Aircraft side lever control method, aircraft side lever and aircraft

Abstract

The invention provides an aircraft side lever control method, an aircraft side lever and an aircraft. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring a control mode of the aircraft side lever; when the aircraft side rod is in the cursor control mode, controlling a cursor of an aircraft display interface through the aircraft side rod; and when the aircraft side lever is in the flight control mode, controlling the flight direction and the vertical speed gear of the aircraft through the aircraft side lever. By enhancing the function of the side rod of the aircraft, the operation load of a pilot can be effectively reduced, so that the interaction level of the pilot without changing the hand position is improved, and the safety of flight driving is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of sidestick control, and in particular to an aircraft sidestick control method, an aircraft sidestick and an aircraft. Background Art

[0002] For electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft deployed on a large scale in urban operating environments, pilots need to pay close attention to multiple parameters such as flight status, battery power, and flight path during the vertical take-off and landing, flight mode conversion, and other stages.

[0003] At present, the sidestick control device installed on the aircraft can usually only realize the pitch and roll movements of the aircraft and does not have other functions. As a result, pilots must frequently operate other equipment. Long-term high-density operation can easily cause pilot fatigue, affect their judgment and reaction speed, and pose a challenge to flight safety.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an aircraft sidestick control method, an aircraft sidestick, and an aircraft to enhance the sidestick function and reduce the pilot's operating load without changing the interactive energy level of the hand position. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem solved by the present invention is to provide an aircraft sidestick control method, an aircraft sidestick and an aircraft, which can enhance the sidestick function and reduce the pilot's operating load without changing the interactive energy level of the hand position.

[0006] The present invention solves the technical problem by adopting the following technical solutions: A method for controlling an aircraft sidestick includes: obtaining a control mode of the aircraft sidestick; when the aircraft sidestick is in a cursor control mode, controlling a cursor on an aircraft display interface via the aircraft sidestick; and when the aircraft sidestick is in a flight control mode, controlling the flight direction and vertical speed gear of the aircraft via the aircraft sidestick.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of obtaining the control mode of the aircraft sidestick includes: when an abnormality in the transmission of the aircraft sidestick is detected, detecting whether the sidestick control function is switched; when the sidestick control function of the aircraft is switched, changing the control mode of the aircraft sidestick to the flight control mode; when the sidestick control function of the aircraft is not switched or the transmission is not abnormal, changing the control mode of the aircraft sidestick to the cursor control mode based on key confirmation information.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after the step of detecting whether the sidestick control function has been switched when an abnormality in the aircraft sidestick transmission is detected, the method further includes: entering an emergency landing mode when the sidestick control function has not been switched.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of changing the control mode of the aircraft sidestick to the flight control mode when the sidestick control function of the aircraft is converted includes: detecting whether the aircraft enters the TRC mode when the sidestick control function is converted; when the aircraft enters the TRC mode, automatically switching to the automatic flight mode, and the aircraft sidestick enters the flight control mode, so as to unlock the flight control authority of the button module of the aircraft sidestick.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after the step of controlling the cursor of the aircraft display interface by the aircraft sidestick when the aircraft sidestick is in the cursor control mode, the method further includes: when no cursor operation is detected within a preset time period, causing the aircraft sidestick to exit the cursor control mode.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of auxiliary controlling the flight direction and / or speed of the aircraft by means of the aircraft sidestick when the aircraft sidestick is in the flight control mode includes: acquiring the real-time flight status of the aircraft; when detecting that the aircraft is in a vertical take-off and landing state, switching the control function of the aircraft sidestick and unlocking the control authority of the aircraft sidestick for the vertical speed gear to enable the aircraft sidestick to control the vertical speed of the aircraft; and when detecting that the aircraft is in a cruising flight state, switching the control function of the aircraft sidestick and unlocking the control authority of the aircraft sidestick for the flight direction and flight speed to enable the aircraft sidestick to control the flight direction and flight speed of the aircraft.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above method further includes: in response to the target scene, unlocking the corresponding control authority for the aircraft sidestick, so that the aircraft sidestick controls the target execution device carried in the target scene based on the control authority.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned target scenarios include medical scenarios, logistics scenarios and firefighting scenarios, and the target execution devices include medical devices, logistics devices and firefighting devices.

[0014] The technical effect achieved by the present invention using the above technical solution is: according to the control mode of the aircraft side stick, corresponding control authority is allocated to it, and the function of the aircraft side stick is enhanced, which can effectively reduce the pilot's operating load, thereby improving the pilot's interaction energy level without changing the hand position, and improving the safety of flight driving.

[0015] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the following specifically cites preferred embodiments and describes them in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 A flowchart of a sidestick control method for an aircraft according to the present invention; Figure 2 The figure is an overall flow chart of an aircraft sidestick control method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In order to further illustrate the technical means and effects taken by the present invention to achieve the predetermined purpose of the invention, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements with the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present invention. Through the description of specific implementation methods, the technical means and effects taken by the present invention to achieve the predetermined purpose can be more deeply and specifically understood, and the accompanying drawings are only for reference and illustration purposes, and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0018] For electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTL) aircraft deployed on a large scale in urban operating environments, the cockpit design needs to support the concept of simplified flight to reduce the workload of the flight crew. This is especially true during vertical take-off and landing, flight mode conversion, and other phases, where pilots need to pay close attention to multiple parameters such as flight status, battery charge, and flight path. Currently, aircraft have not yet achieved full automation, and pilots must frequently perform manual intervention, further increasing operational intensity. Prolonged, high-density operations can easily lead to pilot fatigue, affecting their judgment and reaction speed, and posing a challenge to flight safety. Therefore, reducing the pilot's operational load and improving the user-friendliness of the human-machine interface are current issues that urgently need to be addressed in aircraft cockpit operations.

[0019] The present application designs an aircraft sidestick control method for enhancing the control of the aircraft sidestick function, so as to improve the interactive energy level without changing the pilot's hand position and reduce the pilot's control load.

[0020] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 The present invention is a flowchart showing the steps of a sidestick control method for an aircraft.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, an aircraft sidestick control method provided by one embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps: S11: Get the control mode of the aircraft side stick.

[0022] The vertical take-off and landing aircraft sidestick is a control device designed specifically for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Its core function is to achieve integrated control of the aircraft's multi-mode flight through the fly-by-wire system.

[0023] In this embodiment, the control mode refers to the control mode of the aircraft sidestick's operating lever and / or the key module on the aircraft sidestick. This control mode can be switched in a variety of ways. The key module on the aircraft sidestick includes at least four directional keys and a confirmation key. The key module is generally located at the top of the aircraft sidestick. In other embodiments, the key module may also be located on the side of the aircraft sidestick.

[0024] It should be noted that aircraft can be of various types. For example, the sidestick device can be used for aircraft that can actually fly, such as passenger aircraft and vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or it can be used for flight simulation aircraft. The flight simulation aircraft can be a flight simulation trainer for daily training of pilots, or it can be a flight simulation entertainment machine for consumers to experience flying, etc.

[0025] In this embodiment, two control modes can be provided by the direction keys and confirmation key on the side stick: display cursor mode and flight control mode.

[0026] Optionally, the step of obtaining the control mode of the aircraft sidestick includes: when an abnormality is detected in the transmission of the aircraft sidestick, detecting whether the sidestick control function is switched; when the sidestick control function of the aircraft is switched, changing the control mode of the aircraft sidestick to the flight control mode; when the sidestick control function of the aircraft is not switched or the transmission is not abnormal, changing the control mode of the aircraft sidestick to the cursor control mode based on the key confirmation information.

[0027] The side stick control function can be set on the aircraft side stick or in other places of the aircraft (such as the area where the display / display screen is located in front of the driver's seat). The side stick control function conversion button on the aircraft side stick can switch the control mode of the aircraft side stick, such as changing the aircraft side stick control to The mode switches from mode 1 to mode 2, or mode 3, etc.

[0028] When the sidestick is in the initial / normal state, the aircraft uses the sidestick's control lever to execute its sidestick mode functions. For example, by controlling the pitch and roll axes of the control lever, the pilot can control the aircraft's pitch and roll attitude via the sidestick, while the sidestick's other modes are locked. After switching the aircraft's sidestick control mode using the sidestick control function, the aircraft's control authority will change accordingly. For example, flight control authority can be transferred from the aircraft's sidestick control lever to the button module on the aircraft's sidestick (such as controlling flight direction by pressing the direction keys).

[0029] Optionally, when it is detected that the aircraft sidestick transmission is abnormal, after the step of detecting whether the sidestick control function is switched, the method further includes: entering an emergency landing mode when the sidestick control function is not switched.

[0030] Optionally, when the sidestick control function of the aircraft is converted, the step of changing the control mode of the aircraft sidestick to the flight control mode includes: when the sidestick control function is converted, detecting whether the aircraft enters the TRC remote control mode; when the aircraft enters the TRC mode, automatically switching to the automatic flight mode, and the aircraft sidestick enters the flight control mode to unlock the flight control authority of the button module of the aircraft sidestick.

[0031] like Figure 2 As shown, if either or both of the center stick or side sticks become stuck, use the sidestick control function switch on the aircraft to arm the flight control mode. Entering TRC mode automatically switches to automatic flight mode, and the avionics display indicates the entry. Once in flight control mode, the sidestick arrow keys control the aircraft's forward, backward, left, and right translation, while the confirm key controls the aircraft's vertical speed. Even in automatic flight mode, the keypad module still provides auxiliary control.

[0032] In aviation, "arm" (or pre-arm) generally refers to the pre-activation or preparation of a flight system or device, placing it in a ready-to-fly state. In fly-by-wire systems (such as the Airbus A320), to transfer sidestick control authority, the arm is activated by pressing the sidestick control function switch. The system then checks whether the flight conditions (such as altitude and speed) meet the logical requirements for the arm condition (e.g., the sidestick stuck condition described above).

[0033] S12: When the aircraft sidestick is in the cursor control mode, the cursor on the aircraft display interface is controlled by the aircraft sidestick.

[0034] In the display cursor mode, the cursor on the aircraft's display screen can be operated by the aircraft's side stick joystick or direction keys and the confirmation key. The cursor on the display screen may be displayed after the aircraft's side stick enters the display cursor mode.

[0035] Optionally, when the aircraft sidestick is in the cursor control mode, after the step of controlling the cursor of the aircraft display interface through the aircraft sidestick, it includes: when no cursor operation is detected within a preset time period, causing the aircraft sidestick to exit the cursor control mode.

[0036] For example, after the aircraft's avionics and flight control systems are powered on and self-checked, the pilot can enter cursor display mode by default by pressing the confirm button on the aircraft's sidestick. In cursor display mode, the arrow keys and confirm button replace the functions of the traditional aircraft CCD, controlling the left, right, up, and down movement of the cursor on the avionics display and providing a selection function. If the pilot does not make any selections or clicks within 30 seconds while in cursor display mode, the system automatically exits cursor display mode.

[0037] S13: When the aircraft side stick is in the flight control mode, the flight direction and vertical speed gear of the aircraft are controlled by the aircraft side stick.

[0038] Specifically, in flight control mode, the direction and speed of the aircraft can be controlled by the direction keys + confirmation key on the aircraft side stick.

[0039] Optionally, when the aircraft sidestick is in flight control mode, the step of controlling the flight direction and / or speed of the aircraft through the aircraft sidestick includes: obtaining the real-time flight status of the aircraft; when it is detected that the aircraft is in a vertical take-off and landing state, switching the control function of the aircraft sidestick, unlocking the control authority of the aircraft sidestick for the vertical speed gear, so as to enable the aircraft sidestick to control the vertical speed of the aircraft; when it is detected that the aircraft is in a cruising flight state, switching the control function of the aircraft sidestick, unlocking the control authority of the aircraft sidestick for the flight direction and flight speed, so as to enable the aircraft sidestick to control the flight direction and flight speed of the aircraft.

[0040] When the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing mode, if the control stick is abnormal or a side stick control function conversion command is received, the up and down directions of the aircraft can be controlled by the direction keys of the key module (normally, the side stick control stick is directly used for control). The speed gear can be switched by the confirmation key to control the takeoff and landing speed of the aircraft.

[0041] When the aircraft is in cruise flight mode, if the operating stick is abnormal or a side stick control function conversion command is received, the direction of the aircraft's flight can be controlled by the direction keys of the key module, and the speed gear can be switched by the confirmation key to control the flight speed of the aircraft.

[0042] Optionally, the method further includes: in response to the target scenario, unlocking a corresponding control authority for the aircraft sidestick, so that the aircraft sidestick controls the target execution device in the target scenario based on the control authority.

[0043] The target scene can be switched through specific buttons or voice input.

[0044] Optionally, the target scenarios include: medical scenarios, logistics scenarios and firefighting scenarios, and the target execution devices include: medical devices, logistics devices and firefighting devices.

[0045] For example, in a medical scenario, the rescue stretcher or other rescue equipment carried on the aircraft can be controlled by the side stick and the key module thereon; in a logistics scenario, the loading and unloading equipment can be controlled by the side stick and the key module thereon; in a firefighting scenario, the water gun or other sprinkler equipment can be controlled by the side stick and the key module thereon; in a camera scenario, the camera equipment (such as direction and angle, etc.) can be controlled by the side stick and the key module thereon.

[0046] By enhancing the function of the aircraft side stick as described above, the present invention can effectively reduce the pilot's operating load, improve the friendliness of the human-computer interaction interface, increase the pilot's interaction energy level without changing the hand position, and improve the safety of flight driving.

[0047] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the accompanying drawings are shown sequentially as indicated by the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed sequentially in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some of the steps in the accompanying drawings may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages, and these sub-steps or stages are not necessarily executed and completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and their execution order is not necessarily sequential, but can be executed in rotation or alternation with other steps or at least a portion of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0048] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will clearly understand that the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented via hardware or via software combined with a necessary general-purpose hardware platform. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention can be embodied in the form of a software product. This software product can be stored on a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, or mobile hard drive) and includes a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (such as a personal computer, server, or network device) to execute the methods described in various implementation scenarios of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0049] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. The above embodiments and drawings are exemplary. The modules or processes in the drawings are not necessarily required to implement the embodiments of the present invention and cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention can be subjected to various simple modifications and combinations, and these simple modifications and combinations all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sidestick control method for an aircraft, characterized in that: include: Get the control mode of the aircraft's sidestick; When the aircraft sidestick is in cursor control mode, the cursor on the aircraft display interface is controlled by the aircraft sidestick; When the aircraft side stick is in the flight control mode, the flight direction and vertical speed gear of the aircraft are controlled by the aircraft side stick.

2. The aircraft sidestick control method according to claim 1, wherein: The steps to obtain the aircraft sidestick control mode include: When an abnormality is detected in the sidestick transmission of the aircraft, detecting whether the sidestick control function is switched; When the sidestick control function of the aircraft is switched, the control mode of the aircraft sidestick is changed to the flight control mode; When the side stick control function of the aircraft is not converted or the transmission is not abnormal, the control mode of the aircraft side stick is changed to the cursor control mode based on the key confirmation information.

3. The aircraft sidestick control method according to claim 2, wherein: When an abnormality is detected in the aircraft sidestick transmission, after the step of detecting whether the sidestick control function is switched, the method further includes: When the sidestick control function is not switched, enter the emergency landing mode.

4. The aircraft sidestick control method according to claim 2, wherein: When the sidestick control function of the aircraft is switched, the step of changing the control mode of the aircraft sidestick to the flight control mode includes: When the sidestick control function is switched, detecting whether the aircraft enters the TRC remote control mode; When the aircraft enters the TRC mode, it automatically switches to the automatic flight mode, and the aircraft side stick enters the flight control mode to unlock the flight control authority of the button module of the aircraft side stick.

5. The aircraft sidestick control method according to claim 1, wherein: When the aircraft sidestick is in the cursor control mode, after the step of controlling the cursor on the aircraft display interface by using the aircraft sidestick, the method includes: When no cursor operation is detected within a preset time period, the aircraft side stick is caused to exit the cursor control mode.

6. The aircraft sidestick control method according to claim 1, wherein: When the aircraft sidestick is in the flight control mode, the step of controlling the flight direction and / or speed of the aircraft by using the aircraft sidestick includes: Get the real-time flight status of the aircraft; When it is detected that the aircraft is in a vertical take-off and landing state, the control function of the aircraft side stick is switched to unlock the control authority of the aircraft side stick for the vertical speed gear, so as to enable the aircraft side stick to control the vertical speed of the aircraft; When it is detected that the aircraft is in a cruising flight state, the control function of the aircraft side stick is switched, and the control authority of the aircraft side stick for the flight direction and flight speed is unlocked, so that the aircraft side stick can control the flight direction and flight speed of the aircraft.

7. The aircraft sidestick control method according to claim 1, wherein: The aircraft sidestick control method further includes: In response to the target scenario, a corresponding control authority is unlocked for the aircraft sidestick, so that the aircraft sidestick controls the target execution device in the target scenario based on the control authority.

8. The aircraft sidestick control method according to claim 6, wherein: The target scenarios include medical scenarios, logistics scenarios and firefighting scenarios, and the target execution devices include medical devices, logistics devices and firefighting devices.

9. An aircraft side stick, characterized in that: The aircraft sidestick can apply the steps of the aircraft sidestick control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An aircraft, characterized in that: The aircraft is provided with the aircraft side stick as claimed in claim 9.

Images