Active Throttle Device and Control System

Abstract

An assembly is described that may be an active stick or throttle assembly or may be connected to a mechanical linkage in an aircraft. The assembly includes an actuator assembly including a motor body casing and a gearbox, and a lever connected to an output stage of the gearbox via a proximal end of the lever. The assembly further includes a trunnion bearing configured to mount the motor body casing to a chassis and a link configured to connect the motor body casing to the chassis, the link including a force sensor.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an active throttle for a vehicle, particularly an aircraft (e.g., a rotary wing, fixed wing, or hybrid aircraft). [Background technology]

[0002] With the advent of fly-by-wire technology, the direct mechanical connection between an aircraft's throttle and engine was replaced by an electrical connection, and the engine was controlled based on the sensed position (e.g., angular position) of the throttle (e.g., throttle lever). This change from a mechanical connection to an electrical connection resulted in the loss of tactile feedback to the pilot about the aircraft's current operating state. To provide tactile feedback to the pilot, active throttles have been developed. An active throttle assembly includes one or more actuators that can be driven by control signals (e.g., based on actual aircraft conditions) to provide tactile feedback to the pilot. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembly comprising an actuator assembly comprising a motor body casing and a gearbox, a lever connected to an output stage of the gearbox via a proximal end of the lever, a trunnion bearing configured to mount the motor body casing to a chassis, and a link configured to connect the motor body casing to the chassis, the link comprising a force sensor. Advantageously, this eliminates dynamic wire connections to the force sensor, thereby improving reliability of the assembly.

[0004] The actuator assembly may further include a motor winding and resolver area, the motor winding and resolver area being located on either side of the gearbox.

[0005] The assembly may further comprise a chassis, which advantageously allows testing of the entire assembly before it is installed on the aircraft.

[0006] The lever may include a pole and a grip disposed at a distal end of the pole, the distal end of the pole being connected to an output stage of the gearbox.

[0007] The assembly may be an active throttle or stick assembly.

[0008] The assembly may be an active throttle assembly.

[0009] The assembly may be an active stick assembly.

[0010] The lever may be configured to connect at a distal end of the lever to a mechanical linkage in the aircraft. The mechanical linkage may include a throttle linkage. Advantageously, this allows the assembly to be retrofitted to non-fly-by-wire aircraft.

[0011] In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-quadrant active throttle assembly comprising a plurality of active throttle assemblies as described herein.

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a first exemplary aircraft system. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary aircraft system. [Figure 3] Schematic diagrams of different active throttle assembly arrangements. [Figure 4] Schematic diagrams of different active throttle assembly arrangements. [Figure 5]Schematic diagrams of different active throttle assembly arrangements. [Figure 6] Schematic diagrams of different active throttle assembly arrangements. [Figure 7] Schematic diagrams of different active throttle assembly arrangements. [Figure 8] Schematic diagrams of different active throttle assembly arrangements. [Figure 9] Schematic diagrams of different active throttle assembly arrangements. [Figure 10] Schematic diagrams of different active throttle assembly arrangements. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method for controlling a multi-quadrant active throttle assembly. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method for controlling a multi-quadrant active throttle assembly. [Figure 13] Graphical representation of the grouping of levers in different operating modes according to the method of Fig. 12. [Figure 14] 14 is a schematic diagram of a computing device 1400 configured to implement the method for controlling the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] As mentioned above, active throttles have been developed to provide haptic feedback to the pilot. This active feedback may be indicative of actual aircraft conditions, but may also provide other feedback to the pilot in the form of, for example, soft stops (e.g., so that the pilot must exert additional force to override the soft stops), gradients, gates, etc. Active throttles differ from autothrottles (also called back-driven throttles), which include actuators but only provide simple feedback of the current throttle setting, for example, by moving the throttle to reflect the autopilot's actions when engaged.

[0015] Described herein are multiple active throttle assembly devices configured to more accurately and / or reliably sense the force applied to the throttle by the pilot through the selection of sensor type (e.g., force or torque sensor) and / or sensor placement. In various examples described herein, the length of dynamic wires connecting to the force / torque sensors is reduced or the use of dynamic wires is avoided, thereby improving the overall reliability of the active throttle assembly. In various examples described herein, the overall part count is reduced, which reduces manufacturing complexity and may also reduce the overall weight of the assembly. The active throttle assembly devices described herein may be used in single-quadrant (i.e., single throttle lever) active throttle assemblies or multi-quadrant active throttle assemblies (i.e., with multiple throttle levers).

[0016] Also described herein is a control system for a multi-quadrant active throttle assembly that improves system fidelity and visual feedback to the pilot. This control system may be used in combination with any of the active throttle assembly arrangements described herein, or may be used independently (e.g., with any other multi-quadrant active throttle assembly).

[0017] The active throttle assembly devices and control systems described herein may be used for single / independent pilot operation (e.g., as shown in the exemplary system of FIG. 1), and also in systems where pilot and co-pilot control is linked, e.g., where throttle movement by the pilot moves the co-pilot's throttle, resulting in the throttle quadrants (i.e., levers) being in the same position (e.g., same angular position) for both the pilot and co-pilot (e.g., as shown in the exemplary system of FIG. 2).

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 including a quadrant system 101 (including a quadrant unit 102 and a quadrant control system 104) and a flight control system 106. It should be understood that the system 100 shown in FIG. 1 represents only a portion of an overall aircraft system. Furthermore, while FIG. 1 depicts a single flight control system 106, it should be understood that there may be multiple (e.g., for redundancy). The quadrant unit 102, sometimes referred to as a throttle unit, includes one or more active throttle assemblies 108 (e.g., n active throttle assemblies, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1), one for each throttle lever. Each active throttle assembly 108 includes a lever (also referred to as a quadrant or quadrant lever or throttle or thrust lever) 110, an actuator 112, a force or torque sensor 114, and a position sensor 116. It should be understood that the active throttle assembly 108 may include other elements in addition to those shown in FIG. 1. Also, while each active throttle assembly 108 is shown with a single actuator 112, a single force / torque sensor 114, and a single position sensor 116, it should be understood that there may be more than one of each (e.g., to provide redundancy in case one of these elements fails). The force / torque sensor 114 is arranged and configured to detect the force / torque applied to the lever, and the position sensor 116 is arranged and configured to detect the position (e.g., angular position) of the lever.

[0019] The actuator 112 may comprise any combination of DC motors, brushless DC motors, servo actuators, linear motors, planetary reducers, harmonic drive® reducers, polyphase resolvers, Hall effect sensors, etc. If the sensor 114 is a rotary torque sensor, it may use, for example, a strain gauge, a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) or a rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT), an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, a force-sensing resistor, a magnetostrictive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, etc., or any linear or inline axial combination thereof.

[0020] 1, quadrant unit 102 outputs force (or torque) and position data (for each active throttle assembly) to both quadrant control system 104 and flight control system 106. Flight control system 106 uses these inputs (along with other inputs, in some implementations) to control the aircraft engines (not shown in FIG. 1). Quadrant control system 104 uses these inputs to control actuators 112 (e.g., to determine what haptic feedback to provide via each lever 110) and outputs control data to quadrant unit 102, which provides control signals for each of actuators 112. As shown in FIG. 1, quadrant control system 104 may also communicate with flight control system 106, for example, to receive additional data (e.g., control characteristic data), which is then used to generate control data output to quadrant unit 102 to determine the required haptic feedback and control actuators 112 accordingly. As described in more detail below, the haptic feedback model may be stored and used to determine the generation of control signals based on inputs received by the quadrant control system 104. Control characteristic data received from the flight control system 106 may, for example, define aspects of the model that the levers are following (e.g., one or more of the position of the stops, the force required to overcome the stops, the spring slope, the damping terms, etc.).

[0021] The system 100 of FIG. 1 includes only a single quadrant system 1010 (and therefore a single quadrant unit 102). This may be used, for example, in a single-pilot aircraft, or may be located in the cockpit between the pilot and co-pilot so that both can reach and operate the levers 110 of the active throttle assembly 108. FIG. 2 shows an alternative system 200 with separate quadrant systems 101 for each of the pilot and co-pilot (labeled Pilot 1 Quadrant System and Pilot 2 Quadrant System in this example). The quadrant units 102 in each of these quadrant systems 101 may be located at outboard locations in the cockpit (e.g., as described in U.S. Pat. No. 11,167,837 and shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5 therein). Each quadrant system 101 provides force and position data to a flight control system 106 (or to each flight control system 106, if multiple).

[0022] In this system 200, two quadrant systems 101 are linked. In the example shown in FIG. 2, they are linked electrically rather than mechanically, with stick linking signals communicated between the quadrant systems 101. The stick linking signals provide control data that keeps the positions of corresponding levers 110 in each of the two quadrant units 102 aligned (keeping lever 1 in quadrant unit in Pilot 1 quadrant system aligned with lever 1 in quadrant unit in Pilot 2 quadrant system, keeping lever 2 in quadrant unit in Pilot 1 quadrant system aligned with lever 2 in quadrant unit in Pilot 2 quadrant system, etc.). In other examples, the two quadrant systems 101 may be mechanically linked.

[0023] 3-10 show seven different active throttle assembly arrangements, each of which may be implemented as the active throttle assembly 108 of any of the systems shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 described above. Each of these active throttle assembly arrangements improves the accuracy and / or reliability of detecting the force applied to the lever by the pilot compared to existing active throttle assemblies. While FIGS. 3-10 each show a single active throttle assembly, multiple assemblies (e.g., multiple identical assemblies) may be implemented within a quadrant unit (e.g., as in FIG. 1). The active throttle assembly arrangements shown in FIGS. 3-10 may include other elements not shown in the drawings, such as position sensors 116, additional actuators, etc.

[0024] In the active throttle assembly shown in FIGS. 3-10, a force / torque sensor (corresponding to force sensor 114 in FIG. 1) is positioned near the point where the pilot applies force to more accurately detect the applied force. The point where the pilot applies force is a grip, which provides a graspable shaped element (e.g., in the form of a plate or knob) at the distal end of lever 110. As described above, this force can be detected using a force or torque sensor (because lever 110 is mounted on a pivot to rotate about its proximal end). Each additional link or bearing between the point where the pilot applies force and the point where the force is sensed introduces error (e.g., as a result of backlash and / or friction in the link or bearing), which reduces the accuracy of the force data provided to both quadrant control system 104 and flight control system 106; therefore, these errors are addressed and / or corrected in the respective control systems.

[0025] In the devices shown in Figures 3-6, a grip 302 is provided at the distal end of a quadrant lever / idler 310 (corresponding to lever 110 in Figure 1). In use, a pilot rotates quadrant lever / idler 310 (as indicated by double-headed arrow 320) about first pivot 318 and applies force to grip 302 (and thus quadrant lever / idler 310) to adjust the aircraft throttle. Similarly, in the devices shown in Figures 7-10, a grip 302, 902 is provided at the distal end of a lever. In use, a pilot rotates the lever (as indicated by double-headed arrow 320) about first pivot 718, 926 and applies force to grip 302, 902 (and thus lever) to adjust the aircraft throttle. Some of the devices in Figures 3-10 show a pair of elements, a lever and an idler, while others show a single lever. It should be understood that any of the devices may be implemented using a lever / idler device or a single lever with no idler.

[0026] In a first apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 3, a first pivot 318 is implemented using a torque sensor 314. An actuator assembly 312 (corresponding to actuator 112 in FIG. 1) is connected to a quadrant lever / idler 310 by a link arm 306. The link arm 306 connects at a first end to an actuator output crank arm 308, which is itself connected to the actuator assembly 312, and at a second end to the quadrant lever / idler 310 by a second pivot 322. In this first apparatus 300, the bearing that would traditionally provide the first pivot 318 is replaced by a torque sensor 314 that provides force data for output to the quadrant control system 104. This reduces part count (compared to having both a bearing and a force / torque sensor), thereby simplifying manufacturing and reducing the overall weight of the assembly. Furthermore, by having the torque sensor 314 act as the center of rotation, the wires connecting to the torque sensor 314 move only through small rotations instead of long linear distances (as would be the case if the wires were connected away from the pivot 318, given the large range of rotational movement of the lever), thereby reducing operating stresses on the wires and improving their reliability.

[0027] In a second apparatus 400 shown in FIG. 4, the first pivot 318 is implemented using a bearing 404. As in the first apparatus, an actuator assembly 312 (corresponding to actuator 112 in FIG. 1) is connected to a quadrant lever / idler 310 by a link arm 306. The link arm 306 connects at a first end to an actuator output crank arm 308, which is itself connected to the actuator assembly 312, and at a second end to the quadrant lever / idler 310 by a second pivot 322. In this second apparatus, a force sensor 414 is positioned between the grip 302 and the second pivot 322. In this position, the force sensor 414 detects shear or bending loads between the grip 302 and the pivot 322, rather than compression / tension forces acting along the axis of the quadrant lever / idler 310 (and therefore is sometimes referred to as a shear force sensor rather than a tension force sensor). In this second device 400, the force sensor 414 is positioned as close to the grip 302 as possible, and there are no bearings or linkages between the grip 302 and the force sensor 414. This reduces errors in the sensed forces and therefore in the force data output to both the quadrant control system 104 and the flight control system 106.

[0028] In a third apparatus 500 shown in FIG. 5, the first pivot 318 is implemented using a bearing 404 (as in the second apparatus 400). As in the first and second apparatuses 300 and 400, the actuator assembly 312 (corresponding to the actuator 112 in FIG. 1) is connected to the quadrant lever / idler 310 by a link arm 506. The link arm 506 connects at a first end to the actuator output crank arm 308, which is itself connected to the actuator assembly 312, and at a second end to the quadrant lever / idler 310 by a second pivot 322. In this third apparatus 500, a force sensor 514 is built into the link arm 506. In this position, the force sensor 514 is a uniaxial tensile force sensor. Because the force sensor 514 is integrated into the link arm 506, this reduces the number of parts (compared to having both the link arm and the force sensor), which may result in simplified manufacturing and also reduce the overall weight of the assembly. In this third device 500, the force sensor 514 is still located near the grip 302 with only one joint between the grip 302 and the force sensor 514, the second pivot 322.

[0029] In a fourth apparatus 600 shown in FIG. 6, the first pivot 318 is implemented using a bearing 404 (as in the second apparatus 400 and the third apparatus 500). As in the first apparatus 300, the second apparatus 400, and the third apparatus 500, the actuator assembly 312 (corresponding to the actuator 112 in FIG. 1) is connected to the quadrant lever / idler 310 by a link arm 306. The link arm 306 connects at a first end to an actuator output crank arm 614, which is itself connected to the actuator assembly 312, and at a second end to the quadrant lever / idler 310 by a second pivot 322. In this fourth apparatus 600, a torque sensor is built into the actuator output crank arm 614 on the output face of the actuator assembly 312. Because the torque sensor is integrated into the actuator output crank arm 614, this reduces parts count (compared to having both the actuator output crank arm and the force / torque sensor), which may result in simplified manufacturing and also reduce the overall weight of the assembly. In this fourth device 600, the force sensor is still located near the grip 302 at two joints between the grip 302 and the torque sensor (second pivot 322 and joint 622 between the link arm 306 and the actuator output crank arm 614).

[0030] In a fifth apparatus 700 shown in FIG. 7, an actuator output crank 708 acts as a quadrant lever (and corresponds to lever 110 in FIG. 1). A grip 302 is provided at the distal end of the actuator output crank 708. In use, a pilot applies a force to the grip 302 (actuator output crank 708) to rotate the actuator output crank 708 (as indicated by double-headed arrow 320) about an axis 718 of the actuator assembly to adjust the aircraft throttle. In this fifth apparatus 700, a force sensor 714 is positioned between the grip 302 and the actuator assembly 312. In this position, the force sensor 714 detects shear or bending loads between the grip 302 and the pivot 718, rather than compression / tension forces acting along the axis of the actuator output crank. In this fifth apparatus 700, the force sensor 714 (as in the second apparatus 400) is located as close to the grip 302 as possible, and there are no bearings or linkages between the grip 302 and the force sensor 714. This reduces errors in the sensed forces and, therefore, in the force data output to both the quadrant control system 104 and the flight control system 106. Furthermore, because the actuator output crank 708 acts as a quadrant lever, no separate lever / idler arrangement (as in the example shown in FIGS. 3-6), link arms, or additional pivots or joints are required. This reduces the number of parts (compared to conventional assemblies or any of the previous examples), thereby simplifying manufacturing and reducing the overall weight of the assembly.

[0031] The sixth apparatus 800 shown in FIG. 8 is a variation of that shown in FIG. 7 that uses a torque sensor 814 rather than a force sensor. In this example, the actuator output crank 708 is replaced by a torque sensor 814 that acts as a quadrant lever (and corresponds to the lever 110 in FIG. 1 ). The grip 302 is provided at the distal end of the torque sensor 814. In use, the pilot applies a force to the grip 302 (and thus the torque sensor 814) to rotate the torque sensor 814 (as indicated by the double-headed arrow 320) about the axis 718 of the actuator assembly to adjust the aircraft throttle. Thus, in this sixth apparatus 800, the torque sensor 814 is located between the grip 302 and the actuator assembly 312. In this sixth apparatus 800, the torque sensor 814 is located as close to the grip 302 as possible (as in the second apparatus 400 and the fifth apparatus 700), and there are no bearings or links between the grip 302 and the torque sensor 814. This reduces errors in the sensed forces and therefore in the force data output to both the quadrant control system 104 and the flight control system 106. Furthermore, because the torque sensor 814 acts as a quadrant lever, no separate lever / idler arrangement (as in the example shown in FIGS. 3-6), link arms, actuator output crank arms, or additional pivots or joints are required. This reduces the number of parts (compared to conventional assemblies or any of the previous examples), thereby simplifying manufacturing and reducing the overall weight of the assembly.

[0032] All of the above active throttle assembly devices shown in Figures 3-8 attempt to locate the force / torque sensors near the grip 302 to minimize errors introduced (e.g., as a result of backlash / friction in joints or bearings) and improve the accuracy of the force data provided to both the quadrant control system 104 and the flight control system 106. In these devices, the force / torque sensors are coupled either directly to the lever (e.g., first unit 300, second unit 400, fifth unit 700, and sixth unit 800) or in a separate arm (e.g., third unit 500 and fourth unit 600). In second unit 400, fifth unit 700, and sixth unit 800, the force / torque sensors are located adjacent to the grip without any intervening joints or bearings. In these examples, the force / torque sensor is also located between the grip 302 and the pivot 318, 718 about which the lever (i.e., quadrant lever / idler 310, actuator output crank 708, or torque sensor 814) rotates. In all of the second through sixth devices 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, the force / torque sensor is located between the grip 302 and the actuator assembly 312. In the first device 300, second device 400, and fifth device 700, the force / torque sensor is attached to the lever (i.e., quadrant lever / idler 310 or actuator output crank 708).

[0033] A further active throttle assembly arrangement 900 is shown in Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 shows a cross section through the center of an actuator assembly 912, while Figure 10 shows a perspective view. The design of the actuator assembly 912 differs from that shown in the previous examples in that the gearbox 904 (and therefore the gearbox output stage 906) is located approximately centrally along the length of the actuator assembly 912 (where the length is defined parallel to the rotor shaft 908). Figure 9 also shows the motor windings 910, motor magnets 911, resolver rotor 916, resolver stator 918, and motor body casing 920. As shown in Figure 9, the motor windings 910 and resolver area (including the resolver rotor 916 and resolver stator 918) are located on either side of the gearbox 904. A lever in the form of a pole 903 and grip 902, with the grip 902 located at the distal end of the pole 903, is connected to a gearbox output stage 906 via the proximal end of the pole 903. The entire motor body casing 920 is trunnion mounted to a chassis 1002 (not shown in FIG. 9 ) on two bearings 922, 924, one bearing at each end of the motor body casing 920. The chassis 1002 may be part of the active throttle assembly apparatus 900 (e.g., if the active throttle assembly is a stand-alone unit). Alternatively, the chassis 1002 may be part of the aircraft (e.g., part of the cockpit).

[0034] Motor body casing 920 is trunnion mounted on front and rear bearings 922, 924, so that it is free to rotate about axis 926 through the center of the actuator assembly, and therefore through the center of rotor shaft 908. However, rotation is limited by link 914, which connects actuator assembly 912 to chassis 1002 (and mechanically fixes the force path). This link 914 includes a force sensor that detects the force applied to grip 902 by the pilot as a result of its position and overall configuration. In some examples, link 914 may also serve as an electrical coupling path, and / or wiring may be clipped to link 914.

[0035] The operation of the active throttle assembly 900 can be described as a situation in which the actuator assembly is commanded to lock / hold position, thus preventing the rotor shaft 908 from rotating about its axis. If the pilot moves the grip 902, the gearbox 904 cannot rotate (because it is held by the motor torque, which resists movement via electromagnetic capture), and the resulting rotational force is transmitted to the motor body casing 902 and through the link to the chassis containing the force sensor 914. Similarly, if the pilot applies a force that counteracts the motor force when the motor is not held in place, the resulting rotational force is transmitted to the motor body casing 902 and through the link to the chassis containing the force sensor 914. The force sensor in the link 914 is stationary, and the motor body casing 920 only rotates a fraction of a degree (i.e., within the system backlash and the stiffness of the force sensor) in the trunnion bearings 922, 924.

[0036] In this seventh active throttle assembly arrangement 900 shown in Figures 9 and 10, there are no dynamic force sensor cables because the force sensor is integrated within a fixed link 914 between the actuator assembly 912 and the chassis 1002. This improves the reliability of the entire assembly.

[0037] 9 and 10 is described in the context of an active throttle device, it may also be used for active stick, cyclic, or collective, i.e., to control flight control surfaces instead of aircraft engines. To provide multi-axis motion (e.g., for pitch and roll), the device 900 may be mounted on a gimbal (e.g., with torque sensors in the pivot joints or force sensors on the crank arms).

[0038] In a further variation, device 900 may be modified to replace pole 903 and grip 902 with a mechanical device that links them to an existing linkage (e.g., a throttle linkage) in the aircraft. In such a device, a force sensor may be used to measure the force applied in the linkage rather than the force applied by the pilot. This may be used, for example, in a non-fly-by-wire aircraft to monitor its operation and / or to provide backward compatibility.

[0039] 11-12 illustrate exemplary methods for controlling a multi-quadrant active throttle assembly, such as the quadrant unit 102 shown in FIG. 1. These methods may be implemented by the quadrant control system 104 shown in FIG. 1. Multi-quadrant active throttle assemblies are typically used in aircraft with multiple engines (e.g., two-, four-, or eight-engine aircraft), with each lever (or quadrant) in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly corresponding to (and therefore controlling) a different engine. As the number of engines, and therefore levers, increases, it becomes increasingly difficult for a pilot to move them all together (i.e., so that the same force is applied to each lever and each lever is in the same angular position).

[0040] To prevent unstable and / or undesirable conditions, existing flight control systems address this potential unintentional force and / or position imbalance between levers by setting limits on position and force data within which values ​​are assumed to be the same. This has the effect of reducing the granularity, and therefore accuracy, of the detected positions and forces. For example, if the position limits are half a degree, the precision of all input position data is effectively reduced to half-degree steps. A similar approach is employed for force data. As a result of addressing unintentional imbalances in position data between levers in this way, the actual positions of the levers do not accurately reflect the actual throttle positions of the different engines. This means that the accuracy of the visual feedback provided to the pilot is also reduced. For example, if the levers are set in slightly different positions (but within the system's position limits), the pilot may interpret this as the engines being set to different throttle positions, while the flight control system assumes they are in the same position (because the position difference is within the position limits) and therefore that the engines are actually all set to the same throttle position.

[0041] The control method described herein improves the fidelity (e.g., control accuracy) of the system 100 and the visual feedback to the pilot because, in a first mode of operation (which may be considered the standard operating condition), the pilot only needs to move one of these levers, and all other levers move in the same way so that the position data detected by these levers is the same. The lever moved by the pilot may be referred to as the primary lever, and in the first mode of operation, all other levers move collectively to track the motion of the primary lever. The primary lever may be fixed (e.g., predefined within the system) or may be an arbitrary lever (e.g., whichever lever the pilot operates among multiple levers). The method also allows the pilot to switch to a second mode of operation in which the collectively moving levers (also referred to as lever tracking) is stopped (as in FIG. 11 ) or altered (as in FIG. 12 ) by applying a greater force (i.e., a force exceeding a force threshold) to the lever and / or by moving the levers so that the position deviation between any pair of levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly exceeds a position threshold.

[0042] The methods described herein (and shown in FIGS. 11-12) may be used in combination with any of the multiple active throttle assembly arrangements described herein (e.g., where each active throttle assembly 108 in a multi-quadrant active throttle assembly is as described in one of the examples above) or independently (e.g., with any other multi-quadrant active throttle assembly).

[0043] Figure 11 illustrates a first example of a method for controlling a multi-quadrant active throttle assembly, such as the quadrant unit 102 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 11, the method receives as input position data Pi and force data Fi corresponding to each of the levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly (block 1102), where i is a lever (or quadrant) index and has a value from 1 to n, where n is the number of levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly. Returning to Figure 1, the position data Pi and force data Fi corresponding to a lever (sometimes referred to as being for or from a particular lever) in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly are the position and force data detected by force sensor 114 and position sensor 116 in the same active throttle assembly 108 as the particular lever 110.

[0044] The received (at block 1102) position data and force data are analyzed separately (at block 1104), i.e., the force data is analyzed independently from the position data. This analysis uses a force threshold and a position deviation threshold. The force data is analyzed (at block 1104) to determine whether there is an input force, i.e., a force detected on any of the levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly (hence, F), that exceeds the force threshold. The position data is analyzed (at block 1104) to determine whether the position deviation between any two levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly exceeds the position threshold. The position threshold may be defined in degrees (e.g., set to a value of 5° or a value in the range of 5-10°), which may be a system configurable parameter.

[0045] In response to determining that no received force exceeds the force threshold and no pair of levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly is separated in position by more than the position threshold ("No" at block 1106), the system operates in a first mode, in which all levers are moved collectively to follow one or more levers whose force and / or position data are changing (block 1108). The levers whose force and position data are changing are those being moved by the pilot, and thus, following (block 1108) means that in this first mode of operation, when the pilot moves one (or more) levers, all other levers move in the same manner. The levers are moved by generating control data that is output to the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly; in particular, the control data provides control signals to move actuator assemblies connected to the levers that require movement.

[0046] In response to determining that any of the received forces exceed the force threshold and / or there are pairs of levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly that are separated in position by more than the position threshold ("Yes" at block 1106), the system operates in a second mode, with the levers all operating independently to prevent tracking (block 1110). This means that the method switches to the second mode if the pilot applies a large force to the levers that exceeds the force threshold, or if the pilot moves one or more levers slowly (i.e., using a force below the force threshold) such that the relative positions of the pairs of levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly deviate by more than the position threshold.

[0047] A system implementing the method of FIG. 11 (e.g., quadrant control system 104 of FIG. 1) may use a model to generate the control data provided to the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly to control the actuators and provide haptic feedback to the pilot. This model, sometimes referred to as a haptic feedback model, defines how the levers should behave and may therefore define soft stops, spring slopes, damping terms, etc. The model may also define the force required to overcome the stops. As described above, the model may be updated (or otherwise modified) based on control characteristic data received from the flight control system 106. There may be a model associated with each lever and used to generate the control signal for that lever, which allows the model to take into account factors associated with the particular engine that that lever controls (e.g., if there are differences between engines, e.g., intentionally as part of the aircraft design or as a result of manufacturing variations). When the method of FIG. 11 is used, an additional model is used that defines how the levers should behave collectively and may therefore define the soft stops, slopes, etc. used when operating in the first mode (i.e., when moving the levers in block 1108). When operating in the second mode (at block 1110), individual models for each lever are used instead.

[0048] The models used may be static or dynamic, i.e., may be updated during use. If the models are dynamic, the method of Figure 11 further comprises updating the combined model when in the first mode (block 1112) and updating the individual models when in the second mode (block 1114).

[0049] FIG. 12 illustrates a second example of a method for controlling a multi-quadrant active throttle assembly, such as the quadrant unit 102 shown in FIG. 1. The method of FIG. 12 is a variation of that shown in FIG. 11, and most of the method operates as described above, with the difference being the action taken in response to determining that there is a pair of levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly where any of the received forces exceeds a force threshold and / or are separated in position by more than a position threshold ("Yes" at block 1106). In the method of FIG. 11, this triggers an end to tracking of the levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly and a return to independent operation of each lever (at block 1110), while in FIG. 12, this instead results in a change in the tracking operating mode (block 1210). That is, instead of having a first mode in which all levers follow and a second mode in which all levers are independent, there are multiple additional operating modes that replace the second mode of the method of FIG. 11. In one further mode of operation, all levers are independent (as in the second mode of the method of FIG. 11), while in other further modes of operation, a subset of the levers track together while one or more other levers operate independently.

[0050] Examples of these further modes of operation are shown graphically in Figure 13, and in various of these examples, the further modes of operation divide these levers into two non-overlapping subsets of levers, with at least one of the subsets comprising multiple levers. The levers within a subset are then controlled collectively (i.e., so that they track together), while the two subsets are controlled independently (e.g., so that levers in the first subset do not track levers in the second subset). In other examples, there may be more than two non-overlapping subsets.

[0051] In FIG. 13 , each circle represents a group of levers (i.e., a subset of levers) that are tracked together (e.g., as described above with reference to block 1108), and thus, there is a model used by quadrant control system 104 corresponding to each group (and thus, each circle in FIG. 13 ). Letters within the circles in FIG. 13 represent levers that are part of a group; in the illustrated example, the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly includes four levers labeled A through D. Thus, the central circle 1302 in FIG. 13 corresponds to the first mode of operation described above, in which all levers are tracked. Arrow 1310 reflects the operation of FIG. 11 when, in response to exceeding either threshold, the system switches from tracking all levers together (circle 1302) to operating each lever independently.

[0052] Arrow 1320 in FIG. 13 indicates another example of a further mode of operation in which, in response to data from one of the levers, lever A, exceeding either threshold, that lever is removed from the group being followed and operates independently, while the remaining levers (levers B-D) continue to be followed (i.e., they operate in the same manner as in the first mode, except for the lever that triggered the threshold being exceeded).

[0053] Arrow 1330 in FIG. 13 illustrates another example of a further operational mode in which, in response to data from one of the levers, Lever A, exceeding either threshold, the levers are split into two subsets (as indicated by circles 1332, 1334), with each subset operating independently from the other subset, but the levers within a subset tracking together. These subsets may be predefined, for example, based on the aircraft configuration, or may be dynamically defined. These subsets may, for example, group levers corresponding to engines on the same wing (e.g., so that Lever A and Lever B correspond to the engine on the left wing and Lever C and Lever D correspond to the engine on the right wing) or into corresponding pairs of engines, one on each wing (e.g., so that Lever A and Lever B correspond to the engine on each wing closest to the fuselage and Lever C and Lever D correspond to the engine on each wing furthest from the fuselage).

[0054] 13 illustrates three additional operating modes (corresponding to arrows 1310, 1320, and 1330), it should be understood that the system may use any combination of two or more of these additional operating modes, and there may be one or more other additional operating modes defined based on different combinations of levers in the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly. Additionally, while arrow 1330 illustrates a mode in which the levers are divided into two subsets, in other examples the levers may be divided into a different number of subsets.

[0055] 12 is used and, as a result of exceeding a threshold, the method switches from the first mode to one of the further operating modes in which some of the levers are still tracked together (e.g., the further operating mode corresponding to arrow 1320 or 1330), further changes in the operating mode may then be triggered in response to a subsequent trigger event. This can also be described with reference to FIG. 13. For example, if a first trigger event (i.e., the first time the threshold is exceeded, resulting in a "Yes" at block 1106) causes the method to switch from the first operating mode to the further operating mode 1330 in which the levers are divided into two subsets, a second trigger event may result in a switch to the further operating mode in which all levers operate independently (as indicated by arrow 1340) or in a further subdivision of the subset that includes the lever whose position / force data caused the threshold to be exceeded (as indicated by arrow 1350, and assuming that lever A or B triggered the threshold being exceeded). This reduction in grouping, and therefore lever following, can be repeated in response to further trigger events until all levers are operating independently (e.g., as shown by arrow 1360, and assuming lever A or D also triggers a threshold being exceeded).

[0056] 11 and 12 are described above as comparing position data and force data to force and position thresholds, in other examples, one or more different thresholds may be used in addition to or instead of that. For example, an acceleration threshold and / or a velocity threshold may be used. If an acceleration threshold is used, the force data may be used to determine whether the threshold has been exceeded, and if a velocity threshold is used, the position data may be used to determine whether the threshold has been exceeded. Furthermore, in systems where multiple thresholds (e.g., force and position or acceleration and position) are used, if one of the sensors (e.g., a position sensor or force / torque sensor) fails, the method may switch to using only the data and corresponding thresholds from the remaining operational sensor (e.g., only the force threshold if the position sensor has failed, and only the position threshold if the force sensor has failed).

[0057] 11-12 do not show switching from the second operating mode back to the first operating mode, this may be accomplished via a manual switch input (e.g., the method may switch back to the first operating mode in response to input received from a manual switch) or subsequently in response to detecting (e.g., as part of the analysis in block 1104) that the positions of all levers are within a second position threshold (i.e., the position data indicates that the position deviation between any two levers does not exceed the second position threshold). This second position threshold will be different from the position thresholds described above (and used in block 1106), and the second position threshold will have a smaller value (i.e., corresponding to a smaller angular deviation) than the position thresholds described above. In some examples, if a manual switch is used, its use may be permitted (or its input may be processed) only if the positions of all levers are within a defined range.

[0058] As mentioned above, the method for controlling a multi-quadrant active throttle assembly as shown in Figures 11 and 12 may be implemented within quadrant control system 104 in Figure 1. This method may also be used when an aircraft includes multiple linked multi-quadrant active throttle assemblies, for example, in system 200 shown in Figure 2.

[0059] The method for controlling the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly described above with reference to Figures 11-13 is independent of the flight control system 106 receiving force and position data from the quadrant unit 102. Lever tracking results in the same positions and forces being sensed by the force / torque sensors 114 and position sensors 116 in the active throttle assemblies 108 of the levers being tracked, and therefore provides the same position and force data to the flight control system 106 from all levers being tracked together.

[0060] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a computing device 1400 configured to implement the method of controlling the multi-quadrant active throttle assembly shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 and thus may serve as the quadrant control system 104 in FIG. 1 or 2.

[0061] The computing device 1400 comprises one or more processors 1402 and a memory 1404 configured to store executable instructions executed by the processor 1402. The memory 1404 is configured to store a tracking module 1406 comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor 1402, cause the computing device 1400 to perform the method of Figure 11 or 12. The memory 1404 may also store data used and / or updated by the tracking module 1406, such as lever models 1408. As mentioned above, these models, which may correspond to a single lever or a group of two or more levers, define how control data is generated to operate an actuator assembly attached to the lever and provide haptic feedback.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 14 , the computing device 1400 also includes multiple interfaces, such as a sensor input interface 1412 configured to receive force and position data from the quadrant unit 102, a control signal output interface 1414 configured to output control data to the quadrant unit 102, and a flight control interface 1416 configured to communicate with the flight control system 106.

[0063] 14, computing device 1400 includes a flight control interface 1416. In other examples, a single computing device may operate as both flight control system 106 and quadrant control system 104, and in such examples, the flight control interface may be replaced by one or more interfaces that receive data from other sensors and systems within the aircraft, and memory 1404 may include a flight control system module.

Claims

1. an actuator assembly (912) comprising a motor body casing (920) and a gearbox (904); said lever (902, 903) connected via its proximal end to an output stage of said gearbox; trunnion bearings (922, 924) configured to mount the motor body casing to a chassis (1002); a link (914) configured to connect the motor body casing to the chassis, the link comprising a force sensor.

2. 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly further comprises a motor winding (910) and a resolver area (916, 918), the motor winding and the resolver area being located on either side of the gearbox.

3. The assembly of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the chassis (1002).

4. 4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the lever comprises a pole (903) and a grip (902) disposed at a distal end of the pole, the distal end of the pole being connected to the output stage of the gearbox.

5. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4 which is an active throttle or stick assembly.

6. 6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the assembly is an active throttle assembly.

7. A multi-quadrant active throttle assembly comprising a plurality of the active throttle assemblies according to claim 6.

8. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the assembly is an active stick assembly.

9. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lever is configured to be connected at a distal end of the lever to a mechanical linkage within an aircraft.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the mechanical linkage comprises a throttle linkage.

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