The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

Eugene Lavretsky

Kevin Andrew Wise

Naira Hovakimyan

Stefan Richard Bieniawski

Brian T Whitehead

David Jeffrey Halaas

Benjamin David Levine

Jasmine Beth Minteer-Levine

David C Hyde

Brian C Roberts

James H Francis, Jr

Ross J Gadient

Ryan D Diecker

Joseph S Brinker

Ross Gadient

Kevin A Wise

James H Francis Jr

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for observer-based landing control of a vehicle are disclosed. An example apparatus includes at least one memory, and at least one processor to execute instructions to at least in response to determining an aircraft is in a flight plan flare regime, determine an estimate state of an aircraft parameter based on an execution of a transfer function of an observer model, the execution of the transfer function based on an altitude command corresponding to the flare regime, determine a gain value based on the aircraft parameter, determine an altitude control input based on the estimate state and the gain value, determine an altitude command output based on the altitude control input and longitudinal dynamics of the aircraft, the longitudinal dynamics generated in response to the aircraft executing the altitude command output, and control an elevator of the aircraft based on the altitude command output.

Methods and apparatus for observer-based landing control of a vehicle

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to perform observer based control of a vehicle are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an error module to calculate a difference between a first state of a vehicle and a second state of the vehicle, the second state based on a measurement from a sensor, an observer module to determine a third state of the vehicle based on the difference, a baseline control module to generate a first command based on the third state, and a vehicle module to execute the first command to control the vehicle.

Methods and apparatus to perform observer-based control of a vehicle

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to perform observer based control of a vehicle are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an error module to calculate a difference between a first state of a vehicle and a second state of the vehicle, the second state based on a measurement from a sensor, an observer module todetermine a third state of the vehicle based on the difference, a baseline control module to generate a first command based on the third state, and a vehicle module to execute the first command to control the vehicle.

An autopilot for a flight vehicle is described herein. Various configurations of the autopilot may be used in a gyro-less guidance and control system, which can be designed based on translational acceleration measurements only. In other configurations, the one or more components of the autopilot may be used as a backup to primary components of a guidance and control system. The autopilot may use state estimates to determine effector commands to control a flight vehicle.

Flight vehicle autopilot

A method for operating a controlled device. A feedback signal is received from a controlled device, the feedback signal indicating actual system dynamics of the controlled device. A predefined limit is applied to the actual system dynamics to create limited system dynamics. A modulation parameter is calculated by a processor based at least in part on the limited system dynamics and the actual system dynamics. Desired system dynamics for the controlled device are generated by the processor based at least in part on the modulation parameter and an external command.

Methods and apparatus for state limiting in a control system

An apparatus for controlling the formation flight of a trailing aircraft relative to a vortex generated by a leading aircraft includes a position module, peak-seeking module, limiter module, and control module. The position module is configured to determine a position of the vortex relative to the trailing aircraft. The peak-seeking module is configured to determine a desired position of the trailing aircraft for providing desired vortex-induced aerodynamic benefits based on the position of the vortex relative to the trailing aircraft and a mapping function of an individual performance metric. The limiter module is configured to modify the desired position of the trailing aircraft to avoid unintended crossings of the trailing aircraft into the vortex. Finally, the control module is configured to control flight of the trailing aircraft based on one of the desired position of the trailing aircraft and modified desired position of the trailing aircraft.

Formation flight control

Method and apparatus is disclosed which allocates the execution of a commanded vehicle maneuver among the vehicle's control effectors capable of affecting such maneuver, with consideration given to the possible nonlinear and/or non-monotonic effects each control effector's displacement may have on the vehicle and on each other's performance.

Robust control effector allocation

An adaptive control system is provided that scales both gain and commands to avoid input saturation. The input saturation occurs when a commanded input uexceeds an achievable command limit of u. To avoid input saturation, the commanded input uis modified according to a factor &#x3bc;.

Adaptive control in the presence of input constraints

An adaptive control method is provided that scales both gain and commands to avoid input saturation. The input saturation occurs when a commanded input uexceeds an achievable command limit of u. To avoid input saturation, the commanded input uis modified according to a factor &#x3bc;.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Eugene Lavretsky