Decoupled hand controls for aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing and forward flight capabilities

• US 10,144,504 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Inventors: Selwa, Alexander David, Reichert, Todd, Cutler, Mark Johnson
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US15/693,804
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 244234, 244237
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/0421 control sticks for primary flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/16 actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/02 Initiating means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0816 to ensure stability
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/085 to ensure coordination between different movements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/495 to ensure stability
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/652 Take-off delivering or retrieving payloads G05D1/667
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/654 Landing docking at a base station G05D1/661
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/01 Arrangements of two or more controlling members with respect to one another double foot control, e.g. for instruction vehicles G05G1/34; mounting units comprising an assembly with two or more pedals G05G1/36
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04774 with additional switches or sensors on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04781 with additional rotation of the controlling member
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

Hand controls for an aircraft, including a single axis hand control which is configured to control movement of an aircraft along a vertical axis where the aircraft includes a plurality of rotors that are attached to the aircraft at a fixed position and the plurality of rotors rotate independently of one another. The hand controls further include a three axis hand control which is configured to control movement of the aircraft within a plane defined by a roll axis and a pitch axis, as well as about a yaw axis.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a single axis hand control which is configured to control movement of an aircraft along a vertical axis, wherein;

the single axis hand control includes a thumbwheel which is attached to a left handgrip;

the aircraft includes a plurality of rotors that are attached to the aircraft at a fixed position; and

the plurality of rotors rotate independently of one another; and

a three axis hand control which is configured to control movement of the aircraft within a plane defined by a roll axis and a pitch axis, as well as about a yaw axis, wherein the three axis hand control includes a fingertip joystick which is attached to a right armrest.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the single axis hand control includes a thumbwheel; and

the three axis hand control includes a fingertip joystick.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the single axis hand control includes a thumbwheel which in turn includes;

a tab with a height in a range of 0.125 inch-1 inch; and

a faceplate with a height in a range of 0.5 inch-2 inches and a width in a range of 0.25 inch-1 inch.

4. The system recited in claim 1 further comprising a flight controller which is configured to:

receive an altitude associated with the aircraft; and

set a maximum velocity associated with the aircraft based at least in part on the altitude.

5. The system recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a low pass filter which is configured to;

receive a raw signal from a hand control; and

generate a slowed signal based at least in part on the raw signal; and

a flight controller which is configured to use the slowed signal to control at least one of the plurality of rotors.

6. The system recited in claim 1 further comprising a flight controller which is configured to:

receive a signal from a hand control;

determine a desired velocity based at least in part on the signal from the hand control; and

adjust, if needed, a plurality of control signals to the plurality of rotors such that a measured velocity matches the desired velocity.

7. The system recited in claim 1 further comprising a flight controller which is configured to:

receive a forward velocity associated with the aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane;

determine a pitch offset based at least in part on the forward velocity, wherein the pitch offset changes monotonically with the forward velocity;

determine a desired pitch based at least in part on the pitch offset and a pitch angle specified via the three axis hand control; and

determine a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired pitch.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises a flight controller which is configured to;

receive a forward velocity associated with the aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane;

determine a pitch offset based at least in part on the forward velocity, wherein the pitch offset changes monotonically with the forward velocity;

determine a desired pitch based at least in part on the pitch offset and a pitch angle specified via the three axis hand control; and

determine a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired pitch; and

determining the desired pitch includes summing the pitch offset and the pitch angle specified via the three axis hand control, wherein the pitch angle specified via the three axis hand control is non-zero.

9. The system recited in claim 1 further comprising a flight controller which is configured to:

receive a forward velocity and a roll angle associated with the aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane;

determine a yaw rate offset based at least in part on the forward velocity and the roll angle, wherein the yaw rate offset increases over a first forward velocity range and decreases over a second forward velocity range and the yaw rate offset changes monotonically with the roll angle;

determine a desired yaw rate based at least in part on the yaw rate offset and a yaw rate specified via the three axis hand control; and

determine a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired yaw rate.

10. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises a flight controller which is configured to;

receive a forward velocity and a roll angle associated with the aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane;

determine a yaw rate offset based at least in part on the forward velocity and the roll angle, wherein the yaw rate offset increases over a first forward velocity range and decreases over a second forward velocity range and the yaw rate offset changes monotonically with the roll angle;

determine a desired yaw rate based at least in part on the yaw rate offset and a yaw rate specified via the three axis hand control; and

determine a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired yaw rate; and

determining the desired yaw rate includes summing the yaw rate offset and the yaw rate specified via the three axis hand control, wherein the yaw rate specified via the three axis hand control is non-zero.

11. The system recited in claim 1 further comprising a flight controller which is configured to:

receive a forward velocity and a yaw rate associated with the aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane;

determine a roll angle offset based at least in part on the forward velocity and the yaw rate;

determine a desired roll angle based at least in part on the roll angle offset and a roll angle specified via the three axis hand control; and

determine a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired roll angle.

12. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises a flight controller which is configured to;

receive a forward velocity and a yaw rate associated with the aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane;

determine a roll angle offset based at least in part on the forward velocity and the yaw rate;

determine a desired roll angle based at least in part on the roll angle offset and a roll angle specified via the three axis hand control; and

determine a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired roll angle; and

determining the desired roll angle includes summing the roll angle offset and the roll angle specified via the three axis hand control, wherein the roll angle specified via the three axis hand control is non-zero.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a forward velocity associated with an aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane;

determining a pitch offset based at least in part on the forward velocity, wherein the pitch offset changes monotonically with the forward velocity;

determining a desired pitch based at least in part on the pitch offset and a pitch angle specified via a three-axis hand control, wherein;

the three-axis hand control is configured to control movement of the aircraft within a plane defined by a roll axis and a pitch axis as well as about a yaw axis;

the three-axis hand control includes a fingertip joystick which is attached to a right armrest; and

determine a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired pitch and desired movement along a vertical axis, wherein the movement along the vertical axis is indicated by input received from a single-axis hand control, the single-axis hand control including a thumbwheel which is attached to a left handgrip.

14. The method recited in claim 13, wherein determining the desired pitch includes summing the pitch offset and the pitch angle specified via the three-axis hand control, wherein the pitch angle specified via the three-axis hand control is non-zero.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving a forward velocity and a roll angle associated with an aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane;

determining a yaw rate offset based at least in part on the forward velocity and the roll angle, wherein the yaw rate offset increases over a first forward velocity range and decreases over a second forward velocity range and the yaw rate offset changes monotonically with the roll angle;

determining a desired yaw rate based at least in part on the yaw rate offset and a yaw rate specified via a three-axis hand control, wherein;

the three-axis hand control is configured to control movement of the aircraft within a plane defined by a roll axis and a pitch axis as well as about a yaw axis;

the three-axis hand control includes a fingertip joystick which is attached to a right armrest; and

determining a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired yaw rate and desired movement along a vertical axis, wherein the movement along the vertical axis is indicated by input received from a single-axis hand control, the single-axis hand control including a thumbwheel which is attached to a left handgrip.

16. The method recited in claim 15, wherein determining the desired yaw rate includes summing the yaw rate offset and the yaw rate specified via the three-axis hand control, wherein the yaw rate specified via the three-axis hand control is non-zero.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a forward velocity and a yaw rate associated with an aircraft, wherein the aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane;

determining a roll angle offset based at least in part on the forward velocity and the yaw rate;

determining a desired roll angle based at least in part on the roll angle offset and a roll angle specified via a three-axis hand control, wherein;

the three-axis hand control is configured to control movement of the aircraft within a plane defined by a roll axis and a pitch axis as well as about a yaw axis;

the three-axis hand control includes a fingertip joystick which is attached to a right armrest; and

determining a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired roll angle and desired movement along a vertical axis, wherein the movement along the vertical axis is indicated by input received from a single axis-hand control, the single-axis hand control including a thumbwheel which is attached to a left handgrip.

18. The method recited in claim 17, wherein determining the desired roll angle includes summing the roll angle offset and the roll angle specified via the three-axis hand control, wherein the roll angle specified via the three-axis hand control is non-zero.