Handheld Controller for Remote Aircraft with Steering Knob
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Solution Overview
Problem
Piloting a remote control air vehicle requires more skill than driving a remote control ground vehicle due to the need for independent control of throttle, yaw, pitch, and roll, making it difficult for pilots familiar with ground vehicle controls to easily transition to air vehicle operations.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held radio transmit controller with a throttle trigger and steering knob, similar to ground vehicle controls, is used in conjunction with a method that includes altitude and steering control processes executed by a flight control process, allowing pilots to control remote control aircraft with ground vehicle-like control, incorporating sensor fusion and mixing of control inputs to maintain altitude and execute coordinated turns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional two-stick aircraft controller is used, then independent control of throttle, yaw, pitch, and roll is achieved, but pilot skill requirement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the copying principle by replicating the familiar ground vehicle control interface (steering wheel and throttle trigger) on the aircraft transmitter. This allows pilots to transfer their existing ground vehicle driving skills directly to aircraft operation, eliminating the need to learn completely new control patterns while maintaining independent control capabilities through the underlying flight control system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer - the ground vehicle-like control interface - that mediates between the pilot's familiar control habits and the aircraft's complex control requirements. The steering wheel and throttle trigger serve as intermediaries that translate simple rotational and linear movements into coordinated multi-axis aircraft control commands
2Ease of operation
If ground vehicle-like control interface is used, then pilot familiarity and ease of operation improve, but coordinated turn execution becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complexity of coordinated turn calculations from the pilot's direct control inputs. The flight control system automatically handles the complex mixing of roll, pitch, and yaw commands needed for coordinated turns, while the pilot only needs to provide simple steering wheel input, separating the simple interface from the complex control logic
3Device complexity
If simple ground vehicle control is used, then control interface simplicity improves, but altitude and turn coordination control precision decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the flight control system continuously monitors aircraft attitude, altitude, and turn coordination, then automatically adjusts control surface commands to maintain precise control. This feedback loop ensures that simple pilot inputs produce precise aircraft responses without requiring complex manual coordination
Data Source
AI summary
A hand-held radio transmit controller for remotely controlling an aircraft, and a method for controlling a remote control aircraft offering ground vehicle-like control.