Apparatus and method for controlling a force-activated controller

• US 9,090,337 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bombardier Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bombardier Incorporated
• Inventors: Tessier, Claude, Martineau, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gami, Tejal
• Application Number:
  US13/220,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 700/300, 700/275, 700/302, 700/63
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/0421 control sticks for primary flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/503 Fly-by-Wire
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/82 Limited authority control, e.g. enforcing a flight envelope limitation of acceleration or structural stress G05D1/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2105/22 of humans
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2109/20 Aircraft, e.g. drones

Abstract

A servo-controlled system is disclosed for providing simulated feel equivalent to that of traditional mechanical hand controllers. Processed position and force sensor signals are used in a feedback loop that controls the motor mechanically connected to the stick. The feedback loop comprises a low-level motor feedback loop, and high-level force feel loop. The latter comprises static and dynamic performance components. The system allows variable and additional force cues to be specified externally to the system and felt by the operator, and/or external signal to backdrive die stick to follow a specified motion. The control framework permits the electronic coupling of motion and applied forces by pilots in a dual arrangement while retaining the above-mentioned features. It simulates cross-coupling mechanical compliance due to force fight between pilots detents and asymmetric force feel gradients. Parameters associated with loops and performance components can be specified independently.

Claims

1. An apparatus fir controlling coupling between first and second force-activated control members, comprising:

a first sensor connected to the first control member, wherein the first sensor senses a first value of a parameter indicative of a first force applied to the first control member and generates a first force signal;

a second sensor connected to the second control member, wherein the second sensor senses a second value of a parameter indicative of a second force applied to the second control member and generates a second force signal;

a first high level controller comprising a first trajectory generator in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor for receiving the first force signal and the second force signal and generating trajectory signal data based at least in part on a combination of the first force signal and the second force signal;

a first drive controller connected to the first control member, wherein the first drive controller moves the first control member responsive to the trajectory signal data; and

a second drive controller connected to the second control member, wherein the second drive controller moves the second control member responsive to the trajectory signal data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the trajectory signal data comprises a common trajectory signal that is provided to the first drive controller and the second drive controller, such that movement of the first control member and the second control member are responsive to the common trajectory signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the trajectory signal data comprises a first trajectory signal and a second trajectory signal different from one another,

the first drive controller moves the first control member responsive to the first trajectory signal;

and

the second drive controller moves the second control member responsive to the second trajectory signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first high level controller further comprises a first coupling controller connected to the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein the first coupling controller receives the first force signal and the second force signal and generates a first coupling control signal based on a combination of the first force signal and the second force signal, and wherein the first trajectory generator generates the trajectory signal data based on the first coupling control signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first trajectory generator further comprises:

a static performance model that generates a commanded displacement signal from at least the first force signal and the second force signal; and

a dynamic performance model that generates the trajectory signal data from at least the commanded displacement signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first force signal is fed back to the first drive controller and the second three signal is fed back to the second drive controller to negate operator applied forces to the first control member and the second control member, respectively.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a summer connected between the first coupling controller and the first trajectory generator to modify the first coupling control signal by adding additional force cue signals.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first trajectory generator further receives additional force cues, the trajectory signal data being generated at least in part on a basis of the additional force cues, the first force signal and the second three signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a selector switch that receives the first force signal and the second force signal as input and permits selection, as output, of the first force signal, the second force signal, or the sum of the first force signal and the second force signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a switch controller that controls a state of the selector switch, summing at least the first force signal and the second force signal when the first force signal and the second force signal are valid, passing only the first force signal if only the first force signal is valid, passing only the second three signal if only the second force signal is valid, and passing neither the first force signal nor the second force signal when neither signal is valid.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the switch controller that controls a state of the selector switch also receives at least one of first and second selector signals indicative of a state of an operator-controlled switch associated with the first and second control members.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second high level controller comprising a second trajectory generator in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor for receiving the first force signal and the second force signal, for generating, independently of the first high level controller, the trajectory signal data;

wherein the first drive controller is in communication with the first high level controller for receiving the trajectory signal data; and

wherein the second drive controller is in communication with the second high level controller for receiving the trajectory signal data.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein both the first force sensor and the second force sensor comprise a plurality of sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the first force signal comprises at least one of a pitch axis component and a roll axis component, and

the second force signal comprises at least one of a pitch axis component and a roll axis component.

15. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the static performance model at least partially generates the commanded displacement signal based on a feel force profile.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the feel force profile is an average profile of positive and negative asymmetric profiles based on right hand side and left hand side positioning of at least one of the first control member and second control member.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the static performance model at least partially generates the commanded displacement signal based on the feel force profile and at least one of the first force signal and second force signal that has been scaled according at least one scaling element.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the feel force profile concerns at least one of roll and pitch.

19. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the coupling controller comprises:

a first scaling element that receives the first force signal and defines a first output force as a function of a first input force, and

a second scaling element that receives the second force signal and defines a second output force as a function of a second input force,

wherein the first coupling control signal comprises a combination of the first output force and the second output force.

20. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first coupling controller comprises:

a first independent breakout element for receiving the first force signal and generating a first independent signal with zero breakout, and

a second independent breakout element fir receiving the second force signal and generating a second independent signal with zero breakout,

wherein the first coupling control signal comprises a combination of the first independent signal with zero breakout and the second independent signal with zero breakout.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first coupling controller further comprises:

a shared zero breakout element that receives the first independent signal with zero breakout, the second independent signal with zero breakout, or a sum of the first independent signal with zero breakout and the second independent signal with zero breakout.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a summer connected between the first coupling controller and the first trajectory generator to modify the control signal by adding additional force cue signals.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first coupling controller comprises:

a first scaling element that receives the first force signal prior to the first force signal being applied to the first independent breakout element, and

a second scaling element that receives the second force signal prior to the second force signal being applied to the second independent breakout element.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

a first value distributes the zero breakout between the first and second independent breakout elements and the shared zero breakout element.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

a second value allocates at least a portion of the zero breakout to the additional force cues.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein:

a second value also allocates at least a portion of the zero breakout to the additional force.

27. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

an override to disable the coupling controller.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first trajectory generator further comprises:

a static performance model that generates a commanded displacement signal from the first coupling control signal, and

a dynamic performance model that generates the trajectory signal data from at least the commanded displacement signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

a force fight estimator that receives the first force signal and the second force signal and determines if a force fight exists on a basis of a three being applied to the first control member and a force applied to the second control member.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the force fight estimator generates a force fight signal as a function of a minimum of an absolute value of the first force signal and the second force signal when the first force signal and the second force signal are enabled and opposite in direction.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a differential trajectory generator comprising:

a static performance model that receives the force fight signal and applies a zero breakout region until the force fight signal reaches a first predetermined value, the static performance generator generating a commanded differential displacement signal; and

a dynamic performance model that generates a differential displacement trajectory signal from the commanded differential displacement signal when the force fight signal exceeds the first predetermined value.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the differential displacement trajectory signal is combined with trajectory signal data prior to being provided to at least one of the first drive controller and the second drive controller.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the force fight estimator causes the first coupling controller to decouple the first control member and the second control member if the force fight signal exceeds a second predetermined value.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the force flight estimator causes decoupling via a selector switch within at least one coupling controller.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising:

a fader to transition from the trajectory signal data being consistent with the first coupling control signal, to the trajectory signal data being consistent with one of either of the first force signal and the second force signal after the force fight estimator has caused decoupling.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the differential displacement signal varies as a function of a position of at least one of the first control member and the second control member.

37. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a low level controller for driving movement of at least one of the first control member and the second control member in response to receipt of trajectory signal data generated by at least one of the first high level controller and the second high level controller.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the low level controller comprises a position sensor that detects the position of at least one of the first control member and the second control member and generates an actual trajectory signal.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the trajectory signal data is essentially the same as the actual trajectory signal.

40. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein upon an occurrence of a failure of a control member, the trajectory signal data generated by the high level controller is independent of actual movement of the control member so as to be used as a command signal for a system being controlled by one of the first and second control members.