System and method for an integrated backup control system

• US 8,104,720 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirvonen, Jukka Matti, Palfreyman, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Green, Richard R
• Application Number:
  US13/019,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20110190965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 244/220, 244/221, 244/223, 244/228, 244/229, 244/234, 244/236, 244/237, 244/175, 244/194, 244/195, 244/196, 244/99.2, 244/99.4, 244/99.9, 318/564
• US Class Current: 244/194
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/04 actuated personally
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/10 comprising warning devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/42 having duplication or stand-by provisions
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/503 Fly-by-Wire
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to a flight control system for controlling an aircraft in flight having a backup control system integrated into an active control stick. The actuated control stick may include a processing unit that includes independent and separate hardware and/or software dedicated to the primary control system and the backup control system. For the primary control system, the processing unit may receive a sensed primary control stick signal and communicate with a primary processor, which may be configured to generate a primary control signal. For the backup control system, the processing unit may receive a sensed backup control stick signal and generate a backup control signal. The processing unit may also generate tactile signal for use by the actuated control stick to adjust the feel of a pilot'"'"'s control stick.

Claims

1. A flight control system for controlling an aircraft in flight, the flight control system comprising:

an actuated control stick comprising a primary sensor, a backup sensor, and a processing unit having at least one processor configured to generate a tactile signal for the actuated control stick;

a set of primary electronics coupled to the primary sensor and located in the processing unit, the set of primary electronics being configured to receive a primary control stick signal from the primary sensor and to generate at least one primary control signal based, at least in part, on the primary control stick signal;

a set of backup electronics coupled to the backup sensor and located in the processing unit, the set of backup electronics being configured to receive a backup control stick signal from the backup sensor and to generate at least one backup control signal based, at least in part, on the backup control stick signal; and

at least one aircraft actuator coupled to the set of primary electronics and coupled to the set of backup electronics, the at least one aircraft actuator being configured to receive the primary control signal from the set of primary electronics and the backup control signal from the set of backup electronics and being further configured to actuate based, at least in part, on at least one of the primary control signal or the backup control signal.

2. The flight control system of claim 1, wherein the set of backup electronics includes the at least one processor and is configured to generate the tactile signal and the backup control signal.

3. The flight control system of claim 2, wherein the set of backup electronics includes a feedback electronics unit connected between the at least one processor and the actuated control stick.

4. The flight control system of claim 1, wherein the set of primary electronics includes the at least one processor.

5. The flight control system of claim 4, wherein the set of backup electronics further includes a first processor configured to generate the backup control signal.

6. The flight control system of claim 4, wherein the set of backup electronics includes analog processing equipment and is configured to generate the at least one backup control signal as an analog signal.

7. The flight control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor provides aircraft flight data to the processing unit and the tactile signal is based, at least in part, on the aircraft flight data received from the at least one processor.

8. The flight control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one aircraft actuator is configured to determine whether the primary control signal is valid and is configured to use the backup control signal to control the at least one aircraft actuator in the event that the received primary control signal is determined to be invalid.

9. The flight control system of claim 1, wherein the set of primary electronics is coupled to a primary processor located external to the processing unit.

10. A flight control system for controlling an aircraft in flight, the flight control system comprising:

a first actuated control stick comprising a first primary sensor, a first backup sensor, and a first processing unit having at least one first processor configured to generate a first tactile signal for the first actuated control stick;

a first set of primary electronics coupled to the first primary sensor and located in the first processing unit, the first set of primary electronics being configured to receive a first primary control stick signal from the first primary sensor and to generate at least one primary control signal based, at least in part, on the first primary control stick signal;

a second actuated control stick comprising a second primary sensor, a second backup sensor, and a second processing unit having at least one second processor configured to generate a second tactile signal for the second actuated control stick;

a second set of primary electronics coupled to the second primary sensor and located in the second processing unit, the second set of primary electronics being configured to receive a second primary control stick signal from the second primary sensor and to generate at least one primary control signal based, at least in part, on the second primary control stick signal;

a first set of backup electronics coupled to the first backup sensor and located in the first processing unit, the first set of backup electronics being configured to receive a first backup control stick signal from the first backup sensor and to generate a first backup control signal based, at least in part, on the first backup control stick signal;

a second set of backup electronics coupled to the second backup sensor and located in the second processing unit, the second set of backup electronics being configured to receive a second backup control stick signal from the second backup sensor and to generate a second backup control signal based, at least in part, on the second backup control stick signal; and

at least one aircraft actuator coupled to the at least one of the first set of primary electronics or the second set of primary electronics and to at least one of the first set of backup electronics or the second set of backup electronics, the at least one aircraft actuator being configured to receive at least one of the primary control signals from the first set of primary electronics or the second set of primary electronics and at least one of the first backup control signal or the second backup control signal and being configured to control an aircraft based, at least in part, on at least one of the primary control signals, the first backup control signal, or the second backup control signal.

11. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein:

the first set of backup electronics includes the at least one first processor and is configured to generate the first tactile signal and the first backup control signal; and

the second set of backup electronics includes the at least one second processor and is configured to generate the second tactile signal and the second backup control signal.

12. The flight control system of claim 11, wherein:

the first set of backup electronics includes a first feedback electronics unit connected between the at least one first processor and the first actuated control stick; and

the second set of backup electronics includes a second feedback electronics unit connected between the at least one second processor and the second actuated control stick.

13. The flight control system of claim 11, wherein:

the first set of primary electronics transmits the first primary control stick signal as a first analog signal; and

the second set of primary electronics transmits the second primary control stick signal as a second analog signal.

14. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein:

the first set of primary electronics includes a third processor configured to generate the first tactile signal for the first actuated control stick; and

the second set of primary electronics includes a fourth processor configured to generate the second tactile signal for the second actuated control stick.

15. The flight control system of claim 14, wherein:

the first set of backup electronics includes a fifth processor configured to generate the first backup control signal; and

the second set of backup electronics includes a sixth processor configured to generate the second backup control signal.

16. The flight control system of claim 14, wherein:

the first set of backup electronics includes first analog processing equipment and is configured to generate the first backup control signal as a first analog signal; and

the second set of backup electronics includes second analog processing equipment and is configured to generate the second backup control signal as a second analog signal.

17. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein the first set of backup electronics and the second set of backup electronics are cross-linked.

18. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein:

the first set of backup electronics is configured to transmit the first backup control signal on a first set of aircraft actuator channels; and

the second set of backup electronics is configured to transmit the second backup control signal on a second set of aircraft actuator channels.

19. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein the first set of primary electronics and the second set of primary electronics include a signal processing device.

20. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein the first set of backup electronics and the second set of backup electronics are configured to receive flight data from at least one sensor sensing at least one of attitude, rate, or acceleration.

21. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein the first set of primary electronics and the second set of primary electronics are coupled to a primary processor located external to the processing unit.