Flight Controller Management System with a Backdrive Monitor

• US 20120277933A1
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Krogh, Steven Barry, Bresley, William Milo, Conner, Ian M., Levine, Benjamin D., Minteer-Levine, Jasmine Beth, Pettit, Ryan L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/11
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/18 using automatic pilot
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0005 Devices specially adapted to indicate the position of a movable element of the aircraft, e.g. landing gear
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a monitoring module. The monitoring module is configured to identify a difference between measured position information for a controller and expected position information for the controller. The monitoring module is configured to compare the difference with thresholds for managing an autopilot in a control system of a vehicle to form a comparison. The monitoring module is configured to manage an operation of the autopilot based on the comparison such that the autopilot remains operating when a backdrive system is inoperative and an intentional override of the autopilot is absent.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a monitoring module configured to identify a difference between measured position information for a controller and expected position information for the controller;

compare the difference with thresholds for managing an autopilot in a control system of a vehicle to form a comparison; and

manage an operation of the autopilot based on the comparison such that the autopilot remains operating when a backdrive system is inoperative and an intentional override of the autopilot is absent.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in being configured to compare the difference with the thresholds for managing the autopilot in the control system of the vehicle to form the comparison, the monitoring module is configured to determine whether the difference is greater than one or more of the thresholds that are active to form the comparison, wherein the one or more of the thresholds that is active is based on a state of the control system.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the thresholds comprise a first threshold configured to detect the backdrive system being inoperative when the backdrive system is supposed to be operating, a second threshold configured to detect the intentional override of the autopilot when the autopilot and the backdrive system are both operating, and a third threshold configured to detect the intentional override of the autopilot when the autopilot is operating and the backdrive system is inoperative.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the third threshold is active when a status of the backdrive system is inoperative.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expected position information is selected from one of a position of the controller based on a position of a control surface associated with the controller and a neutral position if the backdrive system is inoperative.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the monitoring module further comprises:

a position difference module configured to identify the difference between the measured position information for the controller and the expected position information for the controller;

a backdrive system disabling module connected to the position difference module and configured to generate a first signal to disable the backdrive system when the backdrive system is operating and when the difference is greater than the first threshold;

a first override module connected to the position difference module and configured to generate a second signal to disable the autopilot when the autopilot and the backdrive system are both operating and when the difference is greater than the second threshold; and

a second override module connected to the position difference module and configured to generate a third signal to disable the autopilot when the autopilot is operating and the backdrive system is inoperative and when the difference is greater than the third threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second override module compares the difference to the third threshold when the autopilot is operating and the backdrive system is inoperative.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitoring module is further configured to manage both the autopilot and the backdrive system based on the comparison.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thresholds include a first threshold, a second threshold, and a third threshold and wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold and wherein the third threshold is selected from one of being greater than the second threshold, being between the first threshold and the second threshold, and being equal to the second threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the measured position information and the expected position information are identified using a sensor associated with the controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is selected from one of a column, a wheel, a flight stick, a lever, a throttle lever, a control yoke, and pedals and wherein the vehicle is selected from one of an aircraft, an automobile, a tank, a personnel carrier, a submarine, a ship, and a spacecraft.

12. A method for managing an autopilot of a vehicle, the method comprising:

identifying a difference between measured position information for a controller and expected position information for the controller;

comparing the measured position information and the expected position information with thresholds for managing the autopilot in a control system to form a comparison; and

managing an operation of the autopilot based on the comparison such that the autopilot remains operating when a backdrive system is inoperative and an intentional override of the autopilot is absent.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the comparing step further comprises:

determining if the difference is greater than one or more of the thresholds that is active to form the comparison, wherein the one or more of the thresholds that is active is based on a state of the control system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the comparing step further comprises:

comparing the measured position information and the expected position information with the thresholds for managing the autopilot in the control system to form the comparison, wherein the thresholds comprise a first threshold configured to detect the backdrive system being inoperative when the backdrive system is supposed to be operating, a second threshold configured to detect an intentional override of the autopilot when the autopilot and the backdrive system are both operating, and a third threshold configured to detect the intentional override of the autopilot when the autopilot is operating and the backdrive system is inoperative.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the comparing step further comprises:

comparing the measured position information and the expected position information with the thresholds for managing the autopilot in the control system to form the comparison, wherein the thresholds comprise a first threshold configured to detect the backdrive system being inoperative when the backdrive system is supposed to be operating, a second threshold configured to detect the intentional override of the autopilot when the autopilot and the backdrive system are both operating, and a third threshold configured to detect the intentional override of the autopilot when the autopilot is operating and the backdrive system is inoperative in which the third threshold is active when a status of the backdrive system is inoperative.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifying step comprises:

identifying the difference between the measured position information for the controller and the expected position information for the controller, wherein the expected position information is selected from one of a position of the controller based on the position of a control surface associated with the controller and a neutral position if the backdrive system is inoperative.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of managing the operation of the autopilot based on the comparison such that the autopilot remains operating when the backdrive system is inoperative and the intentional override of the autopilot is absent further comprises:

managing the operation of the autopilot and the backdrive system based on the difference such that the backdrive system is disabled when the backdrive system is operating and when the difference is greater than the first threshold;

the autopilot is disabled when the autopilot and the backdrive system are both operating and when the difference is greater than the second threshold; and

the autopilot is disabled when the autopilot is operating and the backdrive system is inoperative and when the difference is greater than the third threshold.

18. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

first program code for identifying a difference between measured position information for a controller and expected position information for the controller;

second program code for comparing the difference with thresholds for managing an autopilot in a control system of a vehicle to form a comparison; and

third program code for managing an operation of the autopilot based on the comparison such that the autopilot remains operating when a backdrive system is inoperative and an intentional override of the autopilot is absent, wherein the first program code, the second program code, and the third program code are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the second program code further comprises:

fourth program code for determining if the difference is greater than one or more of the thresholds that are active to form the comparison, wherein the one or more of the thresholds that is active is based on a state of the control system.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the thresholds further comprise a first threshold configured to detect a backdrive system being inoperative when the backdrive system is supposed to be operating, a second threshold configured to detect the intentional override of the autopilot when the autopilot and the backdrive system are both operating, and a third threshold configured to detect the intentional override of the autopilot when the autopilot is operating and the backdrive system is inoperative.