Variable Flight Control Sensitivity for Safer Aircraft Landing
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Solution Overview
Problem
New types of vehicles, particularly single-seat aircraft, pose safety challenges for inexperienced pilots due to the difficulty of takeoffs and landings, as they require precise control and skill, often without instructor supervision.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a variable sensitivity input device system that adjusts sensitivity levels based on the vehicle's location, using a first sensitivity level for landing zones to ensure slower speeds and a second sensitivity level for open areas to allow faster velocities, with optional base station or autonomous control for switching between these levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a fixed high sensitivity level is used for all flight conditions, then the pilot can achieve fast response and high velocity in open areas, but the pilot risks overshooting or collision during landing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of input device sensitivity based on the vehicle's operational state and location. The flight controller automatically modifies the sensitivity level of the flight yoke according to whether the vehicle is in approach, landing, or en-route phases, enabling the same input device to provide appropriately scaled control authority for each operational context without requiring manual reconfiguration by the pilot
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the sensitivity parameter of the flight control input device dynamically based on operational conditions. During landing approach, the sensitivity is reduced to limit maximum velocity changes and prevent overshooting, while during en-route flight, higher sensitivity is permitted to enable faster response and higher velocities, thus adapting the control system's characteristics to match the safety requirements of each phase
2Reliability
If a fixed low sensitivity level is used for all flight conditions, then landing safety is improved by preventing overshooting, but the pilot experiences reduced control responsiveness and velocity in open areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts sensitivity based on operational phase, transitioning from low sensitivity during landing approach to high sensitivity during en-route flight. This dynamic behavior allows the control system to maintain safety during critical phases while optimizing responsiveness during less critical phases, eliminating the need for manual sensitivity adjustment by the pilot
Solution Approach 2:
The sensitivity parameter of the flight control system is automatically modified by the flight controller based on detected operational conditions. The system transitions between different sensitivity levels depending on whether the vehicle is in approach/landing or en-route phases, thereby adapting control responsiveness to match the safety requirements of each operational context
3Measurement precision
If manual sensitivity adjustment is required for each flight phase, then precise control can be achieved, but the complexity of operation increases for inexperienced pilots
Solution Approach 1:
The flight control system performs self-adjustment of sensitivity levels based on its own operational state. The flight controller automatically detects whether the vehicle is in approach, landing, or en-route phases and independently modifies the input device sensitivity without requiring pilot intervention, thereby maintaining precise control adaptation while simplifying the user interface
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the vehicle's operational state (location, phase of flight) to automatically adjust sensitivity. The flight controller continuously monitors operational conditions and uses this feedback to dynamically modify the sensitivity parameter, creating a closed-loop system that adapts control characteristics based on real-time operational context
Data Source
AI summary
A first sensitivity level is used to interpret an input signal received from an input device in a vehicle while the vehicle is in a first region. A second sensitivity level is used to interpret the input signal received from the input device in the vehicle while the vehicle is in a second region, wherein the second sensitivity level is greater than the first sensitivity level.