B64C13/0421

Aircraft control system and method

The aircraft control system 100 includes an inceptor with a set of primary inceptor axes and a set of secondary inceptor inputs. The inceptor can optionally include a hand rest, a thumb groove, a set of finger grooves, passive soft stops, and/or any other additional elements. The aircraft control system can optionally include a flight controller, aircraft sensors, effectors, and a haptic feedback mechanism. However, the aircraft control system 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable components.

TASK ALLOCATION AND VARIABLE AUTONOMY LEVELS

A system and method for flying an aircraft is disclosed. The system includes one or more flight-assist agents for performing an operation related to flying the aircraft and a vehicle autonomy management system. The vehicle autonomy management system allocates tasks of a task workload involved in the operation between a flight crew and the one or more flight-assist agents, monitors a performance of the flight crew in executing a portion of the task workload allocated to the flight crew, and adjusts an allocation of the task workload between the flight crew and the one or more flight-assist agents based on the performance of the flight crew.

ELECTROMECHANICAL DECOUPLER
20170334551 · 2017-11-23 · ·

A compact electromechanical decoupler device is operatively connected between a manual control device of an aircraft and an electromechanical actuator that controls the flight modes of the aircraft. The electromechanical decoupler device is operable to decouple the operative connection between the manual control device and the electromechanical actuator with the absence of power supplied to the electromechanical decoupler device. The electromechanical decoupler device can recouple the operative connection between the manual control device and the electromechanical actuator on resupply of power to the electromechanical decoupler device and on manually achieving proper rotational alignment or indexing between the mechanical control device and the electromechanical actuator.

System and method of VTOL vehicle flight control inceptors

A VTOL inceptor arrangement is handled by a single pilot and consists of or comprises a first inceptor and a second inceptor. The first inceptor is capable of controlling at least one axis of movement and the second inceptor is capable of controlling at least three axes of movement. The first inceptor is configured to be operated by a first hand of the pilot, and the second inceptor is configured to be operated by a second hand of the pilot different from the first hand. These two hand-operated inceptors enable use of reliable operation based on stick motion (i.e., the pilot's respective hands each grasp a respective inceptor) instead of relying on movement of switches, knobs or the like—which may not allow precision control under vibration or turbulent environments or conditions.

FLEXIBLE COMMAND MODEL FOR AIRCRAFT CONTROL
20170329349 · 2017-11-16 ·

Two methods of combining multiple response types into a single flexible command model are provided and include receiving a pilot stick input, generating an aircraft response to the pilot stick input that is a continuous blend of response types by including calculable time-varying coefficients set as a function of a magnitude of the pilot stick input and other aircraft states such as airspeed, imposing at least an angular acceleration command limit and using other non-linear elements to optimize the aircraft response to the pilot stick input.

ALIGNMENT DEVICE FOR A SELECTOR LEVER

A selector lever includes a detent pin that travels along a shaft for being positioned within a detent slot of a detent plate for securing the selector lever in place. A magnetic detent pin alignment mechanism provides feedback to an operator for assisting in maneuvering the selector lever to a predetermined position wherein the detent pin may be positioned within a desired detent slot.

FORCE APPLICATION DEVICE FOR AN ACTIVE MINI-STICK AND MECHANICAL BACKUP CONTROL METHOD

A force application device for an aircraft control stick in provided. The device includes a mechanical joint, a force motor, a rheological brake, and a control device. The mechanical joint receives a lever of an aircraft pilot stick and is rotatably movable. The force motor includes a motor shaft extending along a third axis, the rotation of the motor shaft being linked to the rotation of the mechanical joint. The force motor exerts a resistive torque on the motor shaft. The rheological brake includes two facing parts, and has a volume delimited by the two facing parts, the volume being adapted to contain a rheological material. One of the parts is arranged on the motor shaft and rotatably movable about the third axis relative to the other of the parts. The control device applies an electromagnetic field within the volume so as to vary shear strength of the rheological material.

AIRCRAFT COCKPIT SIDE CONSOLE WITH ARTICULATED SINGLE-PIECE COMPONENTS

A side console for an aircraft cockpit includes a structure for mounting of an item of aircraft equipment and a complementary structure. The mounting structure and the complementary structure are formed of single-piece components articulated about an axis of articulation between a storage position in which the single-piece components are more or less folded against one another, and a position of installation in which the single-piece components extend respectively in substantially mutually perpendicular planes.

HAPTIC DEVICE FOR VIBRATING A CONTROL STICK
20170308113 · 2017-10-26 · ·

A haptic device comprising a base and at least one shaker branch. Said at least one branch is connected to the base by mobility means conferring a degree of freedom on the branch to move in rotation about a pivot axis relative to the base. An exciter member comprises electrical exciter means configured to cause said at least one branch to shake by moving in rotation about the pivot axis from a rest position to an activated position, and resilient return means tending to maintain each branch in the corresponding rest position.

Electronic Gear Shifter Assembly for a Dual-Mode Flying and Driving Vehicle

The present invention relates to an electronic gear shifter assembly for a dual-mode flying and driving vehicle. The electronic gear shifter assembly may include a lever moveable between a first shifting path that includes at least one drive-related operating position, and a second shifting path that includes at least one flying-related operating position.