Control signal transmitting apparatus, particularly for aircraft
First Claim
1. In a system for transmitting control signals from a control source providing controlling signals to controlled units through signal light conductor network means operatively interconnecting said control source and said controlled units, wherein a number of light conductors form redundant connection paths between said control source and said controlled units, the improvement comprising a first plurality of longitudinal light conductors and a further plurality of cross light conductors repeatedly intermeshing said longitudinal light conductors for forming said light conductor network means with a multitude of passive closed circuit paths intermeshed with one another so that controlling signals can pass from said control source to a controlled unit even if some of these circuit paths should fail, said control source comprising means for producing said controlling signals in the form of digital light signals, signal processor means (10) including signal mixing means (15) and information processing means (16, 17, 18) operatively connected to said light conductor network means for addressing and actuating said controlled units.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system for controlling, for example, the operation of an aircraft or any other system requiring a flow of data back and forth between controlling and controlled units of the system, comprises a passive, multiply intermeshed conductor network (20, 24) of light conductors (11, 12). This network transmits control signals in the form of digital light signals from a control signal source, such as a control stick (9) in the cockpit of an aircraft or spacecraft, to respective controlled servo-units (14). The transmission system includes signal processors (10) including mixers (15) and information devices (16, 17, 18) interposed between the control signal source and the network (24) which is connected to the addressable controlled units, e.g., servo-units. The system is powered by a power supply device comprising several energy sources which may be switched on selectively as required. Such energy sources include the propulsion plant, for example, of an aircraft, an auxiliary turbine (112), a slip wind turbine (120) and an electric battery (128). Each energy source is connected to a measuring and switching unit (106, 115, 124, 131) through redundant transmission units (110) three of which are connected in parallel to one another and to the network (24). The transmission units (110) are further connected through the network (24) to a testing device (135) for monitoring and controlling the connected units or components.
81 Citations
21 Claims
- 1. In a system for transmitting control signals from a control source providing controlling signals to controlled units through signal light conductor network means operatively interconnecting said control source and said controlled units, wherein a number of light conductors form redundant connection paths between said control source and said controlled units, the improvement comprising a first plurality of longitudinal light conductors and a further plurality of cross light conductors repeatedly intermeshing said longitudinal light conductors for forming said light conductor network means with a multitude of passive closed circuit paths intermeshed with one another so that controlling signals can pass from said control source to a controlled unit even if some of these circuit paths should fail, said control source comprising means for producing said controlling signals in the form of digital light signals, signal processor means (10) including signal mixing means (15) and information processing means (16, 17, 18) operatively connected to said light conductor network means for addressing and actuating said controlled units.
Specification