Terrain adaptive flight control
First Claim
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1. A helicopter, comprising:
- an air frame formed to accommodate a pilot;
flight control elements disposed on the airframe to generate lift and thrust in accordance with servo commands derived from control commands issued by the pilot and a current control mode associated with a conversion of data reflective of the control commands into the servo commands;
a sensor disposed on the airframe to sense helicopter proximity to terrain and obstacles; and
a flight computer configured to change the current control mode based on sensed helicopter proximity to the terrain and the obstacles.
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Abstract
A helicopter is provided and includes an air frame formed to accommodate a pilot, flight control elements disposed on the airframe to generate lift and thrust in accordance with control commands issued by the pilot and a current control mode, a sensor disposed on the airframe to sense helicopter proximity to terrain and obstacles and a flight computer configured to change the current control mode based on sensed helicopter proximity to the terrain and the obstacles.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A helicopter, comprising:
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an air frame formed to accommodate a pilot; flight control elements disposed on the airframe to generate lift and thrust in accordance with servo commands derived from control commands issued by the pilot and a current control mode associated with a conversion of data reflective of the control commands into the servo commands; a sensor disposed on the airframe to sense helicopter proximity to terrain and obstacles; and a flight computer configured to change the current control mode based on sensed helicopter proximity to the terrain and the obstacles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A helicopter flight control method for use with a helicopter including a sensor, flight control elements and a flight computer, the method comprising:
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operating the sensor to scan terrain for obstacles in a flight path of the helicopter; operating the flight computer such that the flight computer detects that an obstacle is in the flight path from a result of the scan, determines whether a distance between the helicopter and the obstacle is less than a predefined distance and changes a flight control mode in accordance with a result of the determining; and configuring the flight computer to associate the flight control mode with a conversion of data reflective of pilot inputted control commands into servo commands of the flight control elements. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A helicopter flight control method for use with a helicopter including a sensor flight control elements and a flight computer, the method comprising:
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operating the sensor to scan terrain for obstacles in a flight path of the helicopter; operating the flight computer such that the flight computer detects that an obstacle is not in the flight path and sets an attitude command velocity hold (ACVH) mode as a current flight control mode, detects that an obstacles is in the flight path and determines a distance between the obstacle and the helicopter is less than a predefined distance for engagement of a translational rate command (TRC) mode, determines that the distance is less than the predefined distance and sets the TRC mode and determines that the distance is not less than the predefined distance and sets the ACVH mode; and configuring flight computer to associate the ACVH and TRC modes with respective conversions of data reflective of pilot inputted control commands into servo commands of the flight control elements. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification