IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0900031
(2013-05-22)
|
등록번호 |
US-9056667
(2015-06-16)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Burch, Joseph
- Ribbe, David
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
1 |
초록
▼
The present disclosure describes flight training systems and methods for radio-controlled (RC) airplanes that rely on inertial attitude estimates. Preferred embodiments include an RC airplane with one or more control processors configured to (i) estimate an inertial attitude of the RC airplane based
The present disclosure describes flight training systems and methods for radio-controlled (RC) airplanes that rely on inertial attitude estimates. Preferred embodiments include an RC airplane with one or more control processors configured to (i) estimate an inertial attitude of the RC airplane based on one or more measurements from an attitude sensor array and (ii) control the inertial attitude of the RC airplane based the inertial attitude estimate. In operation, controlling the attitude of the RC airplane may include both controlling the RC airplane to a specific inertial attitude and/or keeping the inertial attitude of the RC airplane within a predefined flight envelope.
대표청구항
▼
1. A method of controlling an RC airplane, the method comprising: receiving data from an attitude sensor array coupled to the RC airplane;activating a first flight mode of a plurality of flight modes, wherein the first flight mode comprises: a corresponding first flight envelope comprising (i) a fir
1. A method of controlling an RC airplane, the method comprising: receiving data from an attitude sensor array coupled to the RC airplane;activating a first flight mode of a plurality of flight modes, wherein the first flight mode comprises: a corresponding first flight envelope comprising (i) a first inertial pitch range of the RC airplane and (ii) a first inertial roll range of the RC airplane; anda corresponding self-leveling function engaged and configured to receive at least one control stick input and output at least one control signal configured to adjust at least one of a throttle and/or one or more control surfaces of the RC airplane, wherein the at least one control stick input corresponds to an inertial attitude of the RC airplane rather than a rate of rotation about a corresponding pitch, roll, or yaw axis of the RC airplane;receiving at least one control stick input and adjusting at least one of a throttle and/or one or more control surfaces of the RC airplane based on the inertial attitude corresponding to the at least one control stick input;estimating an inertial attitude of the RC airplane based on the data from the attitude sensor array;determining whether the estimated inertial attitude of the RC airplane exceeds at least one of the first inertial pitch range or the first inertial roll range of the first flight envelope; andin response to determining that the estimated inertial attitude of the RC airplane exceeds at least one of the first inertial pitch range or the first inertial roll range of the first flight envelope, automatically adjusting at least one of a throttle and/or one or more control surfaces of the RC airplane. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the RC airplane to a specific inertial attitude. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling the RC airplane to a specific inertial attitude comprises: receiving one or more flight commands via a radio-frequency link from a controller associated with the RC airplane, wherein the one or more flight commands correspond to the specific inertial attitude. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a panic flight mode activation command via a radio-frequency link from a controller associated with the RC airplane; andautonomously controlling the RC airplane to a specific inertial attitude defined by the panic flight mode in response to receiving the panic flight mode activation command via the radio-frequency link from the controller associated with the RC airplane. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: activating a second flight mode of the plurality of flight modes, wherein the second flight mode has a corresponding second flight envelope comprising (i) a second inertial pitch range of the RC airplane and (ii) a second inertial roll range of the RC airplane;determining whether the estimated inertial attitude of the RC airplane exceeds at least one of the second inertial pitch range or the second inertial roll range of the second flight envelope; andin response to determining that the estimated inertial attitude of the RC airplane exceeds at least one of the second inertial pitch range or the second inertial roll range of the second flight envelope, automatically adjusting at least one of a throttle and/or one or more control surfaces of the RC airplane. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically adjusting at least one of the throttle and/or one or more control surfaces of the RC airplane causes the RC airplane to stay within both (i) the first inertial pitch range and (ii) the first inertial roll range. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first flight envelope further comprises a first inertial yaw range for the RC airplane, and wherein the method further comprises: determining whether the estimated inertial attitude of the RC airplane exceeds the first inertial yaw range of the first flight envelope; andin response to determining that the estimated inertial attitude of the RC airplane exceeds the first inertial yaw range of the first flight envelope, automatically adjusting at least one of a throttle and/or one or more control surfaces of the RC airplane. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first flight envelope further comprises one or more of a predefined altitude range, a predefined airspeed range, and a predefined location range, and wherein the method further comprises: estimating one or more of an altitude, airspeed, and location of the RC airplane;determining whether the estimated altitude, airspeed, or location of the RC airplane exceeds the predefined altitude range, the predefined airspeed range, or the predefined location range; andin response to determining that the estimated altitude, airspeed, or location exceeds the predefined altitude range, the predefined airspeed range, or the predefined location range, automatically adjusting at least one of the throttle and/or one or more control surfaces of the RC airplane to cause the RC airplane to stay within one or more of the predefined altitude range, the predefined airspeed range, and the predefined location range of the first flight envelope. 9. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of flight modes comprises: a panic flight mode comprising (i) the self-leveling function engaged and (ii) a panic flight envelope having corresponding ranges for inertial pitch and inertial roll;wherein the first flight mode corresponds to a beginner flight mode comprising (i) the self-leveling function engaged and (ii) the first flight envelope, wherein the first inertial pitch range and the first inertial roll range of the first flight envelope are wider than the corresponding inertial pitch and inertial roll ranges for the panic flight mode; andwherein the second flight mode corresponds to an intermediate flight mode, wherein the second inertial pitch range and the second inertial roll range of the second flight envelope are equal to or greater than the corresponding inertial pitch and inertial roll ranges for the first flight mode. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the first flight mode of the plurality of flight modes comprises: receiving a first flight mode activation command via a radio-frequency link from a controller associated with the RC airplane; andactivating the first flight mode of the plurality of flight modes in response to receiving the command. 11. A radio-controlled (RC) airplane comprising: a transceiver configured to receive command data corresponding to one or more flight control commands from an RC controller associated with the RC airplane;an attitude sensor array comprising one or more accelerometers and one more gyroscopes;a plurality of servomotors configured to adjust one or more control surfaces of the RC airplane; andone or more processors configured to (i) estimate an inertial attitude of the RC airplane based on data received from the attitude sensor array, (ii) determine whether the estimated inertial attitude exceeds at least one of a first inertial pitch range or a first inertial roll range corresponding to a first flight envelope of a first flight mode, (iii) in response to determining that the estimated inertial attitude exceeds at least one of the first inertial pitch range or the first inertial roll range, generate at least one control signal for application to at least one of the plurality of servomotors to adjust one or more of the control surfaces; and (iv) in response to receiving command data comprising at least one control stick input, adjusting at least one of a throttle and/or one or more control surfaces of the RC airplane based on an inertial attitude corresponding to the at least one control stick input, wherein the at least one control stick input corresponds to an inertial attitude of the RC airplane rather than a rate of rotation about a corresponding pitch, roll, or yaw axis of the RC airplane. 12. The RC airplane of claim 11, wherein the first inertial pitch range comprises a minimum inertial pitch angle and a maximum inertial pitch angle, and wherein the first inertial roll range comprises a minimum inertial roll angle and a maximum inertial roll angle. 13. The RC airplane of claim 12, further comprising: an engine and a throttle control configured to control a speed of the engine;at least one altitude sensor, and wherein the first flight envelope further comprises a minimum altitude and a maximum altitude; andwherein the one or more processors are further configured to (i) determine whether the RC airplane has either exceeded the maximum altitude or fallen below the minimum altitude, and (ii) in response to determining that the RC airplane has either exceeded the maximum altitude or fallen below the minimum altitude, generate at least one control signal for application to at least one of (a) the throttle control to adjust the speed of the engine or (b) at least one of the plurality of servomotors to adjust one or more of the control surfaces. 14. The RC airplane of claim 12, further comprising: an engine and a throttle control configured to control a speed of the engine;at least one airspeed sensor, and wherein the first flight envelope further comprises a minimum airspeed and a maximum airspeed; andwherein the one or more processors are further configured to (i) determine whether the RC airplane has either exceeded the maximum airspeed or fallen below the minimum airspeed, and (ii) in response to determining that the RC airplane has either exceeded the maximum airspeed or fallen below the minimum airspeed, generate at least one control signal for application to the throttle control to adjust the speed of the engine. 15. The RC airplane of claim 12, further comprising: at least one location sensor, and wherein the first flight envelope further comprises a maximum distance between the RC airplane and a predetermined location; andwherein the one or more processors are further configured to (i) determine whether the RC airplane has exceeded the maximum distance from the predetermined location and (ii) in response to determining that the RC airplane has exceeded the maximum distance from the predetermined location, generate at least one control signal for application to at least one of (a) the throttle control to adjust the speed of the engine or (b) at least one of the plurality of servomotors to adjust one or more of the control surfaces. 16. The RC airplane of claim 11, wherein the first flight envelope further comprises an inertial yaw range comprising a minimum inertial yaw angle and a maximum inertial yaw angle; and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to (i) determine whether the RC airplane has exceeded the inertial yaw range, and (ii) in response to determining that the RC airplane has exceeded the inertial yaw range, generate at least one control signal for application to at least one of the plurality of servomotors to adjust one or more of the control surfaces. 17. The RC airplane of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to activate the first flight mode of the plurality of flight modes in response to receiving a flight mode activation command from an RC controller associated with the RC airplane. 18. The RC airplane of claim 11, wherein the first flight mode is one of a plurality of flight modes comprising: a panic flight mode comprising a panic flight envelope having corresponding ranges for inertial pitch and inertial roll;the first flight mode, wherein the first inertial pitch range and the first inertial roll range of the first flight envelope are wider than the corresponding inertial pitch and inertial roll ranges for the panic flight mode; anda second flight mode comprising a second flight envelope having a second inertial pitch range that is wider than the first inertial pitch range of the first flight envelope of the first flight mode and a second inertial roll range that is wider than the first inertial roll range of the first flight envelope of the first flight mode.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.