Low cost flight instrumentation system

• US 20060212182A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCI Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FCI Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Shaw, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,057,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/8236 including pusher propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2027/829 comprising a V-tail units
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/08 using a common indicating element for two or more variables

Abstract

A device for providing flight condition information and a method of displaying such information. In one form, the device functions as a backup system to provide flight condition information in the event of partial or complete inoperability of a primary flight instrument system, or to complement such primary flight instrument system. Numerous sensors collect flight data, which can pass through devices to convert and manipulate the data to produce flight condition information that can be displayed in such a way as to reduce a pilot'"'"'s cognitive workload. The information displayed includes at least flight path angle, lateral acceleration, and turn rate. Additional information that may be displayed includes heading information, as well as information relating to airspeed and altitude, among others. In another form, the device can be part of either a primary or backup system.

Claims

1. A backup system configured to provide flight condition information in the event of partial or complete inoperability of a primary flight instrument system, said backup system comprising:

a source of electrical power;

a plurality of sensors configured to collect flight data;

a processor signally coupled to said plurality of sensors such that it operates on said collected flight data to generate at least a portion of said flight condition information, said flight condition information comprising at least flight path angle, turn rate, and lateral acceleration; and

a display signally coupled to said processor such that said display conveys said at least a portion of said flight condition information in such a way as to provide a pilot with a reduced cognitive workload.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensors comprise sensors configured to measure at least one of an aircraft speed, an aircraft altitude, an aircraft acceleration and an aircraft change in angular position.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said sensors configured to measure at least one of an aircraft speed and an aircraft altitude comprise pneumatic pressure sensors.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said sensors configured to measure an aircraft acceleration comprise at least one lateral accelerometer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of sensors further comprise an outside air temperature sensor.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said sensors configured to measure said aircraft change in angular position comprises a rate gyro.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said rate gyro comprises at least a yaw-rate gyro.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said rate gyro further comprises a roll-rate gyro.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said rate gyro further comprises a pitch-rate gyro such that each of said rate gyros sense rotation about one of the three orthogonal aircraft body axes.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to operate on data selected from the group consisting of standard atmospheric data, flight test data and component data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said flight condition information conveyed by said display further comprises heading information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said heading information is represented in said processor by a formula derived from a measured and calculated substantially horizontal plane aircraft turn rate that is substantially determined according to the following equation:

{dot over (Ψ

)}=[q sin(φ

)+r cos(φ

)]/cos(γ

),

where φ

represents aircraft bank angle, γ

represents said flight path angle, q represents aircraft pitch rate and r represents aircraft yaw rate.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said flight condition information conveyed by said display further comprises bank angle information that is estimated in said processor according to the following formula:

sin(φ

)=(−

r{dot over (γ

)}+q√

{square root over (r²+q²−

{dot over (γ

)}²)})/(r²+q²) for situations where r≧

0,

and by the following formula;

sin(φ

)=(−

r{dot over (γ

)}−

q√

{square root over (r²+q²−

{dot over (γ

)}²)})/(r²+q²) for situations where r<

0,

where φ

represents said bank angle information, γ

represents said flight path angle, {dot over (γ

)} is the rate of change in flight path angle, q represents aircraft pitch rate and r represents aircraft yaw rate.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said flight condition information conveyed by said display further comprises airspeed information and altitude information.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said flight path angle conveyed to said display is corrected according to the following formula:

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said flight path angle conveyed to said display is corrected according to the following formula:

4. The system of claim 4, wherein said pneumatic pressure sensors further comprise a static pressure sensor and a dynamic pressure sensor.

18. A device for displaying aircraft flight condition information, said device comprising:

a primary display; and

a standby display independently operable of said primary display, said standby display configured to convey at least flight path angle, lateral acceleration, and turn rate information in such a way as to provide a pilot with a reduced cognitive workload in event of a failure of said primary display or another component providing said aircraft flight condition information to said primary display.

19. A method of providing flight condition information to a user, said method comprising:

collecting a plurality of flight data;

manipulating at least a portion of said plurality of flight data such that it can be used as said flight condition information; and

displaying said flight condition information to include at least flight path angle, lateral acceleration and aircraft turn rate.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said displayed flight path angle, lateral acceleration and aircraft turn rate information comprise secondary flight condition information.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said displaying said flight condition information further comprises displaying at least one of heading, altitude and airspeed information.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said secondary flight condition information is provided by a backup system comprising:

a source of electrical power;

a plurality of sensors configured to sense said secondary flight condition information;

a processor signally coupled to said plurality of sensors to manipulate said sensed secondary flight condition information; and

a display signally coupled to said processor.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said plurality of sensors comprise sensors configured to measure at least one of an aircraft speed, an aircraft altitude, an aircraft acceleration and an aircraft change in angular position.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said sensors configured to measure at least one of said aircraft speed and said aircraft altitude comprise pneumatic pressure sensors.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said sensors configured to measure at least one of said aircraft acceleration and said aircraft change in angular position comprise at least one sensor responsive to aircraft lateral acceleration and at least one sensor responsive to aircraft roll rate, yaw rate or both roll rate and yaw rate.

26. A method of displaying estimated aircraft heading information, said method comprising:

collecting data corresponding to an aircraft yaw rate;

manipulating said collected aircraft yaw rate data to put it in a form that can be displayed;

retrieving data corresponding to at least one of an aircraft pitch angle and an aircraft roll angle;

adjusting said aircraft yaw rate data that is in a form that can be displayed with said retrieved data; and

displaying said estimated aircraft heading information.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said retrieved aircraft pitch angle is estimated from a calculated flight path angle.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

establishing a reference heading;

determining a rate of change of said flight path angle;

determining an aircraft bank angle based on said rate of change of said flight path angle and angular rates;

determining a substantially horizontal aircraft turn rate;

manipulating said substantially horizontal aircraft turn rate; and

coordinating said reference heading with said manipulated substantially horizontal aircraft turn rate to produce said estimated aircraft heading information.

29. A system configured to provide flight condition information, said system comprising:

a source of electrical power;

a plurality of sensors configured to collect flight data;

a processor signally coupled to said plurality of sensors such that it operates on at least a portion of said collected flight data to generate said flight condition information, said flight condition information comprising at least flight path angle, turn rate, and lateral acceleration; and

a display signally coupled to said processor such that said display conveys said flight condition.

30. An aircraft comprising said primary flight condition information system of claim 29.