Cogless motor driven active user interface haptic feedback system

• US 7,759,894 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Marino, Mark G., Tillotson, John K., Kosht, Danial L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ip; Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/775,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20080142642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 318/568.11, 318/568.16, 318/560, 318/561, 318/609, 318/610, 318/400.17, 345/156, 345/161
• US Class Current: 318/568.11
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/507 with artificial feel

Abstract

An aircraft user interface haptic feedback system includes a user interface, a position sensor, a cogless motor, and a control circuit. The user interface is movable to a position. The position sensor senses the position of the user interface and supplies a user interface position signal. The cogless motor is coupled to the user interface, and receives motor drive signals. The cogless motor, in response to the motor drive signals, supplies feedback force to the user interface. The control circuit receives at least the user interface position signal and a signal representative of the motor current and is operable, in response to at least these signals, to control the motor current supplied to the cogless motor using a non-trapezoidal motor commutation scheme.

Claims

1. An aircraft user interface haptic feedback system, comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input and, upon receipt thereof, to move to a position;

a position sensor coupled to, and configured to sense the position of, the user interface, the position sensor further configured to supply a user interface position signal representative of the user interface position;

a cogless motor coupled to the user interface, the cogless motor further coupled to receive motor current and operable, upon receipt thereof, to supply a feedback force to the user interface at a magnitude proportional to the motor current; and

a control circuit coupled to receive at least the user interface position signal and a signal representative of the motor current and operable, in response to at least these signals, to control the motor current supplied to the cogless motor using a non-trapezoidal motor commutation scheme.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the motor comprises a stator and a rotor, the rotor coupled to the user interface; and

the position sensor is coupled to the motor rotor, whereby the position signal is further representative of the motor rotor position.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-trapezoidal motor commutation scheme is a sine commutation scheme.

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

a commutation control function coupled to receive (i) the position signal, (ii) the signal representative of the motor current, and (iii) a motor current command signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply the motor current to the motor.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the control circuit further comprises:

a motor current command function coupled to receive (i) a force feedback signal representative of the feedback force and (ii) a damping factor signal representative of a damping factor and operable, in response thereto, to supply the motor current command signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the control circuit further comprises:

a counter coupled to receive the position signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply an absolute position signal representative of user interface absolute position; and

a force versus position determination function coupled to receive the absolute position signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply the force feedback signal;

a differentiator coupled to receive the absolute position signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply a velocity signal representative of a rate of change of the absolute position; and

a damping factor function coupled to receive the velocity signal and operable, in response thereto, to supply the damping factor signal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the system is adapted for use in an aircraft; and

the force versus position determination function is further coupled to receive a signal representative of aircraft flight conditions and is further responsive thereto to supply the force feedback signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the damping factor function is further coupled to receive the signal representative of aircraft flight conditions and is further responsive thereto to supply the damping factor signal.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface is a first user interface, the position signal is a first position signal, and wherein the control circuit further comprises:

a position deviation determination function coupled to receive (i) the first position signal and (ii) a second position signal that is representative of a second user interface position, the position determination function operable, in response to the first position signal and the second position signal, to supply a position deviation signal representative of a deviation between the first and second user interface positions.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the motor current command function is coupled to receive the position deviation signal and is further responsive thereto to supply the motor current command signal.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a gear set coupled between the motor and the user interface.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is selected from the group consisting of a flight control side stick, a rudder/brake pedal, a simulator user interface, a nose wheel steering mechanism, a speedbrake control, and throttle quadrant control.