Aircraft control method and device, flight controller, aircraft and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses an aircraft control method and device, a flight controller, an aircraft and a storage medium. The method comprises the steps that the link state of a first communication link is obtained, the first communication link is a communication link between a main flight controller and a standby flight controller, and the main flight controller is a flight controller controlling an actuating system to work at the current moment; when the link state of the first communication link is an abnormal state, feedback data sent by an actuation system are obtained through a second communication link, and the feedback data are data formed in the working process of the actuation system controlled by the main flight controller; and when the feedback data satisfies a flight control switching condition, the standby flight controller and the actuation system execute a communication synchronization operation, and after the communication synchronization operation is completed, the standby flight controller is switched to control the actuation system to work.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft control technology, and in particular to an aircraft control method, device, flight controller, aircraft, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are crucial for supporting the development of urban air mobility. To meet flight safety requirements, redundant flight controller design and intelligent fault-tolerant technology are typically needed to ensure safe flight even in the event of single or multiple points of failure in the flight controller. Existing redundant flight controller designs require at least three flight controllers, with the third controller monitoring and adjudicating any anomalies in the communication status between any two controllers. This redundancy increases system complexity, size, and cost. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an aircraft control method, apparatus, flight controller, aircraft, and storage medium to address the problems of increased system complexity, size, and cost associated with existing redundant designs using at least three flight controllers.

[0004] An aircraft control method includes the following steps executed by a flight controller: Obtain the link status of the first communication link, which is the communication link between the primary flight controller and the backup flight controller, wherein the primary flight controller is the flight controller that controls the operation of the actuation system at the current moment; When the link status of the first communication link is abnormal, feedback data sent by the actuation system is obtained through the second communication link. The feedback data is the data generated by the main flight controller controlling the operation of the actuation system. When the feedback data meets the flight control switching conditions, the backup flight controller and the actuation system perform a communication synchronization operation. After the communication synchronization operation is completed, the backup flight controller switches to control the operation of the actuation system. The backup flight controller and the main flight controller are two flight controllers with redundant design.

[0005] Preferably, after acquiring the feedback data sent by the actuation system via the second communication link, the aircraft control method further includes: When the feedback data does not meet the flight control switching conditions, the backup flight controller and the main flight controller enter an independent control mode.

[0006] Preferably, the actuation system includes multiple motor controllers; The feedback data includes the current status of the main flight controller and the current number of packet losses for multiple motor controllers; The flight control switching conditions include the current state of the main flight controller being invalid, or the number of controllers corresponding to motor controllers being greater than the first preset number when the current number of packet losses is greater than the second preset number.

[0007] Preferably, after obtaining the link status of the first communication link, the aircraft control method includes: When the link status of the first communication link changes from normal to abnormal, a target message is formed based on the last valid message sent by the main flight controller through the first communication link and the current status of the backup flight controller, and the target message is sent to the actuation system.

[0008] Preferably, after obtaining the link status of the first communication link, the aircraft control method includes: When the link status of the first communication link is in a normal state, the first status information corresponding to the main flight controller is received through the first communication link, and the second status information corresponding to the main flight controller is received by the actuation system forwarded through the second communication link. Based on the first state information and the second state information corresponding to the main flight controller, the current state of the main flight controller is determined; When the current state corresponding to the primary flight controller is invalid, the backup flight controller performs a communication synchronization operation with the actuation system. After the communication synchronization operation is completed, the backup flight controller switches to control the operation of the actuation system. When the current state corresponding to the primary flight controller is not invalid, the backup flight controller and the primary flight controller enter an independent control mode.

[0009] Preferably, the backup flight controller and the actuation system perform communication synchronization operations, including: Initialization commands are sent to multiple motor controllers of the actuation system, and response information is received from multiple motor controllers. If all the response information fed back by the motor controllers includes an initialization completion identifier, then it is determined that the standby flight controller has completed the communication synchronization operation with all the motor controllers. If the response information fed back by at least one of the motor controllers does not include an initialization completion flag, then the current feedback count is updated; If the current feedback count is less than the preset feedback count, then the initialization command sent to the multiple motor controllers of the actuation system is executed repeatedly, and the response information sent by the multiple motor controllers is received. If the current feedback count is not less than the preset feedback count, a forced switching operation is performed, directly switching the backup flight controller to control the actuation system.

[0010] An aircraft control device, comprising: The link status acquisition module is used to acquire the link status of the first communication link, which is the communication link between the main flight controller and the backup flight controller. The main flight controller is the flight controller that controls the operation of the actuation system at the current moment. The feedback data acquisition module is used to acquire feedback data sent by the actuation system through the second communication link when the link status of the first communication link is abnormal. The feedback data is the data generated by the main flight controller controlling the operation of the actuation system. The flight switching operation module is used to perform a communication synchronization operation between the backup flight controller and the actuation system when the feedback data meets the flight control switching conditions, and to switch the backup flight controller to control the operation of the actuation system after the communication synchronization operation is completed. The backup flight controller and the main flight controller are two flight controllers with redundant design.

[0011] A flight controller includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the aforementioned aircraft control method.

[0012] An aircraft, comprising an actuation system and two flight controllers as described above; The two flight controllers are connected via a first communication link, and each flight controller is connected to the actuation system via a second communication link.

[0013] A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described aircraft control method.

[0014] In the aforementioned aircraft control method, device, flight controller, aircraft, and storage medium, a redundant design of two flight controllers is adopted. The aircraft's built-in actuation system assists the flight controller in status monitoring, eliminating the need to introduce additional flight controllers or third-party equipment, which helps reduce system complexity, size, and cost. The two flight controllers communicate with each other through a first communication link, while the flight controller communicates with the actuation system through a second communication link to avoid common-mode interference and ensure the accuracy of subsequent control. When the first communication link is in an abnormal state and the feedback data from the actuation system meets the flight switching conditions, a synchronous communication operation is first performed with the execution system, and then the backup flight controller is switched to control the actuation system to ensure flight safety after the flight controller switches control. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an aircraft control method in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A flowchart following step S101; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 In step S103 or Figure 2 A flowchart of step S203; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the flight control system in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is another flowchart of the aircraft control method in this embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an aircraft control device in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To make the technical problems solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0018] This invention provides an aircraft control method that, while maintaining system size and cost, further improves the status detection of two flight controllers. Specifically, through physical link and algorithm design, it enhances the flight controller's ability to judge the entire flight control system. Furthermore, it enhances the reliability of the interaction process between the two flight controllers through a complete interaction process. This process does not require adding flight controllers or third-party equipment to detect abnormal situations between the two flight controllers.

[0019] In this embodiment, the aircraft includes two flight controllers and an actuation system. The actuation system includes multiple motor controllers, each controlling the operation of one motor. The two flight controllers are a primary flight controller and a backup flight controller. The primary flight controller is the one currently controlling the actuation system, while the backup flight controller is the one not currently controlling the actuation system and serves as a standby controller. The two flight controllers communicate with each other via a first communication link. Each flight controller communicates with the actuation system via a second communication link.

[0020] This invention provides an aircraft control method, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the following steps are performed by the flight controller: S101: Obtain the link status of the first communication link. The first communication link is the communication link between the main flight controller and the backup flight controller. The main flight controller is the flight controller that controls the operation of the actuation system at the current moment. S102: When the link status of the first communication link is abnormal, the feedback data sent by the actuation system is obtained through the second communication link. The feedback data is the data generated by the main flight controller controlling the operation of the actuation system. S103: When the feedback data meets the flight control switching conditions, the standby flight controller and the actuation system perform communication synchronization operation. After the communication synchronization operation is completed, the standby flight controller switches to control the actuation system. The backup flight controller and the main flight controller are two flight controllers with redundant design.

[0021] The link status of the first communication link reflects whether there is any abnormality in the first communication link; the link status can be either abnormal or normal. The flight controller switching conditions are pre-set conditions used to assess whether it is necessary to switch the flight controller's control actuation system.

[0022] As an example, in step S101, after the aircraft is successfully initialized, the main flight controller will control the actuation system to work based on its local control law. At this time, the backup flight controller will send its own status information to the main flight controller through the first communication link and to the actuation system through the second communication link, so that the actuation system can forward it to the main flight controller. The main flight controller will also send its own status information to the backup flight controller through the first communication link and to the actuation system through the second communication link, so that the actuation system can forward it to the backup flight controller.

[0023] During this process, the backup flight controller will monitor the link status of the first communication link in real time. Specifically, the backup flight controller can send a request message to the primary flight controller through the first communication link (this request message can be its own status information or a message requesting a link separately). If a response message is received within a preset message period, the link status is determined to be normal; otherwise, if a response message is not received within the preset message period, the link status is determined to be abnormal.

[0024] As an example, in step S102, when the link status between the first communication links is abnormal, it can be determined that the primary flight controller and the backup flight controller cannot communicate normally. At this time, the backup flight controller can receive feedback data sent by the actuation system. This feedback data is data generated by the primary flight controller controlling the operation of the actuation system, and may include the status information corresponding to the primary flight controller, as well as feedback information from multiple motor controllers of the actuation system in response to the control commands of the primary flight controller. Next, the backup flight controller also needs to compare the feedback data with the pre-set flight control switching conditions to determine whether the flight control switching conditions are met.

[0025] As an example, in step S103, when the feedback data from the primary flight controller meets the flight control switching conditions, the backup flight controller needs to perform a flight controller switching operation. Specifically, this requires controlling the backup flight controller to perform a communication synchronization operation with the actuation system to eliminate state information differences, time information differences, and standard information differences between the backup flight controller and the motor controllers of the actuation system. After the communication synchronization operation is completed, the backup flight controller is switched to control the actuation system, so that the backup flight controller can send its local control law to the actuation system to control its operation. In this example, when the primary flight controller malfunctions, the backup flight controller can proactively upgrade to become the primary flight controller and control the actuation system to ensure the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0026] In this embodiment, a redundant design with two flight controllers is adopted. The flight controllers are assisted by the aircraft's own actuation system for status monitoring, eliminating the need to introduce additional flight controllers or third-party equipment, which helps reduce system complexity, size, and cost. The two flight controllers communicate with each other through a first communication link, while the flight controllers communicate with the actuation system through a second communication link to avoid common-mode interference and ensure the accuracy of subsequent control. When the first communication link is in an abnormal state and the feedback data from the actuation system meets the flight switching conditions, a synchronous communication operation is first performed with the execution system, and then the backup flight controller is switched to control the actuation system to ensure flight safety after the flight controller switches control.

[0027] In one embodiment, after acquiring feedback data sent by the actuation system via a second communication link, the aircraft control method further includes: When the feedback data does not meet the flight control switching conditions, the backup flight controller and the main flight controller enter an independent control mode.

[0028] As an example, when the link status between the first communication links is abnormal and the feedback data of the actuation system does not meet the flight control switching conditions, for example, when the current status of the main flight controller is valid, it can be determined that although the main flight controller and the backup flight controller cannot communicate normally, the main flight controller can control the actuation system to work normally, and there is no need to perform a flight controller switching operation. At this time, the backup flight controller and the main flight controller enter an independent control mode, that is, the main flight controller still controls the actuation system to work, while the backup flight controller does not control the actuation system to work but monitors the current status of the main flight controller so as to upgrade and switch in time when the main flight controller is abnormal, so as to ensure the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0029] In one embodiment, the actuation system includes multiple motor controllers; The feedback data includes the current status of the main flight controller and the current number of packet losses for multiple motor controllers; Flight control switching conditions include the main flight controller being in an invalid state, or the number of controllers corresponding to motor controllers being greater than the first preset number, or the number of current packet loss being greater than the second preset number.

[0030] As an example, during the operation of the actuation system controlled by the main flight controller, the actuation system acquires the status information sent by the main flight controller through the second communication link. Based on the status information, it determines the current status of the main flight controller. This current status can be any of the following: initialization state (init), standby state (standby), valid state (valid), or invalid state (invalid). The actuation system sends control commands generated by the main flight controller based on its local control law to multiple motor controllers, enabling the motor controllers to execute the corresponding control commands. During this process, the multiple motor controllers report the current packet loss count. This current packet loss count reflects the number of data packets not received at the current moment, which can be understood as the number of fewer data packets received by each motor controller. It reflects whether the main flight controller can normally control the multiple motor controllers of the actuation system to work normally. The first preset quantity is a pre-set quantity used to evaluate the number of data packets that a certain motor controller cannot normally receive from the main flight controller; this first preset quantity can be set to 1. The second preset quantity is a pre-set quantity used to evaluate whether the number of controllers meets a certain standard; this second preset quantity can be set to 3.

[0031] In this example, after receiving the current status of the primary flight controller from the actuation system, the backup flight controller needs to determine whether the current status of the primary flight controller is invalid. If the current status of the primary flight controller is invalid, it can be determined that the primary flight controller cannot continue to work normally at the current moment, and the flight control switching conditions can be directly met. It is necessary to switch the backup flight controller to control the actuation system to ensure the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0032] In this example, after receiving the current packet loss counts from multiple motor controllers fed back by the actuation system, the backup flight controller needs to compare the current packet loss count with a first preset count. If the current packet loss count of any motor controller is greater than the first preset count, it can be determined that the communication between that motor controller and the main flight controller is abnormal, causing that motor controller to be unable to work normally according to the control commands of the main flight controller. Next, it is necessary to count the number of controllers corresponding to the motor controllers whose current packet loss count is greater than the first preset count, and compare this number with a second preset count. If the number of controllers is greater than the second preset count, it is determined that a large number of motor controllers cannot communicate normally with the main flight controller, which is highly likely that the main flight controller itself is faulty and cannot continue to work normally. It can be determined that the flight control switching conditions are met, and it is necessary to switch the backup flight controller to control the actuation system to ensure the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0033] In this example, when the current state of the primary flight controller is not invalid (e.g., it can be in an initialization state, a standby state, or an active state), and the number of controllers corresponding to motor controllers with a current packet loss number greater than a first preset number is not greater than a second preset number, it is determined that the flight control switching conditions are not met. At this time, the backup flight controller and the primary flight controller enter an independent control mode, that is, the primary flight controller still maintains the operation of the actuation system, while the backup flight controller does not control the operation of the actuation system but monitors the current state of the primary flight controller, so as to upgrade and switch in time when the primary flight controller malfunctions, in order to ensure the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0034] In one embodiment, after step S101, i.e. after obtaining the link status of the first communication link, the aircraft control method includes: When the link status of the first communication link changes from normal to abnormal, a target message is formed based on the last valid message sent by the main flight controller through the first communication link and the current status of the backup flight controller, and the target message is sent to the actuation system.

[0035] As an example, the backup flight controller monitors the link status of the first communication link in real time. When the link status changes from normal to abnormal, it can retrieve the last valid message frame sent by the primary flight controller through the first communication link from its cache. This last valid message frame can be transmitted normally to the backup flight controller through the first communication link. Then, it extracts the instruction content for controlling the actuation system from the last valid message frame. Based on the instruction content and the current status of the backup flight controller, it forms a target message. The target message is then sent to the actuation system so that the actuation system knows the instruction content needed to control the actuation system when the first communication link changes from normal to abnormal. This ensures that the actuation system can maintain normal operation based on the instruction content in the target message when the primary flight controller malfunctions. It can also enable the actuation system to know the current status of the backup flight controller and transmit the current status of the backup flight controller to the primary flight controller through the second communication link so that the primary flight controller can monitor the current status of the backup flight controller and execute the target response strategy.

[0036] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, after step S101, that is, after obtaining the link status of the first communication link, the aircraft control method includes: S201: When the link status of the first communication link is normal, the first status information corresponding to the main flight controller is received through the first communication link, and the second status information corresponding to the main flight controller is received by the actuation system forwarded through the second communication link. S202: Determine the current state of the main flight controller based on the first and second state information corresponding to the main flight controller; S203: When the current state corresponding to the primary flight controller is invalid, the backup flight controller and the actuation system perform a communication synchronization operation. After the communication synchronization operation is completed, the backup flight controller is switched to control the actuation system. S204: When the current state corresponding to the primary flight controller is not invalid, the backup flight controller and the primary flight controller enter independent control mode.

[0037] In this example, the aircraft is equipped with an actuation system and two flight controllers. The two flight controllers communicate with each other through a first communication link so that they can transmit their corresponding status information to each other. Either flight controller communicates with each other through a second communication link so that either flight controller can transmit the status information of the other flight controller through the second communication link so that either flight controller can determine whether the other flight controller is abnormal based on the status information of the other flight controller received from the two communication links.

[0038] The first status information is sent by the primary flight controller to reflect its own status. This first status information can be a status identifier or a status feature. The second status information is forwarded by the actuation system from the primary flight controller, and it can also be a status identifier or a status feature. A status identifier is a signal that directly determines whether the flight controller is malfunctioning; for example, a status identifier of 1 indicates that the flight controller is malfunctioning, and a status identifier of 0 indicates that the flight controller is not malfunctioning. Status features are characteristics that reflect whether the flight controller is malfunctioning; these require subsequent feature analysis to determine whether the flight controller is malfunctioning.

[0039] In this example, after the aircraft is initialized, the two flight controllers will automatically update their corresponding status information according to the system's default configuration. Each flight controller will send its corresponding status information to the other flight controller via a first communication link and then to the actuation system via a second communication link, so that the actuation system can forward the status information to the other flight controller.

[0040] As an example, in step S201, when the link status of the first communication link is normal, the backup flight controller can receive the first status information corresponding to the primary flight controller through the first communication link. This first status information can reflect whether there is an anomaly in the primary flight controller, so as to determine the current status of the primary flight controller. The backup flight controller can also receive the second status information corresponding to the primary flight controller forwarded by the actuation system through the second communication link. This second status information can also reflect whether there is an anomaly in the primary flight controller, so as to determine the current status of the primary flight controller.

[0041] As an example, in step S202, the backup flight controller comprehensively evaluates and determines the current state of the primary flight controller based on the first and second state information corresponding to the primary flight controller transmitted through the two communication links. In this example, if both the first and second state information indicate that the primary flight controller is not abnormal, the backup flight controller determines that the current state of the primary flight controller is normal; conversely, if at least one of the first and second state information indicates that the primary flight controller is abnormal, the backup flight controller determines that the current state of the primary flight controller is abnormal.

[0042] As an example, in step S203, when the main flight controller is in an invalid state, it can be determined that the main flight controller cannot work properly. At this time, a flight controller switching operation needs to be performed. Specifically, the backup flight controller needs to be controlled to perform a communication synchronization operation with the actuation system to delete the state information difference, time information difference, and standard information difference between the backup flight controller and the motor controller of the actuation system. After the communication synchronization operation is completed, the backup flight controller is switched to control the actuation system to work, so that the backup flight controller can send its local control law to the actuation system to control the actuation system to work, thereby ensuring the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0043] As an example, in step S204, when the main flight controller is not in an invalid state, the backup flight controller can control the actuation system normally without needing to perform a flight controller switching operation. At this time, the backup flight controller and the main flight controller enter an independent control mode, that is, the main flight controller still controls the actuation system, while the backup flight controller does not control the actuation system and monitors the current state of the main flight controller so that it can upgrade and switch in time when the main flight controller malfunctions, in order to ensure the flight safety of the aircraft.

[0044] In this embodiment, the backup flight controller receives the first and second state information from the primary flight controller via two communication links to ensure that the two state information have different sources, avoid common-mode interference, and ensure the accuracy of subsequent control. Furthermore, based on the first and second state information of the primary flight controller, the current state of the primary flight controller is determined to ensure the accuracy of the current state. Then, based on the current state of the primary flight controller, a target response strategy is executed to ensure flight safety after the flight controller switches control.

[0045] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, in step S103 or step S203, the backup flight controller and the actuation system perform a communication synchronization operation, including: S301: Sends initialization commands to multiple motor controllers of the actuation system and receives response information from multiple motor controllers; S302: If all motor controllers send response information including an initialization completion flag, then the standby flight controller is confirmed to have completed communication synchronization with all motor controllers. S303: If the response information fed back by at least one motor controller does not include the initialization completion flag, then update the current feedback count; S304: If the current number of feedbacks is less than the preset number of feedbacks, the initialization command sent to the multiple motor controllers of the actuation system is repeatedly executed, and the response information sent by the multiple motor controllers is received. S305: If the current number of feedbacks is not less than the preset number of feedbacks, then a forced switching operation is performed to directly switch the standby flight controller to control the actuation system.

[0046] As an example, in step S301, when the backup flight controller determines that the feedback data from the actuation system meets the flight control switching conditions, it needs to send an initialization command to multiple motor controllers of the actuation system through the second communication link between the backup flight controller and the actuation system, and receive response information from the multiple motor controllers based on the initialization command. The initialization command is a command sent by the backup flight controller to the motor controller requesting them to perform communication synchronization operations. The response information is sent by the motor controller to the backup flight controller to reflect whether it has completed the communication synchronization operation.

[0047] As an example, in step S302, when the response information fed back by all motor controllers includes the initialization completion flag, the standby flight controller determines that all motor controllers have released the communication link with the main flight controller by changing their registers or other information, and established a communication link with the main flight controller, so that the standby flight controller and all motor controllers can communicate synchronously. At this time, it can be determined that the communication synchronization operation between the standby flight controller and all motor controllers is completed, so as to achieve the purpose of switching the standby flight controller to control the operation of multiple motor controllers.

[0048] As an example, in step S303, when the response information fed back by at least one motor controller includes the non-initialization completion flag, the standby flight controller determines that the communication link between at least one motor controller and the main flight controller remains connected. At this time, the current feedback count N needs to be updated, that is, N = N + 1; then, it is judged whether the current feedback count N is greater than the preset feedback count M.

[0049] As an example, in step S304, when the current feedback count is less than the preset feedback count (that is, N < M), it can be determined that the number of times the standby flight controller and the actuation system perform the communication synchronization operation is small, and step S301 can be repeated, that is, repeat the initialization instruction sent to the multiple motor controllers of the actuation system and receive the response information sent by the multiple motor controllers.

[0050] As an example, in step S305, when the current feedback count is not less than the preset feedback count (that is, N ≥ M), it can be determined that the number of times of performing the communication synchronization operation with the actuation system is large, and it is infeasible to continue the communication synchronization operation to achieve the flight control switch. At this time, it is necessary to directly perform the forced switch operation. Specifically, update the control state of the standby flight controller to the active state active, and directly switch the standby flight controller to control the operation of the actuation system.

[0051] As Figure 4 shown, the two flight controllers of the flight control system in this example are PFCM and BFCM respectively, and the actuation system includes multiple motor controllers (hereinafter referred to as MCU). PFCM communicates with BFCM through a first communication link, PFCM is connected to the MCU through a second communication link, and BFCM is connected to the MCU through another second communication link.

[0052] When the first communication link is in a normal state, the PFCM and BFCM can communicate normally, each performing the following operations: The PFCM sends its own status information to the BFCM via the first communication link and to the MCU of the actuation system via the second communication link. The PFCM can also receive the first status information of the BFCM via the first communication link and receive the second status information of the BFCM forwarded by the MCU via the second communication link. Based on the first and second status information of the BFCM, the PFCM determines its current status and queries the PFCM's built-in response strategy mapping relationship to determine its target response strategy. Correspondingly, the BFCM sends its own status information to the PFCM via the first communication link and to the MCU of the actuation system via the second communication link. The BFCM can also receive the first status information of the PFCM via the first communication link and receive the second status information of the PFCM forwarded by the MCU via the second communication link. Based on the first and second status information of the PFCM, the BFCM determines its current status and queries the BFCM's built-in response strategy mapping relationship to determine its target response strategy. The target response strategy here can be maintaining independent control mode or performing a flight control switching operation.

[0053] With BFCM as the backup flight controller and PFCM as the primary flight controller, and the first communication link as CCDL, BFCM will perform different operations according to the link status of CCDL: (1) When the link status of CCDL is normal, BFCM will receive control commands formed by PFCM based on local control laws through CCDL and forward the control commands to the actuation system. (2) When the link status of CCDL changes from normal to abnormal, BFCM will obtain the last valid message sent by PFCM through CCDL, form a target message based on the instruction content in the last valid message and the current status of BFCM, and send the target message to the actuation system. For example, the target message here may include BFCM_status, air_ground_st, high_voltage_charging_st, vehicle_power_mode, and air_ground_st_vd. (3) When the link status of CCDL is abnormal, the feedback data of the actuation system will be obtained to determine whether the flight control switching conditions are met. When the flight control switching conditions are met, the BFCM backup flight controller and the actuation system will perform communication synchronization operation. After the communication synchronization operation is completed, the BFCM will switch to control the actuation system.

[0054] like Figure 6As shown, when the link status of the first communication link CCDL is abnormal, the BFCM performs a flight controller switching operation to ensure that all motors in the actuation system are switched to BFCM control synchronously. The specific steps are as follows.

[0055] (A) When the link status of the first communication link CCDL is abnormal, the BFCM obtains the feedback data Vpcss_commandFeedback of the actuation system and determines the current status PFCM_status from the feedback data Vpcss_commandFeedback.

[0056] (B) When the current status of PFCM is valid, i.e. PFCM_status=valid, it is determined that BFCM and PFCM enter the standby flight controller and the main flight controller enter independent control mode, i.e. PFCM maintains the main flight controller, while BFCM maintains the standby flight controller.

[0057] (C) When the current state of PFCM is invalid, i.e. PFCM_status=invalid, it is determined that PFCM cannot work properly and a flight controller switching operation is required to switch BFCM to the new master flight controller. At this time, the control status of the flight control system is updated as follows: BFCM_status==active, PFCM_status==standby, switch_valid=init. The standby flight controller and the actuation system perform communication synchronization operation, i.e., execute (F).

[0058] (D) When the current state of PFCM is the initialization state or the standby state, i.e. PFCM_status=init or PFCM_status=standby, it is necessary to determine the current packet loss number of multiple MCUs from the feedback data Vpcss_commandFeedback, and determine whether at least 3 MCUs have reported that their current packet loss number is greater than 1, i.e. the first preset number is 1 and the second preset number is 3. If yes, execute (E); if no, repeat (A).

[0059] (E) When at least 3 MCUs are detected to report that their current packet loss count is greater than 1, it is determined that the PFCM is not working properly. At this time, the control status of the flight control system is updated as follows: BFCM_status==active, PFCM_status==invalid, switch_valid=switch invalid. The flight controller and the actuation system perform communication synchronization operation, that is, execute (F).

[0060] (F) The BFCM forms a target message based on the last valid message of the actuation system and the current state, and sends the target message to the actuation system so that the MCU keeps the instruction content of the last valid message working, instead of using the control instructions formed by the BFCM local control law. The reason for this is that the control instructions sent by the BFCM are invalid before it successfully switches to the master flight controller, and control still needs to be based on the last valid message of the PFCM.

[0061] (G) BFCM obtains response information from multiple MCUs and determines whether the response information from multiple MCUs includes an initialization completion flag, for example, whether bit0 of wrapcode_cmd is 3; if yes, then execute (I); if no, then execute (H).

[0062] (H) BFCM updates the current feedback count and determines whether the current feedback count is greater than the preset feedback count (e.g., 5). If yes, execute (I); otherwise, execute (F).

[0063] (I) BFCM determines that the flight controller and all motor controllers have completed communication synchronization and updates the control status of the flight control system as follows: BFCM_status==active, PFCM_status==invalid, switch_valid=switch valid, execute (J).

[0064] (J) The BFCM sends channel switching instructions BFCM_status==active, switch_valid=switch valid to multiple MCUs so that the MCUs switch to the state controlled by the BFCM after receiving the channel switching instructions.

[0065] In this embodiment, when the first communication link CCDL is in an abnormal state, the BFCM, which serves as the backup flight controller, smoothly switches from the backup flight controller to the primary flight controller through specific state switching and alternate landing procedures, so as to ensure flight safety after the flight controller switches control.

[0066] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the above embodiments does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0067] In one embodiment, an aircraft control device is provided, which corresponds one-to-one with the aircraft control methods described in the above embodiments. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the aircraft control device includes: The link status acquisition module 601 is used to acquire the link status of the first communication link. The first communication link is the communication link between the main flight controller and the backup flight controller. The main flight controller is the flight controller that controls the operation of the actuation system at the current moment. The feedback data acquisition module 602 is used to acquire feedback data sent by the actuation system through the second communication link when the link status of the first communication link is abnormal. The feedback data is the data generated during the operation of the actuation system controlled by the main flight controller. The flight switching operation module 603 is used to perform communication synchronization operation between the standby flight controller and the actuation system when the feedback data meets the flight control switching conditions, and to switch the standby flight controller to control the actuation system after the communication synchronization operation is completed. The backup flight controller and the main flight controller are two flight controllers with redundant design.

[0068] For specific limitations regarding the aircraft control device, please refer to the limitations on the aircraft control method above, which will not be repeated here. Each module in the aforementioned aircraft control device can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, or a combination thereof. These modules can be embedded in hardware or independently of the processor in the flight controller, or stored in software in the memory of the flight controller, so that the processor can call and execute the corresponding operations of each module.

[0069] This invention provides a flight controller, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the aircraft control method described in the above embodiments, for example... Figure 1 S101-S103 are shown below. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0070] This invention provides an aircraft, including an actuation system and two flight controllers as described above; the two flight controllers are connected to each other via a first communication link, and each flight controller is connected to the actuation system via a second communication link. As an example, the aircraft may be, but is not limited to, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (EVTOL) aircraft.

[0071] This invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the aircraft control method described in the above embodiments, for example... Figure 1 S101-S103 are shown below. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0072] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aircraft control method, characterized in that, This includes the following steps performed by the flight controller: Obtain the link status of the first communication link, which is the communication link between the primary flight controller and the backup flight controller, wherein the primary flight controller is the flight controller that controls the operation of the actuation system at the current moment; When the link status of the first communication link is abnormal, feedback data sent by the actuation system is obtained through the second communication link. The feedback data is the data generated by the main flight controller controlling the operation of the actuation system. When the feedback data meets the flight control switching conditions, the backup flight controller and the actuation system perform a communication synchronization operation. After the communication synchronization operation is completed, the backup flight controller switches to control the operation of the actuation system. The backup flight controller and the main flight controller are two flight controllers with redundant design.

2. The aircraft control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After acquiring the feedback data sent by the actuation system via the second communication link, the aircraft control method further includes: When the feedback data does not meet the flight control switching conditions, the backup flight controller and the main flight controller enter an independent control mode.

3. The aircraft control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The actuation system includes multiple motor controllers; The feedback data includes the current status of the main flight controller and the current number of packet losses for multiple motor controllers; The flight control switching conditions include the current state of the main flight controller being invalid, or the number of controllers corresponding to motor controllers being greater than the first preset number when the current number of packet losses is greater than the second preset number.

4. The aircraft control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After obtaining the link status of the first communication link, the aircraft control method includes: When the link status of the first communication link changes from normal to abnormal, a target message is formed based on the last valid message sent by the main flight controller through the first communication link and the current status of the backup flight controller, and the target message is sent to the actuation system.

5. The aircraft control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After obtaining the link status of the first communication link, the aircraft control method includes: When the link status of the first communication link is in a normal state, the first status information corresponding to the main flight controller is received through the first communication link, and the second status information corresponding to the main flight controller is received by the actuation system forwarded through the second communication link. Based on the first state information and the second state information corresponding to the main flight controller, the current state of the main flight controller is determined; When the current state corresponding to the primary flight controller is invalid, the backup flight controller performs a communication synchronization operation with the actuation system. After the communication synchronization operation is completed, the backup flight controller switches to control the operation of the actuation system. When the current state corresponding to the primary flight controller is not invalid, the backup flight controller and the primary flight controller enter an independent control mode.

6. The aircraft control method according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, The backup flight controller and the actuation system perform communication synchronization operations, including: Initialization commands are sent to multiple motor controllers of the actuation system, and response information is received from multiple motor controllers. If all the response information fed back by the motor controllers includes an initialization completion identifier, then it is determined that the standby flight controller has completed the communication synchronization operation with all the motor controllers. If the response information fed back by at least one of the motor controllers does not include an initialization completion flag, then the current feedback count is updated; If the current feedback count is less than the preset feedback count, then the initialization command sent to the multiple motor controllers of the actuation system is executed repeatedly, and the response information sent by the multiple motor controllers is received. If the current feedback count is not less than the preset feedback count, a forced switching operation is performed, directly switching the backup flight controller to control the actuation system.

7. An aircraft control device, characterized in that, include: The link status acquisition module is used to acquire the link status of the first communication link, which is the communication link between the main flight controller and the backup flight controller. The main flight controller is the flight controller that controls the operation of the actuation system at the current moment. The feedback data acquisition module is used to acquire feedback data sent by the actuation system through the second communication link when the link status of the first communication link is abnormal. The feedback data is the data generated by the main flight controller controlling the operation of the actuation system. The flight switching operation module is used to perform a communication synchronization operation between the backup flight controller and the actuation system when the feedback data meets the flight control switching conditions, and to switch the backup flight controller to control the operation of the actuation system after the communication synchronization operation is completed. The backup flight controller and the main flight controller are two flight controllers with redundant design.

8. A flight controller, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the aircraft control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. An aircraft, characterized in that, Includes an actuation system and two flight controllers as described in claim 8; The two flight controllers are connected via a first communication link, and each flight controller is connected to the actuation system via a second communication link.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the aircraft control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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