METHOD AND A SET OF MEANS FOR PILOTING AN AIRCRAFT

• US 20090037032A1
• Filed: 09/05/2005
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Method and A Set of Means For Piloting An Aircraft
• Original Assignee: Method and A Set of Means For Piloting An Aircraft
• Inventors: Za'tsev, Yury Anatol`evich, Podkidov, Valery Victorovich, Volkov, Gennady Ivanovich, Koldaev, Aleksandr Vasil`evich, Morzhin, Aleksandr Mikhaylovich, Korzhuev, Michail Vadimovich, Kondrashina, Aleksandr Ur`evich, Savin, Vladimir Alekseevich, Pronin, Aleksandr Nikolaevich, Malov, Yury Ivanovich
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/20 using radiated signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/22 readily revertible to personal control
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a set of means for piloting an aircraft used, first of all, for detecting emergency situations and for removing the consequences thereof, which make it possible perform all possible control modes for piloting the same aircraft in the form of an aircraft hand-flown by a pilot with the aid of flight control means, an aircraft remotely flown by instructions of a control station technical means and an independent automated aircraft flown by instructions of the aircraft equipment. In order to carry out the remote, automatic and independent control of the aircraft, the power drive units of control equipment, a system for the switch-on and off thereof and technical supporting means are provided on the aircraft board and on the control station.

Claims

1. Aircraft piloting method, according to which:

platforms are installed in the cabin of the aircraft near the control equipment intended for piloting the aircraft;

power drives are connected to the piloting equipment and to the platforms with a movable joint;

a power drive control system is installed in the cabin of the aircraft;

a remote control station is constructed which includes technical means of support of the piloting equipment aboard the aircraft, adapted to receive and process signals characterizing readings of devices, sensors and condition of the control equipment of the aircraft as well as to generate and transmit signals of aircraft piloting commands;

signals, which characterize the readings of instruments, sensors and condition of the aircraft control equipment, are transmitted from the aircraft using on-board receiving and transmitting radio equipment;

signals related to instrumental readings, sensors and conditions of control equipment of the aircraft are received and processed at the control station using receiving and transmitting equipment;

signals of aircraft control commands are generated at the control station;

aircraft piloting signals generated at the control station are repeatedly transmitted to the power drive control system onboard the aircraft in such a way that deviation and orientation of the piloting equipment onboard the aircraft corresponds to the commands of control station support hardware to allow the aircraft to perform the required operations;

characterized in that,

controlled means of connecting power drives to the control equipment of the aircraft are introduced;

means of activating and deactivating the controlled joints of power drives with the control equipment of the aircraft are introduced, involving the possibility to be activated by the pilot in the piloted mode, remotely by the control station operator or automatically with the help of technical means located onboard the aircraft and/or at the control station;

an onboard computer is installed onboard the aircraft to realize the modes of remote, automatic and free-running automatic aircraft piloting;

an interface signals and commands input/output device is installed onboard the aircraft between the on-board computer and sensors, devices and the power drive control system;

satellite radio navigation system equipment is installed onboard the aircraft for precise positioning of the aircraft;

equipment of navigation and landing system is installed at the control station;

power drives are connected or disconnected to (from) the piloting equipment of the aircraft by way of activating or deactivating the controlled joints, to select the manned mode or remote piloting mode, automatic and free-running automatic aircraft piloting modes

power drives are disconnected from the control equipment by deactivating the controlled joints in the manned mode, and the aircraft is piloted by the pilot in the cabin, using control equipment, devices and sensors;

power drives are connected to the control equipment of the aircraft by way of activating the controlled joints in the remote piloting mode;

data related to precise coordinates, spatial location and dynamic characteristics of the aircraft, transmitted from the aircraft is received at the control station;

based on the analysis thereof, appropriate control commands are repeatedly generated and transmitted to the aircraft with the help of the operator, for further execution by the actuated equipment;

power drives are connected to the control equipment of the aircraft by way of activating the controlled joints in the automatic piloting mode;

data related to precise coordinates, spatial location and dynamic characteristics of the aircraft, transmitted from the aircraft is received at the control station;

based on the analysis thereof, appropriate control commands are repeatedly generated and transmitted to the aircraft with the help of the control station hardware, for further execution by the actuated equipment;

power drives are connected to the control equipment of the aircraft by way of activating the controlled joints in the free-running automatic piloting mode;

the on-board computer is used to process data related to precise coordinates, spatial location and dynamic characteristics of the aircraft, with the help of which appropriate control commands are repeatedly generated and executed by the actuated equipment;

the aircraft is landed in remote piloting and automatic modes by control commands generated at the control station by the navigation and landing equipment, transmission thereof onboard the aircraft and further execution by the actuated equipment;

2. Aircraft piloting method under claim 1, characterized in that the controlled joints of power dives with the aircraft control equipment are implemented in the form of mechanical devices, e.g. electric clutches;

3. Aircraft piloting method under claim 1, characterized in that the control station is installed on a terrestrial stationary or mobile platform.

4. Aircraft piloting method under claim 1, characterized in that the control station is installed on a marine stationary or mobile platform.

5. Aircraft piloting method under claim 1, characterized in that the control station is installed on an aerial stationary or mobile platform.

6. An aircraft piloting method under claim 1, characterized in that the control station is installed on a space platform.

7. A set of means of aircraft control which includes:

aircraft with a cabin which contains piloting equipment for controlling operation of the aircraft;

platforms installed in the cabin of the aircraft near the control equipment intended for piloting the aircraft;

power drives connected to the piloting equipment and to the platforms with a movable joint;

power drive control system;

a remote control station which includes technical means of support of the piloting equipment aboard the aircraft, adapted to receive and process signals characterizing readings of devices, sensors and condition of the control equipment of the aircraft as well as to generate and transmit signals of aircraft piloting commands;

means of generating signals describing instrumental readings, sensors and condition of the control equipment of the aircraft, installed onboard the aircraft;

transmitting and receiving radio-electronic equipment installed onboard the aircraft designed for transmitting signals describing instrumental readings, sensors and conditions of the control equipment of the aircraft to the control station, as well as receiving control commands from the station;

means of receiving and processing signals related to instrumental readings, sensors and conditions of control equipment of the aircraft at the control station using receiving and transmitting radio-electronic equipment;

means of generating aircraft control signals at the control station;

means of repeated transmission by the aircraft of control command signals, which are generated at the control station and transmitted to the power drives control system onboard the aircraft in such a way that deviation and orientation of the control equipment onboard the aircraft correspond to the commands of technical means of control station support to allow the aircraft to perform the required actions;

characterized in that the aircraft additionally containing the following;

controlled means of connecting power drives to the control equipment of the aircraft;

means of activating and deactivating the controlled joints of power drives with the control equipment of the aircraft, involving the possibility to be activated by the pilot in the piloted mode, remotely by the control station operator or automatically with the help of technical means located onboard the aircraft and/or at the control station;

on-board computer installed at the aircraft to implement the remote piloting, automatic and free-running automatic aircraft piloting modes;

interface signal and command input/output device installed onboard the aircraft between the computer and the sensors, devices and power drives control system;

satellite radio navigation system equipment installed onboard the aircraft for precise positioning of the aircraft;

equipment of navigation and landing system installed at the control station;

8. A set of means of aircraft control under claim 7, characterized in that the controlled joints of the power drives with the control equipment of the aircraft are implemented in the form of electromechanical devices, in particular in the form of electrical clutches;

9. A set of means of aircraft control under claim 7, characterized in that the control station is installed on the terrestrial stationary or mobile platform.

10. A set of means of aircraft control under claim 7, characterized in that the control station is installed on the marine stationary or mobile platform.

11. A set of means of aircraft control under claim 7, characterized in that the control station is installed on the aerial stationary or mobile platform.

12. A set of means of aircraft control under claim 7, characterized in that the control station is installed on the space platform.