Method for training a person while operating a vehicle

• US 9,865,175 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GKN Aerospace Sweden AB (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Original Assignee: GKN Aerospace Sweden AB (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Johnsson, Thomas, Lundbladh, Anders, Ring, Dan, Hannius, Olof
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/477,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20140377719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 434 29
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/48 Analogue computers for specific processes, systems or devices, e.g. simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/165 Control of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/02 for teaching control of vehicles or other craft
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/44 providing simulation in a real aircraft flying through the atmosphere without restriction of its path

Abstract

In a method for training a person while operating a vehicle, the vehicle has a control system for receiving vehicle operating commands from the person for controlling the vehicle. A calculation unit is provided for simulating a state of the vehicle and/or the environment to which the vehicle is subjected, the simulated state being a possible real state of the vehicle and/or the environment which is different from the actual state of the vehicle and/or the environment. The vehicle operating commands and the calculation unit are used for calculating vehicle command signals. The vehicle command signals are used for controlling the vehicle so as to cause the vehicle to respond to the vehicle operating commands in a way that corresponds to the state simulated by the calculation unit instead of the actual state of the vehicle and/or the environment.

Claims

1. A method of simulating an operating state of a vehicle, the method comprising:

operating the vehicle via a control system, the control system being arranged to receive vehicle operating commands from a person for controlling the vehicle and to create vehicle operating command signals,

selectively operating the vehicle in a normal state of operation having an actual vehicle load and a simulated state of operation having a simulated vehicle load, a load being one or more measures of weight carried by the vehicle,

the simulated state of operation calculated by applying, to a vehicle model that predicts the motion of the vehicle based on the vehicle operating commands, data from a load database including (a) data for a plurality of simulated vehicle loads and (b) data for how the simulated loads affect the vehicle,

the simulated state of operation being different from the normal state of operation,

wherein in the simulated state of operation the vehicle operating commands are transformed to the vehicle operating command signals to control the vehicle such that motion of the vehicle matches the predicted motion of the vehicle from the vehicle model,

wherein the load database further comprises data for the vehicle loads and a current configuration of the vehicle, and the predicted motion is based on the data for the vehicle loads and the current configuration of the vehicle, and

wherein the vehicle is an aircraft, and data about the actual motion of the vehicle is obtained from motion measurements which measure the aircraft response,

the data for the actual motion of the aircraft from the motion measurements is, during a training mission, continuously transferred to a calculation unit,

data of the motion of the simulated state of operation and the data for the actual motion of the aircraft are used for calculating the vehicle command signals, and

the vehicle operating commands include motion commands, used for affecting aircraft control surfaces, that are transmitted in a way that corresponds to the simulated state of operation simulated to ordinary engine control where the actual engine commands are used for controlling engine actuators such that the actual engine commands control the throttle of the engine to obtain an engine thrust to simulate an acceleration of a loaded aircraft for the aircraft when unloaded as it would have been for the aircraft when loaded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulated vehicle load is selected from one of simulated passengers, simulated fuel, simulated weaponry or simulated cargo.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the simulated vehicle load is arranged to change over a period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transforming the vehicle operating command signals as a function of at least one of key data for the simulated state of the vehicle and key data for the actual vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising using the load database to calculate the at least one of key data from the simulated state of the vehicle and key data for an actual state of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising calculating the key data from the simulated state of the vehicle by using the vehicle operating commands as input to the control system.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising calculating the key data for the actual state of the vehicle by using a vehicle response.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising calculating the at least one of the key data for the simulated state of the vehicle and the key data for the actual state of the vehicle by using a load configuration for at least one of the simulated state and an actual vehicle state as input to the load database.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating, in a first step, motion of the vehicle in the simulated state by using the vehicle model and the vehicle operating commands as input, and then calculating, in a second step, the vehicle operating command signals by using the calculated motion of the vehicle in the simulated state as an input to a calculation unit.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting the key data for the simulated state of the vehicle to the vehicle model during operation of the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising calculating the vehicle operating command signals by using the vehicle operating commands as input during the second step.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising calculating the vehicle operating command signals by using key data for the actual vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising transforming the vehicle operating command signals as a function of vehicle response.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising transforming the vehicle operating command signals as a function of vehicle response.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the vehicle operating command signals in order to simulate transient effects on vehicle motion relating to load release.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising using pre-calculated data for transforming the vehicle operating command signals, the pre-calculated data defining a relation between certain vehicle operating commands and the vehicle operating command signals.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the transformed vehicle operating command signals for controlling at least one actuator of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising using the transformed vehicle operating command signals for controlling at least one actuator of an engine of the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising using the transformed vehicle operating command signals for controlling power or thrust of the engine.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising using the transformed vehicle operating command signals for controlling at least one control surface of the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising using the transformed vehicle operating command signals for controlling a position of the control surface.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising using the transformed vehicle operating command signals for controlling at least one wheel of the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising using the transformed vehicle operating command signals for controlling at least one wheel brake actuator of the vehicle.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein a weight of the simulated state of the vehicle is different from a real weight of the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching between a training mode operation in which behavior of the vehicle in the simulated state of the vehicle is arranged to be obtained and a normal mode operation during the same operation of the vehicle.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching between the simulated state of the vehicle and a different simulated state of the vehicle during a same flight of the vehicle, the vehicle being an air vehicle.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising the vehicle is an air vehicle and training a person while operating the air vehicle which is adapted to be flown in either one of a first configuration or in a second configuration, the first and second configurations being selectable by the operator during a flight, and using the simulated state for simulating a transition from the first configuration to the second configuration.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising the vehicle is an air vehicle and training the person while operating the air vehicle.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating command signals are used for controlling at least one of a propulsion system and one or more control surfaces of the vehicle while it is operated in the simulated state such that motion of the vehicle matches the predicted motion of the vehicle from the vehicle model.

30. A training system for training a person to operate a vehicle under a simulated operating state of a vehicle, the training system comprising:

a control system for operating the vehicle, the control system being arranged to receive vehicle operating commands from a person for controlling the vehicle and to create vehicle operating command signals,

means for selectively operating the vehicle in a normal state of operation of an actual vehicle having an actual vehicle load and operating the vehicle in a simulated state of operation having a simulated vehicle load, the simulated state of operation being different from the normal state of operation of an actual vehicle, a load being one or more measures of weight carried by the vehicle,

wherein in a simulated state of operation the vehicle operating commands are transformed to the vehicle operating command signals based on a load database by applying, to a vehicle model that predicts the motion of the vehicle based on the vehicle operating commands, data from the load database including (a) data for a plurality of simulated vehicle loads and (b) data for how the simulated loads affect the vehicle,

wherein the load database further comprises data for the vehicle loads and a current configuration of the vehicle, and the predicted motion is based on the data for the vehicle loads and the current configuration of the vehicle, and

wherein the vehicle is an aircraft, and data about the actual motion of the vehicle is obtained from motion measurements which measure the aircraft response,

the data for the actual motion of the aircraft from the motion measurements is, during a training mission, continuously transferred to a calculation unit,

data of the motion of the simulated state of operation and the data for the actual motion of the aircraft are used for calculating the vehicle command signals, and

the vehicle operating commands include motion commands, used for affecting aircraft control surfaces, that are transmitted in a way that corresponds to the simulated state of operation simulated to ordinary engine control where the actual engine commands are used for controlling engine actuators such that the actual engine commands control the throttle of the engine to obtain an engine thrust to simulate an acceleration of a loaded aircraft for the aircraft when unloaded as it would have been for the aircraft when loaded.

31. The training system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the simulated vehicle load is selected from one of simulated passengers, simulated fuel, simulated weaponry or simulated cargo.

32. The training system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the simulated vehicle load is arranged to change over a period of time.

33. The training system according to claim 30, wherein the means for selectively operating the vehicle in the simulated state of operation transmits the transformed vehicle operating command signals to at least one controllable component of the vehicle for controlling at least one of a propulsion system and one or more control surfaces of the vehicle such that motion of the vehicle matches the predicted motion of the vehicle from the vehicle model.