Wingtip control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9950810-B2
Application number	US-201615080586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2016
Priority date	Oct 17, 2013
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a wingtip control system. The wingtip control system comprises a switch system for a flight deck of an aircraft and a controller. The switch system is configured to be placed into an armed state and generate an armed signal. The controller is in communication with the switch system. The controller is configured to receive the armed signal from the switch system, visually indicate a desired position for a wingtip of the aircraft in the switch system in response to an event occurring during operation of the aircraft, and generate a movement command to move the wingtip.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An airfoil structure control system in communication with an airfoil structure movement system, the airfoil structure control system configured such that a combination, of a switch system and a visual indication on a flight deck interface, display a selected position for a airfoil structure and, based upon the display of the selected position, control and display an actual position of the airfoil structure.

2. The airfoil structure control system of claim 1 , further comprising a switch configured for a manual override of an automated sequencing, by the airfoil structure control system, of the airfoil structure movement system.

3. The airfoil structure control system of claim 1 , further comprising the manual override comprising an operation that disables an armed state of the airfoil structure control system.

4. The airfoil structure control system of claim 1 , further configured to generate a movement command, to move the airfoil structure, to the airfoil structure movement system, based upon reception by the airfoil structure control system of an activation via receipt of an armed signal followed by receipt of an indication of an occurrence of an event during operation of an aircraft that comprises the airfoil structure.

5. The airfoil structure control system of claim 1 , further configured to visually represent a desired position for the airfoil structure prior to movement of the airfoil structure.

6. The airfoil structure control system of claim 4 , further configured such that the event comprises the aircraft comprising at least one of a specified: position, phase of flight, speed, and position of a control surface of the aircraft.

7. The airfoil structure control system of claim 1 , further configured such that the visual indication comprises a first visual indication and a second visual indication.

8. The airfoil structure control system of claim 7 , such that the first visual indication comprises indication of an armed signal received by the airfoil structure control system.

9. The airfoil structure control system of claim 1 , further configured such that the visual indication comprises a first visual indication corresponding to a position of a first switch and a second visual indication corresponding to a position of a second switch.

10. The airfoil structure control system of claim 1 , further configured such that the airfoil structure comprises a vertical stabilizer of an aircraft.

11. A process for controlling a movement of an airfoil structure on an aircraft, the process comprising:
receiving, in an airfoil structure control system, an arming signal from a switch system;
visually indicating on a flight deck interface, responsive to an event during operation of the aircraft, a desired position for the airfoil structure;
generating, responsive to a visual indication of the desired position, a movement command in the airfoil structure control system;
sending the movement command to an airfoil structure movement system; and
moving, via the airfoil movement system, the airfoil structure.

12. The process of claim 11 , further comprising:
the airfoil structure control system visually indicating the desired position via at least one of: changing a position of a switch in the flight deck interface, flashing a graphical indicator in the flight deck interface, and sounding an audible alert.

13. The process of claim 12 , further comprising changing the position of the switch comprising moving, in response to the event occurring, the switch from a first position to a second position in the flight deck interface.

14. The process of claim 11 , further comprising generating the movement command comprising the airfoil structure control system responding to a change, between a first position and a second position, in the switch followed by the airfoil structure control system receiving an indication of an occurrence of the event.

15. The process of claim 11 , further comprising the event comprising the aircraft comprising at least one of a specified: position, phase of flight, speed, and position of a control surface of the aircraft.

16. The process of claim 11 , further comprising visually indicating comprising a first visual indication and a second visual indication.

17. The process of claim 16 , further comprising visually indicating comprising the first visual indication corresponding to a first switch and the second visual indication corresponding to a second switch.

18. The process of claim 16 , further comprising the first visual indication indicating arming of the switch system.

19. A processor that comprises a tangible storage device that comprises a code configured to execute commands that control a movement of an airfoil structure of an aircraft via an airfoil structure movement system that changes, in response to an event occurring during an operation of the aircraft following an airfoil structure control system receiving an armed signal and visually indicating, on a flight deck interface and prior to movement of the airfoil, a desired position of the airfoil structure, a span of the airfoil structure.

20. The processor of claim 19 , further comprising the code configured to execute on the flight deck interface a visual indication of reception, by the airfoil structure control system, of the armed signal and, after occurrence of the event, a visual indication of the desired position of the airfoil structure, such that the visual indication of the desired position generates a command to move the airfoil structure.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Thoreen Adam Marshall
• Baer Joshua Jay
• Sikora Joseph Adam
• Lassen Matthew August
• Foster Michael Edwin
• Gallagher Jr Timothy Patrick

Classifications

• B64D45/0005 Primary

  Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear · CPC title

• B64C23/065

  at the wing tips · CPC title

• B64D45/00

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C9/00

  Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders (trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10) · CPC title

• B64C23/072

  the wing tip airfoil devices being moveable in their entirety · CPC title