Vertical thrust lever
AssigneeKitty Hawk Corporation
InventorsSheldon Wong, William C. Shoemaker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vertical thrust lever has a first range of motion and is configured to output a first signal level where the first signal level is based at least in part on the position of the vertical thrust lever and the first signal level is used to control a first set of rotors which rotate in a horizontal plane. A controller has a second range of motion and is configured to output a second signal level where the second signal level is based at least in part on the position of the controller and the second signal level is used to control a second set of rotors which rotate in a vertical plane.
Claims17
A system, comprising:
- a vertical thrust lever which has a first range of motion and which is configured to output a first signal level, wherein the first signal level is based at least in part on the position of the vertical thrust lever within the first range of motion and the first signal level is used to control a first set of one or more rotors which rotate in a horizontal plane;
- and
- a thumb controller which is coupled to the vertical thrust lever, which has a second range of motion, and which is configured to output a second signal level, wherein:
- the second signal level is based at least in part on the position of the thumb controller within the second range of motion and the second signal level is used to control a second set of one or more rotors which rotate in a vertical plane;
- the position of the thumb controller is independent of the position of the vertical thrust lever;
- and
- the thumb controller is configured to control the second set of rotors such that:
- in a combined mode, the second set of rotors outputs a first thrust output and a second thrust output that are matching;
- and
- in a differential mode, the second set of rotors outputs a third thrust output and a fourth thrust output with opposite signs.
A method, comprising:
- outputting a first signal level from a vertical thrust lever which has a first range of motion, wherein the first signal level is based at least in part on the position of the vertical thrust lever within the first range of motion and the first signal level is used to control a first set of one or more rotors which rotate in a horizontal plane;
- and
- outputting a second signal level from a thumb controller which is coupled to the vertical thrust lever and which has a second range of motion, wherein:
- the second signal level is based at least in part on the position of the thumb controller within the second range of motion and the second signal level is used to control a second set of one or more rotors which rotate in a vertical plane;
- the position of the thumb controller is independent of the position of the vertical thrust lever;
- and
- the thumb controller is configured to control the second set of rotors such that:
- in a combined mode, the second set of rotors outputs a first thrust output and a second thrust output that are matching;
- and
- in a differential mode, the second set of rotors outputs a third thrust output and a fourth thrust output with opposite signs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.