Abnormal aircraft response monitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016202701-A1
Application number	US-201414912748-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 18, 2014
Priority date	Aug 23, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An aircraft flight control system includes at least two flight control computers at least one of which is utilized at any one time to control aircraft flight, each of the at least two flight control computers having at least two processors, each processor being responsive to an aircraft input signal indicative of at least one of a plurality of aircraft flight parameters and being responsive to control laws to provide a control output command signal indicative of a desired control of an aircraft flight control surface. Also, at least one of the at least two processors for each of the at least two flight control computers comprises an abnormal response monitor that is responsive to at least one aircraft input signal indicative of at least one of a plurality of aircraft flight parameters to determine whether the control output command signal is within an acceptable value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A flight control system for an aircraft, comprising:
at least two flight control computers at least one of which is utilized at any one time to control flight of the aircraft, each of the at least two flight control computers having at least two processors, each of the at least two processors being responsive to an aircraft input signal indicative of at least one of a plurality of aircraft flight parameters and being responsive to control laws to provide a control output command signal indicative of a desired control of a flight control surface of an aircraft; and wherein at least one of the at least two processors for each of the at least two flight control computers comprises an abnormal response monitor that is responsive to the aircraft input signal indicative of at least one of a plurality of aircraft flight parameters to determine whether the control output command signal is within an acceptable value.

2 . The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein if it is determined that the control output signal command is not within an acceptable value, then the one of the at least two flight control computers in which it is determined that the control output command signal is not within an acceptable value is disabled from being allowed to control flight of the aircraft.

3 . The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft input signal is indicative of a pitch of the aircraft.

4 . The flight control system of claim 3 , wherein the aircraft input signal includes at least one from the group comprising a pitch angle, an amount of deflection of an elevator on the aircraft, and a normal acceleration of the aircraft.

5 . The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft input signal is indicative of a roll of the aircraft.

6 . The flight control system of claim 5 , wherein the aircraft input signal includes at least one from the group comprising a roll angle, an amount of deflection of an aileron on the aircraft, and a normal acceleration of the aircraft.

7 . The flight control system of claim 1 , wherein the flight control system comprises a fly-by-wire aircraft flight control system.

8 . A method for determining the existence of a residual error in a control output command signal indicative of a desired control of a flight control surface of an aircraft, the method comprising:
sensing an aircraft input signal indicative of at least one of a plurality of aircraft flight parameters; and determining, from the sensed aircraft input signal, whether the control output command signal is within an acceptable value.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein if it is determined that the control output command signal is not within an acceptable value, then one of at least two flight control computers for the aircraft in which it is determined that the control output command signal is not within an acceptable value is disabled from being allowed to control flight of the aircraft.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the sensed aircraft input signal is indicative of a pitch of the aircraft.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the sensed aircraft input signal includes at least one from the group comprising a pitch angle, an amount of deflection of an elevator on the aircraft, and a normal acceleration of the aircraft.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the sensed aircraft input signal is indicative of a roll of the aircraft.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the sensed aircraft input signal includes at least one from the group comprising a roll angle, an amount of deflection of an aileron on the aircraft, and a normal acceleration of the aircraft.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the flight control system comprises a fly-by-wire aircraft flight control system.

15 . A computer program product for determining the existence of a residual error in a control output command signal indicative of a desired control of a flight control surface of an aircraft, the computer program product comprising a transitory or non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable/executable by a computer, processor or logic circuit to perform a method comprising:
sensing an aircraft input signal indicative of at least one of a plurality of aircraft flight parameters; and determining, from the sensed aircraft input signal, whether the control output command signal is within an acceptable value.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein if it is determined that the control output command signal is not within an acceptable value, then one of at least two flight control computers for the aircraft in which it is determined that the control output command signal is not within an acceptable value is disabled from being allowed to control flight of the aircraft.

17 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the sensed aircraft input signal is indicative of a pitch of the aircraft.

18 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the sensed aircraft input signal includes at least one from the group comprising a pitch angle, an amount of deflection of an elevator on the aircraft, and a normal acceleration of the aircraft.

19 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the sensed aircraft input signal is indicative of a roll of the aircraft.

20 . The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the sensed aircraft input signal includes at least one from the group comprising a roll angle, an amount of deflection of an aileron on the aircraft, and a normal acceleration of the aircraft.

21 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the flight control system comprises a fly-by-wire aircraft flight control system.

Assignees

• Bombardier Inc

Inventors

• Burte Gregory

Classifications

• B64C13/503

  Fly-by-Wire · CPC title

• G05D1/0077 Primary

  using redundant signals or controls · CPC title

• B64C13/505

  having duplication or stand-by provisions · CPC title

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title