# US 2024/0201693 A1 · Vehicle control and interface system

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- Number: US 2024/0201693 A1
- Document ID: US20240201693A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/523,216
- Filed: 2023-11-29
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-08
- Assignees: Skyryse, Inc.
- Applicants: Skyryse, Inc.
- Inventors: Mark Groden; Gonzalo Javier Rey; Christopher Camila Cole; Christopher Ryan Smith
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201693A1

## CPC

- G05D 1/101: {specially adapted for aircraft}
- B64C 13/02: Initiating means
- B64C 27/56: characterised by the control initiating means, e.g. manually actuated
- B64D 31/02: Initiating means
- B64D 43/00: Arrangements or adaptations of instruments
- G01C 23/00: Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
- G05D 1/0016: {characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00)}
- G05D 1/0088: {characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00)}
- G05D 1/221: Remote-control arrangements
- G05D 1/228: Command input arrangements located on-board unmanned vehicles
- G05D 1/46: Control of position or course in three dimensions [3D]
- G08G 5/21: located onboard the aircraft
- G08G 5/34: for flight plan modification
- G08G 5/53: for cruising
- G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft
- G08G 5/76: for monitoring atmospheric conditions
- G08G 5/58: for emergency situations, e.g. hijacking or bird strikes
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})

## Abstract

Embodiments relate to an aircraft control router for an aircraft. The aircraft control router may include a command processing module, sensor validation module, aircraft state estimation module, and control laws module. The command processing module may be configured to generate aircraft trajectory values based on received aircraft control inputs. The sensor validation module may be configured to validate sensor signals generated by sensors of the aircraft. The aircraft state estimation module may be configured to determine an estimated aircraft state of the aircraft based on the validated sensor signals. The control laws module may be configured to generate actuator commands for actuators of the aircraft to adjust control surfaces of the aircraft, where the generated actuator commands are based on aircraft trajectory values, validated sensor signals, and an estimated aircraft state. The aircraft control router may transmit the generated actuator commands to actuators of the aircraft.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An aircraft control router for an aircraft, the aircraft control router comprising:
a command processing module configured to:
receive aircraft control inputs from aircraft interfaces; and
generate aircraft trajectory values based on the received aircraft control inputs;
a sensor validation module configured to:
receive sensor signals generated by sensors of the aircraft; and
validate one or more of the received sensor signals;
an aircraft state estimation module configured to:
receive validated sensor signals from the sensor validation module; and
determine an estimated aircraft state of the aircraft based on the received validated sensor signals; and
a control laws module configured to:
receive aircraft trajectory values from the command processing module, receive validated sensor signals from the sensor validation module, and receive the estimated aircraft state of the aircraft from the aircraft state estimation module;
generate actuator commands for actuators of the aircraft to adjust control surfaces of the aircraft, the generated actuator commands based on the received aircraft trajectory values, the received validated sensor signals, and the estimated aircraft state of the aircraft; and
transmit the actuator commands to actuators of the aircraft.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The aircraft control router of claim 1, further comprising an automated aircraft control module configured to:
receive the estimated aircraft state of the aircraft from the aircraft state estimation module;
generate second aircraft control inputs based on the estimated aircraft state; and
transmit the generated second aircraft control inputs to the command processing module.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The aircraft control router of claim 1, wherein the control laws module comprises:
an outer processing loop configured to apply a set of control laws based on operation limits of the aircraft to the received aircraft trajectory values to convert the aircraft trajectory values to corresponding allowable aircraft trajectory values; and
an inner processing loop configured generate the actuator commands based on the allowable aircraft trajectory values.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The aircraft control router of claim 1, wherein the aircraft interfaces include at least one of:
one or more of a gesture interfaces;
a stick inceptor device; or
an automated control interface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The aircraft control router of claim 1, wherein the aircraft interfaces consist of:
one or more stick inceptor devices; and
one of more gesture interfaces.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The aircraft control router of claim 1, wherein the aircraft control inputs are only received from:
one or more stick inceptor devices; and
one or more gesture interfaces.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The aircraft control router of claim 1, wherein the command processing module is further configured to apply different smoothing operations to at least a subset of the received aircraft control inputs based on aircraft control interfaces that provided the subset of the received aircraft control inputs.

### Claim 8

A method comprising:
receiving, by a command processing module, aircraft control inputs from aircraft interfaces of an aircraft;
generating, by the command processing module, aircraft trajectory values based on the received aircraft control inputs;
receiving, by a sensor validation module, sensor signals generated by sensors of the aircraft;
validating, by the sensor validation module, one or more of the received sensor signals;
receiving, by an aircraft state estimation module, validated sensor signals from the sensor validation module;
determining, by the aircraft state estimation module, an estimated aircraft state of the aircraft based on the received validated sensor signals;
receiving, by a control laws module, aircraft trajectory values from the command processing module, receive validated sensor signals from the sensor validation module, and receive the estimated aircraft state of the aircraft from the aircraft state estimation module;
generating, by the control laws module, actuator commands for actuators of the aircraft to adjust control surfaces of the aircraft, the generated actuator commands based on the received aircraft trajectory values, the received validated sensor signals, and the estimated aircraft state of the aircraft; and
transmitting, by a control laws module, the actuator commands to actuators of the aircraft.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
receiving, by an automated aircraft control module, the estimated aircraft state of the aircraft; and
generating, by the automated aircraft control module, second aircraft control inputs based on the estimated aircraft state,
wherein generating the aircraft trajectory values by the command processing module is further based on the aircraft control inputs generated by the automated aircraft control module.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
applying, by an outer processing loop of the control laws module, a set of control laws based on operation limits of the aircraft to the received aircraft trajectory values to convert the aircraft trajectory values to corresponding allowable aircraft trajectory values,
wherein generating the actuator commands is performed by an inner processing loop of the generates actuator commands based on the allowable aircraft trajectory values.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the aircraft interfaces include at least one of:
one or more of a gesture interfaces;
a stick inceptor device; or
an automated control interface.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the aircraft interfaces consist of:
one or more stick inceptor devices; and
one of more gesture interfaces.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the aircraft control inputs are only received from:
one or more stick inceptor devices; and
one or more gesture interfaces.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising applying, by the command processing module, different smoothing operations to at least a subset of the received aircraft control inputs based on aircraft control interfaces that provided the subset of the received aircraft control inputs.

### Claim 15

A computer-readable storage medium comprising stored instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a command processing module, aircraft control inputs from aircraft interfaces of an aircraft;
generating, by the command processing module, aircraft trajectory values based on the received aircraft control inputs;
receiving, by a sensor validation module, sensor signals generated by sensors of the aircraft;
validating, by the sensor validation module, one or more of the received sensor signals;
receiving, by an aircraft state estimation module, validated sensor signals from the sensor validation module;
determining, by the aircraft state estimation module, an estimated aircraft state of the aircraft based on the received validated sensor signals;
receiving, by a control laws module, aircraft trajectory values from the command processing module, receive validated sensor signals from the sensor validation module, and receive the estimated aircraft state of the aircraft from the aircraft state estimation module;
generating, by the control laws module, actuator commands for actuators of the aircraft to adjust control surfaces of the aircraft, the generated actuator commands based on the received aircraft trajectory values, the received validated sensor signals, and the estimated aircraft state of the aircraft; and
transmitting, by a control laws module, the actuator commands to actuators of the aircraft.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving, by an automated aircraft control module, the estimated aircraft state of the aircraft; and
generating, by the automated aircraft control module, second aircraft control inputs based on the estimated aircraft state,
wherein generating the aircraft trajectory values by the command processing module is further based on the aircraft control inputs generated by the automated aircraft control module.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:
applying, by an outer processing loop of the control laws module, a set of control laws based on operation limits of the aircraft to the received aircraft trajectory values to convert the aircraft trajectory values to corresponding allowable aircraft trajectory values,
wherein generating the actuator commands is performed by an inner processing loop of the generates actuator commands based on the allowable aircraft trajectory values.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the aircraft interfaces include at least one of:
one or more of a gesture interfaces;
a stick inceptor device; or
an automated control interface.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the aircraft interfaces consist of:
one or more stick inceptor devices; and
one of more gesture interfaces.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the aircraft control inputs are only received from:
one or more stick inceptor devices; and
one or more gesture interfaces.