RATE LIMITED ACTIVE PILOT INCEPTOR SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090302171A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Wilkens, Dean R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,002,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/223
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/10 comprising warning devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/507 with artificial feel

Abstract

A variable rate limit is implemented in an active inceptor haptic feedback control system. The rate limit is modulated based on a rate error between an aircraft rate command supplied from the active inceptor, and actual aircraft rate. As the rate error increases, the rate limit is reduced, which limits inceptor movement and provides haptic feedback to a user when the rate error is exceeded.

Claims

1. An active pilot inceptor system, comprising:

a pilot inceptor configured to receive user input and operable, in response to the user input, to (i) move to an inceptor position at an inceptor movement rate and (ii) supply signals representative of a commanded aircraft rate;

a motor coupled to the pilot inceptor and operable, upon being energized, to supply a feedback force to the inceptor that limits at least the inceptor movement rate; and

a motor control adapted to receive a rate limit signal that is based on a determined rate error, the rate error being a representative of a difference between the commanded aircraft rate and an actual aircraft rate, the motor control responsive to the rate limit signal to energize the motor to supply the feedback force at a magnitude that limits the inceptor movement rate based on the determined rate error.

2. The inceptor system of claim 1, wherein:

the rate limit signal is representative of the determined rate error; and

the motor control is responsive to the rate limit signal to (i) determine a dynamic inceptor movement rate limit and (ii) energize the motor to supply the feedback force at a magnitude that limits the inceptor movement rate to the dynamic inceptor movement rate limit.

3. The inceptor system of claim 1, wherein:

the rate limit signal is representative of a dynamic inceptor movement rate limit; and

the motor control is responsive to the rate limit signal to energize the motor to supply the feedback force at a magnitude that limits the inceptor movement rate to the dynamic inceptor movement rate limit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the inceptor comprises:

an inceptor sensor operable to (i) sense the inceptor position and (ii) supply the signal representative of commanded aircraft rate based on the sensed inceptor position.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein inceptor sensor comprises:

an inceptor position sensor coupled to the inceptor, the inceptor position sensor operable to sense the inceptor position and supply the signal representative of commanded aircraft rate.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the inceptor sensor comprises:

a motor position sensor coupled to the motor, the motor position sensor operable to sense motor rotational position and supply a motor rotational position signal representative thereof; and

an integrator coupled to receive the motor rotational position and operable, in response thereto, to supply the signal representative of commanded aircraft rate.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the inceptor sensor comprises:

a force sensor coupled to the inceptor, the force sensor operable to sense an input force supplied to the inceptor and supply a force signal representative thereof; and

an inceptor position determination circuit coupled to receive force signal and operable, in response thereto, to (i) determine the inceptor position and (ii) supply the signal representative of commanded aircraft rate based on the determined inceptor position.

8. A flight control system, comprising:

a flight control operable to receive a signal representative of commanded aircraft rate and a signal representative of actual aircraft rate and, in response these received signals, to determine a rate error and supply a rate limit signal based on the determined rate error;

an inceptor configured to receive user input and operable, in response to the user input, to (i) move to an inceptor position at an inceptor movement rate and (ii) supply the signal representative of commanded aircraft rate;

a motor coupled to the inceptor and operable, upon being energized, to supply a feedback force to the inceptor that limits at least the inceptor movement rate; and

a motor control coupled to receive the rate limit signal and operable, in response thereto, to energize the motor to supply the feedback force at a magnitude that limits the inceptor movement rate based on the determined rate error.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the rate limit signal is representative of the determined rate error; and

the motor control is responsive to the rate limit signal to (i) determine a dynamic inceptor movement rate limit and (ii) energize the motor to supply the feedback force at a magnitude that limits the inceptor movement rate to the dynamic inceptor movement rate limit.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the flight control is further operable to determine a dynamic inceptor movement rate limit;

the rate limit signal is representative of the determined dynamic inceptor movement rate limit; and

the motor control is responsive to the rate limit signal to energize the motor to supply the feedback force at a magnitude that limits the inceptor movement rate to the dynamic inceptor movement rate limit.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the inceptor comprises:

an inceptor sensor operable to (i) sense the inceptor position and (ii) supply the signal representative of commanded aircraft rate based on the sensed inceptor position.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein inceptor sensor comprises:

an inceptor position sensor coupled to the inceptor, the inceptor position sensor operable to sense the inceptor position and supply the signal representative of commanded aircraft rate.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the inceptor sensor comprises:

a motor position sensor coupled to the motor, the motor position sensor operable to sense motor rotational position and supply a motor rotational position signal representative thereof; and

an integrator coupled to receive the motor rotational position and operable, in response thereto, to supply the signal representative of commanded aircraft rate.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the inceptor sensor comprises:

a force sensor coupled to the inceptor, the force sensor operable to sense an input force supplied to the inceptor and supply a force signal representative thereof, and

an inceptor position determination circuit coupled to receive force signal and operable, in response thereto, to (i) determine the inceptor position and (ii) supply the signal representative of commanded aircraft rate based on the determined inceptor position.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the flight control is further operable, in response to the a signal representative of commanded aircraft rate, to supply actuator control signals, and wherein the system further comprises:

a plurality of flight control surface actuators, each flight control surface actuator coupled to receive at least selected ones of the actuator control signals.

16. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an aircraft sensor in operable communication with the flight controls to supply the signal representative of actual aircraft rate.

17. A method of limiting pilot induced oscillations in an aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a position of an inceptor;

determining a commanded aircraft rate based on the determined inceptor position;

determining an actual aircraft rate;

determining a rate error from at least the commanded aircraft rate and the actual aircraft rate; and

rate limiting inceptor position based on the determined rate error.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining an inceptor rate limit from at least the rate error; and

rate limiting the inceptor position to the determined inceptor rate limit.