Dual Inceptor Force Feedback for Asymmetric Roll Feel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fly-by-wire aircraft control systems lack asymmetric roll axis force feedback, making it difficult for pilots to maintain equal resistance in both inboard and outboard movements due to human physiology, and existing solutions fail to maintain electronic linking while providing different feedback forces to pilots and co-pilots.
Innovation Solution
A control system that applies different gain factors to force signals based on the direction of movement, with a greater gain factor for outward movements and equal or lesser gain for inward movements, allowing for asymmetric roll axis force response while maintaining electronic linking between control sticks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electronic linking is implemented between dual control sticks, then pilots can feel each other's input forces, but asymmetric roll axis forces cannot be provided due to identical force feedback to both pilots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different gain factors to force signals based on the direction of movement (inward vs outward), creating asymmetric force feedback characteristics for different movement directions while maintaining electronic linking between dual control sticks
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements asymmetric roll axis forces by applying different gain factors to inward and outward movement forces, directly addressing the physiological difference in pilot control effort and providing tailored force feedback for each direction
2Device complexity
If identical force feedback is provided to both pilots in dual stick configuration, then electronic linking is simplified, but human physiological differences make it difficult to maintain equal resistance in both inboard and outboard movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the force feedback parameters by applying different gain factors to force signals based on movement direction, adjusting the resistance characteristics to match human physiological capabilities while maintaining system simplicity
Data Source
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AI summary
A control system for electronically linked pilot and co-pilot inceptors (103) permits an asymmetric roll axis feel depending on whether an inceptor is moved inboard or outboard. A circuit (401) receives a signal representative of a force applied to the pilot's inceptor resulting from a side-to-side movement and detects if the force applied is in an inward or an outward direction. A gain factor is applied to the received force signal to produce a factored force signal. The gain applied to a signal representative of force applied in an outward direction is greater than the gain factor applied to a signal representative of force applied in an inward direction. A summer (212, 213) sums the factored force signal with a corresponding factored force signal derived from force signals from the co-pilot's inceptor to produce a modified force signal for use in a force feedback control system associated with each inceptor.