Model Helicopter Control and Receiving Means

• US 20100210169A1
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mikado Model Helicopters GmbH
• Original Assignee: Mikado Model Helicopters GmbH, Ulrich Rohr
• Inventors: Röhr, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 9,056,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle

Abstract

A control system for a remote-controlled device comprising at least one receiver configured to receive a plurality of control channel signals and an operational control unit. The operational control unit comprises at least one receiver input connected to the receiver via a high speed digital link. The input is configured to receive a sequence of digital packets of information from the receiver. This input may contain information relating to the plurality of control channels including at least one user input signal. The operational control unit also includes a sensor input for receiving signals from a sensor located on the device. The operational control unit includes a processor capable of processing the data. The operational control unit will include at least one output for transmitting an output signal to a mechanism for controlling operation of the device. This device may be specifically designed to work with remote-controlled helicopters.

Claims

1. A remote-controlled helicopter controller system, said controller system comprising:

at least one receiver configured to receive a plurality of control channel signals, including at least one signal comprising a user input signal; and

an attitude control unit, said attitude control unit comprising;

a receiver input connected to said receiver via a single communication link, said receiver input adapted to process information corresponding to said plurality of control channel signals through said single communication link, said information including at least one user input instruction;

at least one sensor input for receiving at least one sensor input instruction from at least one sensor located on the helicopter,

a processor capable of processing said user input instruction and said sensor input instruction, and

at least one output for transmitting an output instruction to at least one mechanism for controlling attitude.

2. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1, further comprising the at least one mechanism for controlling attitude connected the attitude control unit, the at least one mechanism comprising a servo drive.

3. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1, wherein said communication link comprises a high-speed digital link and said receiver is configured to transmit and said control unit is configured to receive information from the receiver in the form of a sequence of digital packets of information.

4. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1, wherein said at least one receiver located in a separate housing from said flight control unit.

5. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1, wherein said at least one receiver is integrated into the same housing as said flight control unit.

6. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1, wherein said at least one receiver operates according to a frequency spread method with a redundant receiving principle.

7. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1, wherein said at least one receiver is a 2.4 GHz receiver.

8. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1, wherein said attitude control unit comprises three outputs to three different attitude servos.

9. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1, further comprising said at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a biaxial or tri-axial angular rate sensor.

10. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is integrated into the same housing as the flight control unit.

11. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1 further comprising at least one input for a programming interface.

12. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1 further comprising a display.

13. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 12, wherein said display further comprises an input interface for programming apparatus parameters.

14. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to receive an input signal from at least one attitude control sensor and at least one tail control sensor.

15. The remote-controlled helicopter controller system of claim 14, wherein said processor is further configured to process said user input, said at least one attitude control sensor and said at least one tail control sensor to calculate adjustments to the attitude and tail control of the remote-controlled helicopter and to output said adjustments to mechanisms for controlling the attitude and the tail.

16. A remote controlled helicopter comprising the remote-controlled helicopter control system of claim 1.

17. A control system for a remote-controlled device, said control system comprising:

at least one receiver configured to receive a plurality of control channel signals; and

an operational control unit, said operational control unit comprising;

at least one receiver input connected to said at least one receiver via a high speed digital link, said input configured to receive a sequence of digital packets of information from said receiver containing information relating to said plurality of control channel signals, said information including at least one user input signal

at least one sensor input for receiving at least one sensor input signal from at least one sensor located on the device,

a processor capable of processing said user input signal and said sensor input signal, and

at least one output for transmitting an output signal to a mechanism for controlling operation of at least one operable feature of device.

18. A method for controlling and stabilizing a remote-controlled helicopter, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a controller programmed with a control algorithm for providing control outputs to one or more mechanisms for controlling the helicopter;

(b) providing an automatic tuning facility coupled to said control algorithm;

(c) providing one or more operator input signals and one or more sensor input signals to both said control algorithm and said automatic tuning facility;

(d) calculating in said automatic tuning facility automatic tuning adjustment parameters based upon said input signals and information from said control algorithm, and sharing said automatic tuning adjustment parameters with said control algorithm; and

(e) calculating output control signals from said input signals and said automatic tuning adjustment parameters using said control algorithm, and sending said output control signals to one or more mechanisms for controlling the helicopter and to said automatic tuning facility.

19. A method for controlling a remote-controlled helicopter having at least a tail and a swashplate, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a controller programmed with a swashplate control algorithm for controlling the swashplate and a tail control algorithm for controlling the tail;

(b) providing one or more operator input signals and one or more sensor input signals to both said swashplate control algorithm and said tail control algorithm;

(c) sharing information between said swashplate algorithm and said tail control algorithm; and

(d) providing output from said swashplate algorithm to one or more drives for controlling an aspect of the swashplate and providing output from said tail control algorithm to one or more drives for controlling the tail.

20. A method for providing stop support for a controlled portion of a remote-controlled helicopter, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a programmed controller for providing output signals to one or more mechanisms for controlling the portion of the helicopter, the controller programmed with a stop support algorithm and a learn function, the stop support algorithm programmed to calculate a stop support ratio for use in deriving the output signals during a stop event;

(b) providing one or more operator input signals and one or more sensor input signals to said controller;

(c) upon receipt of information from the operator input signal instructing a stop event in which the one or more mechanisms are instructed to stop providing input to the portion of the helicopter, initiating the learn function to store information corresponding to the one or more operator input signals, the one or more sensor input signals, and the output signals to the one or more mechanisms;

(e) using said stop support algorithm, calculating a series of curves defining the stop event based upon said information stored by the learn function and characterizing the stop event as an overshoot, an undershoot, or an acceptable stop event; and

(f) decreasing the stop support ratio in response to characterization of the stop event as an undershoot or increasing the stop support ratio in response to characterization of the stop event as an overshoot.