System and method for an integrated backup control system

• US 20070164168A1
• Filed: 01/17/2007
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Palfreyman, Gary, Hirvonen, Jukka
• Granted Patent: US 7,878,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/223
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/04 actuated personally
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/10 comprising warning devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/42 having duplication or stand-by provisions
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/503 Fly-by-Wire
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to a flight control system for controlling an aircraft in flight having a backup control system integrated into an active control stick. The actuated control stick may include a processing unit that includes independent and separate hardware and/or software dedicated to the primary control system and the backup control system. For the primary control system, the processing unit may receive a sensed primary control stick signal and communicate with a primary processor, which may be configured to generate a primary control signal. For the backup control system, the processing unit may receive a sensed backup control stick signal and generate a backup control signal. The processing unit may also generate tactile signal for use by the actuated control stick to adjust the feel of a pilot'"'"'s control stick.

Claims

1. A flight control system for controlling an aircraft in flight, the flight control system comprising:

an actuated control stick having a primary sensor, a backup sensor, and a processing unit having at least one processor configured to generate a tactile signal for the actuated control stick;

a set of primary electronics coupled to the primary sensor and located in the processing unit, the set of primary electronics being configured to receive a primary control stick signal from the primary sensor;

a primary processor coupled to the set of primary electronics and located external to the processing unit, the primary processor being configured to generate a primary control signal based, at least in part, on the primary control stick signal;

a set of backup electronics coupled to the backup sensor and located in the processing unit, the set of backup electronics being configured to receive a backup control stick signal from the backup sensor and generate a backup control signal based, at least in part, on the backup control stick signal;

at least one aircraft actuator coupled to the primary processor and coupled to the set of backup electronics, the at least one aircraft actuator being configured to receive the primary control signal from the primary processor and the backup control signal from the set of backup electronics and being configured to actuate based, at least in part, on at least one of the primary control signal or the backup control signal.

2. The flight control system of claim 1, wherein the set of backup electronics includes the at least one processor and is configured to generate the tactile signal and the backup control signal.

3. The flight control system of claim 2, wherein the set of backup electronics includes a feedback electronics unit connected between the at least one processor and the actuated control stick.

4. The flight control system of claim 1, wherein the set of primary electronics includes the at least one processor.

5. The flight control system of claim 4, wherein the set of backup electronics further includes a first processor configured to generate the backup control signal.

6. The flight control system of claim 4, wherein the set of backup electronics includes analog processing equipment and is configured to generate the backup control signal as an analog signal.

7. The flight control system of claim 1, wherein the primary processor provides aircraft flight data to the processing unit and the tactile signal is based, at least in part, on the aircraft flight data received from the primary processor.

8. The flight control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one aircraft actuator is configured to determine whether the primary control signal is valid and is configured to use the backup control signal to control the at least one aircraft actuator in the event that the primary control signal is determined to be invalid.

9. A flight control system for controlling an aircraft in flight, the flight control system comprising:

a first actuated control stick having a first primary sensor, a first backup sensor, and a first processing unit having at least one first processor configured to generate a first tactile signal for the first actuated control stick;

a first set of primary electronics coupled to the first primary sensor and located in the first processing unit, the first set of primary electronics being configured to receive a first primary control stick signal from the first primary sensor;

a second actuated control stick having a second primary sensor, a second backup sensor, and a second processing unit having at least one second processor configured to generate a second tactile signal for the second actuated control stick;

a second set of primary electronics coupled to the second primary sensor and located in the second processing unit, the second set of primary electronics being configured to receive a second primary control stick signal from the second primary sensor;

a primary processor coupled to the first set of primary electronics and the second set of primary electronics, the primary processor located external to the processing unit and the primary processor being configured to generate a primary control signal based, at least in part, on at least one of the first primary control stick signal and the second primary control stick signal;

a first set of backup electronics coupled to the first backup sensor and located in the first processing unit, the first set of backup electronics being configured to receive a first backup control stick signal from the first backup sensor and generate a first backup control signal based, at least in part, on the first backup control stick signal;

a second set of backup electronics coupled to the second backup sensor and located in the second processing unit, the second set of backup electronics being configured to receive a second backup control stick signal from the second backup sensor and generate a second backup control signal based, at least in part, on the second backup control stick signal;

at least one aircraft actuator coupled to the primary processor and coupled to at least one of the first set of backup electronics and the second set of backup electronics, the at least one aircraft actuator being configured to receive the primary control signal from the primary processor and at least one of the first backup control signal or the second backup control signal and being configured to actuate based, at least in part, on at least one of the primary control signal, the first backup control signal, or the second backup control signal.

10. The flight control system of claim 9, wherein:

the first set of backup electronics includes the at least one first processor and is configured to generate the first tactile signal and the first backup control signal; and

the second set of backup electronics includes the at least one second processor and is configured to generate the second tactile signal and the second backup control signal.

11. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein:

the first set of backup electronics includes a first feedback electronics unit connected between the at least one first processor and the first actuated control stick; and

the second set of backup electronics includes a second feedback electronics unit connected between the at least one second processor and the second actuated control stick.

12. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein:

the first set of primary electronics transmits the first primary control stick signal to the primary processor as a first analog signal; and

the second set of primary electronics transmits the second primary control stick signal to the primary processor as a second analog signal.

13. The flight control system of claim 9, wherein:

the first set of primary electronics includes a third processor configured to generate the first tactile signal for the first actuated control stick; and

the second set of primary electronics includes a fourth processor configured to generate the second tactile signal for the second actuated control stick.

14. The flight control system of claim 13, wherein:

the first set of backup electronics includes a fifth processor configured to generate the first backup control signal; and

the second set of backup electronics includes a sixth processor configured to generate the second backup control signal.

15. The flight control system of claim 13, wherein:

the first set of backup electronics includes first analog processing equipment and is configured to generate the first backup control signal as a first analog signal; and

the second set of backup electronics includes second analog processing equipment and is configured to generate the second backup control signal as a second analog signal.

16. The flight control system of claim 9, wherein the first set of backup electronics and the second set of backup electronics are cross-linked.

17. The flight control system of claim 9, wherein:

the first set of backup electronics is configured to transmit the first backup control signal on a first set of aircraft actuator channels; and

the second set of backup electronics is configured to transmit the second backup control signal on a second set of aircraft actuator channels.

18. The flight control system of claim 9, wherein the first set of primary electronics and the second set of primary electronics include a signal processing device.

19. The flight control system of claim 9, wherein the first set of backup electronics and the second set of backup electronics are configured to receive flight data from at least one sensor sensing at least one of attitude, rate, or acceleration.

20. The flight control system of claim 19, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to provide flight data to at least one of a standby display or a primary display.

21. The flight control system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first set of backup electronics and the second set of backup electronics receives augmentation signals from a standby instrument system.

22. A method for controlling the flight of an aircraft, the method comprising:

sensing a primary control stick signal in a primary sensor coupled to an actuated control stick, the primary sensor being coupled to a set of primary electronics in a processing unit;

sensing a backup control stick signal in a backup sensor coupled to the actuated control stick, the backup sensor being coupled to a set of backup electronics in the processing unit;

transmitting the primary control stick signal from the set of primary electronics to a primary processor located external to the processing unit;

generating a tactile signal in the processing unit for use by the actuated control stick;

actuating the actuator control stick in response to the tactile signal;

generating a primary control signal in the primary processor for an aircraft actuator, the primary processor being coupled to the aircraft actuator;

generating a backup control signal in the set of backup electronics for the aircraft actuator, the set of backup electronics being coupled to the aircraft actuator; and

controlling the aircraft actuator using at least one of the primary control signal or the backup control signal.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining, in an actuator electronics unit, whether the primary control signal is valid; and

selecting the backup control signal to control the aircraft actuator in the event the primary control signal is invalid.

24. A method for controlling the flight of an aircraft, the method comprising:

sensing a first primary control stick signal in a first primary sensor coupled to a first actuated control stick, the first primary sensor being coupled to a first set of primary electronics in a first processing unit;

sensing a first backup control stick signal in a first backup sensor coupled to the first actuated control stick, the first backup sensor being coupled to a first set of backup electronics in the first processing unit;

sensing a second primary control stick signal in a second primary sensor coupled to a second actuated control stick, the second primary sensor being coupled to a second set of primary electronics in a second processing unit;

sensing a second backup control stick signal in a second backup sensor coupled to the second actuated control stick, the second backup sensor being coupled to a second set of backup electronics in the second processing unit;

transmitting the first primary control stick signal and the second primary control stick signal to a primary processor located external to the first processing unit and the second processing unit;

generating a first tactile signal in the first processing unit for use by the first actuated control stick;

generating a second tactile signal in the second processing unit for use by the second actuated control stick;

generating a primary control signal in the primary processor, the primary processor being coupled to at least one of a plurality of aircraft actuators;

generating a first backup control signal in the first set of backup electronics, the first set of backup electronics being coupled to at least one of the aircraft actuators;

generating a second backup control signal in the second set of backup electronics, the second set of backup electronics being coupled to at least one of the aircraft actuators; and

controlling at least one of the aircraft actuators using at least one of the primary control signal, the first backup control signal, or the second backup control signal.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining, in an actuator electronics unit, whether the primary control signal is valid; and

selecting at least one of the first backup control signal or the second backup control signal to control at least one of the aircraft actuators in the event the primary control signal is invalid.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the first set of backup electronics and the second set of backup electronics communicate via a cross-link.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transmitting the first backup control signal from the first set of backup electronics on a first set of aircraft actuator channels; and

transmitting the second backup control signal from the second set of backup electronics to a second set of aircraft actuator channels.

28. A flight control system for an aircraft comprising:

an actuated control stick comprising;

a primary sensor coupled to the actuated control stick;

a backup sensor coupled to the actuated control stick;

a first processor comprising;

a first input to receive a primary control stick signal from the primary sensor; and

a second input to receive a backup control stick signal from the backup sensor, wherein the first input and the second input are separate and independent; and

the first processor being configured to;

output the primary control stick signal from a first output;

generate a tactile signal for the actuated control stick; and

generate a backup control signal and output the backup control signal from a second output;

wherein a first path from the first input to the first output is separate and independent from a second path from the second input to the second output;

a second processor separate and independent from the first processing unit, the second processor being configured to;

receive the primary control stick signal from the first output of the first processing unit; and

generate a primary control signal based, at least in part, on the primary control stick signal; and

at least one aircraft actuator coupled to the first processing unit and to the second processor, the actuator being configured to;

receive the primary control signal from the second processor and the backup control signal from the first processing unit; and

actuate based on at least one of the primary control signal or the backup control signal.

29. The flight control system of claim 28, wherein the first path and the second path are separated by a software fire-wall.

30. The flight control system of claim 28, wherein the first path follows a first hardware path and the second path follows a second hardware path, wherein the first hardware path and the second hardware path are separate and independent.