Aircraft Flight Control System for Automatic Circular Groundtrack
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flight control systems for aircraft lack the ability to automatically maintain a circular flight path around a selected point with a commanded radius, altitude, and velocity, increasing pilot workload and potentially disrupting line-of-sight observations, especially in windy conditions or when flying complex patterns.
Innovation Solution
A flight control system that receives command signals for a geospatial point and radius, using sensors to determine the aircraft's location and a controller to operate flight control devices, generating bank commands to maintain a circular groundtrack, allowing automatic flight around a circle with specified parameters, applicable to manned and unmanned aircraft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual control is used to maintain circular flight path, then the pilot can observe and control the aircraft, but the pilot workload increases and ability to observe the area of interest is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The flight control system automatically calculates bank commands based on GPS position, desired circle parameters, and wind corrections without requiring continuous pilot input. The system serves itself by using its own sensor data to generate control commands, reducing pilot workload while maintaining automated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously receives GPS location data and compares it with the desired circular path, then adjusts bank commands in real-time to correct deviations. This closed-loop feedback mechanism maintains accurate circular flight paths automatically, eliminating the need for constant manual monitoring and adjustment.
2Reliability
If manual control is used to maintain constant distance from the area, then the pilot can adjust for wind conditions, but it becomes difficult to maintain desired distance especially in windy conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the bank angle parameter based on real-time conditions including wind corrections. By automatically modifying control parameters rather than relying on manual pilot adjustment, the system maintains reliable distance from the area of interest even in windy conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control with an automated electronic control system that calculates and applies wind corrections automatically. This substitution eliminates the difficulty of manual distance maintenance in windy conditions by using electronic sensors and automated control algorithms.
3Device complexity
If waypoint method is used to describe circular path, then the path can be defined by straight segments, but the path must have large radius and/or many waypoints making selection difficult and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the piecewise linear waypoint approach with a true circular path defined by a center point and radius. This curved path definition is inherently simpler than selecting multiple waypoints to approximate a circle, reducing both complexity and time required to establish the flight path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential characteristics of a circular path (center point and radius) from the complex waypoint sequence, creating a simplified path definition that captures the circular geometry without requiring multiple discrete points. This extraction reduces both the number of parameters to define and the time required.
4Productivity
If existing flight control systems fly over a selected point then turn around, then the aircraft can cover the area, but the ground tracks may not provide continual line-of-sight or require repositioning of observers
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a circular ground track pattern that provides continuous 360-degree coverage of the area of interest, unlike figure-8 patterns that have gaps in coverage. The circular shape ensures continual line-of-sight observation throughout the entire area without requiring repositioning of observers or equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A flight control system for an aircraft is configured for receiving command signals representing commanded values of a location of a geospatial point and a radius about the geospatial point for defining a circular groundtrack. A sensor determines a geospatial location of the aircraft and provides a location signal representing the location of the aircraft. A controller for commanding flight control devices on the aircraft controls the flight of the aircraft and is configured to receive the command signals and the location signal. The controller uses the command signals and location signal to operate the flight control devices to control the flight of the aircraft for directing the aircraft generally toward a tangent point of the circular groundtrack and then maintaining a flight path along the circular groundtrack.