Model helicopter attitude control and receiving device with reduced size and self-learning features

• US 9,041,519 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mikado Model Helicopters GmbH
• Original Assignee: Mikado Model Helicopters GmbH, Ulrich Rohr
• Inventors: Rhr, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGDORF, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US13/147,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20120169484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.5, 340/13.25, 244/17.11, 446/36
• US Class Current: 340/13.25
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle

Abstract

A model aircraft control and receiving device in a housing, comprising an electronic, gyroscopic multi-axis programmable flight attitude controller, having control inputs for a plurality of control channels and inputs for gyroscope signals, wherein the flight attitude controller provides at least one input for a receiver module disposed inside or outside of the housing of the flight attitude controller. The device may be used in a method for controlling and stabilizing a model helicopter, wherein the control comprises a self-learning function and/or the control comprises a coupling of the tail controller to the swashplate controller and/or the control comprises a stopping support function.

Claims

1. A model helicopter control and receiving device for controlling a model helicopter wherein the model helicopter comprises at least a tail, a tail rotor for controlling yaw of the model helicopter, a main rotor, and a swashplate for controlling the main rotor to control both pitch and roll of the model helicopter, the device comprising:

a housing disposed within a fuselage of the model helicopter;

at least one RC receiver module disposed inside said housing and configured to receive a plurality of control signals including one or more swashplate control signals carried on a plurality of control channels, including a plurality of user input instruction signals comprising information corresponding to a plurality of user input instructions, each instruction designated to instruct one of a plurality of mechanisms for controlling at least one aspect of the remote controlled model helicopter, the at least one RC receiver module comprising at least one output;

an electronic, gyroscopic multi-axis programmable flight attitude controller disposed inside said housing, having;

at least one input for receiving the at least one RC receiver module output comprising said plurality of control channels,

a plurality of inputs for receiving a plurality of gyroscope signals comprising at least one tail sensor signal and one or more swashplate sensor signals,

a processor capable of processing said plurality of control channel signals and said at least one tail sensor and one or more swashplate sensor gyroscope signals, said processor programmed with one or more control algorithms for generating output instructions, comprising a tail control algorithm coupled to a swashplate control algorithm for controlling flight of the model helicopter, wherein the swashplate control algorithm and the tail control algorithm share the one or more swashplate control signals and at least said at least one tail sensor and one or more swashplate sensor gyroscopic signals, model helicopter velocity, yaw rate and tail thrust information; and

an electrical line connecting said at least one RC receiver module output to said at least one input on said controller for receiving said output, said electrical line comprising one signal line, said electrical line configured to combine said plurality of control channels on the one signal line.

2. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 1, wherein said at least one RC receiver module is a 2.4 GHz receiver that operates according to a frequency spread method with a redundant receiving principle.

3. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises at least one connector or port for the at least one RC receiver module and at least four ports for RC-Servos.

4. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 1, further comprising a gyroscope unit having one or more biaxial or tri-axial angular rate sensors, wherein said housing comprises a connector or a port for the gyroscope unit, the plurality of inputs for gyroscope signals are connected to the gyroscope unit for receiving information from the one or more biaxial or tri-axial angular rate sensors, and the electronic, gyroscopic multi-axis programmable flight attitude controller is configured to utilize gyroscope signals from said gyroscope unit to generate control signals for controlling flight of the model helicopter.

5. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 4, wherein the one or more biaxial or tri-axial angular rate sensors are integrated in the housing.

6. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 1, further comprising a display with an input interface for programming parameters for the model helicopter control and receiving device, and said housing comprises a connector or a port for said input interface.

7. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 1, wherein the electronic, gyroscopic multi-axis programmable flight attitude controller is programmed with a self-learning function adapted to determine or optimize one or more adjustment parameters for flight attitude control, autonomously during flight of the model helicopter.

8. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 7, wherein trim value is one of the adjustment parameters.

9. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 1, wherein said electronic, gyroscopic multi-axis programmable flight attitude controller comprises a heading-hold control for a vertical axis of the model helicopter which comprises a signal connection to a control or a control input for a longitudinal axis of the model helicopter and a transverse axis of the model helicopter, the heading-hold control adapted to provide control outputs responsive to one or more of:

torque variations, control signals provided by a model helicopter operator, and automatic control signals related to one or more of;

the model helicopter longitudinal axis, the model helicopter transverse axis, and cyclic control.

10. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 1, wherein the electronic, gyroscopic multi-axis programmable flight attitude controller further comprises a self-learning function.

11. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 1, wherein the electronic, gyroscopic multi-axis programmable flight attitude controller further comprises a stopping support function.

12. A method of controlling and stabilizing a model helicopter, using the model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

receiving one or more signals in the electronic, gyroscopic multi-axis programmable flight attitude controller from at least one of the plurality of control inputs and said at least one tail sensor and one or more swashplate sensor gyroscope signals; and

controlling the model helicopter with the electronic, gyroscopic multi-axis programmable flight attitude controller in response to said one or more control signals, including controlling the tail of the model helicopter with the tail control algorithm using information shared with the swashplate control algorithm.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic, gyroscopic multi-axis programmable flight attitude controller further comprises a stopping support function, the method further comprising implementing the stopping support function to assist in stopping the model helicopter.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting at least the plurality of control signals on a single wire as a serial data signal.

15. The model helicopter control and receiving device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of control channels are configured to carry a plurality of different control signal types.