Self-Adjusting Flight Control Mapping for Sensor-Free Altitude Hold
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft systems require highly trained pilots for operation, and there is a need for aircraft that non-pilots can safely and easily control for casual use, as existing automatic altitude maintenance techniques rely on sensors that may not be reliable for human flight.
Innovation Solution
A self-adjusting flight control system that dynamically maps manual flight control inputs to outputs, allowing the center or neutral position of controls to be associated with a computed average output level, enabling automatic altitude maintenance and reducing pilot workload by integrating a self-adjusting mapping module that adjusts based on a running average over a fixed window.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If automatic altitude maintenance techniques using sensors (GPS, accelerometer, radar, pressure altimeters) are implemented, then altitude hold capability is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to sensor failure risks in human flight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the altitude maintenance function from sensor-dependent systems and implements it through direct mapping of manual control inputs to motor outputs. The system removes reliance on external sensors by using the pilot's (or user's) control inputs as the primary feedback mechanism, thereby eliminating sensor failure risks while maintaining automatic altitude hold capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by using the control inputs themselves as the reference for maintaining altitude. The mapping module continuously adjusts the relationship between control input positions and motor outputs based on the average control input, allowing the system to self-regulate altitude without external sensor validation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual control devices with multiple degrees of freedom are provided, then flight control capability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates for non-pilot users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter mapping dynamically by adjusting how control input positions map to motor outputs. The mapping module modifies the relationship between throttle position and motor power based on the average throttle input, effectively changing the control parameters to maintain altitude automatically. This allows non-pilots to operate the aircraft casually without understanding complex flight dynamics.
3Productivity
If sensor-based automatic altitude hold systems are used, then productivity is improved through reduced pilot workload, but safety deteriorates due to sensor reliability concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the mechanical/sensor-based feedback system with a direct computational mapping system. Instead of using physical sensors to detect altitude and generate feedback, the system uses a software-based mapping module that processes control input signals mathematically to achieve the same altitude maintenance effect, eliminating the mechanical sensor chain and its associated failure modes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A self-adjusting flight control system is disclosed. In various embodiments, an input interface receives an input signal generated by an inceptor based at least in part on a position of an input device comprising the inceptor. A processor coupled to the input interface determines dynamically a mapping to be used to map input signals received from the inceptor to corresponding output signals associated with flight control and uses the determined mapping to map the input signal to a corresponding output signal. The processor determines the mapping at least in part by computing a running average of the output signal over an averaging period and adjusting the mapping at least in part to associate a neutral position of the input device comprising the inceptor with a corresponding output level that is determined at least in part by the computed running average.