System and methods for flight control for an electric aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12434814-B2
Application number	US-202318097072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2023
Priority date	Mar 10, 2021
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure is generally directed to a flight control system and method of flight control for an electric aircraft. The system includes a pilot input communicatively connected to an electric aircraft, wherein the pilot input is configured to receive an input datum, and plurality of flight components communicatively connected to the electric aircraft, wherein the plurality of flight components includes a plurality of control surfaces. The system also includes a flight controller, wherein the flight controller is configured to determine a phase of flight, determine a command datum to control a position of the plurality of control surfaces as a function of the input datum, and command, when the phase of flight is determined to be hover, the plurality of control surfaces using the command datum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flight control system for an electric aircraft, the system comprising:
a pilot input communicatively connected to an electric aircraft, wherein the pilot input is configured to receive an input datum;
a plurality of flight components communicatively connected to the electric aircraft, wherein the plurality of flight components comprise a plurality of control surfaces;
a flight controller communicatively connected to the pilot input and the plurality of flight control surfaces, wherein the flight controller is configured to:
determine a phase of flight;
determine a command datum to control a position of the plurality of control surfaces as a function of the input datum; and
command, when the phase of flight is determined to be hover, the plurality of control surfaces using the command datum.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of control surfaces comprises at least a rudder.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of control surfaces comprises a plurality of ailerons.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the command datum is configured to cause the plurality of control surfaces to perform an attitude hold.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the command datum is configured to cause the plurality of control surfaces to perform a rate hold.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein command datum comprises a rate command.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pilot input comprises an inceptor stick.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein detecting the phase of flight comprises detecting a change in the phase of flight, wherein the change in the phase of flight comprises a transition from a hover mode to a conventional flight mode.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the command datum is configured to control a speed of the electric aircraft.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the command datum is configured to control an attitude of the electric aircraft.

11. A method of flight control for an electric aircraft, the method comprising:
receiving an input datum, by a pilot input communicatively connected to an electric aircraft, wherein the electric aircraft comprises:
a plurality of flight components communicatively connected to the electric aircraft, wherein the plurality of flight components comprise a plurality of control surfaces; and
a flight controller communicatively connected to one or more sensors and the plurality of flight control surfaces;

determining, by the flight controller, a phase of flight;
determining, by the flight, controller, a command datum to control a position of the plurality of control surfaces as a function of the input datum; and
commanding, by the flight controller, when the phase of flight is determined to be hover, the plurality of control surfaces using the command datum.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein commanding the plurality of control surfaces further comprises controlling at least a rudder.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein commanding the plurality of control surfaces further comprises controlling a plurality of ailerons.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the command datum is configured to cause the plurality of control surfaces to perform an attitude hold.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the command datum is configured to cause the plurality of control surfaces to perform a rate hold.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the command datum further comprises determining a rate command.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving the input datum further comprises receiving the input datum by an inceptor stick.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein detecting the phase of flight comprises detecting a change in the phase of flight, wherein the change in the phase of flight comprises a transition from a hover mode to a conventional flight mode.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the command datum is configured to control a speed of the electric aircraft.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the command datum is configured to control an attitude of the electric aircraft.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Richter Timothy Gerard
• Auerbach Joshua E
• Giroux Andrew
• Wiegman Herman

Classifications

• B64C29/0033

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C13/503

  Fly-by-Wire · CPC title

• H04W72/569

  of the traffic information · CPC title

• H04W4/40

  for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] · CPC title

• B64C13/16 Primary

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