Flight modes and protection envelopes based on inertial attitude estimates for radio-controlled airplanes
AssigneeHorizon Hobby, LLC
InventorsJoseph Burch, David Ribbe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
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.
Claims21
-16. (canceled)
A remote-controlled (RC) airplane comprising:
- a receiver 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;
- and
- a flight control processor configured to (i) estimate an inertial attitude of the RC airplane based on data received from the attitude sensor array, (ii) determine whether the received control command comprises a self-leveling indicator, in response to determining that the control command comprises a self-leveling indicator, and based at least in part on the estimate of the inertial attitude, 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 to place the RC airplane in a leveling flight mode by maintaining a level inertial attitude.
A flight control unit for a radio-controlled (RC) airplane comprising:
- a receiver 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;
- and
- a flight control processor configured to (i) estimate an inertial attitude of the RC airplane based on data received from the attitude sensor array, (ii) determine whether the received control command comprises a self-leveling indicator, in response to determining that the control command comprises a self-leveling indicator, and based at least in part on the estimate of the inertial attitude, 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 to place the RC airplane in a leveling flight mode by maintaining a level inertial attitude.
The flight control unit of 32, 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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.