight controller comprises a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
increasing, by the flight controller, a rotational speed of the horizontal thrust component; and
decreasing, by the flight controller, a rotational speed of the lift component.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein initiating operation of the horizontal thrust component as a function of the flight transition point comprises initiating operation of the horizontal thrust component such that the eVTOL aircraft follows a transition flight path.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least a control surface is an aileron.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Auerbach Joshua E
• Moy Nicholas

Classifications

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/31

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• G05D1/102 Primary

  specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft · CPC title

• B64C29/0025 Primary

  the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• G05D2109/23

  Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft; Short take-off and landing [STOL, STOVL] aircraft · CPC title