Triplex cockpit control data acquisition electronics

• US 8,690,101 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX), Dresser-Rand Group Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Ahmad, Zafar S., Roltgen, John W., Singer, Mark C., Bader, Douglas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERNS, MICHAEL ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US13/475,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 244/194, 244/99.4
• US Class Current: 244/99.4
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/505 having duplication or stand-by provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

A system and method are provided for controlling aircraft flight control surfaces. The system may include at least three pilot sensor channels, each pilot sensor channel including a set of pilot sensor data. The system may also include at least three aircraft sensor channels, each aircraft sensor channel including a set of aircraft sensor data. The system may further include an actuator control component configured to synchronously receive and vote on the pilot sensor data and the aircraft sensor data, such that a voted output of the at least three pilot sensor channels is transmitted to a flight control computer and augmented before being transmitted to remote electronics units. The voted output of the at least three pilot sensor channels providing for the control of the aircraft surfaces coupled to the remote electronics units.

Claims

1. A system for controlling aircraft flight control surfaces, comprising:

at least three pilot sensor channels including a first channel containing a first set of pilot sensor data, a second channel containing a second set of pilot sensor data, and a third channel containing a third set of pilot sensor data;

at least three aircraft sensor channels including a primary channel containing a first set of aircraft sensor data, a secondary channel containing a second set of aircraft sensor data, and a tertiary channel containing a third set of aircraft sensor data; and

a first actuator control component operatively connected to the at least three pilot sensor channels and the at least three aircraft sensor channels and configured to synchronously receive and vote on the pilot sensor data from each of the at least three pilot sensor channels and the aircraft sensor data from each of the at least three aircraft sensor channels, such that a voted output of the at least three pilot sensor channels is transmitted to a flight control computer and augmented before being transmitted to remote electronics units, the voted output of the at least three pilot sensor channels providing for the control of the aircraft surfaces coupled to the remote electronics units.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a voted output of the at least three aircraft sensors is alternatively transmitted to the remote electronics units.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first actuator control component includes first, second, and third programmable devices, each of the devices being operatively connected to the at least three pilot sensor channels and the at least three aircraft sensor channels, and each of the devices being configured to vote on the at least three pilot sensor channels and the at least three aircraft sensor channels, such that the first, second, and third programmable devices produce a respective first, second, and third pilot sensor voted output and a respective first, second, and third aircraft sensor voted output.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first actuator control component includes a first monitor and a second monitor, the first monitor being configured to receive the first, second, and third aircraft sensor voted output and provide a bit by bit compare of the first, second, and third aircraft sensor voted output to produce a voted output of the at least three aircraft sensor channels, and the second monitor being configured to receive the first, second, and third pilot sensor voted output and provide a bit by bit compare of the first, second, and third pilot sensor voted output to produce the voted output of the at least three pilot sensor channels.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first actuator control component includes a first control system configured to synchronize a clock of each programmable device with a respective clock of each of the other programmable devices.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first actuator control component includes a second control system comprising a counter and configured to synchronize the first, second, and third set of pilot sensor data received in each programmable device via the respective first, second, and third channels and to synchronize the first, second, and third set of aircraft sensor data received in each programmable device via the respective primary, secondary, and tertiary channels.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each set of pilot sensor data is provided by a signal generated by a plurality of pilot control sensors operatively connected to one or more pilot controlled devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each set of aircraft sensor data is provided by a signal generated by a plurality of aircraft sensors configured to provide information related to the aircraft or surrounding environment.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of direct mode aircraft sensors and a plurality of normal mode aircraft sensors, each normal mode aircraft sensor being configured to provide normal mode sensor data to the flight control computer, such that the voted output of the at least three pilot sensor channels is augmented according to the normal mode sensor data, and each set of aircraft sensor data being provided by a signal generated by the plurality of direct mode aircraft sensors.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the signal generated by the plurality of direct mode aircraft sensors is a digital or discrete input.

11. A method for controlling aircraft flight control surfaces, comprising:

generating pilot control signals from each of a first, second, and third set of pilot control sensors;

generating aircraft sensor signals from each of a first, second, and third set of aircraft sensors;

synchronously transmitting the pilot control signals from the first, second, and third set of pilot control sensors to a first actuator control component via a respective first, second, and third channel operatively connected to the first actuator control component;

synchronously transmitting the aircraft sensor signals from the first, second, and third set of aircraft sensors to the first actuator control component via a respective primary, secondary, and tertiary channel operatively connected to the first actuator control component;

voting the first, second, and third channels such that a voted output of the pilot control sensors is generated;

voting the primary, secondary, and tertiary channels such that a voted output of the aircraft sensors is generated; and

transmitting the voted output of the pilot control sensors or the voted output of the aircraft sensors to remote electronics units operatively connected to the aircraft flight control surfaces, such that the voted output of the pilot control sensors or the voted output of the aircraft sensors controls the aircraft flight control surfaces.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

augmenting the voted output of the pilot control sensors in a flight control computer; and

transmitting an augmented voted output of the pilot controlled sensors to the remote electronics units.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first actuator control component includes first, second, and third programmable devices, each of the devices being operatively connected to the first, second, and third channels and the primary, secondary, and tertiary channels, and each of the devices being configured to vote on the first, second, and third channels and the primary, secondary, and tertiary channels, such that the first, second, and third programmable devices produce a respective first, second, and third pilot control sensor voted output and a respective first, second, and third aircraft sensor voted output.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving in a first monitor of the first actuator control component the first, second, and third aircraft sensor voted output;

receiving in a second monitor of the first actuator control component the first, second, and third pilot sensor voted output;

providing a bit by bit compare of the first, second, and third aircraft sensor voted output to produce the voted output of the aircraft sensors; and

providing a bit by bit compare of the first, second, and third aircraft sensor voted output to produce the voted output of the pilot control sensors.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising synchronizing a clock of each programmable device with a respective clock of each of the other programmable devices.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

synchronizing the first, second, and third set of pilot sensor data received in each programmable device via the respective first, second, and third channels; and

synchronizing the first, second, and third set of aircraft sensor data received in each programmable device via the respective primary, secondary, and tertiary channels.

17. A system for controlling aircraft flight control surfaces of an aircraft, comprising:

a plurality of pilot controlled devices, each operatively connected to at least one of the aircraft control surfaces and configured to be manipulated by an action provided by a pilot of the aircraft;

a first plurality of pilot control sensors operatively connected to each of the plurality of pilot controlled devices, such that at least one of the first plurality of pilot control sensors is operatively connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of pilot controlled devices, and the at least one of the first plurality of pilot control sensors is configured to generate a first signal containing information related to the respective one of the plurality of pilot controlled devices;

a second plurality of pilot control sensors operatively connected to each of the plurality of pilot controlled devices, such that at least one of the second plurality of pilot control sensors is operatively connected to the corresponding one of the plurality of pilot controlled devices, and the at least one of the second plurality of pilot control sensors is configured to generate a second signal containing information related to the respective one of the plurality of pilot controlled devices;

a third plurality of pilot control sensors operatively connected to each of the plurality of pilot controlled devices, such that at least one of the third plurality of pilot control sensors is operatively connected to the corresponding one of the plurality of pilot controlled devices, and the at least one of the third plurality of pilot control sensors is configured to generate a third signal containing information related to the respective one of the plurality of pilot controlled devices;

a first, second, and third plurality of aircraft sensors, each aircraft sensor configured to detect information related to the aircraft or surrounding environment;

a first actuator control component comprising

a first, second, and third programmable device, each configured to synchronously receive and vote on the first, second, and third plurality of pilot control sensors to produce a pilot control sensors voted output, and each programmable device further configured to synchronously receive and vote on the first, second, and third plurality of aircraft sensors to produce an aircraft sensors voted output;

a first monitor configured to receive each of the pilot control sensors voted outputs and perform a bit by bit compare to produce a direct mode voted output; and

a second monitor configured to receive each of the aircraft sensors voted outputs and perform a bit by bit compare to produce a normal mode voted output; and

a plurality of remote electronics units configured to receive either the direct mode voted output or the normal mode voted output from the first actuator control component, either voted output providing information relative to the control of the aircraft flight control surfaces operatively connected to the plurality of remote electronics units, such that the aircraft flight control surfaces may be controlled by either the direct mode voted output or the normal mode voted output received.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a flight control computer operatively connected to the first actuator control component, the flight control computer configured to augment the aircraft sensors voted outputs according to information provided by a plurality of normal mode aircraft sensors operatively connected to the flight control computer.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of actuators, at least one of the plurality of actuators integral with a respective remote electronics unit.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising a first control system configured to synchronize a clock of each programmable device with a respective clock of each of the other programmable devices.