Partial Authority Mixing Unit for Autonomous Flight Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Partial-authority aircraft lack the autonomous guidance and flight control capabilities of full-authority systems, making it difficult to operate safely in degraded visual environments, and existing solutions are costly to implement or require significant hardware changes.

Innovation Solution

A partial authority mixing unit is introduced to allocate control commands from an autonomous guidance and flight control system, dividing them into low frequency components for trim servomechanisms and high frequency components for Stability Augmentation System (SAS) actuators, allowing for the implementation of autonomous systems on partial-authority aircraft without major changes to existing hardware.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If full-authority Fly-By-Wire system is implemented, then autonomous guidance and flight control capability is improved, but hardware complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautonomous guidance and flight control capabilityVSAvoidhardware complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control system is segmented into two distinct parts: a partial-authority FBW system for normal operations and an autonomous guidance system for automated operations. This segmentation allows the aircraft to gain autonomous capability without replacing the entire flight control system, thereby reducing hardware complexity while improving automation extent.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The flight control system is designed to serve multiple functions: it operates as a conventional partial-authority system during manual flight and as an autonomous guidance system when automated operation is required. This multi-functionality allows the same hardware to provide both manual and autonomous capabilities, reducing the need for separate dedicated hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Extent of automation

If full-authority Fly-By-Wire system is implemented, then autonomous guidance and flight control capability is improved, but implementation cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautonomous guidance and flight control capabilityVSAvoidimplementation cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into existing partial-authority hardware and add-on autonomous guidance components. This segmentation allows the military to leverage existing aircraft fleets without costly full-authority conversions, significantly reducing implementation costs while achieving autonomous capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of replacing the entire flight control system, the invention creates an autonomous guidance layer that copies and builds upon the existing partial-authority FBW architecture. This approach reuses proven hardware and software components, reducing development and implementation costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Device complexity

If partial-authority system with mechanical linkages is used, then hardware complexity is reduced, but autonomous guidance and flight control capability is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehardware complexityVSAvoidautonomous guidance and flight control capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

An autonomous guidance computer acts as an intermediary between the pilot's inputs and the flight control system. This intermediary can process commands autonomously, interpret sensor data, and make decisions without requiring complex mechanical modifications to the existing partial-authority linkages, thereby enabling automation while maintaining hardware simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces mechanical control authority with electronic and software-based autonomous guidance. Instead of modifying mechanical linkages to provide full authority, the system uses computers and sensors to achieve autonomous capability, substituting mechanical complexity with electronic intelligence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12077282B2Autonomous guidance and flight control system implementation on a partial-authority aircraft

Publication Date: 2024.09.03 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE AS REPRESENTED BY THE SEC OF THE ARMY

AI summary

This disclosure provides a means to implement an autonomous guidance and flight control system on a partial authority aircraft. One embodiment of the disclosure includes receiving a control command result, filtering the control command result into a low frequency component and a high frequency component, directing the low frequency component to at least one trim servomechanism and directing the high frequency component to at least one stability augmentation stabilizer servomechanism, linking outputs from the trim servomechanism and the stability augmentation stabilizer servomechanism for actuating a pilot control configured to control rotors, and actuating at least one rotor. The low frequency component includes frequencies below a break frequency and the high frequency component includes frequencies above the break frequency. The break frequency is established by rate and position of the at least one servomechanism.