Combined pitch and forward thrust control for unmanned aircraft systems
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G05D-001/08
B64C-029/00
B64C-039/02
G05D-001/00
출원번호
US-0131944
(2016-04-18)
등록번호
US-10162367
(2018-12-25)
발명자
/ 주소
Douglas, Jason Michael K.
Armer, Justin
Murphy, Carlos
출원인 / 주소
Latitude Engineering, LLC
대리인 / 주소
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
8
초록▼
An unmanned aircraft includes a forward propulsion system comprising one or more forward thrust engines and one or more corresponding rotors coupled to the forward thrust engines; a vertical propulsion system comprising one or more vertical thrust engines and one or more corresponding rotors coupled
An unmanned aircraft includes a forward propulsion system comprising one or more forward thrust engines and one or more corresponding rotors coupled to the forward thrust engines; a vertical propulsion system comprising one or more vertical thrust engines and one or more corresponding rotors coupled to the vertical thrust engines; and a pitch angle and throttle control system, comprising a processor configured to receive a first pitch angle command; and generate a second pitch angle command and a forward thrust engine throttle command based on a bounded pitch angle for the aircraft.
대표청구항▼
1. An unmanned aircraft, comprising: a forward propulsion system comprising a forward thrust engine and a first rotor coupled to the forward thrust engine;a vertical propulsion system comprising a vertical thrust engine and a second rotor coupled to the vertical thrust engine;a pitch angle and throt
1. An unmanned aircraft, comprising: a forward propulsion system comprising a forward thrust engine and a first rotor coupled to the forward thrust engine;a vertical propulsion system comprising a vertical thrust engine and a second rotor coupled to the vertical thrust engine;a pitch angle and throttle control system, comprising:a controller comprising an input coupled to receive a velocity signal indicating a determined amount of forward velocity and being configured to generate a pitch angle command associated with the determined amount of forward velocity;a splitting block comprising an input to receive the pitch angle command and being configured to generate a second pitch angle command and a forward thrust engine throttle command based on a bounded pitch angle for the aircraft;an output coupled to provide the second pitch angle command to the vertical propulsion system and the forward thrust engine throttle command to the forward propulsion system. 2. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein the splitting block comprises a processor configured to perform the operations comprising: comparing the determined bounded pitch angle for the aircraft to the pitch angle corresponding to the pitch angle command;generating a reduced pitch angle command so the resultant aircraft pitch angle does not exceed the bounded pitch angle; andgenerating the forward thrust engine throttle command based on the reduced pitch angle command. 3. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein generating the forward thrust engine throttle command based on the reduced pitch angle command comprises: determining a forward velocity generated by a limited pitch angle command;determining a difference in forward velocity between forward velocity generated by the limited pitch angle command and the determined amount of forward velocity;generating a residual pitch angle command based on the determined difference in forward velocity; andconverting the residual pitch angle command to the forward thrust engine throttle command. 4. The unmanned aircraft of claim 3, wherein the residual pitch angle command is of a magnitude estimated to provide sufficient forward thrust to account for the determined difference in forward velocity. 5. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein the determined amount of forward velocity comprises a velocity error between a desired aircraft velocity and an actual aircraft velocity. 6. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein the velocity signal comprises a velocity error signal. 7. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein forward thrust engine comprises an internal combustion engine or a motor. 8. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller to provide the forward thrust pseudo-control in the time domain. 9. The unmanned aircraft of claim 8, wherein the forward thrust pitch angle command is given by: PitchAngle=Kpe(t)+Ki∫e(t)dt+Kddedt where the e represents the velocity error. 10. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein providing the second pitch angle command to the vertical propulsion system comprises converting the second pitch angle command to a VTOL rotor command and providing the VTOL rotor command to the vertical propulsion system. 11. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a multirotor aircraft and the vertical propulsion system comprises a plurality of vertical thrust engines and corresponding rotors. 12. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a hybrid multirotor aircraft. 13. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein the bounded pitch angle comprises a maximum pitch angle. 14. The unmanned aircraft of claim 1, wherein the bounded pitch angle comprises a range of pitch angles between a minimum pitch angle and a maximum pitch angle. 15. An unmanned aircraft, comprising: a forward propulsion system comprising a forward thrust engine and a first rotor coupled to the forward thrust engine;a vertical propulsion system comprising a vertical thrust engine and a second rotor coupled to the vertical thrust engine; anda pitch angle and throttle control system, comprising a processor configured to receive a first pitch angle command; and generate a second pitch angle command and a forward thrust engine throttle command based on a bounded pitch angle for the aircraft;wherein the processor further performs the operations comprising: comparing the determined bounded pitch angle for the aircraft to the pitch angle corresponding to the first pitch angle command; generating a reduced pitch angle command so the resultant aircraft pitch angle does not exceed the bounded pitch angle; and generating the forward thrust engine throttle command based on the reduced pitch angle command. 16. The unmanned aircraft of claim 15, wherein generating the forward thrust engine throttle command based on the reduced pitch angle command comprises determining a residual amount of forward thrust needed to compensate for the reduced pitch angle command and generating the forward thrust engine throttle command to at least partially provide the residual amount of forward thrust needed. 17. The unmanned aircraft of claim 15, wherein generating the forward thrust engine throttle command based on the reduced pitch angle command comprises: determining a forward velocity generated by a limited pitch angle command; determining a difference in forward velocity between forward velocity generated by the limited pitch angle command and the determined amount of forward velocity; generating a residual pitch angle command based on the determined difference in forward velocity; and converting the residual pitch angle command to the forward thrust engine throttle command. 18. The unmanned aircraft of claim 17, wherein the residual pitch angle command is of a magnitude estimated to provide sufficient forward thrust to account for the determined difference in forward velocity. 19. An unmanned aircraft, comprising: a forward propulsion system comprising a forward thrust engine and a first rotor coupled to the forward thrust engine;a vertical propulsion system comprising a vertical thrust engine and a second rotor coupled to the vertical thrust engine; anda pitch angle and throttle control system, comprising a processor configured to receive a first pitch angle command; and generate a second pitch angle command and a forward thrust engine throttle command based on a bounded pitch angle for the aircraft;wherein the processor further performs the operations comprising: comparing the determined bounded pitch angle for the aircraft to the pitch angle corresponding to the first pitch angle command; generating a reduced pitch angle command so the resultant aircraft pitch angle does not exceed the bounded pitch angle; generating a residual pitch angle command based on a difference between the first pitch angle command and the reduced pitch angle command; and converting the residual pitch angle command into a forward thrust throttle command. 20. The unmanned aircraft of claim 15, wherein the processor further performs the operations comprising: receiving a velocity signal indicating a determined amount of forward velocity and generating a pitch angle command to provide the determined amount of forward velocity. 21. The unmanned aircraft of claim 20, wherein the determined amount of forward velocity comprises a velocity error between a desired aircraft velocity and an actual aircraft velocity. 22. The unmanned aircraft of claim 20, wherein the velocity signal comprises a velocity error signal. 23. The unmanned aircraft of claim 15, wherein forward thrust engine comprises an internal combustion engine or a motor. 24. The unmanned aircraft of claim 15, wherein vertical thrust engine comprises an internal combustion engine or a motor. 25. An unmanned aircraft, comprising: a forward propulsion system comprising a forward thrust engine and a first rotor coupled to the forward thrust engine;a vertical propulsion system comprising a vertical thrust engine and a second rotor coupled to the vertical thrust engine; anda pitch angle and throttle control system, comprising a processor configured to receive a first pitch angle command; and generate a second pitch angle command and a forward thrust engine throttle command based on a bounded pitch angle for the aircraft;wherein the processor further performs the operations comprising converting the second pitch angle command to a VTOL rotor command and providing the VTOL rotor command to the vertical propulsion system. 26. The unmanned aircraft of claim 15, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a multirotor aircraft and the vertical propulsion system comprises a plurality of vertical thrust engines and corresponding rotors. 27. The unmanned aircraft of claim 15, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a hybrid multirotor aircraft. 28. The unmanned aircraft of claim 15, wherein the bounded pitch angle comprises a maximum pitch angle. 29. The unmanned aircraft of claim 15, wherein the bounded pitch angle comprises a range of pitch angles between a minimum pitch angle and a maximum pitch angle. 30. The unmanned aircraft of claim 19, wherein the processor further performs the operations comprising: receiving a velocity signal indicating a determined amount of forward velocity and generating a pitch angle command to provide the determined amount of forward velocity. 31. The unmanned aircraft of claim 30, wherein the determined amount of forward velocity comprises a velocity error between a desired aircraft velocity and an actual aircraft velocity. 32. The unmanned aircraft of claim 30, wherein the velocity signal comprises a velocity error signal. 33. The unmanned aircraft of claim 19, wherein forward thrust engine comprises an internal combustion engine or a motor. 34. The unmanned aircraft of claim 19, wherein vertical thrust engine comprises an internal combustion engine or a motor. 35. The unmanned aircraft of claim 19, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a multirotor aircraft and the vertical propulsion system comprises a plurality of vertical thrust engines and corresponding rotors. 36. The unmanned aircraft of claim 19, wherein the unmanned aircraft is a hybrid multirotor aircraft. 37. The unmanned aircraft of claim 19, wherein the bounded pitch angle comprises a maximum pitch angle. 38. The unmanned aircraft of claim 19, wherein the bounded pitch angle comprises a range of pitch angles between a minimum pitch angle and a maximum pitch angle.
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