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The present invention provides an active control system for coupling the movements of a pair of independently operated manual input devices such as dual flight control sticks operated by a pilot and co-pilot flying an aircraft. Each input device is configured to receive manual input data in the form

The present invention provides an active control system for coupling the movements of a pair of independently operated manual input devices such as dual flight control sticks operated by a pilot and co-pilot flying an aircraft. Each input device is configured to receive manual input data in the form of angular displacement of the device about one or more rotational axes. The active control system provides desired tactile feedback to an operator who displaces one of the manual input devices in the form of a restorative centering force. If an external system such as an auto-pilot system is engaged, the restorative force may be in a direction necessary to reconcile manual displacement of the input device with a position commanded by the external system, rather than directed toward the center position. The system also acts to reflect manual displacement of each input device as a force applied to the other. For example, when a pilot moves his or her control stick forward, the co-pilot will feel a like force tending to move the co-pilot's control stick forward.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An active control system for applying desired force versus displacement characteristics to each of a first input device and a second input device, each input device being configured to receive a manual torque input for angularly displacing the input device about a control axis associated therewit

1. An active control system for applying desired force versus displacement characteristics to each of a first input device and a second input device, each input device being configured to receive a manual torque input for angularly displacing the input device about a control axis associated therewith, the active control system comprising:first and second motors coupled to the first and second input devices for applying a restorative torque to the first and second input devices about their respective control axes; a first servo control loop associated with the first motor and a second servo control loop associated with the second motor, each servo control loop comprising a position sensor for generating a position signal indicative of the angular position of the input device associated therewith, a force profile gain amplifier, and a servo controller, the force profile gain amplifier receiving and amplifying a position error signal derived from the position signal, the gain of the force profile amplifier being a function of the angular position of the input device, the output of the force profile gain amplifier comprising a torque error signal input to the servo controller, the servo controller generating current of polarity and magnitude to drive the motor in a direction opposite the direction of displacement of the input device, applying a restorative torque to the input device having a magnitude proportional to the magnitude of the error signal input to the servo controller; and a cross-coupling feedback loop for reflecting the relative positions of the first and second input devices in the torque error signal input to the servo controllers associated with the first and second servo control loops so that the torque applied to the first and second input devices acts to reconcile the positions therebetween.