Automatic piloting device for aerodynes

• US 5,560,570 A
• Filed: 06/07/1994
• Issued: 10/01/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sextant Avionique
• Original Assignee: Sextant Avionique
• Inventors: Limon, Florence, Guiol, Georges, Pierson, Benoit
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARQUIS, LISSI MOJICA
• Application Number:
  US08/255,718
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 244/75 R, 244/76 R, 244/175, 244/194, 244/195, 364/184, 364/187, 364/186
• US Class Current: 244/195
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls

Abstract

The device embodying the invention uses at least one digital computer receiving information from a set of sensors and controlling actuators acting on the flight control surfaces, the computer comprising an autonomous means for monitoring the service quality thereof, for disconnecting the device and for recentering the actuators subsequent to detection of a failure. It applies notably to the automatic piloting of a helicopter.

Claims

1. An automatic piloting device for an aerodyne using at least one digital computer receiving information from a set of sensors and controlling actuators acting on flight control surfaces of said aerodyne, said computer comprising at least one autonomous Computing module having hardware and software resources comprising:

a means for controlling piloting of said aerodyne according to any one of three piloting axes (pitch, roll, yaw),

means for determining the piloting axis for which said computing module controls piloting and for making said computing module specific to this piloting axis,

means for monitoring the piloting of said aerodyne according to any one of the three piloting axis, and when a failure is detected, for disabling piloting according to the monitored piloting axis, and for recentering the actuators corresponding to the monitored piloting axis, and

means for determining the monitored piloting axis.

18. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a means for defining an identification code specific to each piloting axis, each computing module comprising a means for reading said identification code, in order to configure itself as a function of the axis according to which it controls piloting of said aerodyne, and as a function of the axis according to which it monitors piloting of said aerodyne.

2. An automatic piloting device for an aerodyne comprising at least one digital computer receiving information from sensors and controlling actuators acting on flight control surfaces of said aerodyne, said actuators corresponding to each piloting axis comprising a series thrustor and a trim thrustor enabling recentering of the position of said series thrustor, said computer comprising at least two identical autonomous computing modules each being connected to two sets of sensors and actuators corresponding respectively to two of three piloting axes (pitch, roll, yaw), each computing module having hardware and software resources comprising:

a series thrustor and trim thrustor command function for controlling piloting according to any one of said three piloting axes through the series thrustor and the trim thrustor corresponding to said piloting axis,

a means for determining a controlled piloting axis corresponding to the actuators and sensors to which said computing module is connected and according to which said computing module controls piloting, and means for making said computing module specific to this controlled piloting axis,

a series thrustor monitoring and recentering function for monitoring piloting of said aerodyne according to any one of said piloting axis, and when a failure is detected, for disabling piloting according to the monitored piloting axis and for recentering the series thrustor corresponding to the monitored piloting axis, and

means for determining said monitored piloting axis according to which the other computing module performs piloting control, and corresponding to the actuators controlled by said other module,

a digital heart comprising notably a microprocessor controlled by software so as to control piloting of said aerodyne according to any one of the piloting axes and to monitor piloting of said aerodyne according to any one of said piloting axes,

a power control circuit for directly controlling the actuators corresponding to any one of said piloting axes,

a feed circuit,

an I/O management circuit, and

a filtering and protection circuit for protection against the effects of lightning and electromagnetic radiation.

13. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the digital heart of each of said two computing modules comprises a means for generating a first command to be applied to the series thrustor controlled by said other computing module, for comparing said first command with a second command applied by said other computing module to said series thrustor, and, when said first and second commands are inconsistent, for interrupting the piloting control performed by said other module, and for recentering said series thrustor controlled by said other module.

14. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said power control circuit of each computing module, controlling a first series thrustor, comprises a circuit permanently generating a recentering command of a second series thrustor, and a relay which applies to the first series thrustor the piloting command generated by said computing module and when a failure is detected the recentering command generated by said other module.

15. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the relay of a first of said two computing modules is controlled by the a second of said two computing modules.

3. An automatic piloting device for an aerodyne comprising at least one digital computer receiving information from sensors and controlling actuators acting on flight control surfaces of said aerodyne, said computer comprising at least two autonomous computing modules connected to two respective sets of sensors and actuators corresponding respectively to two of three piloting axes (pitch, roll, yaw), each computing module having hardware and software resources comprising:

a means for controlling piloting of said aerodyne according to any one of said three piloting axes, and

a means for determining the piloting axis according to which said computing module controls piloting and for making said computing module specific to this axis,

at least a first one of said two computing modules being connected to the set of sensors and actuators connected to a second one of said two computing modules,

said first computing module further comprising a means for monitoring piloting control performed by the second computing module, and when a failure is detected, for disconnecting said second computing module and for recentering the actuators controlled by said second computing module.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said two modules are identical, and are each connected to the set of sensors and actuators of the other of said two modules so as to monitor piloting control performed by said other module, and when a failure is detected, to disconnect said other module and to recenter the actuators controlled by said other module.

6. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein each computing module comprises:

a digital heart comprising notably a microprocessor controlled by software so as to control piloting of said aerodyne according to any one of the piloting axes and to monitor piloting of said aerodyne according to any one of said piloting axes,

a power control circuit for directly controlling the actuators corresponding to any one of said piloting axes,

a feed circuit,

an I/O management circuit, and

a filtering and protection circuit for protection against the effects of lightning and electromagnetic radiation.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein each computing module comprises at least one plug-in module grouping together the I/O management circuit of said computing module, and the power control circuit.

8. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein each computing module comprises a first plug-in module including said power control circuit, and a second plug-in module including said I/O management circuit of said computing module.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein each computing module further comprises:

a means for determining the number and respective types (Boolean or analog) of the inputs and outputs managed by said first plug-in module,

a means for detecting the presence of said second plug-in module supporting said power control circuit, and

a means for determining power commands which are performed by said power control circuit.

10. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said I/O management circuit of said plug-in module comprises a means for receiving and transmitting digital and analog data.

11. The device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the software controlling said digital heart comprises all functions required to control the plug-in module with a most complete configuration.

12. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said power control circuit of each computing module comprises a means for generating power commands for the actuators corresponding to the piloting axis according to which said computing module controls piloting, from instructions computed by the digital heart of said computing module by means of piloting laws concerning said piloting axis, and from position values of said actuators sent by said sensors.

16. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said two computing modules are interconnected by respective connectors so as to ensure reciprocal monitoring and recentering of series thrustors controlled respectively by said two computing modules.

17. The device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising two identical computers each comprising at least two computing modules controlling piloting respectively according to two piloting axes, two computing modules belonging respectively to said two computers controlling simultaneously the piloting according to a same piloting axis through a trim thrustor and respectively two series thrustors mounted in series, according to information from two respective sets of sensors.

5. An automatic piloting device for an aerodyne comprising at least one digital computer receiving information from sensors and controlling actuators acting on flight control surfaces for piloting said aerodyne according to at least one of three piloting axes (pitch, roll, yaw), said actuators corresponding to each piloting axis comprising a series thrustor and a trim thrustor enabling recentering of the position of said series thrustor, said computer comprising at least one autonomous computing module having hardware and software resources comprising:

a series thrustor and trim thrustor command function for controlling piloting according to any one of said three piloting axes through the series thrustor and the trim thrustor corresponding to said piloting axis,

means for detecting the piloting axis for which said computing module controls piloting and for making said computing module Specific to this piloting axis,

a series thrustor monitoring and recentering function for monitoring piloting of said aerodyne according to any one of said piloting axis, and when a failure is detected, for disabling piloting according to the monitored piloting axis and for recentering the series thrustor corresponding to the monitored piloting axis, and

means for detecting the monitored piloting axis,