122 results about "Fly-by-wire" patented technology

The present invention is directed to a system for converting a man-rated fly-by-wire (FBW) aircraft into a remote controlled unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV). The FBW aircraft includes a FBW flight control system (FBW-FCS) configured to control aircraft control surfaces disposed on the aircraft. The system includes a controller coupled to the FBW aircraft. The controller is configured to generate substantially real-time pilot control data from at least one aircraft maneuver command. The real-time pilot control data is generated in accordance with a predetermined control law. The at least one aircraft maneuver command is derived from at least one command telemetry signal received from a remote control system not disposed on the FBW aircraft or from a pre-programmed trajectory. An FBW-FCS interface system is coupled to the controller. The FBW-FCS interface system is configured to convert the substantially real-time pilot control data into substantially real-time simulated FBW-FCS pilot control signals. The substantially real-time simulated FBW-FCS pilot control signals are configured to direct the FBW-FCS such that the FBW aircraft performs in accordance with the at least one aircraft maneuver command.

A multi-axis serially redundant, single channel, multi-path fly-by-wire control system comprising: serially redundant flight control computers in a single channel where only one “primary” flight control computer is active and controlling at any given time; a matrix of parallel flight control surface controllers including stabilizer motor control units (SMCU) and actuator electronics control modules (AECM) define multiple control paths within the single channel, each implemented with dissimilar hardware and which each control the movement of a distributed set of flight control surfaces on the aircraft in response to flight control surface commands of the primary flight control computer; and a set of (pilot and co-pilot) controls and aircraft surface / reference / navigation sensors and systems which provide input to a primary flight control computer and are used to generate the flight control surface commands to control the aircraft in flight in accordance with the control law algorithms implemented in the flight control computers.

A method for flying in a degraded visual environment comprising the steps of collecting environmental data, processing the data and fusing the data together into a combined input output. The output is fed into a head down display, head mounted or heads up display and, preferably to a fly-by-wire vertical take-off and landing capable vehicle wherein the fly-by-wire system makes automatic adjustments to the helicopter.

The invention belongs to the technical field of airplane flight control systems, and particularly relates to a manned / unmanned selectable dual-mode flight control system. The manned / unmanned selectable dual-mode flight control system is composed of a fly-by-wire flight control system and an expended aircraft management system. During whole airspace flight, an unmanned control mode can be selected for conducting automatic flight, and an aviator plays the role of a highly-intelligent information identification system to monitor the flight state, the airspace control, external information and the like. An aircraft management subsystem can be used for processing uncertain factors according to predetermined programs or predetermined processing principles, the uncertain factors can influence task completion, online task / flight path planning and task redistribution or threat avoidance are conducted automatically, and under necessary conditions, the aviator can exit the unmanned control mode to perform manual handling. In the aviator control mode, the aircraft management subsystem plays the role of a senior assistant decision-making system to provide flight and task guide information so as to assist the aviator to complete tasks.

The present invention is directed to a control system for use on a fly-by-wire (FBW) aircraft. The system includes a controller coupled to the FBW aircraft. The controller is configured to generate a plurality of simulated pilot control signals from at least one aircraft maneuver command. The plurality of simulated pilot control signals are generated in accordance with a predetermined control law. The at least one aircraft maneuver command is derived from at least one command telemetry signal received from a remote control system not disposed on the FBW aircraft. The plurality of simulated pilot control signals are configured to direct the FBW aircraft to perform an aircraft maneuver in accordance with the at least one aircraft maneuver command.

A static longitudinal stability (SLS) system provides an unobtrusive airspeed hold function that reacts to the pilot control inputs into the flight control system and the measured states of the aircraft to engage and disengage smoothly without any explicit mode selection by the pilot. The SLS engages airspeed hold when the aircraft is close to trimmed, non-accelerating state. This logic allows the pilot to either fly close to a desired airspeed and let SLS engage, or trim the aircraft in an accelerating / decelerating maneuver and just wait for the SLS to capture a speed when longitudinal acceleration is small. The SLS is not dependant on the pilot specifically selecting this mode, but rather engages and disengages in response to flight control system status and how the aircraft is being maneuvered.

An interactive aircraft load management system automates calculation and provides simulation capability to changes in an aircraft C.G. limit for display on a three-dimensional aircraft symbology. The aircraft load management system also communicates with a fly by wire (FBW) flight control system wherein the aircraft's control system is programmed to automatically compensate for C.G. excursions and to alter control laws. The aircraft load management system also selectively reels-in and reels out sling lines as the aircraft pitches and rolls to maintain a load vector from a slung load along the aircraft centerline. Load vector travel is accomplished by coupling a winch control system into the flight control system.

An inceptor is provided including a control stick mounted to a seat. The control stick is movable about at least a first axis. A fly-by-wire inceptor control system is housed within a portion of the seat. The inceptor control system is configured to provide input signal indicative of movement of the control stick to a flight control system.

A control input system is provided. The system includes a pair of control columns that are selectively interconnected such that manipulation of one of the control columns is translated to the other one of the control columns. The system includes a disconnect arrangement for each of the degrees of freedom (pitch and roll) of the system that operably disconnects the two control columns such that the two control columns can operate independently such as in the event of failure of one of the control columns. The system may also include a discontinuous force profile for a restoring force mechanism that provides tactile feedback to the pilots simulating resistance provided by control surfaces of the aircraft. The system may also include an autopilot lockout mechanism that increases the force profile experienced by the pilots when autopilot mode is entered.

An air / ground contact logic management system for use with fly-by-wire control systems in an aircraft. The system includes a first sensor configured to provide an output signal to determine when the aircraft is in a transition region. A logic management system is in communication with the first sensor and is configured to receive and process the output signal and classify a mode of the aircraft. A controller receives signal data from the logic management system and communicates with a control axis actuator to regulate a level of control authority provided to a pilot. The control authority is individually regulated within each integrator as a result of the individual landing gear states.

A system providing mid-value selection (MVS) for control command output in a fly-by-wire system where the fly-by-wire systems includes a plurality of primary flight computers (PFCs) receiving data through integrated flight control buses from actuation control electronics (ACE) for flight crew and status sensor inputs, the PFCs providing data through the flight control buses to the ACE for control signal output, provides elements for receiving in an ACE data from each PFC and receiving a data valid signal with respect to each PFC. Fresh data for each PFC is selected as the data received or past MVS output responsive to the respective data valid signal. Based on a predetermined criterion the system chooses from the PFC fresh data a selected set of PFC fresh data as the MVS output and stores the MVS output for use.

A system and method for providing programmable brake control in a fly-by-wire medical instrument system are provided. In one embodiment, the invention provides a brake control system that includes a brake control algorithm that provides temporal and spatial control of the motion of a medical instrument.

A flight control system includes a controller which defines a controller displacement and a control surface which defines a control surface authority. A module operable to provide a displacement feel to the controller in response to a remaining portion of the controller displacement being greater than a remaining portion of the control surface authority and the module operable to re-reference a center of the controller displacement to equate the remaining portion of the controller displacement with the remaining portion of the control surface authority in response to the remaining portion of the controller displacement being less than the remaining portion of the control surface authority.

A homeostatic flying hovercraft preferably utilizes at least two pairs of counter-rotating ducted fans to generate lift like a hovercraft and utilizes a homeostatic hover control system to create a flying craft that is easily controlled. The homeostatic hover control system provides true homeostasis of the craft with a true fly-by-wire flight control and control-by-wire system control.

Provided is an airplane single-wheel dual-brake-alternative fly-by-wire braking system. A braking instruction sensor replaces a hydraulic braking valve, and a positive gain electro-hydraulic servo valve is adopted. A braking antiskid control part is composed of an airplane wheel speed sensor, a control box and the electro-hydraulic servo valve. A control device composed of a pressure sensor, a control box and an electromagnetic valve controls an oil path to be opened and closed through a braking pressure control method so that partial braking or overall braking of the braking system can be achieved. Partial braking indicates that a small braking device operates, and overall braking indicates that the small braking device and a large braking device simultaneously operate, so dual braking of an airplane wheel is achieved. The braking system is suitable for the single-wheel dual-brake airplane wheel adopting carbon brakes and can meet the requirement for alternatively using dual brakes of the single wheel, the use state of the carbon brakes is adjusted, the wear-resistant excellent characteristic of the carbon-carbon composite friction materials is brought into full play, the problem that an existing single-wheel single-brake carbon brake disc is large in wear and short in service life is effectively solved, the service life of carbon discs is prolonged, and economic benefits of the carbon discs are improved.

An interactive aircraft load management system automates calculation and provides simulation capability to changes in an aircraft C.G. limit for display on a three-dimensional aircraft symbology. The aircraft load management system also communicates with a fly by wire (FBW) flight control system wherein the aircraft's control system is programmed to automatically compensate for C.G. excursions and to alter control laws. The aircraft load management system also selectively reels-in and reels out sling lines as the aircraft pitches and rolls to maintain a load vector from a slung load along the aircraft centerline. Load vector travel is accomplished by coupling a winch control system into the flight control system.

Methods and systems are provided for redundancy management of a fly-by-wire avionics system. A control module for producing a control signal is provided comprising a common processing partition for receiving a flight input signal and at least one first mode input signal, a first processing partition coupled to the common processing partition and configured to receive the first mode input signals and flight input signal from the common processing partition, and a second processing partition coupled to the common processing partition. The first processing partition produces a first mode output signal in response to one of the first mode input signals and flight input signal. The second processing partition generates a second mode signal in response to the flight input signal when the first processing partition fails. The common processing partition produces the control signal in response to one of the first mode output signal and second mode signal.

The invention provides a distributed large airplane flap control computer system. The system includes a flap and slat control computer, an actuator control electronic unit, a power drive device, a flap and slat control handle sensor, a flap position sensor, a slat position sensor, a flap inclination sensor and a slat inclination sensor; and the flap and slat computer acquires the instruction of the flap and slat control handle sensor and information of the slat inclination sensor, the actuator control electronic unit acquires the position information of a controlled slat surface, and the flap and slat control computer is in data communication with the actuator control electronic unit via a high integrity data bus. The distributed large airplane flap fly-by-wire control fault-tolerant computer system meets different large airplanes' needs of control calculation and execution mechanism configurable management, and has the advantages of high reliability, configurability and upgradability.

An airplane wheel fly-by-wire operation brake system capable of selecting brake modes comprises a brake instruction sensor, a control box, an electro-hydraulic servo valve, an electromagnetic valve, an airplane wheel speed sensor and a pressure sensor. The airplane wheel speed sensor, the control box and the electro-hydraulic servo valve form a brake anti-slip control part. The control box and the electromagnetic valve conducts oil path opening and closing through a brake pressure control method to control an airplane to be partly braked through a small brake device or achieve complete brake through a large brake device. The brake pressure value is set to be 40-65% of normal brake pressure. The system is suitable for a single-wheel double-brake airplane wheel with a carbon brake, can meet the requirement that the single-wheel double-brake airplane wheel selects and uses the brake so that the use state of a carbon disc can be adjusted, the good characteristic of abrasion resistance of a carbon-carbon composite friction material is given full play to, the problems that an existing single-wheel single-brake carbon brake disc is large in abrasion and short in service life are effectively solved, the service life of the carbon disc is prolonged, and economic benefits of the carbon disc are improved.

The invention relates to a hybrid redundancy configuration-based control architecture of a fly-by-wire flight control system. A control and sensing assembly, an actuator and a four-redundancy servo controller are connected with form a servo loop closed-loop control. The four-redundancy servo controller is connected with a three-redundancy flight control computer, and the two-way cross transmissionof data instructions is carried out. Therefore, the closed-loop control of a fly-by-wire inner loop and an automatic driving outer loop is realized. The flight control computer of each redundancy acquires the data of the four-redundancy servo controller at the same time and carries out monitoring and voting. The servo controller of each redundancy acquires the data of a three-redundancy flight control computer at the same time and carries out monitoring and voting. The three-redundancy flight control computer is connected with a comprehensive avionics management system, so that the data signal interaction of the flight control system is realized. A hybrid redundancy configuration is adopted by a control framework, so that the advantages of clear configuration, simple structure, complete functions, strong expandability, high safety and reliability, and good maintainability are realized.

An electro-hydraulic control mechanism for use with a multi-speed transmission includes a pair of logic valves, which are manipulated during the ratio interchanges and the ratio establishment by aiding in the distribution of fluid pressure from a plurality of trim valves. The logic valves are retained in specific drive ranges in the event of electrical discontinuance.

A control system for an aircraft including a passive feedback arrangement, a stick and a positioning arrangement is provided that provides for user adjustability of the resistance applied to the stick, such as in a fly-by-wire system. The passive feedback arrangement is movable relative to a mechanical ground. The stick is moveable relative to the mechanical ground and the passive feedback arrangement. The passive feedback arrangement acts on the stick to resist movement of the stick relative to the passive feedback arrangement. This resistance provides passive feedback to the pilot for the fly-by-wire system. The positioning arrangement is coupled to the passive feedback arrangement for adjusting the position of the passive feedback arrangement relative to the mechanical ground in response to movement of the stick relative to the mechanical ground.

A multi-axis serially redundant, single channel, multi-path fly-by-wire control system comprising: serially redundant flight control computers in a single channel where only one “primary” flight control computer is active and controlling at any given time; a matrix of parallel flight control surface controllers including stabilizer motor control units (SMCU) and actuator electronics control modules (AECM) define multiple control paths within the single channel, each implemented with dissimilar hardware and which each control the movement of a distributed set of flight control surfaces on the aircraft in response to flight control surface commands of the primary flight control computer; and a set of (pilot and co-pilot) controls and aircraft surface / reference / navigation sensors and systems which provide input to a primary flight control computer and are used to generate the flight control surface commands to control the aircraft in flight in accordance with the control law algorithms implemented in the flight control computers.

A fly-by-wire (FBW) system (104) is coupled to cockpit controls (102) of an aircraft for controlling the aircraft, and an automatic flight control system (AFCS) (108) is coupled to the FBW system for maintaining the aircraft in stable flight. An unauthorized-flight detector (110) is coupled to the FBW system and coupled to the AFCS, and is arranged to carry out (306) a transfer of partial control of the aircraft from the cockpit controls to the FBW system and the AFCS, in response to a predetermined event.

A system and method for providing programmable brake control in a fly-by-wire medical instrument system are provided. In one embodiment, the invention provides a brake control system that includes a brake control algorithm that provides temporal and spatial control of the motion of a medical instrument.

A pedal system particularly tailored to a Fly-By-Wire (FBW) flight control system includes a double gradient linkage assembly. The double gradient linkage assembly includes a damper system and a spring system that improves yaw axis (azimuth) control of the aircraft. Control is only required when a change in the yaw axis state is demanded. Since only minimal displacement inputs to such a FBW flight control system is required, the travel of the pedals are exceeding compact, such that pilot workload is significantly reduced through the reduction in the frequency and magnitude of aircraft control inputs.

Systems and methods are described for automatically counteracting undesirable aircraft movement caused by malfunctioning fly-by-wire aircraft control surfaces, hardover events, control surface disconnection, and other control surface failure events. The systems and methods include control law algorithms for reacting to such events to counteract the undesired aircraft movement. An expected roll rate is generated based on control input and compared to the actual roll rate of the aircraft.

A method for monitoring an aircraft piloting device including at least one piloting member (20, 30) and at least one fly-by-wire flight control system (40, 41). At least one monitoring module is integrated into this control system and is adapted to compute, on the basis of primary signals processed by sensors associated with at least one piloting member, at least one theoretical value of at least one monitored parameter of at least one piloting member, to compare each theoretical value with measurement signals of each monitored parameter and to select a monitoring action, particularly to generate monitoring signals (55, 56), as a function of the difference between each theoretical value and the measurement signals.