PILOT FLIGHT CONTROL STICK HAPTIC FEEDBACK SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080099629A1
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Abel, Stephen G., Hanlon, Casey
• Granted Patent: US 7,658,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/223
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/10 comprising warning devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/503 Fly-by-Wire

Abstract

A pilot flight control stick haptic feedback system includes a pilot user interface, a position sensor, a pilot motor, and a control circuit. The pilot user interface is movable to a position at a movement rate. The position sensor senses the position of the pilot user interface and supplies a pilot user interface position signal. The pilot motor is coupled to the pilot user interface, and receives pilot motor feedback signals. The pilot motor, in response to the pilot motor feedback signals, supplies feedback force to the pilot user interface. The control circuit determines one or more of the pilot user interface position, movement rate, aircraft control surface slew rate capacity, aircraft control surface load rate capacity, and aerodynamic stall risk and, based on at least a subset of these determinations, supplies pilot motor feedback signals to the pilot motor.

Claims

1. A pilot flight control stick haptic feedback system, comprising:

a pilot user interface configured to receive user input and, upon receipt thereof, to move to a position at a movement rate;

a position sensor coupled to, and configured to sense the position of, the pilot user interface, the position sensor further configured to supply a pilot user interface position signal representative of the pilot user interface position;

a pilot motor coupled to the pilot user interface, the pilot motor further coupled to receive pilot motor feedback signals and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply a feedback force to the pilot user interface at a magnitude based on the pilot motor feedback signals; and

a control circuit coupled to receive at least the pilot user interface position signal and configured to;

(i) determine the pilot user interface movement rate, aircraft control surface slew rate capacity, and aircraft control surface load rate capacity, and

(ii) supply the pilot motor feedback signals to the pilot motor based at least in part on the determined pilot user interface movement rate, the determined aircraft control surface slew rate capacity, and the determined aircraft control surface load rate capacity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the control circuit comprises a motor control circuit and a flight control unit coupled to the motor control circuit;

the flight control unit is configured to supply one or more force feedback influence signals to the motor control circuit; and

the motor control circuit is configured, in response to the one or more force feedback influence signals, to determine aircraft control surface slew rate capacity and aircraft control surface load rate capacity.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more force feedback influence signals comprise one or more signals representative of control surface load rate limits, control surface slew rate limits, control surface no-load positions, or control surface stop positions.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the flight control unit is adapted to receive one or more signals representative of aircraft conditions and is operable, in response thereto, to supply the one or more force feedback influence signals.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more signals representative of aircraft conditions comprise one or more signals representative of flight control surface position, aircraft speed, aircraft altitude, and aircraft attitude.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the motor control circuit is further configured to supply flight control surface position signals to the flight control unit; and

the flight control unit is configured to be responsive to the flight control surface position signals.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to supply the pilot motor feedback signals to the pilot motor based at least in part on flight control surface stop positions.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine an aerodynamic stall risk based on the pilot user interface position; and

supply the pilot motor feedback signals to the pilot motor based further in part on the determined aerodynamic stall risk.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a co-pilot user interface configured to receive user input and, upon receipt thereof, to move to a position at a movement rate;

a co-pilot position sensor coupled to, and configured to sense the position of, the co-pilot user interface, the co-pilot position sensor further configured to supply a co-pilot user interface position signal representative of the co-pilot user interface position; and

a co-pilot motor coupled to the co-pilot user interface, the co-pilot motor further coupled to receive co-pilot motor feedback signals and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply a feedback force to the co-pilot user interface at a magnitude based on the co-pilot motor feedback signals,

wherein the control circuit is further coupled to receive the co-pilot user interface position signal and is further configured to;

(i) determine the pilot and co-pilot user interface movement rates, and

(ii) supply the pilot and co-pilot motor feedback signals to the pilot and co-pilot motors, respectively, based further in part on the co-pilot user interface movement rate.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the control circuit comprises a motor control circuit and a flight control unit coupled to the motor control circuit;

the flight control unit is configured to supply one or more force feedback influence signals to the motor control circuit; and

the motor control circuit is configured, in response to the one or more force feedback influence signals, to determine aircraft control surface slew rate capacity and aircraft control surface load rate capacity.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the motor control circuit is further configured to (i) determine an average position of the pilot and co-pilot user interfaces and (ii) supply flight control surface position signals to the flight control unit based on the determined average position; and

the flight control unit is configured to be responsive to the flight control surface position signals.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a co-pilot override switch movable between a first position, in which the motor control circuit is responsive to the co-pilot position signal, and a second position, in which the motor control circuit is non-responsive to the co-pilot position signal; and

a pilot override switch movable between a first position, in which the motor control circuit is responsive to the pilot position signal, and a second position, in which the motor control circuit is non-responsive to the pilot position signal.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the co-pilot override switch is disposed at least proximate the pilot user interface; and

the pilot override switch is disposed at least proximate the co-pilot user interface.

14. A pilot flight control stick haptic feedback system for an aircraft, the system comprising:

a pilot user interface configured to receive user input and, upon receipt thereof, to move to a position;

a position sensor coupled to, and configured to sense the position of, the pilot user interface, the position sensor further configured to supply a pilot user interface position signal representative of the pilot user interface position;

a pilot motor coupled to the pilot user interface, the pilot motor further coupled to receive pilot motor feedback signals and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply a feedback force to the pilot user interface at a magnitude based on the pilot motor feedback signals; and

a control circuit coupled to receive at least the pilot user interface position signal and configured to (i) determine an aerodynamic stall risk of the aircraft based on the pilot user interface position and (ii) supply the pilot motor feedback signals to the pilot motor based at least in part on the determined aerodynamic stall risk of the aircraft.

15. A pilot flight control stick haptic feedback system, comprising:

a pilot user interface configured to receive user input and, upon receipt thereof, to move to a position at a movement rate;

a position sensor coupled to, and configured to sense the position of, the pilot user interface, the position sensor further configured to supply a pilot user interface position signal representative of the pilot user interface position;

a pilot motor coupled to the pilot user interface, the pilot motor further coupled to receive pilot motor feedback signals and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply a feedback force to the pilot user interface at a magnitude based on the pilot motor feedback signals; and

a control circuit coupled to receive at least the pilot user interface position signal and configured to;

(i) determine the pilot user interface movement rate, aircraft control surface slew rate capacity, and aircraft control surface load rate capacity,

(ii) determine an aerodynamic stall risk based on the pilot user interface position, and

(ii) supply the pilot motor feedback signals to the pilot motor based at least in part on the determined pilot user interface movement rate, the determined aircraft control surface slew rate capacity, the determined aircraft control surface load rate capacity, and the determined aerodynamic stall risk.

16. A method of controlling haptic feedback to one or more aircraft flight control system user interfaces, the method comprising the steps of:

determining movement rate of a pilot user interface;

determining aircraft control surface slew rate capacity;

determining aircraft control surface load rate capacity; and

supplying the haptic feedback to the pilot user interface at a magnitude that is based at least in part on the determined pilot user interface movement rate, the determined aircraft control surface slew rate capacity, and the determined aircraft control surface load rate capacity.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining aircraft control surface slew rate capacity and aircraft control surface load rate capacity from one or more aircraft flight conditions.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining one or more of control surface load rate limits, control surface slew rate limits, control surface no-load positions, and control surface stop positions, from the one or more aircraft flight conditions.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more aircraft flight conditions comprise one or more of flight control surface position, aircraft speed, aircraft altitude, and aircraft attitude.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining flight control surface stop positions; and

supplying the haptic feedback to the pilot user interface at a magnitude that is further based at least in part on the determined flight control surface stop positions.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining movement rate of a co-pilot user interface;

supplying the haptic feedback to the pilot and co-pilot user interfaces based further in part on the determined co-pilot user interface movement rate.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining pilot user interface position;

determining an aerodynamic stall risk based on the determined pilot user interface position; and

supplying the haptic feedback to the pilot user interface at a magnitude that is based further in part on the determined aerodynamic stall risk.

23. A method of controlling haptic feedback to one or more aircraft flight control system user interfaces, the method comprising the steps of:

determining pilot user interface position;

determining an aerodynamic stall risk based on the determined pilot user interface position; and

supplying the haptic feedback to the pilot user interface at a magnitude that is based at least in part on the determined aerodynamic stall risk.