Gyro unit, control system

Abstract

To improve maneuvering easiness when executing a maneuver involving backward movement of a maneuvering object body.SOLUTION: A gyro unit to be mounted on a maneuvering object body maneuvered based on a maneuvering signal received from the outside, the gyro unit includes: a gyro sensor; a calculation part for executing calculation for attitude control of the maneuvering object body based on a maneuvering signal and a detection signal of the gyro sensor, and a control part for executing control such that a control direction of the attitude control is switched between when the maneuvering object body moves forward and backward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of a gyro unit mounted on a controlled body that is controlled based on a control signal received from outside, and a control system that includes a transmitter that transmits a control signal to the controlled body and the gyro unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Among control systems for remotely controlling controlled objects such as model airplanes, drones, and model vehicles, there are some that have an attitude control function using a gyro sensor, as described in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below. Specifically, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below disclose examples in which an attitude control function using a gyro sensor is applied to a control system for a model airplane. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-43623 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-65402

[0004] Now, model airplanes are becoming popular among enthusiasts for their ability to fly backwards as well as forwards, so-called 4D flights, which refer to acrobatic flight maneuvers that utilize the reverse function, such as handstand torque rolls, sudden turns while in reverse, and repeated forward and backward flight. 4D flights tend to use relatively small model airplanes, for example with wingspans of around 1m. In 4D flights, the drone is either not equipped with a gyro sensor and flies using piloting techniques alone, or it is equipped with a gyro sensor and uses attitude control only when moving backward. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, when performing attitude control using a gyro sensor, the control direction of attitude control must be uniquely determined for each axis of angular velocity detection, such as roll, pitch, and yaw, so currently attitude control can only be performed appropriately when moving forward or backward. Therefore, if the gyro sensor is installed in a direction that is appropriate for when the aircraft is going backwards, prioritizing ease of control when going backwards, the aircraft will have to rely solely on control techniques when going forwards, making the aircraft more difficult to control.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to make it possible to use the attitude control function both when moving forward and when moving backward, thereby improving ease of control when maneuvering a controlled object while moving backward. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The gyro unit according to the present invention is a gyro unit mounted on a controlled body that is controlled based on a control signal received from an external device, and includes a gyro sensor and controls the attitude of the controlled body based on the control signal and a detection signal from the gyro sensor. to achieve for Drive signal a calculation unit that performs calculations and a control unit that switches the control direction of the attitude control when the controlled body is moving forward or backward; relating to the calculation of the drive signal and a control unit that performs control.

[0008] Further, a control system according to the present invention is a control system including a transmitter that transmits a control signal to a controlled object that is controlled based on the control signal, and a gyro unit mounted on the controlled object, wherein the transmitter includes a transmitting unit that transmits a signal, and the gyro unit includes a gyro sensor, The steering signal; The attitude control of the controlled object is performed based on the detection signal of the gyro sensor. to achieve for Drive signala calculation unit that performs calculations and a control unit that switches the control direction of the attitude control when the controlled body is moving forward or backward; relating to the calculation of the drive signal and a gyro-side control unit that performs control.

[0009] By using the gyro unit having the above configuration, the attitude control function can be used both when moving forward and when moving backward. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve ease of control when performing control involving reverse movement of a controlled object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a flight control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the internal configuration of a transmitter and a controlled object in an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of a gyro unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for setting channel allocation. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for program mixing of the transmitter. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen relating to ACT / INH setting and ON / OFF switch setting in program mixing. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen relating to ON / OFF of program mixing. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed in response to connection of a gyro unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for channel allocation on the gyro unit side. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for modes D2 to D5 on the gyro unit side. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for setting a combination of control directions for each gyro sensor when moving backward. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure on the transmitter side in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure on the gyro unit side in the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for setting channel allocation in a transmitter. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for channel allocation on the gyro unit side. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a mode setting screen in another example of the first embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen for setting a combination of control directions for each gyro sensor in another example of the first embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of a gyro unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart of a process performed by a gyro control unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration example of a gyro unit as another example of the second embodiment. [Figure 21] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure when a dead zone is realized by processing on the gyro unit side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order. <1. First embodiment> [1-1. System configuration example] [1-2. Configuration example of transmitter and controlled device] [1-3. Gyro unit configuration example] [1-4. Control direction switching method and presettings as an embodiment] [1-5. Example of processing procedure] [1-6. Alternative Example of the First Embodiment] 2. Second Embodiment <3. Modifications> <4. Summary of the embodiment>

[0013] <1. First embodiment> [1-1. System configuration example] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a flight control system 1, which is one embodiment of a flight control system according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the control system is configured to include at least a controlled object 2 and a transmitter 3. The controlled object 2 is an object that is controlled based on a control signal received from the outside. The transmitter 3 is a device that transmits various signals including the control signal to the controlled object 2.

[0014] In this embodiment, a model airplane is taken as an example of the controlled object 2. As shown in the figure, the controlled vehicle 2 as a model airplane comprises a fuselage 21, a pair of left and right main wings 22, 22, horizontal tails 23, 23, and a vertical tail 24.

[0015] Here, the attitude of the controlled vehicle 2 can be expressed by the direction of rotation around the roll axis, the direction of rotation around the pitch axis, and the direction of rotation around the yaw axis. In the figure, the directions of the roll axis, pitch axis, and yaw axis are illustrated, and as shown in the figure, the roll axis is an axis that passes through the fuselage 21 of the controlled vehicle 2 from front to back, the pitch axis is an axis that passes through the controlled vehicle 2 from left to right, and the yaw axis is an axis that passes through the controlled vehicle 2 from top to bottom.

[0016] In the controlled vehicle 2, each main wing 22 is provided with an aileron 26. Furthermore, each horizontal stabilizer 23 is provided with an elevator 27, and each vertical stabilizer 24 is provided with a rudder 28. The ailerons 26 are movable wings for rotating the controlled vehicle 2 around the roll axis, the elevators 27 are movable wings for rotating the controlled vehicle 2 around the pitch axis, and the rudder 28 is movable wings for rotating the controlled vehicle 2 around the yaw axis. By operating these ailerons 26, elevator 27, and rudder 28, the flight attitude of the controlled vehicle 2 can be changed.

[0017] The controlled object 2 is also provided with a propeller 25. The rotation of this propeller 25 can impart a propulsive force to the controlled object 2 in the forward and backward directions. The controlled body 2 of this embodiment is configured to be able to switch the rotation direction of the propeller 25. By switching the rotation direction of the propeller 25, the controlled body 2 can be switched between forward and reverse movement.

[0018] The transmitter 3 has a function of accepting an operation for operation by a user as a pilot, and transmitting a control signal in accordance with the accepted operation. The transmitter 3 is provided with an antenna 3a for wirelessly transmitting control signals, an operator 3b for receiving control inputs for control, and a display screen 33a for displaying various information to a user such as a pilot. Here, a transmitter 3 having two stick-shaped controls 3b for control is shown as an example, but the shape of the controls 3b is not limited to stick-shaped and other shapes such as wheel-shaped are also possible, and the number of controls 3b may also be other than two.

[0019] Here, in this specification, the term "control signal" refers to a signal that instructs the operation of movable parts of the controlled vehicle 2, such as the propeller 25, ailerons 26, elevator 27, rudder 28, and the like. In the control system 1, signals other than the control signals that instruct the operation of the movable part can also be transmitted from the transmitter 3 to the controlled object 2 side.

[0020] In the control system 1 of this embodiment, the standard allows multiple channels to be used as signal transmission channels from the transmitter 3 to the controlled vehicle 2. Specifically, in the control system 1 of this example, a total of 18 channels (CH1 to CH16, DG1, DG2) are prepared as signal transmission channels. Using these multiple channels, it is possible to transmit control signals for each of the movable parts, such as the propeller 25, aileron 26, elevator 27, and rudder 28, separately for each channel. Specifically, it is possible to set which signal is to be transmitted for each channel, for example, by assigning the control signal for the propeller 25 to CH1, the control signal for the aileron 26 to CH2, and the control signal for the elevator 27 to CH3. In such a setting for allocating transmission signals for each channel, it is also possible to allocate signals other than steering signals as transmission signals.

[0021] [1-2. Configuration example of transmitter and controlled device] An example of the internal configuration of the transmitter 3 and the controlled device 2 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. FIG. 2 shows an example of the electrical configuration of the transmitter 3 and the controlled device 2, and does not show the mechanical configuration.

[0022] As shown in the figure, the transmitter 3 includes a transmitter-side control unit 31, an operation unit 32, a display unit 33, a transmission unit , and a communication unit . The operation unit 32 comprehensively represents operators with which the user performs various operational inputs to the transmitter 3. Specifically, it comprehensively represents the above-mentioned stick-shaped operator 3b for control operations, and operators such as buttons, keys, levers, and touch panels for performing various operations other than control operations. In the transmitter 3 of this example, a touch panel for detecting touch operations on the screen is formed on the display screen 33a described above, and the operators in the operation unit 32 also include the touch panel.

[0023] The display unit 33 is configured to have a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, and displays various information to the user. The above-mentioned display screen 33a is the display screen of the display unit 33.

[0024] The transmitter-side control unit 31 is configured with a microcomputer equipped with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and performs overall control of the transmitter 3 by the CPU executing processing in accordance with a program stored in memory such as the ROM. For example, the transmitter-side control unit 31 performs processing to generate a control signal based on an operation on the above-mentioned control element 3b in the operation unit 32. Furthermore, the transmitter-side control unit 31 performs processing to display various types of information on the display unit 33 based on operations on predetermined operators other than the operator 3b on the operation unit 32, particularly on the touch panel on the display screen 33a described above in this example. For example, the transmitter-side control unit 31 performs processing to cause the display unit 33 to display a setting menu screen, a setting screen for an item selected from the setting menu screen, etc. Furthermore, the transmitter-side control unit 31 performs processing to display information such as values ​​designated by the user through operations on the operation unit 32 on the setting screen, and performs setting processing corresponding to the operation based on the setting instruction operation.

[0025] Furthermore, the transmitter-side control section 31 performs processing to cause the transmitting section 34 to transmit signals to be transmitted to the controlled body 2 side, such as the generated control signal. The transmitter 34 transmits the signal instructed by the transmitter-side controller 31 via the antenna 3a.

[0026] The transmitter 34 may have not only a transmitting function but also a receiving function. If the receiver 4 described later has a transmitting function, information acquired on the controlled object 2 side can be received by the transmitter 3. For example, if the controlled object 2 is provided with a monitoring sensor such as a temperature sensor or a rotation speed sensor for the propeller 25 (propulsion motor 7 described later), it is possible to receive information detected by the sensor on the transmitter 3 side and display it on the display unit 33, for example.

[0027] The communication unit 35 is a communication device for performing wired communication with an external device. The transmitter-side control unit 31 is capable of communicating with an external device connected to the transmitter 3 by wire, particularly with a gyro unit 5 described later in this embodiment, via this communication unit 35.

[0028] The controlled object 2 includes a receiver 4, a gyro unit 5, an ESC (Electronic Speed ​​Controller, also called a speed controller) 6, a propulsion motor 7, and a plurality of servo motors 8.

[0029] The propulsion motor 7 is a motor that rotates and drives the propeller 25 shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the propulsion motor 7 is a motor that can switch the direction of rotation depending on the polarity of the drive current.

[0030] As the servo motors 8, three servo motors are provided: a servo motor 8-a that drives the ailerons 26, a servo motor 8-e that drives the elevator 27, and a servo motor 8-r that drives the rudder 28.

[0031] The receiver 4 has an antenna 4 a and receives the signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 34 in the transmitter 3 . The receiver 4 outputs the received signal to the ESC 6 and the gyro unit 5.

[0032] The ESC 6 acquires a control signal that instructs the operation of the propeller 25, which is included in the transmission signal input from the transmitter 3 via the receiver 4, and generates a drive signal for the propulsion motor 6 based on the control signal. This drive signal is output to the propulsion motor 7, which is then driven.

[0033] As will be described later, the gyro unit 5 has gyro sensors (gyro sensors 52) corresponding to the roll axis, pitch axis, and yaw axis, and is a unit that controls the attitude of the controlled body 2 based on the detection signals (angular velocity detection signals) of these gyro sensors. Although details will be described later, the gyro unit 5 extracts control signals that instruct the operation of the ailerons 26 (hereinafter referred to as "aileron control signals"), control signals that instruct the operation of the elevator 27 (hereinafter referred to as "elevator control signals"), and control signals that instruct the operation of the rudder 28 (hereinafter referred to as "rudder control signals"), which are included in the transmission signals input from the transmitter 3 via the receiver 4, and generates drive signals for realizing attitude control (attitude stabilization control) as drive signals for each of the servo motors 8-a, 8-e, and 8-r based on these control signals and the detection signals of the respective gyro sensors. In this way, the servo motors 8-a, 8-e, and 8-r are driven based on the drive signals generated by the gyro unit 5, thereby realizing attitude stabilization control of the controlled object 2.

[0034] [1-3. Gyro unit configuration example] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the configuration of the gyro unit 5. As shown in FIG. 3 shows the receiver 4 and servo motors 8-a, 8-e, and 8-r shown in FIG. 2 together with an example of the configuration of the gyro unit 5.

[0035] As shown in the figure, the gyro unit 5 has a communication unit 50, a gyro control unit 51, gyro sensors 52 (52-a, 52-e, 52-r) for each axis, a calculation unit 53, and input switching units 54 (54-a, 54-e, 54-r) for each axis.

[0036] The gyro sensor 52-a is a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity around the roll axis (the direction of rotation by the aileron 26), the gyro sensor 52-e is a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity around the pitch axis (the direction of rotation by the elevator 27), and the gyro sensor 52-r is a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity around the yaw axis (the direction of rotation by the rudder 28). By installing the gyro unit 5 in the correct orientation on the controlled object 2, these gyro sensors 52-a, 52-e, and 52-r can detect angular velocities around the desired axes.

[0037] The gyro control unit 51 is capable of performing wired communication with an external device via the communication unit 50. When the controlled object 2 is being controlled, the receiver 4 is wired connected to the communication unit 50 as shown in the figure, and the gyro control unit 51 is capable of receiving a transmission signal from the transmitter 3 that is received by the receiver 4 via the communication unit 50.

[0038] The gyro control unit 51 extracts the aileron control signal, elevator control signal, and rudder control signal contained in the transmission signal input from the transmitter 3 via the receiver 4, and outputs these control signals to the calculation unit 53. As described above, in this example, it is preset which control signals are to be transmitted over which channels, and the gyro control unit 51 extracts the aileron control signals, elevator control signals, and rudder control signals from the transmitted signals in accordance with this setting.

[0039] Here, the gyro control unit 51 in this embodiment also performs various processes in response to switching between forward and reverse movement of the controlled object 2, which will be explained again later.

[0040] The calculation unit 53 receives an aileron control signal, an elevator control signal, and a rudder control signal via the gyro control unit 51, and also receives detection signals from gyro sensors 52-a, 52-e, and 52-r via input switching units 54-a, 54-e, and 54-r, respectively. The input switching units 54-a, 54-e, and 54-r will be explained later.

[0041] The calculation unit 53 performs calculations for attitude stabilization control for each of the roll, pitch, and yaw axes based on the detection signal of the gyro sensor 52-a input via the input switching unit 54-a (hereinafter referred to as the "roll axis angular velocity signal"), the detection signal of the gyro sensor 52-e input via the input switching unit 54-e (hereinafter referred to as the "pitch axis angular velocity signal"), and the detection signal of the gyro sensor 52-r input via the input switching unit 54-r (hereinafter referred to as the "yaw axis angular velocity signal"), as well as the aileron control signal, elevator control signal, and rudder control signal input from the gyro control unit 51, and generates drive signals for each of the servo motors 8-a, 8-e, and 8-r.

[0042] The calculation unit 53 in this example performs PID (Proportional Integral Differential) control calculations based on the steering signal and the angular velocity detection signal for each of the roll, pitch, and yaw axes, thereby generating drive signals for each of the servo motors 8-a, 8-e, and 8-r to achieve attitude stabilization control. Specifically, for the roll axis, a target rotation angle around the roll axis of the controlled vehicle 2 is calculated based on the aileron control signal, and a drive signal for the servo motor 8-a that drives the aileron 26 is generated by performing a PID control calculation based on this target rotation angle and the roll axis angular velocity signal. Regarding the pitch axis, a target rotation angle around the pitch axis of the controlled object 2 is calculated based on the elevator operation signal, and a drive signal for the servo motor 8-e that drives the elevator 27 is generated by performing a PID control calculation based on this target rotation angle and the pitch axis angular velocity signal. Regarding the yaw axis, the target rotation angle of the controlled body 2 around the yaw axis is calculated based on the rudder control signal, and a PID control calculation is performed based on this target rotation angle and the yaw axis angular velocity signal to generate a drive signal for the servo motor 8-r that drives the rudder 28.

[0043] The attitude control calculation based on the detection signal of the gyro sensor is not limited to a PID control calculation, and other feedback control calculations can also be used. Furthermore, the attitude control based on the detection signal of the gyro sensor is not limited to feedback control, but may be feedforward control.

[0044] [1-4. Control direction switching method and presettings as an embodiment] Here, the controlled body 2 in this embodiment is configured to be able to switch between forward and reverse motion, but as mentioned above, in the prior art, attitude control using the gyro sensor 52 could only be performed when moving forward or backward.

[0045] Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to make it possible to use the attitude control function using the gyro sensor 52 both when moving forward and backward, a method is adopted in which the control direction of the attitude control is switched depending on whether the controlled object 2 is moving forward or backward.

[0046] In this example, the control direction is switched using the input switching units 54 (54-a, 54-e, 54-r) shown in FIG. 3, each input switching unit 54 has an inversion circuit 55 and a switch (SW) 56. In each input switching unit 54, the switch 56 receives a detection signal from the gyro sensor 52 of the corresponding axis among the gyro sensors 52-a, 52-e, and 52-r, and a signal obtained by inverting the detection signal from the gyro sensor 52 of the corresponding axis by the inversion circuit 55. That is, the switch 56 receives a non-inverted signal and an inverted signal of the detection signal from the gyro sensor 52 of the corresponding axis. The switch 56 in each input switching unit 54 outputs either the non-inverted signal or the inverted signal thus received to the calculation unit 53 based on a switching instruction from the gyro control unit 51. This makes it possible to switch the control direction (which can also be said as the direction in which corrective steering is applied) for the attitude control of each axis using the gyro sensors 52-a, 52-e, and 52-r.

[0047] Here, it is conceivable that the switching of the control direction of attitude control could be performed within the calculation in the calculation unit 53, such as by switching the polarity of the target rotation angle in the PID control described above. However, in this case, it has been confirmed that there is a risk that the stability of attitude control may decrease due to calculation errors. By using the method of switching the polarity of the angular velocity signal input to the calculation unit 53 as described above, even when PID control is applied to attitude control, an appropriate attitude control signal can be obtained in response to switching between forward and reverse travel, thereby improving the accuracy of attitude control during forward and reverse travel.

[0048] In this embodiment, as described above, the forward / reverse movement of the controlled body 2 is switched by switching the rotation direction of the propulsion motor 7. In this example, the switching of the rotation direction of the propulsion motor 7 is realized by an operation input of the operator 3b that commands the operation of the propeller 25. Specifically, when the operator 3b is operated in a positive direction (e.g., upward direction) from the neutral position ("0" position), the propulsion motor 7 rotates forward and the controlled body 2 moves forward, and when the operator 3b is operated in a negative direction (e.g., downward direction) from the neutral position, the propulsion motor 7 rotates reversely and the controlled body 2 moves backward.

[0049] Hereinafter, the operator 3b for instructing the operation of the propeller 25 will be referred to as the "throttle operator," the operation using the throttle operator will be referred to as the "throttle operation," and the amount of operation of the throttle operator will be referred to as the "throttle operation amount." Furthermore, the operation position of the throttle operator relative to the neutral position described above will be referred to as the "throttle operation position." The throttle operation position can change to the positive or negative side relative to the neutral position, and therefore the throttle operation position can be considered to have positive / negative polarity.

[0050] In the following description, the control signal for instructing the operation of the propeller 25, which is determined in response to the operation of the throttle operator, will be referred to as a "throttle signal." In this example, the throttle signal is a signal that, depending on its polarity, commands the forward or reverse rotation of the propulsion motor 7. Specifically, a throttle signal with a positive polarity commands the rotation speed of the propulsion motor 7 on the forward side, and a throttle signal with a negative polarity commands the rotation speed of the propulsion motor 7 on the reverse side.

[0051] In this example, the forward / reverse movement of the controlled body 2 is switched in response to the polarity reversal of the throttle operation position, and therefore the control direction of the attitude control is switched based on the throttle operation position.

[0052] When switching the control direction of attitude control in response to the changeover between forward and reverse of the controlled body 2, it is conceivable to have the gyro control unit 51 refer to the throttle signal and determine whether the controlled body 2 has changed over between forward and reverse based on the throttle signal, and to control the switching of the switch 56; however, in this example, instead of having the gyro control unit 51 refer to the throttle signal, a switching notification signal separate from the throttle signal is generated in the transmitter 3 and the gyro control unit 51 refers to the switching notification signal. The switching notification signal here refers to a signal related to the forward / reverse switching operation. In this example, the transmitter-side control unit 31 in the transmitter 3 generates the switching notification signal based on the throttle operation position and transmits it to the controlled object 2 via the transmission unit 34.

[0053] In this example, a specific channel out of a plurality of signal transmission channels is assigned to transmit the switching notification signal. Specifically, in this example, the program mixing function of the transmitter 3 is used to transmit the switching notification signal based on the throttle operating position. The program mixing function is a function that, in conjunction with a certain operation, transmits an operation instruction signal in a manner pre-specified for that operation through a pre-specified signal transmission channel. This program mixing function allows a switching notification signal to be sent to the gyro control unit 51 in conjunction with the throttle operation, instructing the execution of control to switch the control direction in accordance with switching between forward and reverse.

[0054] In this example, the control direction when moving backward can be set individually for each gyro sensor 52. For example, depending on the type of performance using the controlled body 2, such as a flight performance using the controlled body 2 as a flying object, or the pilot's preferences, it may be necessary to have the control direction of all gyros (detection axes) when reversing reversed in the opposite direction to that when moving forward, or to have the control direction of some gyros be the same as when moving forward. As described above, by making it possible to set the control direction during reverse travel individually for each gyro sensor 52, it becomes possible to meet such various needs, and usability can be improved.

[0055] In this example, the combination of control direction settings for each gyro sensor 52 when moving backward as described above can be selected from a plurality of preset combinations. Specifically, in this example, it is possible to set in advance the control direction for each gyro sensor 52 when traveling in reverse for each of modes D2 to D5, which will be described later, provided by the program mixing function. That is, in this case, four combinations of control directions for each gyro sensor 52 when traveling in reverse can be set in advance. After this setting, the user can select one of the above-described D2 to D5 on the transmitter 3, thereby selecting from the four combinations the combination of control directions for each gyro sensor 52 when traveling in reverse. Here, the control direction for forward travel is assigned to the D1 mode. In this example, the control direction for each gyro sensor 52 for forward travel is fixed and cannot be changed by the user. Specifically, in this example, the control direction for each gyro sensor 52 for forward travel is all set to the forward direction (i.e., the direction on the side that selects the non-inverted signal in the switch 56 in this example).

[0056] In the program mixing function, if the specified channel (specific channel) is one of CH1 to CH16, the pulse width of the transmission signal of that specific channel is changed for each of the modes D1 to D5. In the transmitter 3, when it is determined based on the throttle operating position that a forward operation is being performed, the transmitter-side control unit 31 performs processing to transmit a signal with a pulse width corresponding to the D1 mode as a transmission signal on a specific channel, i.e., a switching notification signal. On the other hand, when it is determined based on the throttle operating position that a reverse operation is being performed, the transmitter-side control unit 31 performs processing to transmit a signal with a pulse width corresponding to a designated mode from among the D2 to D5 modes as a switching notification signal to be transmitted on a specific channel.

[0057] On the gyro unit 5 side, the gyro control unit 51 refers to the switching notification signal transmitted on a specific channel, and if the pulse width of the switching notification signal corresponds to the D1 mode, the gyro control unit 51 causes the switch 56 in each input switching unit 54 to select a non-inverted signal so that the control direction of attitude control is the forward direction. Furthermore, if the pulse width of the switching notification signal is a pulse width other than the pulse width corresponding to mode D1, the gyro control unit 51 controls the switch 56 in each input switching unit 54 so that the control direction for each gyro sensor 52 set to the mode specified by the pulse width among modes D2 to D5 is realized.

[0058] In this way, the control direction of attitude control can be switched in response to switching between forward and reverse motion, and when reversing, a combination of control directions for each gyro sensor 52 can be selected from among the preset combinations specified by user operation on the transmitter 3.

[0059] In addition, in this embodiment, the control direction is not switched at the timing when the polarity of the throttle operation position is reversed, but the timing of switching the control direction is delayed from the timing when the polarity of the throttle operation position is reversed. In this example, such delay processing is performed on the transmitter 3 side. Specifically, the transmitter-side control unit 31 delays the timing at which the pulse width of the above-mentioned switching notification signal is changed relative to the timing at which the polarity of the throttle operating position changes.

[0060] In this example, this delay is also performed using the program mixing function. Here, with the program mixing function, it is possible to specify the operation position for switching program mixing ON / OFF for the main operation (throttle operation in this example) as the linked operation. For example, operation position = 0 can be specified as the operation position for switching program mixing ON / OFF. Turning program mixing ON corresponds to switching the pulse width of the transmission signal of a specific channel from the pulse width corresponding to D1 described above to the pulse width corresponding to the selected mode among D2 to D5. Turning program mixing OFF corresponds to switching the pulse width of the transmission signal of a specific channel from the pulse width corresponding to the selected mode among D2 to D5 to the pulse width corresponding to D1. The program mixing function allows you to specify any delay time from when the operation position for the main operation reaches the specified operation position until the program mixing is actually switched ON / OFF. In this example, the delay function of this program mixing function is used to delay the pulse width switching timing of the switching notification signal.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, with regard to the operation of switching between forward and reverse, the pulse width of the switching notification signal is not switched (no instruction to switch the control direction is given) until the operation amount in the direction of travel after switching exceeds a predetermined operation amount. Specifically, when the polarity of the throttle operation position is switched, the pulse width of the switching notification signal is not switched until the throttle operation amount on the polarity side after the switch exceeds a predetermined operation amount.In other words, this sets up a "dead zone" in the area around 0 for the throttle operation position, where the control direction is not switched.

[0062] Such dead zones can also be set using the program mixing function. Specifically, the program mixing function allows you to specify the operation position for turning program mixing ON (hereinafter referred to as the "ON position") and the operation position for turning it OFF (hereinafter referred to as the "OFF position") for the main operations described above. Therefore, by specifying positions other than "0" as these ON and OFF positions, you can set the dead zones described above.

[0063] An example of presettings that should be performed by the user in order to realize the control direction switching method according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7 are diagrams for explaining the pre-settings that should be made to the transmitter 3, and show examples of various setting screens that can be called up from the setting menu screen described above. For clarity, these setting screens are displayed on the display screen 33a of the display unit 33, and in this example, the user can perform various operational inputs to the setting screen by performing touch operations on the display screen 33a using the touch panel described above provided on the display screen 33a.

[0064] 4 shows an example of a setting screen for setting channel allocation. The setting screen has three pages, and the screens for each page are shown together in the figure. As shown in the figure, in this example, of the total of 18 signal transmission channels (CH1 to CH16, DG1, DG2), CH12 is assigned as the signal transmission channel for the above-mentioned switching notification signal (see "GYRO.REV" in the figure).

[0065] Figures 5 to 7 show examples of setting screens related to the program mixing function, with Figure 5 showing an example of a setting screen for program mixing on a transmitter, Figure 6 showing an example of a screen related to setting the ACT / INH setting and ON / OFF switch in program mixing, and Figure 7 showing an example of a setting screen related to turning program mixing ON / OFF.

[0066] The setting screen in Figure 5 allows you to set the modes D1 to D5 and delay times mentioned above, and as shown in the figure, there are setting areas for setting the items "slave," "offset," "speed," and "delay." The "Slave" setting area is an area for setting the channel that transmits the operation instruction signal linked to the main operation. As mentioned above, in this example, "GYRO.REV" (=CH12) is specified as the signal transmission channel for the switching notification signal, so "Slave" is set to "GYRO.REV".

[0067] The "Offset" setting area is an area for setting an offset value related to the pulse width of the transmission signal (the operation instruction signal linked to the main operation). Here, in the flight control system 1 of this example, the lower limit value to the upper limit value of the pulse width of the transmission signal is expressed by a numerical value from "-100" to "100." In this example, the D1 mode (forward mode) is a mode in which the pulse width is the lower limit value, so as shown in the figure, the "OFF" item in "Offset" is set to "-100 (-100.0)," which represents the lower limit value. To be clear, "OFF" here refers to "OFF" for program mixing.

[0068] Also, the "ON" item in "Offset" is an item for selecting modes D2 to D5. The program mixing function allows the pulse width of the transmission signal to be changed in five steps so that a total of five modes, D1 to D5, can be identified. In other words, in this case, the pulse width of the transmission signal can be changed within the range of "-100" to "-75" (representative value = "-100.0"), the range of "-75" to "-25" (representative value = "-50.0"), the range of "-25" to "25" (representative value = "0.0"), the range of "25" to "75" (representative value = "50.0"), and the range of "75" to "100" (representative value = "100.0"), according to the above-mentioned "-100" to "100" range notation (see FIG. 10 described later). In this example, of the five numerical ranges mentioned above, the range of "-75" to "-25" (representative value = "-50.0") is assigned to D2, the range of "-25" to "25" (representative value = "0.0") to D3, the range of "25" to "75" (representative value = "50.0") to D4, and the range of "75" to "100" (representative value = "100.0") to D5. Note that, as mentioned above, the range of "-100" to "-75" (representative value = "-100.0") is fixed to D1. The user can instruct the combination of control directions for each gyro sensor 52 during reverse travel to be any one of four preset combinations by setting a value indicating the range of one of modes D2 to D5 in the "ON" item in the "OFFSET" area. Specifically, the D2 to D5 mode instruction can be made by setting the above-mentioned representative value (i.e., any of "-50.0," "0.0," "50.0," or "100.0") in the "ON" item in the "OFFSET" area.

[0069] The "Speed" setting area is used to set the speed at which the pulse width of the transmitted signal changes when program mixing is switched ON / OFF. As shown in the figure, the "Speed" setting area has "In" and "Out" setting items. The "In" setting item allows you to specify the speed at which the pulse width changes when program mixing is switched from OFF to ON, and the "Out" setting item allows you to specify the speed at which the pulse width changes when program mixing is switched from ON to OFF.

[0070] In the figure, the "Delay" setting area is an area for setting the time length of the delay. In this example, the "Delay" area has setting items for "Start" and "Stop." The "Start" setting item is used to set the delay time when program mixing switches from OFF to ON. The "Stop" setting item is used to set the delay time when program mixing switches from ON to OFF. In this example, when setting the delay time length, any desired time length may be set for the above-mentioned "start" and "stop" setting items.

[0071] The setting screen in Fig. 6 has a "Switch" setting area. This "Switch" setting area is an area for setting the main operation operator, and in this example, it is sufficient to set information specifying the throttle operator.

[0072] The setting screen in Figure 7 provides a "switch position" setting area for setting the ON and OFF positions described above for program mixing ON / OFF. This "switch position" setting area has setting items for "ON" and "OFF," with "ON" being an item for setting the operating position as the ON position and "OFF" being an item for setting the operating position as the OFF position. In this example, since the throttle operator is set on the setting screen in Figure 6, the operating position to be set by these "ON" and "OFF" is the throttle operating position. As described above, in this example, a dead zone is provided, so values ​​other than "0" are set for the "ON" and "OFF" setting items.

[0073] In the example shown in Fig. 7, the OFF side numerical value is a negative value and the ON side numerical value is a positive value, which corresponds to the fact that program mixing is ON on the reverse side. In the setting screen shown in Fig. 7, whether the OFF side and ON side numerical values ​​are expressed as positive or negative is optional and is not necessarily limited to the example shown.

[0074] 8 to 11 are diagrams for explaining the presettings that should be made to the gyro unit 5 (gyro control section 51). In this example, the pre-settings for the gyro unit 5 can be performed by operating the transmitter 3 while the gyro unit 5 is connected to the transmitter 3 by wire. In this example, the setting screens for the gyro unit 5 shown in Figures 8 to 11 are displayed on the display screen 33a of the transmitter 3, and the user can perform pre-settings for the gyro unit 5 by touching these setting screens.

[0075] It is not necessary to perform pre-settings on the gyro unit 5 via the transmitter 3; for example, pre-settings on the gyro unit 5 may be performed via an information processing device other than the transmitter 3 (for example, a personal computer, smartphone, tablet terminal, etc.).

[0076] FIG. 8 shows an example of a screen that is displayed in response to the connection of the gyro unit 5. This screen has an item called "Basic Menu." Although not shown in the figure, by selecting this "Basic Menu" item, various setting menus for the gyro unit 5 are displayed on the display screen 33a, and the user can call up the corresponding setting screen by selecting any setting menu.

[0077] Fig. 9 shows an example of a channel allocation setting screen on the gyro unit 5. As with Fig. 4, multiple pages are shown together. As explained above in Figure 4, in this example, CH12 is specified as the "GYRO.REV" channel in the channel setting on the transmitter 3 side, so CH12 is also set to "GYRO.REV" on the gyro unit 5 side to correspond to this.

[0078] FIG. 10 shows an example of a setting screen for modes D2 to D5 on the gyro unit 5 side. This setting screen is used to associate the pulse width of the received signal of a specific channel with the modes D2 to D5 on the gyro unit 5 side. As shown in the figure, on this setting screen, the pulse width can be specified for each of the modes D2 to D5 within the range of "-100" to "100" mentioned above. As mentioned above, in this example, the range from "-75" to "-25" is assigned to D2, the range from "-25" to "25" to D3, the range from "25" to "75" to D4, and the range from "75" to "100" to D5. Therefore, on the setting screen, the pulse width for each mode is specified so that the assignment is made in accordance with this.

[0079] FIG. 11 shows an example of a setting screen for setting a combination of control directions for each gyro sensor 52 when moving backward. In this example, on the setting screen of Fig. 11, one of modes D1 to D5 can be selected by touching the area where the identifier of the mode D1 to D5 is displayed. Fig. 11A shows an example of the screen when mode D1 is selected, Fig. 11B shows an example of the screen when mode D2 is selected, Fig. 11C shows an example of the screen when mode D3 is selected, Fig. 11D shows an example of the screen when mode D4 is selected, and Fig. 11E shows an example of the screen when mode D5 is selected. On the setting screen of Figure 11, it is possible to set the forward direction ("Disabled" in the figure) or the reverse direction ("Reverse" in the figure) of the attitude control direction for each gyro sensor 52 (for each of "AIL", "ELE", and "RUD" in the figure). However, in FIG. 11A, since D1 is in the forward mode, it is not possible to set the forward direction / reverse direction.

[0080] Using the setting screen as shown in FIG. 11, the user can set in advance the combination of control directions for each gyro sensor 52 when moving backward for each of the modes D2 to D5.

[0081] [1-5. Example of processing procedure] A specific example of a processing procedure for realizing the control direction switching method according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. FIG. 12 shows an example of a processing procedure on the transmitter 3 side, and FIG. 13 shows an example of a processing procedure on the gyro unit 5 side. The process shown in FIG. 12 is executed by the transmitter-side control unit 31, and the process shown in FIG.

[0082] 12, first in step S101, the transmitter-side control section 31 determines whether the throttle operation position has fallen below the "ON" setting of the "switching position." That is, it determines whether the value of the throttle operation position has risen above the throttle operation position value set in the "ON" item of the "switching position" on the setting screen shown in FIG. 7 (which is displayed as a plus value in FIG. 7 but is internally stored as a minus value).

[0083] If it is determined in step S101 that the throttle operation position has not fallen below the "ON" setting of the "switching position," the transmitter-side control section 31 proceeds to step S102 and determines whether the throttle operation position has risen above the "OFF" setting of the "switching position." That is, it determines whether the value of the throttle operation position has risen above the throttle operation position set in the "OFF" item of the "switching position" on the setting screen shown in Fig. 7 (displayed as a negative value in Fig. 7, but internally stored as a positive value).

[0084] If it is determined in step S102 that the throttle operating position has not risen above the "OFF" setting of the "switching position," the transmitter-side control unit 31 proceeds to step S103 and determines whether the process is to end. That is, it determines whether a predetermined condition for ending the process shown in FIG. 12, such as a power outage, has been met.

[0085] If it is determined in step S103 that the process has not ended, the transmitter-side control section 31 returns to step S101.

[0086] By the loop processing of steps S101 → S102 → S103 → S101, the transmitter-side control unit 31 waits until one of the following conditions is met: that the throttle operation position falls below the "ON" setting of the "switching position," that the throttle operation position rises above the "OFF" setting of the "switching position," or a processing end condition is met.

[0087] If it is determined in step S101 that the throttle operating position has fallen below the "ON" setting in the "switching position," the transmitter-side control section 31 proceeds to step S104 to start counting a time, and then waits until the delay time has elapsed in the following step S105. That is, it waits until the delay time specified in "Start" under "Delay" on the setting screen in FIG. 5 has elapsed.

[0088] If it is determined in step S105 that the delay time has elapsed, the transmitter-side control unit 31 proceeds to step S106 and changes the pulse width of the transmission signal of the specific channel to a pulse width corresponding to the "ON" setting of "offset." That is, in this example, the pulse width of the switching notification signal transmitted by CH12 is changed to the pulse width specified by the "ON" setting of "offset" on the setting screen in FIG. 5. As a result, when the motion of the controlled object 2 is switched from forward to reverse, one of modes D2 to D5 designated by the "ON" setting of the "offset" can be instructed to the gyro unit 5. Also, by changing the pulse width of the switching notification signal, the timing to switch the control direction can be instructed to the gyro unit 5.

[0089] In response to having executed the processing of step S106, the transmitter-side control unit 31 advances the processing to step S110, stops the time count that started in step S104, resets the count value, and returns to step S101.

[0090] If it is determined in step S102 that the throttle position has risen above the "OFF" setting in the "switch position," the process proceeds to step S107, where a time count is started, and then the process waits until the delay time has elapsed in step S108. The delay time here is the delay time specified by "Stop" in the "Delay" setting on the setting screen in FIG. 5.

[0091] If it is determined in step S108 that the delay time has elapsed, the transmitter-side control unit 31 proceeds to step S109 and changes the pulse width of the transmission signal of the specific channel to a pulse width corresponding to the "OFF" setting of "offset." That is, in this example, the pulse width of the switching notification signal transmitted by CH12 is changed to the pulse width specified by the "OFF" setting of "offset" on the setting screen in Fig. 5. Specifically, it is the pulse width corresponding to D1. As a result, in response to a case where the motion of the controlled object 2 is switched from reverse to forward, an instruction can be given to the gyro unit 5 to switch the control direction of attitude control for each gyro sensor 52 to a direction (forward direction) corresponding to forward movement. Also in this case, the timing to switch the control direction can be instructed to the gyro unit 5 by changing the pulse width of the switch notification signal.

[0092] After executing the process of step S109, the transmitter-side control unit 31 proceeds to the process of step S110 described above. That is, the time count started in step S107 is stopped, and the count value is reset. As described above, in response to having executed the process of step S110, the transmitter-side control section 31 returns to step S101.

[0093] If the transmitter-side control section 31 determines in step S103 that the process is to be completed, it ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0094] Next, the processing on the gyro unit 5 side will be described with reference to FIG. 13, in step S201, the gyro control unit 51 determines whether or not the pulse width of the received signal of a specific channel has changed. Specifically, in this example, it determines whether or not the pulse width of the received signal of CH12 has changed.

[0095] If it is determined in step S201 that the pulse width of the received signal of the specific channel has not changed, the gyro control unit 51 proceeds to step S202 and determines whether the process has ended. That is, it determines whether a predetermined condition for ending the process shown in Fig. 13, such as a power outage, has been met.

[0096] If it is determined in step S202 that the process has not ended, the gyro control unit 51 returns to step S201. This causes the gyro control unit 51 to wait until either the condition that the pulse width of the received signal on the specific channel changes or the processing end condition is met.

[0097] If it is determined in step S201 that the pulse width of the received signal of a specific channel has changed, the gyro control unit 51 proceeds to step S203 and determines whether the pulse width has changed in accordance with forward → reverse movement. Specifically, in this example, it determines whether the pulse width has changed from the pulse width corresponding to D1 described above to another pulse width.

[0098] If it is determined in step S203 that the pulse width change corresponds to forward → reverse movement, the gyro control unit 51 proceeds to step S204 and controls the control direction for each gyro in accordance with the preset mode indicated by the pulse width. Specifically, it determines which of modes D2 to D5 is indicated based on the pulse width of the received signal on a specific channel, and for the determined mode, it references the control direction for each gyro sensor 52 that was preset on the setting screen in Figure 11 and controls the switch 56 of each input switching unit 54 so that the control direction for each gyro sensor 52 that was referenced is set. After executing the process of step S204, the gyro control unit 51 returns to step S201.

[0099] If the gyro control unit 51 determines in step S203 that the pulse width change is not in accordance with forward → reverse travel, the process proceeds to step S205, where the gyro control unit 51 controls the control direction for each gyro according to the forward travel setting. That is, in this example, the gyro control unit 51 controls the switch 56 of each input switching unit 54 so that the control direction for each gyro sensor 52 is all the forward direction. After executing the process of step S205, the gyro control unit 51 returns to step S201.

[0100] Furthermore, if the gyro control unit 51 determines in step S202 that the processing has ended, it ends the series of processing steps shown in FIG.

[0101] [1-6. Alternative Example of the First Embodiment] Here, in the above, an example was given in which the combination of control directions for each gyro sensor 52 when reversing can be selected from multiple combinations using modes D2 to D5, but it is not essential to be able to select from multiple sets of combinations of control directions for each gyro sensor 52 when reversing in this way.

[0102] For example, by using the DG1 channel provided by the program mixing function, it is possible to realize a method that does not require selection from multiple sets. In the program mixing function, when the DG1 channel is designated as the aforementioned "slave" channel (see Figure 5), the mode is switched between two modes, D1 and D5. Therefore, when reversing, the combination of control directions for each gyro sensor 52 is automatically selected as D5.

[0103] A specific presetting method in this case will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 shows an example of a setting screen for setting channel allocation in the transmitter 3, similar to the previous Fig. 4. In this case, the channel of DG1 is set as the channel of "GYRO.REV" as shown in the figure. Although illustrations will not be shown here, even when the DG1 channel is specified, the "slave" and "delay" settings, the "switch" (main control), and the "switch position" (the operating position for turning program mixing ON / OFF) are set on the same setting screens as those shown in Figures 5 to 7. In this case, too, if the aforementioned dead zone is to be set, the ON and OFF positions are set to values ​​other than "0."

[0104] 15 to 17 are examples of setting screens on the gyro unit 5 side. As shown in FIG. 15, in this case, the channel assignment setting on the gyro unit 5 side also sets DG1 to "GYRO.REV."

[0105] Also, as shown in FIG. 16, in this case, the DG1 channel is designated, so the pulse width of D5 is automatically selected as the pulse width during reverse (that is, when program mixing is ON).

[0106] In this case, the combination of control directions for each gyro sensor 52 is performed only for D5, as shown in FIG.

[0107] When using the channel DG1, the transmitter-side control unit 31 performs processing to change the pulse width of the transmission signal of the specific channel to the pulse width corresponding to D5 in step S106 of the processing shown in Fig. 12. Other processing may be similar to that described in Fig. 12.

[0108] Furthermore, when the DG1 channel is used, the gyro control unit 51 may perform the same processing as that described above with reference to FIG.

[0109] 2. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the delay in the timing of switching the control direction is performed on the gyro unit side.

[0110] FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration example of a gyro unit 5A according to the second embodiment, and similar to FIG. 3, also shows the receiver 4 and servo motors 8-a, 8-e, and 8-r shown in FIG. In the following description, parts that are the same as parts that have already been described will be given the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0111] Gyro unit 5A differs from gyro unit 5 in that it has a gyro control unit 51A instead of gyro control unit 51. Gyro control unit 51A differs from gyro control unit 51 in that it has a delay function for the timing of switching the control direction.

[0112] FIG. 19 is a flowchart of the process performed by the gyro control unit 51A. The difference from the processing shown in FIG. 13 is that if it is determined in step S201 that the pulse width of the received signal on a specific channel has changed, the processing proceeds to step S203 after the standby processing in step S301. By providing the standby process of step S301, the timing of switching the control direction of attitude control is delayed with respect to the timing at which the pulse width (signal form) of the switching notification signal changes.

[0113] The standby process in step S301 may be, for example, a process in which the gyro control unit 51 waits for a preset delay time. In this case, the delay time may be variably set based on a user operation, or a fixed value may be used.

[0114] Alternatively, the delay in this case can be performed based on the estimation result of an estimation unit that estimates the switching between forward and reverse movement of the controlled object 2.

[0115] FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the configuration of a gyro unit 5B as another example of the second embodiment in which a delay is performed based on the estimation result of the estimation unit in this way. The gyro unit 5B differs from the gyro unit 5 in that it includes an estimation unit 60 and a gyro control unit 51B instead of the gyro control unit 51.

[0116] The estimation unit 60 estimates the switching between forward and reverse of the controlled object 2. A specific example of the estimation unit 60 is a configuration that estimates the changeover between forward and reverse of the controlled object 2 based on a detection signal of an acceleration sensor (not shown) mounted on the controlled object 2. Specifically, in this case, the acceleration sensor is mounted on the controlled body 2 so as to be able to detect acceleration acting in the forward and backward directions of the controlled body 2. The estimation unit 60 estimates the switch between forward and backward movement of the controlled body 2 based on the acceleration in the forward and backward directions detected by the acceleration sensor. The acceleration sensor may be provided outside the estimation unit 60 or may be built into the estimation unit 60.

[0117] The estimation unit 60 may be configured to estimate the changeover between forward and reverse movement of the controlled object 2 based on the detection result of the drive current or drive voltage of the propulsion motor 7. Specifically, in this case, the estimation unit 60 detects the value of the drive current or drive voltage of the propulsion motor 7, and if the value of the drive current or drive voltage remains below a predetermined threshold for a certain period of time or longer, it estimates that a switch between forward and reverse movement has occurred.

[0118] When the gyro control unit 51B determines that the pulse width of the received signal (switching notification signal) of a specific channel has changed, it determines whether the estimation unit 60 has estimated a switch between forward and reverse, and performs control to switch the control direction in accordance with the estimation unit 60 estimating a switch between forward and reverse. This allows the timing of switching the control direction to be delayed relative to the timing of switching between forward and reverse operations. Specifically, in this case, the control direction can be switched after it is estimated that the operation of the controlled object 2 has actually switched from forward to reverse or from reverse to forward.

[0119] When a delay is applied on the gyro unit side as in the second embodiment, it is optional whether or not to apply a delay on the transmitter 3 side as in the first embodiment. If no delay is applied on the transmitter 3 side, simply set "Start" in the "Delay" item described above to "0.0 seconds." Furthermore, if you want the delay applied on the gyro unit side to be a delay from the polarity change timing of the throttle operation position, simply set both the ON position and OFF position settings in the "Switch Position" setting described above to "0."

[0120] <3. Modifications> The embodiment is not limited to the specific example described above, and various modified configurations can be adopted. For example, in the second embodiment, an example was described in which the delay was performed on the gyro unit 5A (or 5B) side, but it is also possible to realize the dead zone related to the control direction switching described above by processing on the gyro unit 5A side.

[0121] When the dead zone is realized by processing on the gyro unit 5A side, a throttle signal is input to the gyro control section 51A. Then, the gyro control unit 51A is caused to execute the processing shown in the flowchart of Fig. 21. In this case, it is assumed that the transmitter 3 does not perform delay processing.

[0122] As shown in Figure 21, in this case, if it is determined in step S203 that the pulse width change corresponds to a change from forward to reverse, it is determined in step S401 whether the throttle operation amount on the reverse side has increased to a predetermined amount or more within a predetermined time. If it is determined in step S401 that the throttle operation amount on the reverse side has increased to a predetermined amount or more within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S204. This realizes a dead band when switching from forward operation to reverse operation. As shown in the figure, if it is determined in step S401 that the amount of throttle operation on the reverse side has not increased to or above a predetermined amount within a predetermined time, the gyro control unit 51A returns to step S201.

[0123] In this case, if it is determined in step S203 that the pulse width change is not in accordance with a change from forward to reverse, it is determined in step S402 whether the forward throttle operation amount has increased to a predetermined amount or more within a predetermined time. If it is determined in step S402 that the forward throttle operation amount has increased to a predetermined amount or more within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S205. This realizes a dead band when switching from reverse operation to forward operation. If it is determined in step S402 that the forward throttle operation amount has not increased to or above the predetermined amount within the predetermined time, the gyro control unit 51A returns to step S201.

[0124] The "predetermined amount" in steps S401 and S402 may be variably set based on a user operation, or may be a fixed value.

[0125] Here, the explanation so far has been based on the premise that the controlled body 2 is configured so that forward and reverse movement can be switched by reversing the rotation direction of the propulsion motor 7, but the present invention can also be applied to a controlled body 2 that employs a controllable pitch propeller. A variable pitch propeller is a screw propeller whose blade angle (pitch) can be freely changed. By changing the pitch, it is possible to obtain any forward or backward thrust, regardless of the rotation direction of the propulsion motor 7. In this case, the control direction of the attitude control may be switched in accordance with the pitch change when switching between forward and reverse travel, rather than the rotation direction of the propulsion motor 7.

[0126] Furthermore, in the explanation so far, an example has been given in which the program mixing function is used, in other words, an example in which a signal other than the throttle signal is used as the switching notification signal, but it is also possible to adopt a method in which a throttle signal is input to the gyro unit 5 (or 5A, 5B), and the gyro control unit 51 (or 51A, 51B) determines the timing of switching between forward and reverse based on the throttle signal. In this case, there is no need to use the program mixing function to control the switching of the control direction.

[0127] Furthermore, in the explanation so far, an example has been given in which the controlled object 2 to which the present invention is applied is a model airplane, but the present invention can also be applied to the controlled object 2 as other flying objects such as a model helicopter or drone. The present invention can also be applied to controlled objects 2 other than flying objects, such as model vehicles and various robots.

[0128] <4. Summary of the embodiment> As explained above, the gyro unit (5, 5A, 5B) as an embodiment is a gyro unit mounted on a controlled body (2) that is controlled based on a control signal received from the outside, and is equipped with gyro sensors (8-a, 8-e, 8-r), a calculation unit (53) that performs calculations for controlling the attitude of the controlled body based on the control signal and the detection signal of the gyro sensor, and a control unit (gyro control units 51, 51A, 51B) that controls so that the control direction of the attitude control is switched between when the controlled body is moving forward and when it is moving backward. By using the gyro unit having the above configuration, the attitude control function can be used both when moving forward and when moving backward. Therefore, it is possible to improve the ease of operation when performing operations involving reverse movement of the controlled object.

[0129] In addition, in the gyro unit as an embodiment, the transmitter (same 3) that transmits the control signal has multiple channels as signal transmission channels, and transmits a switching notification signal, which is a signal related to the forward / reverse switching operation of the controlled object, via a predetermined specific channel among the multiple channels, and the control unit performs switching control of the control direction based on the transmission signal of the specific channel. This makes it possible to effectively utilize existing transmission channels defined by the flight control system's communication format to realize switching control of attitude control direction when moving forward / backward.

[0130] Furthermore, in the gyro unit of the embodiment, an input switching unit (54-a, 54-e, 54-r) is provided that is configured to be able to switch between a non-inverted input state in which a non-inverted signal of the detection signal is input to the calculation unit and an inverted input state in which an inverted signal of the detection signal is input to the calculation unit, and the control unit controls the input switching unit to switch the control direction. This makes it possible to obtain an appropriate attitude control signal in response to switching between forward and reverse motion, even when PID control is applied to attitude control. Therefore, the accuracy of attitude control during forward and reverse travel can be improved.

[0131] Furthermore, the gyro unit according to the embodiment includes a plurality of gyro sensors with different axes for detecting angular velocity, and the control direction during reverse travel can be set individually for each gyro sensor. For example, depending on the type of performance using the controlled object, such as a flight performance using the controlled object as a flying object, or the pilot's preferences, it may be desired to have the control direction of all gyros (detection axes) when reversing opposite to that when moving forward, or to have the control direction of some gyros the same as when moving forward. According to the above configuration, it is possible to meet such various needs regarding the control direction of each gyro when reversing, thereby improving usability.

[0132] Furthermore, in the gyro unit according to the embodiment, the combination of control directions for each gyro sensor during reverse travel can be selected from a plurality of preset combinations. As a result, when a user such as a pilot wishes to change the control direction settings for each gyro when reversing, the pilot can simply select any combination from among the combinations of control directions that have been set in advance. Therefore, the operational burden on the user required to change the setting of the control direction for each gyro when moving backward can be reduced.

[0133] Furthermore, in the gyro unit of the embodiment, the transmitter that transmits the control signal has multiple channels as signal transmission channels, and transmits a signal indicating a combination through a predetermined specific channel from among the multiple channels based on user operation, and the control unit selects the combination based on the transmission signal of the specific channel. According to the above configuration, the control unit can select a combination of control directions for each gyro when moving backward based on an instruction signal wirelessly transmitted from the transmitter on a specific channel. This eliminates the need to provide the gyro unit with an operator for selecting a combination of control directions for each gyro, or to connect the gyro unit to a transmitter by wire.In addition, it is possible to change the setting of the control direction for each gyro when moving backward even while the controlled object is in flight, such as when the controlled object is flying as an aircraft.

[0134] Furthermore, in the gyro unit (same as 5A) as an embodiment, the switching notification signal sent by the transmitter is a signal whose signal state changes in response to switching between forward operation and reverse operation, and the control unit (same as 51A) delays the timing of switching the control direction relative to the timing at which the signal state of the switching notification signal changes in response to switching between forward operation and reverse operation. The delay described above makes it possible to prevent the control direction from being switched before the movement of the controlled object switches from forward to reverse or from reverse to forward. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the posture control from being performed in the opposite direction when switching between forward and reverse travel, and the stability of the posture control can be improved.

[0135] In addition, the gyro unit (same as 5B) as an embodiment is provided with an estimation unit (same as 60) that estimates the changeover between forward and reverse of the controlled object, and the control unit (same as 51B) delays the timing of the changeover of the control direction based on the estimation result of the estimation unit. This makes it possible to delay the timing of switching the control direction based on the estimation result of whether the movement of the controlled object has actually switched from forward to reverse or from reverse to forward. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the posture control from being performed in the opposite direction when switching between forward and reverse travel, and the stability of the posture control can be improved.

[0136] Furthermore, in the gyro unit according to the embodiment, the estimation unit estimates the changeover between forward and reverse movement of the controlled body based on the detection signal of the acceleration sensor mounted on the controlled body. The acceleration sensor allows the switching between forward and reverse of the controlled object to be properly estimated.

[0137] Furthermore, in the gyro unit according to the embodiment, the estimation unit estimates the changeover between forward and reverse movement of the controlled body based on the detection result of the drive current or drive voltage of the propulsion motor of the controlled body. When switching between forward and reverse, the drive current or drive voltage value of the propulsion motor passes through "0" once. Therefore, the switching between forward and reverse movement of the controlled body can be appropriately estimated based on the detection result of the drive current or drive voltage of the propulsion motor.

[0138] Furthermore, in the gyro unit of the embodiment, when the controlled body is switched between forward and reverse, the control unit does not perform control to switch the control direction until the amount of thrust control in the forward direction after the switch exceeds a predetermined amount of control (see Figure 21, etc.). This makes it possible to prevent the control direction from being switched before the movement of the controlled object switches from forward to reverse or from reverse to forward. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the posture control from being performed in the opposite direction when switching between forward and reverse travel, and the stability of the posture control can be improved.

[0139] The control system as an embodiment is a control system comprising a transmitter (3) that transmits a control signal to a controlled object (2) that is controlled based on the control signal, and a gyro unit (5, 5A, 5B) mounted on the controlled object, wherein the transmitter comprises a transmitting unit (34) that transmits the signal, and the gyro unit comprises a gyro sensor (52-a, 52-e, 52-r), a calculation unit (53) that performs calculations for controlling the attitude of the controlled object based on the detection signal of the gyro sensor, and a gyro side control unit (gyro control units 51, 51A, 51B) that controls so that the control direction of the attitude control is switched between when the controlled object is moving forward and when it is moving backward. By using the gyro unit having the above configuration, the attitude control function can be used both when moving forward and when moving backward. Therefore, it is possible to improve the ease of operation when performing operations involving reverse movement of the controlled object.

[0140] In addition, in the control system as an embodiment, the transmitter is equipped with a transmitter side control unit (same as 31) that causes the transmitting unit to transmit a signal instructing the control direction to be switched at a timing delayed from the timing of the forward / reverse switching operation for the controlled object. The delay described above makes it possible to prevent the control direction from being switched before the movement of the controlled object switches from forward to reverse or from reverse to forward. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the posture control from being performed in the opposite direction when switching between forward and reverse travel, and the stability of the posture control can be improved.

[0141] Furthermore, in the control system as an embodiment, the transmitter is equipped with a transmitter-side control unit (same as 31) that instructs the gyro unit to switch the control direction based on the forward and reverse switching operation of the controlled body, and the transmitter-side control unit does not instruct the gyro unit to switch the control direction with respect to the forward and reverse switching operation until the amount of operation of the thrust in the forward direction after switching exceeds a predetermined amount of operation. This makes it possible to prevent the control direction from being switched before the movement of the controlled object switches from forward to reverse or from reverse to forward. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the posture control from being performed in the opposite direction when switching between forward and reverse travel, and the stability of the posture control can be improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0142] 1. Steering system 2 Maneuvered object 21 Torso 22 Main wing 23 Horizontal stabilizer 24 Vertical stabilizer 25 propellers 26 aileron 27 Elevator 28 Ladder 3 Transmitter 3a Antenna 31 Transmitter side control section 32 Operation section 33 Display section 33a display screen 34 Transmitter 35 Communications Department 4 Receiver 5,5A,5B Gyro Unit 6 ESC (speed controller) 7 Propulsion motor 8, 8-a, 8-e, 8-r servo motors 20 Transmitter 20a antenna 21 Control side control unit 22 Control section 23 Display section 24 Control side communication unit 50 Communications Department 51, 51A, 51B Gyro control unit 52, 52-a, 52-e, 52-r Gyro sensor 53 Arithmetic section 54, 54-a, 54-e, 54-r Input switching section 55 Inverter circuit 56 Switch (SW) 60 Estimation part

Claims

1. A gyro unit mounted on a controlled object that is controlled based on a control signal received from an external device, A gyro sensor, a calculation unit that calculates a drive signal for controlling the attitude of the controlled object based on the control signal and the detection signal of the gyro sensor; a control unit that controls the calculation of the drive signal so that the control direction of the attitude control is switched between when the controlled body is moving forward and when it is moving backward. Gyro unit.

2. a transmitter that transmits the operation signal has a plurality of channels as signal transmission channels, and transmits a switching notification signal, which is a signal related to a switching operation between forward and reverse of the controlled object, via a predetermined specific channel among the plurality of channels; The control unit controls switching of the control direction based on a transmission signal of the specific channel.

2. The gyro unit according to claim 1.

3. an input switching unit configured to be able to switch between a non-inverting input state in which a non-inverting signal of the detection signal is input to the calculation unit and an inverting input state in which an inverting signal of the detection signal is input to the calculation unit; The control unit The control direction switching control is performed by controlling the input switching unit.

2. The gyro unit according to claim 1.

4. The gyro sensor includes a plurality of gyro sensors each having a different target axis for detecting angular velocity, The control direction during reverse travel can be set individually for each gyro sensor.

2. The gyro unit according to claim 1.

5. The combination of the control directions for each of the gyro sensors when moving backward can be selected from a plurality of preset combinations.

5. The gyro unit according to claim 4.

6. a transmitter that transmits the steering signal has a plurality of channels as signal transmission channels, and transmits a signal instructing the combination through a predetermined specific channel among the plurality of channels based on a user operation; The control unit selects the combination based on a transmission signal of the specific channel.

6. The gyro unit according to claim 5.

7. the switching notification signal transmitted by the transmitter is a signal whose signal state changes in response to switching between a forward operation and a reverse operation, The control unit The timing of switching the control direction is delayed with respect to the timing when the state of the switching notification signal changes in response to the switching between the forward operation and the reverse operation.

3. The gyro unit according to claim 2.

8. an estimation unit that estimates a switch between forward and reverse movement of the controlled object; The control unit delaying the timing of switching the control direction based on the estimation result of the estimation unit; 8. The gyro unit according to claim 7.

9. The estimation unit The switching between forward and reverse of the controlled body is estimated based on the detection signal of an acceleration sensor mounted on the controlled body.

9. The gyro unit according to claim 8.

10. The estimation unit The switching between forward and reverse of the controlled body is estimated based on the detection result of the drive current or drive voltage of the propulsion motor of the controlled body.

9. The gyro unit according to claim 8.

11. The control unit When the controlled body is switched between forward and reverse, the control direction is not switched until the amount of thrust in the forward direction after the switch exceeds a predetermined amount of operation.

11. The gyro unit according to claim 1.

12. A control system comprising: a transmitter that transmits a control signal to a controlled object that is controlled based on the control signal; and a gyro unit mounted on the controlled object, The transmitter a transmitting unit for transmitting a signal; The gyro unit includes: A gyro sensor, a calculation unit that calculates a drive signal for controlling the attitude of the controlled object based on the control signal and the detection signal of the gyro sensor; a gyro-side control unit that controls the calculation of the drive signal so that the control direction of the attitude control is switched between when the controlled body is moving forward and when it is moving backward. Steering system.

13. The transmitter a transmitter-side control unit that causes the transmitter unit to transmit a signal instructing the switching of the control direction at a timing delayed from the timing of the switching operation between forward and reverse of the controlled object; 13. A flight control system according to claim 12.

14. The transmitter a transmitter-side control unit that issues an instruction to switch the control direction to the gyro unit based on a switching operation between forward and reverse of the controlled object, The transmitter-side control unit Regarding the switching operation between forward and reverse, the instruction to switch the control direction is not issued until the amount of operation of the thrust in the forward direction after the switching exceeds a predetermined amount of operation. A flight control system according to claim 12 or claim 13.

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