Rotorcraft Pilot-In-Control Sensing With Buffered Detent States
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Solution Overview
Problem
As rotorcraft become larger and more complex, the differences between flying rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft become more pronounced, requiring tightly coupled flight parameters and controls, which increases pilot workload and complexity, especially in varying flight regimes.
Innovation Solution
A fly-by-wire (FBW) system with a flight control computer (FCC) that monitors the detent state of pilot controls using trim data from sensors, determining when a pilot is in-control or not, and providing different flight management functions accordingly, using a detent state machine to buffer transitions and prevent rapid cycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fly-by-wire system with detent state machine is implemented, then pilot workload is reduced and flight stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The FBW system with detent state machine automatically detects pilot control status and manages flight parameters without requiring manual pilot intervention for system state transitions. The system self-monitors trim data, automatically determines detent states, and adjusts flight management functions accordingly, reducing pilot workload while managing complexity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters based on detected detent states. When transitioning between in-detent and out-of-detent states, the FBW system adjusts flight management functions, control authority, and automation levels dynamically. This parameter-based approach allows the system to adapt to pilot needs without requiring complex mechanical switches or manual system reconfiguration.
2Measurement precision
If automated flight management functions are provided based on detent state, then flight control precision is improved, but reliability may be affected by rapid state cycling
Solution Approach 1:
The detent state machine incorporates transition buffering that prevents immediate state changes. When the system detects a potential detent state transition, it buffers the transition by requiring sustained trim data conditions over multiple sampling periods. This cushioning effect prevents rapid cycling between states due to transient disturbances, maintaining reliability while preserving detection precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of trim data conditions before committing to a detent state transition. The FBW system monitors trim data continuously and evaluates whether transition conditions are met before actually changing the detent state. This preliminary action ensures that only genuine pilot inputs trigger state changes, improving both precision and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotorcraft including a control element, a control sensor connected to the control element, where the control sensor is operable to generate trim data indicating a displacement of the control element in relation to a trim position of the control element, and a flight control computer (FCC) operable to monitor the trim data and determine an active detent state of the control element. The active detent state is one of an in-detent state, an out-of-detent state, and an in-transition state. The FCC is operable to buffer a transition of the active detent state from the in-detent state to the out-of-detent state using the in-transition state. The FCC provides a first flight management function when the active detent state is the in-detent state or the in-transition state, and provides a second flight management function when the active detent state is the out-of-detent state.