Control unit for continuous control signal verification of multi-rotor aircraft before and during flight operations

Abstract

Control unit (10) for the continuous control signal checking of the control elements of multi-rotor aircraft (40) before and during flight operation, comprising a control processing unit (12) with an evaluation and display program (14) that can be coupled to at least one control input element (16) of a multi-rotor aircraft (40) and an associated control program (18) of the multi-rotor aircraft (40), characterized in that the control processing unit (12) is designed with an evaluation program (14),to receive, via a return channel from the multi-rotor aircraft (40), rotational speed changes of the rotor motors calculated by a flight control unit of the multi-rotor aircraft (40) in accordance with the desired flight movement, in a state currently effected by means of the at least one control input element (16) in the associated control program (18), and to visually display these and / or the desired flight movement determined therefrom on a display unit (20) separate from the multi-rotor aircraft (40) before and during flight operation in order to enable a visual check of a consistent correspondence between the calculated rotational speed changes of the rotor motors and the position assumed by the control input element (16).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a control unit for continuously checking control signals of the control elements in multi-rotor aircraft before and during flight operations, as well as to a multi-rotor aircraft comprising such a control unit.

[0002] Multirotor aircraft are increasingly being used for everyday tasks. Furthermore, new areas of application for these aircraft are being developed, so widespread use of such aircraft is expected in the near future. In addition to the numerous challenges during an active flight phase, certain aspects must also be considered before and after flight operations to ensure the overall safe operation of such aircraft.

[0003] Multirotor aircraft, such as multicopters or similar aircraft, have, depending on the model, either no or only very limited adjustable control elements that contribute to flight control and aerodynamics. The speed changes of the usually semi-counter-rotating fixed-rotor electric drive motors, which are logically controlled exclusively by control software, alone cause the change in flight attitude and the desired movement in the air. In commercially available multicopters, this applies to virtually all flight movements. These can include, for example, climbing and descending, horizontal movement forward and backward, as well as lateral movement to the right and left, and even rotation of the aircraft around its vertical axis without translational movement during flight, or any combination thereof.Likewise, additional components or payloads such as cameras and their lateral swiveling relative to the aircraft and their inclination can be controlled independently, together or separately, or additional components or payloads such as manipulators (gripper arms or similar) can also be controlled via the radio interface.

[0004] However, the aforementioned conditions also affect most passenger aircraft currently under development with similar technical propulsion concepts. A multicopter usually has no moving components for flight control, apart from the rotating fixed-rotor motors. Instead, the signal is transmitted purely as a digitally coded signal between the physical control input element, such as a joystick, and the executing element, such as the various propellers.

[0005] Added to this is the second problem: the inability to verify the aircraft's mechanical adjustment components. With conventional aircraft, it is at least possible to visually check before and during a flight whether the control flaps on the wings are deflecting correctly. For example, when the pilot operates the control yoke, the movement of the control flaps on the wings is visible on the outside of the aircraft. It is exactly the same with remote-controlled aircraft, except that the pilot is not sitting in the model, but rather operates the control via a remote control. In any case, with such mechanically or aerodynamically acting control elements, a visual inspection is possible, allowing the correct control direction, the type and speed of deflection, and the full deflections to be verified.

[0006] This is typically completely absent in multirotor aircraft, as there are usually no movable attitude control elements, apart from the rotor speed control. Their effectiveness with regard to attitude or flight itself only begins once the aircraft is already flying. Prior to this, it is not possible to visually verify the correct implementation of operator commands into the execution of the controls, i.e., the flight control.

[0007] In particular, the correct speed change of the rotors in the various flight attitudes cannot be verified by the user, neither before takeoff nor during flight. However, the constant speed changes of the individual, usually counter-rotating, motors with fixed-pitch propellers calculated by the flight control unit are usually the only control option for multirotor aircraft.

[0008] As soon as an error occurs on the invisible digital path between the manual adjustment of the controls by the user and the control acting directly on the actuators, this error cannot be detected without a separate test routine accessible before and / or during the flight, regardless of where in the transmission and processing it occurs between these two poles of user input and its conversion into the desired flight change, and regardless of whether this error occurs in the control unit itself, and further regardless of whether this control unit is mounted in the aircraft itself or integrated into a remote control. For example, a defective potentiometer, which is intended to record the angle degrees of a control unit, which are then transmitted as control signals, cannot be identified as the source of the error before the flight by visually inspecting the aircraft and the rotors.Likewise, a test operation of the controls on multi-rotor aircraft does not result in any visible adjustment of any kind, and it is also not possible to check for possible errors in this way.

[0009] This lack of verifiability between input or control elements and the executing control elements is particularly serious if and when there are additional control signal influencing algorithms that interpret the user's operating requests received from the input elements or control elements and add, subtract or generate their own control signal values.

[0010] There is currently a certain need to meaningfully supplement current security concepts with additional, self-contained security tests and associated devices.

[0011] The following are examples from the state of the art that deal with the topic mentioned in the broadest sense.

[0012] For example, DE 10 2017 006 875 A1 discloses systems and devices for controlling the antenna azimuth orientation of an omnidirectional unmanned aerial vehicle. It discloses the use of a fixed directional antenna mounted on a surface of an omnidirectional UAV. The UAV's orientation is changed as a result of a pitch-roll-yaw command executed by the UAV to optimally position the fixed directional antennas relative to the base station.

[0013] Furthermore, a control device for a helicopter is known from the document DE 31 06 848 C2. In particular, a control device for helicopters with a redundant system for improving stability about the pitch, roll, and yaw axes is known. Each axis is assigned to a stability control unit, whose mechanical control outputs act on the control elements of the respective axis and whose electrical control inputs can be supplied by an analog channel and a digital channel, respectively. The control signals for each of the two channels are generated by a gyroscope, of which the gyroscope of the analog channel can be optionally connected to the stability control unit via an analog amplifier, and the gyroscope of the digital channel can be optionally connected to the stability control unit via a digital computer. Depending on a test signal generated by the digital computer, the gyroscopes emit a predetermined output signal if functioning satisfactorily.In addition, the digital computer is connected to test signal inputs of the gyroscopes of both channels, and the gyroscopes of the analog channel are connected to analog inputs of the digital computer. The helicopter also has a device to indicate that the helicopter is stationary on the ground before flight. Depending on the ground indicator, the digital computer also sends a test signal to the gyroscopes. This test signal compares the test output signals of the gyroscopes with the supplied test signal and displays an error indication if the test output signal from one of the gyroscopes deviates from a permissible value by a predetermined amount. In the absence of a ground indicator, the digital computer compares the output signal from the gyroscope of one channel with the output signal from the gyroscope of the other channel and issues an error indication dependent on the output signals as soon as the detected difference exceeds a predetermined amount.

[0014] A speed-controlled helicopter is also known from the publication DE 10 2005 010 336 B4. This describes a helicopter with three or more lifting units, each with at least one rotor and at least one electronically commutated DC motor driving the rotor. Preferably, at least one sensor is provided for each lifting unit to detect the rotational movement of a rotating component of the lifting unit. The electronically commutated DC motors of the lifting units are preferably designed as external rotors.

[0015] Document DE 10 2012 003 910 A1 discloses a system for wirelessly controlling an RC model with a transmitter and a receiver module located in the RC model. It is proposed that both the setup and calibration, as well as the operation, be performed from a single combined device.

[0016] The document US 4 929 949 A describes a radio control transmitter for carrying out radio remote control of the movement of a model object such as a model airplane, a model helicopter, a model car or the like.

[0017] The document DE 10 2013 002 288 A1 proposes a transmitter that can implement a safe drive for a motor contained in a control object and reproduce an idle state of the motor by associatively using a start-up control element and a speed control control element.

[0018] US 2014 / 0 374 541 A1 discloses an aircraft control device with a first control rod that automatically returns to a preset position after an external force on the first control rod is removed. The preset position corresponds to maintaining a flight condition of the aircraft, which depends on control signals received from the aircraft and generated as a result of changes in the external force applied to the control rod and on condition signals measured by condition measurement sensors carried by the aircraft.

[0019] The publication GB 1 384 668 A describes a display unit for a flight simulator.

[0020] The document DE 44 19 082 A1 comprises an adjustment device for a radio control transmitter which is capable of adjusting the operating size of a model with respect to the operating size of a control lever of a radio control transmitter during the control of the model and the operation of the model.

[0021] The invention is based on the object of providing an alternative control unit for the control testing of multi-rotor aircraft before and during flight operations, which functions reliably and ensures particularly simple operation.

[0022] According to the invention, a control unit is provided for continuously checking the control signals of the control elements of multirotor aircraft before and during flight operations. Such a control unit comprises a control processing unit with an evaluation and display program that can be coupled to at least one control input element of a multirotor aircraft and an associated control program of the multirotor aircraft.The control computing unit with evaluation program is designed to receive, via a return channel from the multi-rotor aircraft, speed changes of the rotor motors calculated by a flight control unit of the multi-rotor aircraft in accordance with the desired flight movement, for a state currently brought about in the associated control program by means of the at least one control input element, and to visually display these and / or the desired flight movement determined therefrom on a display unit separate from the multi-rotor aircraft before and during flight operation in order to enable a visual check of a consistent correspondence between the calculated speed changes of the rotor motors and the position assumed by the control input element.In this way, a control unit for testing the controls of multi-rotor aircraft before and during flight operations can be provided that functions reliably and ensures particularly simple operation. In particular, the relevant states and generally associated control signals can not only be checked at any time, but above all, for example, the respective states and corresponding control signal values ​​can be visually displayed shortly before or during flight operations. This display can be called up or displayed accordingly on the display unit either continuously or at the simple push of a button or by other request, e.g., using a voice control function. It is also conceivable that the visualization can only be displayed or called up when a state first changes.In this respect, the proposed control unit is suitable for visually displaying software control signals output by the combined control system, including at least one control input element and its respective movement changes, directly as a type of pre-flight check. This also allows for a check of consistent correspondence between the control signals as input variables and the respective positions assumed by the at least one control input element and the corresponding display, and is particularly user-friendly for the user.

[0023] In particular, the control unit presented here is designed to display the detected conditions even during flight operations, with the display being able to run parallel to a flight operations menu. Furthermore, the control unit presented here is particularly suitable for, and advantageously supports, quick and user-friendly pre-flight checks.

[0024] In other words, the control unit presented here makes it possible to visually display each control signal lever travel in a pre-flight check menu or as a suitable, continuously visible display during flight. This allows both a correct control signal and an incorrect control signal to be displayed simply and directly.

[0025] The control unit presented here can also be used for, or appropriately integrated with, extended control input elements. Such extended control input elements can, for example, also include controls not directly relevant to flight control, such as rotary or slide controls, which allow for a continuously adjustable adjustment range, for example, from zero to one hundred.

[0026] Current aircraft regulations, during pre-flight inspections of manned aircraft or airplanes, only require a functional check of rotary controls, for example, at a zero position and at a specified intermediate position. A visual inspection of the stepless rotary or thrust movements on the control element itself, along with a check of the desired performance, analogous to the stepless adjustment, is therefore not possible.

[0027] Particularly when it comes to stepless rotary or slide controls that are not entirely and exclusively analog, but are not coupled to any digital interface or corresponding processing unit, a beneficial technical extension is possible in conjunction with the presented control unit. In this respect, for such extended control input elements, a conversion of the stepless rotary or slide control positions into a digital format is almost always possible, and thus the presented control unit can also be used here. In this respect, errors occurring at the interface to such mechanical control elements can be uncovered that could previously only be detected in certain ranges or positions. This advantageously enables extended testing before and during flight.In this respect, the control unit presented is also suitable, for example, for the continuous control signal checking of the control elements and / or extended control input elements of manned aircraft and / or manned aircraft before and during flight operations.

[0028] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, a multi-rotor aircraft is provided, which comprises a control unit according to claims 1 to 9 and a flight control unit configured to calculate, in the associated control program, the speed changes of the rotor motors corresponding to the desired flight movement, based on the state currently achieved by means of the at least one control input element, and to transmit them to the control unit via a return channel. The aforementioned advantages also apply, to the extent applicable, to the multi-rotor aircraft presented.

[0029] Further preferred embodiments of the invention emerge from the remaining features mentioned in the subclaims.

[0030] Thus, in a further embodiment of the invention, the control processing unit with the evaluation and display program is designed to acoustically indicate the current state achieved by the at least one control input element in the associated control program, further using an acoustic device separate from the multirotor aircraft. The aforementioned advantages can thus be implemented even more effectively.

[0031] In addition to a visual display, an acoustic display can also be provided, which makes the control signals and changes in the control signal perceptible, for example, through a pitch or other modulation. In this way, the control signals can also be checked acoustically. This allows the harmonious interaction of the control input elements, for example, in the form of control levers and the associated control signals output in parallel by a control input element signal generator, to be checked not only visually but also acoustically, continuously and especially during flight.

[0032] A further embodiment of the invention also provides that the control processing unit with evaluation and display program is further configured to dynamically and continuously visually display a currently executed direction of movement and a corresponding position of the at least one control input element on the display unit. This makes it even easier for a user to view a consistent correspondence between the control signals and the respective positions assumed by the at least one control input element in a particularly user-friendly manner.

[0033] Furthermore, a further embodiment of the invention provides for the visualization to be realized using a diagram, in particular a bar chart. Such a representation is thus particularly easy and quick to understand. Furthermore, the respective diagram can also use a corresponding color code depending on the signal strength, with each color correlating with a respective signal strength interval. In addition to or instead of the color code, a brightness value staggered according to the respective signal strength can also be provided.

[0034] Furthermore, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the display unit comprises at least one screen element that is integrated into a radio remote control of the multirotor aircraft or is a screen element of a mobile device. In particular, the information displayed by the control unit or the information displayed can be displayed parallel to a control menu and / or a camera image captured by the multirotor aircraft. The control unit can either be coupled to any other components via the main control of the multirotor aircraft or can be coupled to other components and also external devices, such as a mobile device, for example in the form of a smartphone or the like, via independent respective interfaces or a correspondingly multifunctional interface menu.

[0035] In a further embodiment of the invention, it is also provided that the control processing unit with evaluation and display program is also designed to detect a state currently caused by the at least one control input element, classified as an error in a database stored in the evaluation and display program, in the associated control program using a logical analysis of the control signals causing the current state in the associated control program and to trigger at least one emergency measure on the multi-rotor aircraft depending on the respective detected error.This database and the associated error evaluation can be dynamically integrated into a logical analysis of the control signals stored on the control processing unit with an evaluation and display program. This logical analysis is designed to automatically detect possible errors that, for example, lead to extremely fluctuating or noticeably atypical control signals. This logic could, for example, assume that highly dynamic jitter in the control signal coming from the control levers or control input elements is not, or cannot be, a desired form of aircraft control.This logical analysis, or the logic in general, could also analyze the current control signals and, if necessary, compare them with a history of flight control data or a sample set of flight control data and analyze accordingly whether the current flight control data coming from the control levers represent a likely sensible and likely desired flight control, or whether the flight control data must be understood as likely or very likely atypical, dangerous, or other hazardous control impulses.

[0036] Furthermore, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the emergency measure is selected from: initiating an automatic emergency landing of the multi-rotor aircraft, blocking all functional components necessary for flight operation so that takeoff of the multi-rotor aircraft can be prevented, triggering at least one correction program stored in the evaluation and display program so that a respective error can be at least partially bridged by means of the correction program, so that at least a defined landing procedure of the multi-rotor aircraft can be carried out. The stored correction program can, for example, carry out automatic smoothing or another type of correction of the control signal. The automatic emergency landing of the multi-rotor aircraft can be equated with an aborted flight, whereby this can, for example, be initiated and then carried out in a defined and controlled manner with the remaining and functional components.

[0037] Furthermore, a further embodiment of the invention provides that, by means of the at least one control input element, currently induced states in the associated control program can be displayed on the display unit separate from the multi-rotor aircraft over a user-defined, i.e. user-definable, time period. Such a display can also be referred to as a separate test menu. In this respect, the control unit presented can be used to carry out an even more precise analysis of the quality of the interaction between the control signal and the control signal control lever. In this case, not only a bar graph can be generated and displayed for each individual control signal, but also a laterally extending curve of the control signal over time. Thus, when the control lever is moved, a waveform similar to a mouse trail is created.Specifically, it can be provided, for example, that the control signal not only grows larger or smaller as a bar, or even into the negative range, but that a point is also generated which is newly generated over time and then does not simply overwrite the previous point, but pushes it sideways. This can continue, for example, until the end of the displayed range is reached. For example, if the control lever is moved slightly, a smooth wave becomes visible next to the bar graph. In the event of an error, however, this displayed smooth wave would be interspersed with abrupt spikes, making it immediately apparent that there is a difference between the desired control lever operations (smooth movements) and the corresponding software output of the software control signal.Attached to this, software can perform such observations itself and automatically detect such errors, initiating various emergency error response options based on these, as listed above. Likewise, the evaluation and display program on the control unit could optionally not only display the desired operator input as shown, but also optionally or additionally display the desired flight movement calculated by the aircraft through further processing with other input signals, such as the attitude or acceleration sensors within the aircraft itself. These downstream control software signal processing results can be transmitted back to the control unit via a return channel to be then displayed by the evaluation and display program.

[0038] Finally, a further embodiment of the invention provides for a time interval of at least 0.1 seconds between each two displayable states. Particularly detailed documentation makes it easier for both the user and the control program to perform reliable and secure control.

[0039] The proposed control unit can be integrated and / or installed into any remote-controlled copter, self-controlled multicopter, or similar aircraft that do not, or do not exclusively, have a mechanically controlled flight control system and are partially or entirely powered by fixed-rotor rotors and their software control. Transfer and integration into corresponding manned aircraft is conceivable. It is also conceivable that the control unit could be integrated into manned aircraft based on a different concept and / or an extended concept.

[0040] The various embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application can be advantageously combined with one another, unless otherwise stated in the individual case.

[0041] The invention is explained below in exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a control unit for control testing of multi-rotor aircraft; Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a flight control unit for a multi-rotor aircraft with display elements of a control unit for checking the control of multi-rotor aircraft before and during flight operations; Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a multi-rotor aircraft with a control unit for control testing of multi-rotor aircraft.

[0042] Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a control unit 10 for testing the control of multirotor aircraft. The control unit 10 is shown with a control processing unit 12 with an evaluation and display program 14. This control processing unit 12 with the evaluation and display program 14 is coupled both to a control input element 16 of a multirotor aircraft (not shown in detail) and to an associated control program 18. The control processing unit 12 with the evaluation and display program 14 is designed to visually display a state currently effected by means of the at least one control input element 16 in the associated control program 18 on a display unit 20 separate from the multirotor aircraft.

[0043] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a flight control unit 22 for a multi-rotor aircraft with display elements 24, 26, 28, 30 of a Fig. 2, not shown in detail, for the control testing of multi-rotor aircraft before and during flight operations. These display elements 24, 26, 28, 30 show the respective movements of the control levers 32, 34 shown, which are provided here as control input elements 16. In other words, the states currently effected by means of the control levers 32, 34 are Fig. 2, the associated control program 18 (not shown in detail) can be visualized by means of the display elements 24, 26, 28, 30. The display elements 24, 26 are assigned to the left first control lever 32 (relative to the image plane) and the display elements 28, 30 are assigned to the right second control lever 32 (relative to the image plane). This allows a check of a consistent correspondence of control signals to the respective positions of the control levers 32, 34 and can be viewed by a user in a particularly user-friendly manner. This can be done, as shown in the Fig. 2, can also occur during flight operation mode. In flight operation mode, the Fig. 2, the flight control unit 22 is shown with a camera image 36 and a control display bar 38 of the multi-rotor aircraft to be controlled.

[0044] Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of a multi-rotor aircraft 40 with a control unit 10 for testing the control of multi-rotor aircraft 40. The control unit 10 is shown in the flight control unit 22 associated with the multi-rotor aircraft 40. List of reference symbols 10 Control unit 12 Control processing unit 14 Evaluation and display program 16 Control input element 18 Control program 20 display unit 22 Flight control unit 24 first display element 26 second display element 28 third display element 30 fourth display element 32 first control lever 34 second control lever 36 Camera image 38 Control indicator bar 40 multi-rotor aircraft

Claims

[1] Control unit (10) for the continuous control signal checking of the control elements of multi-rotor aircraft (40) before and during flight operation, comprising a control processing unit (12) with an evaluation and display program (14) that can be coupled to at least one control input element (16) of a multi-rotor aircraft (40) and an associated control program (18) of the multi-rotor aircraft (40), characterized byin that the control computing unit (12) with evaluation program (14) is designed to receive, via a return channel from the multi-rotor aircraft (40), speed changes of the rotor motors calculated by a flight control unit of the multi-rotor aircraft (40) in accordance with the desired flight movement, for a state currently brought about in the associated control program (18) by means of the at least one control input element (16), and to visually display these and / or the desired flight movement determined therefrom on a display unit (20) separate from the multi-rotor aircraft (40) before and during flight operation, in order to enable a visual check of a consistent correspondence between the calculated speed changes of the rotor motors and the position assumed by the control input element (16). [2] Control unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the control computing unit (12) with evaluation and display program (14) is designed to acoustically perceptibly display the state currently effected by means of the at least one control input element (16) in the associated control program (18) by means of an acoustic device separate from the multi-rotor aircraft (40). [3] Control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control computing unit (12) with evaluation and display program (14) is further designed to dynamically and continuously visually display a currently executed direction of movement and an associated position of the at least one control input element (16) on the display unit (20). [4] Control unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the visualization can be realized by means of a diagram, in particular a bar chart. [5] Control unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the display unit (20) comprises at least one screen element which is integrated in a radio remote control of the multi-rotor aircraft (40) or is a screen element of a mobile terminal. [6] Control unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control computing unit (12) with evaluation and display program (14) is also designed to detect a state currently caused by the at least one control input element (16) in the associated control program (18) classified as an error in a database stored in the evaluation and display program (14) using a logical analysis of the control signals causing the current state in the associated control program (18) and to trigger at least one emergency measure on the multi-rotor aircraft (40) depending on the respective detected error. [7] Control unit (10) according to claim 6, wherein the emergency measure is selected from: Initiating an automatic emergency landing of the multi-rotor aircraft (40), blocking all functional components required for flight operation so that take-off of the multi-rotor aircraft (40) can be prevented, triggering at least one correction program stored in the evaluation and display program (14) so ​​that a respective error can be at least partially bridged by means of the correction program so that at least one defined landing procedure of the multi-rotor aircraft (40) can be carried out. [8] Control unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, by means of the at least one control input element (16), currently effected states in the associated control program (18) can be displayed on the display unit (20) separate from the multi-rotor aircraft (40) over a user-defined period of time. [9] Control unit (10) according to claim 8, wherein a time interval between each two displayable states is at least 0.1 seconds. [10] Multi-rotor aircraft (40) comprising a control unit (10) according to claims 1 to 8 and a flight control unit which is configured to calculate, in the associated control program (18), associated speed changes of the motors of the rotors in accordance with the desired flight movement, for the state currently effected by means of the at least one control input element (16) and to send them to the control unit (10) via a return channel.

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