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US 10,737,798 B2Granted
Integrated feedback to flight controller
AssigneeAnsel Misfeldt
InventorAnsel Misfeldt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for providing corrective action to a rotorcraft experiencing motor failure is provided. Included in the method and system are embodiments that receive feedback from sensors directed at measuring a state of motors used to provide lift to the rotorcraft. The method and system also describe embodiments for determining that there is a malfunctioning motor, and furthermore, the appropriate corrective action for responding to the malfunctioning motor. In some embodiments, the method and system are configured to reduce power to the malfunctioning motor while simultaneously adjusting power supplied to the remaining motors such that changes in total thrust and net torque are minimized.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method for adjusting power distribution to a plurality of motors of a rotorcraft, comprising:
- receiving, at a flight computer, feedback from a plurality of sensors for measuring a state of each of the plurality of motors;
- determining, at the flight computer based on the feedback, that a motor of the plurality of motors is malfunctioning;
- selecting, at the flight computer based on the feedback, one or more motors of the plurality of motors for redistributing power;
- sending, from the flight computer to an electronic speed controller (ESC) connected to the motor determined to be malfunctioning, instructions for reducing power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning;
- sending, from the flight computer to respective ESCs connected to the one or more motors for redistributing power, instructions for increasing power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power;
- receiving, at the flight computer, additional feedback from the plurality of sensors after said reducing the power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning;
- determining, at the flight computer based on the additional feedback, that the motor determined to be malfunctioning is no longer malfunctioning;
- sending, from the flight computer to the ESC connected to the motor determined to be no longer malfunctioning, instructions for increasing the power supplied to the motor;
- and
- sending, from the flight computer to the ESCs connected to the one or more motors for redistributing power, instructions for reducing power supplied to the one or more motors for redistributing power, wherein the total thrust of the rotorcraft produced by the plurality of motors remains substantially the same during the increasing the power supplied to the motor determined to be no longer malfunctioning and the reducing the power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power;
- wherein the instructions for reducing the power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning and the instructions for increasing the power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power are generated by the flight computer such that a total thrust of the rotorcraft produced by the plurality of motors remains substantially the same during the reducing the power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning and the increasing the power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power.
8 more elements
A rotorcraft system, comprising:
- a plurality of motors for producing thrust;
- a plurality of electronic speed controllers (ESCs) connected to the plurality of motors for supplying power to the plurality of motors;
- a plurality of sensors for measuring a state of each of the plurality of motors;
- and
- a flight computer for determining, based on feedback received from the plurality of sensors, that a motor is malfunctioning and for selecting one or more motors of the plurality of motors for redistributing power, the flight computer being configured to send instructions to an ESC connected to the motor determined to be malfunctioning for reducing power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning, the flight computer being further configured to send instructions to respective ESCs for increasing power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power, wherein the instructions for reducing the power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning and the instructions for increasing the power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power are generated by the flight computer such that a total thrust of the rotorcraft produced by the plurality of motors remains substantially the same during the reducing the power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning and the increasing the power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power;
- wherein the flight computer is further configured to determine, based on additional feedback received from the plurality of sensors, that the motor determined to be malfunctioning is still malfunctioning after the reducing the power supplied to the motor, and, responsively, to send to the ESC connected to the motor determined to be still malfunctioning, instructions for terminating the power supplied to the motor, and to send to the ESCs connected to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power, instructions for further increasing the power supplied to the one or more motors for redistributing power, wherein the total thrust of the rotorcraft produced by the plurality of motors remains substantially the same during the terminating the power supplied to the motor determined to be still malfunctioning and the further increasing the power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power.
3 more elements
A computer-implemented method for adjusting power distribution to a plurality of motors of a rotorcraft, comprising:
- receiving, at a flight computer, feedback from a plurality of sensors for measuring a state of each of the plurality of motors;
- determining, at the flight computer based on the feedback, that a motor of the plurality of motors is malfunctioning;
- selecting, at the flight computer based on the feedback, one or more motors of the plurality of motors for redistributing power;
- sending, from the flight computer to an electronic speed controller (ESC) connected to the motor determined to be malfunctioning, instructions for reducing a power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning;
- sending, from the flight computer to respective ESCs connected to the one or more motors for redistributing power, instructions for increasing power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power;
- receiving, at the flight computer, additional feedback from the plurality of sensors after reducing the power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning;
- determining, at the flight computer, that the motor is still malfunctioning;
- sending, from the flight computer to the ESC connected to the motor, instructions for terminating the power supplied to the motor;
- and
- sending, from the flight computer to respective ESCs connected to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power, instructions for further increasing the power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power, wherein the total thrust of the rotorcraft produced by the plurality of motors remains substantially the same during the terminating the power supplied to the motor determined to be still malfunctioning and the further increasing the power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power;
- wherein the instructions for reducing the power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning and the instructions for increasing the power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power are generated by the flight computer such that a total thrust of the rotorcraft produced by the plurality of motors remains substantially the same during the reducing the power supplied to the motor determined to be malfunctioning and the increasing the power supplied to the one or more motors selected for redistributing power.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.