Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Lockheed Martin Corporation

United Technologies Corporation

Christopher A Thornberg

Bryan S Cotton

Derek H Geiger

Ole Wulff

Nicholas D Lappos

Charles W Evans

Stephen H Silder, Jr

Mark W Davis

Stephen T Kubik

Joseph T Driscoll

Andrew M Brookhart

Anthony J Smith

Glen A Knaust

David M Walsh

Sherman Corning, Iii

This disclosure relates to apparatuses, systems, and methods for handling faults on vehicles. One or more processors in a vehicle may receive, from a control unit in response to a detection of a fault in the vehicle, an indication of a degradation in a performance constraint of the vehicle. The processors may determine, responsive to the degradation in the performance constraint, that the vehicle is unable to execute a set of commands to control a movement of the vehicle along a trajectory. The processors may generate, in accordance with the degradation in the performance constraint, a modified set of commands that the vehicle is able to execute to control the movement of the vehicle along at least a portion of one or more trajectories. The processors may provide the modified set of commands to the control unit of the vehicle to control the movement of the vehicle.

Fault tolerant motion planner

Systems and methods for automatically controlling landing gear responsive to detected aerial vehicle conditions. A system can receive, from one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle, altitude information and speed information of the aerial vehicle. The system can determine to lower landing gear of the aerial vehicle based on a change in a state of the aerial vehicle, and identify a condition corresponding to a type of the aerial vehicle and the state of the aerial vehicle. The system can compare the speed information and the altitude information to the condition to determine that a condition to lower landing gear is satisfied. Responsive to determining that the condition to lower the landing gear is satisfied, the system can provide a signal to lower the landing gear.

Automatic emergency landing gear extension system

Systems and methods for mission-based path modifications are presented herein. One or more processors may be coupled with memory and housed in a vehicle. The one or more processors may receive data indicative of an issue with at least one function of the vehicle during a mission defined by a type of cargo and a flight path comprising a plurality of segments. The one or more processors may determine, responsive to the issue with the at least one function, an action to perform for the vehicle based on the issue, a current segment of the plurality of segments, and the mission. The one or more processors may execute, during the current segment or a subsequent segment of the plurality of segments, the action on the vehicle.

Mission-adaptable procedures for aircraft

A rotary-wing aircraft and system for flying a rotary-wing aircraft. The aircraft includes a servo system for actuating a rotor of the aircraft. A hydraulic system provides hydraulic power to the servo system, and a sensor measures a parameter of the hydraulic system. A processor determines a condition of the hydraulic system from the parameter and enforces an effective flight envelop based on the condition of the hydraulic system in order to fly the aircraft within the effective flight envelope.

Automatic envelope limiting based on detected hydraulic failures

A method for providing adaptive control to a fly-by-wire aircraft includes measuring via at least one first sensor a characteristic of at least one component of the aircraft and measuring via at least one second sensor a state of the aircraft. Using the characteristic of at least one component and the state of the aircraft, a determination of at least one of an actual damage and remaining life of the at least one component is made. The operational envelope of the aircraft is adapted based on the at least one of actual damage and remaining life of the at least one component. Adapting the operational envelope includes adjusting an outer boundary thereof to prohibit operation exceeding a safe operation threshold and generating an intermediate boundary of the operational envelope. Operation of the aircraft within the intermediate boundaries minimizes further damage accrual of the at least one component.

Adaptive control of aircraft using structural health monitoring

A computer-implemented method and system for controlling an aircraft based on detecting and mitigating fatiguing conditions and aircraft damage conditions is disclosed. According to one example, a computer-implemented method includes detecting, by a processing system, a health condition of a component of the aircraft. The method further includes determining, by the processing system, whether the health condition is one of a fatigue condition or a damage condition. The method further includes implementing, by the processing system, a first action based at least in part on determining that the health condition is a fatigue condition to mitigate the fatigue condition. The method further includes implementing, by the processing system, a second action based at least in part on determining that the health condition is a damage condition to mitigate the damage condition.

Controlling an aircraft based on detecting and mitigating fatiguing conditions and aircraft damage conditions

An aircraft includes an airframe having an aircraft longitudinal axis and a main rotor system supported by the airframe. The main rotor system is rotatable about an axis of rotation. The airframe is tiltable relative to a ground surface to form a non-zero tilt angle between the aircraft longitudinal axis and the ground surface.

Enhanced taxi control for rigid rotors

A method for automating a landing maneuver for an aircraft, comprising the steps of generating an approach profile comprising an initial approach fix (IAF), a flight path, a landing decision point, a balked landing route, a pre-landing point, and a landing point, engaging an automated approach system to access the approach profile, receiving periodic position data of the aircraft, comparing the position data to the approach profile to compute a plurality of deviations each time the position data is received, outputting the plurality of deviations to a display, converting the plurality of deviations into a plurality of control commands, and maneuvering the aircraft in response to the control commands along the flight path.

Method for performing an automated category a approach maneuver

A method for automating a takeoff maneuver for an aircraft, comprising the steps of generating a takeoff profile comprising a takeoff point, a flight path, and a takeoff decision point (TDP), engaging an automated takeoff system to access the takeoff profile, receiving periodic position data of the aircraft, comparing the position data to the takeoff profile to compute a plurality of deviations each time the position data is received, outputting the plurality of deviations to a display, converting the plurality of deviations into a plurality of control commands, and maneuvering the aircraft in response to the control commands along the flight path.

Method for performing an automated category a takeoff

An aircraft autopilot system provides a wind correction angle which is added to the desired course to provide commanded heading, the wind correction angle being generated as a proportional and integral function of ground track error. When the aircraft is off its desired course, it can be returned to the desired course by means of a course intercept angle, added to the desired course, to provide a corrected commanded course, the course intercept angle being a proportional function of the perpendicular error (the lateral distance of the aircraft from the original course) suitably limited to some angle within 90.degree. of the desired course. The course correction angle may be generated as a proportion of the perpendicular course error determined by the degree of importance of accuracy, and may be switched over to a course directly toward a waypoint in dependence upon the importance of efficiency. The course intercept angle may be a variable proportion of the perpendicular error as a function of the importance of accuracy, and the limits on the intercept angle determined by the relative importance of efficiency.

Aircraft course correction for wind and fuzzy logic course intercept

In a rotary wing aircraft, longitudinal groundspeed error and lateral groundspeed error are converted to earth coordinates, and the result scaled and integrated, and retransformed into aircraft coordinates for application to a pitch attitude control system and a roll attitude control system. The invention thus instantly transfers wind trim between the longitudinal and lateral channels, whenever a heading change is undertaken.

Earth-referenced wind adjustment for hovering aircraft

Apparatus and method for controlling an unmanned generally aerodynamically symmetric aircraft includes detecting the presence of misalignment between the horizontal component of the center of gravity vector and the horizontal component of the direction of flight vector and further includes rotating the aircraft to align the horizontal components of the vectors.

Cyclic minimizer through alignment of the center of gravity and

A frame of reference is selected, and control inputs provided by a vehicle operator are transformed to account for the orientation of a remotely operated vehicle with respect to the selected frame of reference such that the remotely operated vehicle responds to the control inputs with respect to the selected frame of reference. An earth frame of reference may be selected based on a fixed true heading, e.g., North, or based on the initial orientation of the vehicle operator. Alternatively, a vehicle frame of reference may be selected which provides a fixed frame of reference with respect to the vehicle and a variable frame of reference with respect to the vehicle operator. A vehicle operator frame of reference may also be selected based on the orientation of the vehicle operator with respect to earth, and control commands are transformed based on changes in both the operator orientation with respect to the earth reference and the remotely operated vehicle orientation with respect to the earth reference, which provides a fixed frame of reference with respect to the vehicle operator and a variable frame of reference with respect to the vehicle. The remotely operated vehicle heading transformation may be based on a selected forward, fixed or variable point on the vehicle related to a vehicle center of gravity, a forward part of the vehicle, the location of a sensor on the vehicle, or some other arbitrary reference location on the vehicle.

Variable referenced control system for remotely operated vehicles

An automatic engine speed hold control system (430) allows an engine (420) to quickly achieve a commanded engine speed and thereafter maintain a constant commanded engine speed regardless of changes in engine loading. An engine speed error signal (444) is computed as the difference between an operator commanded engine speed (440) and actual engine speed (434,436). The engine speed error signal (444) is scaled based on an engine speed error gain (448), and the scaled engine speed error (452) is then provided via an integral path (456) and a proportional path (454) to a summing junction (478) where it is summed with load anticipation trim signals (474,467) to provide a final trim signal (485). The load anticipation trim signals (474,467) are feed forward signals which anticipate engine response to changes in commanded engine loading, the combined engine trim signal (452) and load anticipation trim signals (474,467) provide an engine speed hold throttle position command (final trim signal) (485) to control fuel flow to the engine (420) and therefore control engine speed. The engine speed error gain (448) is determined based on engine loading (450), and the error gain is thereafter limited (451) based on current engine speed.

Growing community of inventors

Newtown, CT, United States of America

Christopher A Thornberg