| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 244076000 | Gust compensators | 10 |
| 20090045296 | MULTI-MODE UNMANNED AND MANNED VEHICLEL SYSTEMS AND METHODS - An apparatus for converting a manned aircraft of a type including at least one pilot control capable of manipulation to affect operation of the aircraft for unmanned flight operations includes first and second actuators, each configured to selectively provide movement or resistance to movement in a first manner including linear or rotational motion, first and second clutches, each configured to selectively couple movement of the associated actuator to the pilot control, and a vehicle controller capable of being selectively enabled to operate the pilot control actuators and clutches and thereby provide unmanned operation of the aircraft, or of being disabled, thereby providing for manned operation of the aircraft. The first actuator has a first scope describing a first amount of allowable movement, while the second actuator has a second scope larger than the first scope. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090050750 | Airborne Manipulator System - A manipulator arm system on a ducted air-fan UAV is disclosed herein. The target site may be accurately located by the UAV, and the manipulator system may accurately locate the payload at the target site. The manipulator arm may select tools from a toolbox located on-board the UAV to assist in payload placement or the execution of remote operations. The system may handle the delivery of mission payloads, environmental sampling, and sensor placement and repair. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090084908 | MINIMIZING DYNAMIC STRUCTURAL LOADS OF AN AIRCRAFT - Minimizing dynamic structural loads of an aircraft ( | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090090817 | Aircraft configuration, gas turbine engine, controller and trim system for neutralizing pitching moments with power changes - An aircraft, gas turbine engine, controller and trim system for neutralizing pitching moments caused by power changes and consequent changes in engine thrust. Several expedients are disclosed, utilizing either thrust vectoring or automatic aircraft trim augmentation in response to thrust variations, made either by throttle setting changes caused by a pilot or a flight management control (FMC)/autopilot system. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090212167 | ACTUATOR SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS FOR UNMANNED AIR VEHICLES AND OTHER APPLICATIONS - Actuator systems and associated methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the disclosure is directed toward an actuator system that includes a first structure and a second structure movable relative to the first structure. The system further includes an actuator apparatus and an actuator device coupled in series between the first structure and the second structure. The system can still further include a controller operably coupled to the actuator apparatus and the actuator device. The controller can be programmed with instructions to automatically actuate the actuator apparatus and the actuator device so that a position of the first structure relative to the second structure after the actuator apparatus and the actuator device have been actuated is at least approximately the same as a position of the first structure relative to the second structure before the actuator apparatus and the actuator device have been actuated. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090302174 | Variable Speed Flap Retraction and Notification - The present invention provides systems and methods for controlling the speed of flap retraction on aircraft, and alerts to the pilot of potentially unsafe flap position. The invention accepts direction from a pilot and senses operation of the aircraft to determine appropriate flap position and flap retraction speed. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090314901 | CONTROL SYSTEM INCLUDING TWO CONTROL COLUMNS THAT ARE COUPLED TO ENABLE CONTROLLED MEMBERS TO BE PLACED IN REQUIRED POSITIONS - A control system for placing controlled members in required positions including two control columns assigned to the controlled members to be moved, each control column having two degrees of freedom. Two actuators controlled by two control circuits apply to their associated control column either a resisting torque or a displacement torque. Each control column is provided with a mechanical spring system spring-loading the associated control column into its neutral position and adapted to provide, in the event of manipulation of the corresponding control column, a resisting torque in support of the resisting torque supplied by the associated actuator. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20100025544 | Aircraft backup control - A method is disclosed for controlling an aircraft when the hydraulic system of the aircraft has been compromised. The method may include resealing at least one gain vector of a digital fly-by-wire, lower-order, full-state feedback control in at least one axis. The gain(s) may then used by a digital control to modulate engine thrust. In this manner, engine thrust modulation may be used for stabilization and control of control-configured aircraft without requiring a substantial change in piloting technique. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100090068 | AIRCRAFT WITH WINGS WHOSE MAXIMUM LIFT CAN BE ALTERED BY CONTROLLABLE WING COMPONENTS - The present invention relates to an aircraft with wings whose maximum lift can be altered by controllable wing components. By means of a regulating device, depending on flight state parameters and the actually measured load on the wings, wing components are acted upon such that, as a precautionary measure, the maximum possible aerodynamic lift does not exceed a desired upper limit value. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100127132 | ACTUATOR FORCE EQUALIZATION CONTROLLER - An actuation system including a plurality of actuators; a plurality of position sensors coupled to the actuators, the plurality of position sensors providing rate feedback signals proportional to an actuator rate; a plurality of force sensors coupled to the actuators, the plurality of force sensors providing delta pressure signals; and a feedback control loop configured to receive the rate feedback signals and delta pressure signals and compute a difference in actual actuator rates and sum the difference with a computed difference in actuator forces to generate actuator positioning commands that equalize the actuator forces on a control surface. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100133388 | AIRCRAFT WITH MULTI-PURPOSE INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC COMPLEX - An aircraft ( | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100200705 | CONTROL AND COMMAND ASSEMBLY FOR AIRCRAFT - The invention relates to a control and command assembly for an aircraft, particularly for controlling and commanding aircraft flight control surfaces, as well as for controlling and commanding aircraft devices requiring aerodynamic control, comprising:
| 08-12-2010 |
| 20100206995 | METHOD FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL GROUP CONTROL OF MOVING OBJECTS - Problems to be solved by the present invention relate to group control of moving objects in three dimensions, and the invention proposes a group control method, unlike conventional cumbersome methods, the method being stably provided with a function of causing a group to move in the same direction while preserving the aggregate form of the group, and with a function of causing the group to turn around a fixed point in the vicinity of an operational target. The method for three-dimensional group control of moving objects according to the present invention includes: setting, around individual moving objects, an interaction zone formed in a spherical or ellipsoidal three-layer structure of, sequentially from outside to inside thereof, an approach zone, a parallel-orientation zone and a repulsion zone; and employing, as an algorithm, a behavior model which comprises an approach rule, a parallel-orientation rule and a repulsion rule depending on the zone at which a neighbor moving object is present. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100252691 | AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL ACTUATOR ARRANGEMENT - An aircraft ( | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100327124 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR LATERALLY TRIMMING AN AIRPLANE DURING A FLIGHT - A method and device for laterally trimming an airplane during a flight is disclosed. The device ( | 12-30-2010 |
| 20120025033 | Method and Apparatus for Optimizing a Load in a Flight Control System While an Aircraft is on the Ground - A method, apparatus, and computer program product for managing movement of a flight control surface on an aircraft. A control signal is received to move the flight control surface to a position. Travel in a number of actuators in a plurality of actuators coupled to the flight control surface is limited to an amount that reduces a load on the number of actuators in the plurality of actuators in response to receiving the control signal while the aircraft is on the ground and the speed of the aircraft is less than a threshold. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120248260 | Flight Trajectory Compensation System for Airspeed Variations - A method and apparatus for controlling a flight of an aircraft. An undesired change in an airspeed for the aircraft is identified. A number of commands for a flight control system associated with a wing of the aircraft are identified in response to the undesired change in the airspeed. The number of commands is configured to cause the flight control system to maintain a lift of the aircraft for a desired trajectory. | 10-04-2012 |
| 20130105637 | Active Prop Rotor Stability System | 05-02-2013 |
| 20130270394 | AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION SYSTEM - A method and apparatus for assisting in management of unmanned aerial vehicles. Planned routes are identified for the unmanned aerial vehicles. The planned routes are displayed on a map. A set of planned routes is identified that is within a predefined distance of a selected planned route during substantially a same point in time within a viewing area on the map. | 10-17-2013 |
| 20130334372 | METHOD OF OPERATING ACTUATORS SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR MOVING AIRCRAFT FLAPS, AN AIRCRAFT FLAP DRIVE DEVICE, AND AN AIRCRAFT PROVIDED WITH SUCH A DEVICE - A method of operating actuators simultaneously for moving at least two aircraft movable aerodynamic surfaces, the method comprising the steps of: controlling the actuators to move the aerodynamic surfaces towards a predetermined position; during the movement, detecting a slowest actuator; and adapting the control of the actuators to match the actions of the slowest actuator. A drive device for aerodynamic surfaces and an aircraft including such a device. | 12-19-2013 |
| 20140084115 | FLIGHT CONTROL USING DISTRIBUTED MICRO-THRUSTERS - A method and apparatus to control movement of a vehicle using a plurality of thrust-producing devices formed in at least one control surface is disclosed. A supply of power to the plurality of thrust-producing devices that are configured to propel gas through the control surface to produce thrust is controlled such that a physical displacement of the control surface is generated. The physical displacement is in accordance with the supply of power to the plurality of thrust-producing devices and controls the movement of the vehicle. | 03-27-2014 |
| 20140231594 | ROTOCRAFT - An aerial vehicle includes independently controlled horizontal thrusters and vertical lifters to provide design and operational simplicity while allowing precision flying with six degrees of freedom and use of mounted devices such as tools, sensors, and instruments. Each horizontal thruster and vertical lifter can be mounted as constant-pitch, fixed-axis rotors while still allowing for precise control of yaw, pitch, roll, horizontal movement, and vertical elevation. Gyroscopes and inclinometers can be used to further enhance flying precision. A controller manages thrust applied the horizontal thrusters and vertical lifters to compensate for forces and torques generated by the use of tools and other devices mounted to the aerial vehicle. | 08-21-2014 |
| 20150076289 | Methods and Systems for Transitioning an Aerial Vehicle Between Crosswind Flight and Hover Flight - A method may involve operating an aerial vehicle in a hover-flight orientation. The aerial vehicle may be connected to a tether that defines a tether sphere having a radius based on a length of the tether, and the tether may be connected to a ground station. The method may involve positioning the aerial vehicle at a first location that is substantially on the tether sphere. The method may involve transitioning the aerial vehicle from the hover-flight orientation to a forward-flight orientation, such that the aerial vehicle moves from the tether sphere. And the method may involve operating the aerial vehicle in the forward-flight orientation to ascend at an angle of ascent to a second location that is substantially on the tether sphere. The first and second locations may be substantially downwind of the ground station. | 03-19-2015 |
| 20150122954 | VARIABLE GEOMETRY HELICOPTER ENGINE INLET - A variable area engine inlet of a helicopter is provided and includes first inlet portions disposed to face one another in opposite directions and at a distance from one another and second inlet portions extending between the first inlet portions and being disposed to face one another in opposite directions and at a distance from one another. The first and second inlet portions define a capture area and at least one or both of the first and second inlet portions include a movable portion disposed to occupy and move between first and second positions. The first position is associated with a non-constricted condition of the capture area and the second position is associated with a constricted condition of the capture area. | 05-07-2015 |
| 20150315967 | Thrust Enabling Objective System - An automatic emergency radar and proximity sensor activated protection system that could assist to prevent commercial, private, or military aircraft jet engines from being damaged or destroyed. | 11-05-2015 |
| 20160003954 | AERIAL VEHICLE ACQUISITION OF SEISMIC DATA - Methods and apparatus that facilitate acquisition of seismic data. A plurality of acquisition locations within an area of interest may be determined and provided to aerial vehicles. Seismic data may be received from the aerial vehicle. In another example, an aerial vehicle includes a positioning system that determines location of the apparatus; a seismic sensor that senses seismic data; a memory that stores seismic data; and a transceiver that provides telemetric data and the seismic data to a controller device. In at least one example, a method for acquiring seismic data is provided including receiving location information at an aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle may navigate to a location based on the location information and a seismic sensor may acquire seismic data. The aerial vehicle may be navigated to a controller device and the acquired seismic data may be provided to the controller device. | 01-07-2016 |
| 20160033306 | LINEAR VARIABLE DIFFERENTIAL TRANSFORMER WITH MULTI-RANGE SECONDARY WINDINGS FOR HIGH PRECISION - A linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) having an electrical stroke includes a probe axially movable along a length of the LVDT electrical stroke, a primary winding extending axially over the length of the LVDT electrical stroke, and a secondary winding extending axially over the length of the LVDT electrical stroke. The LVDT further includes a tertiary winding extending axially over less than the length of the LVDT electrical stroke, the tertiary winding at least partially overlapping with the secondary winding. An advantage of the LVDT in accordance with the present disclosure is that the accuracy of the position calculated from the tertiary winding is greater relative to the total stroke of the LVDT than that calculated from the secondary winding. This is accomplished while still fitting within the envelope of a standard single output LVDT. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160052628 | ROTORCRAFT AUTOPILOT CONTROL - A rotorcraft autopilot system includes a series actuator connecting a cockpit control component to a swashplate of a rotorcraft, the series actuator to modify a control input from the cockpit control component to the swashplate through a downstream control component. The rotorcraft autopilot system also includes a differential friction system connected to the cockpit control component, the differential friction system to control the series actuator to automatically adjust a position of the cockpit control component during rotorcraft flight based, in part, on a flight mode of the rotorcraft. | 02-25-2016 |
| 20080203237 | Method and Device for Lightening Loads on the Wing System of an Aircraft in Roll Motion - A device used in an aircraft with an electrical flight control system to reduce load applied to the wing during a lateral roll maneuver, by comparing a roll control with a threshold, and filtering a control. As a result of this action on the roll control, resulting load increases on the wing can be anticipated and reduced. Loads can thus remain below a maximum design value for the wing if the applied roll control is too high for planned use of the aircraft, therefore limiting overdesign of the wing. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080251648 | Method and Device for Attenuating on an Aircraft the Effects of a Vertical Turbulence - The invention concerns a device ( | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080265104 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DYNAMICALLY ALLEVIATING LOADS GENERATED ON AN AIRPLANE - The device ( | 10-30-2008 |
| 20090314900 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REDUCING ON AN AIRCRAFT THE EFFECTS OF A VERTICAL TURBULENCE - The device ( | 12-24-2009 |
| 20100171002 | METHOD FOR REDUCING THE TURBULENCE AND GUST INFLUENCES ON THE FLYING CHARACTERISTICS OF AIRCRAFT, AND A CONTROL DEVICE FOR THIS PURPOSE - A control device for aircraft for reducing the turbulence and gust influences on the flying characteristics is designed to generate an additional incidence angle drive signal for control surfaces on surfaces which generate an air force, in particular wing and/or tailplane as a function of an instantaneous bank angle (Φ) and sideslip angle (β). | 07-08-2010 |
| 20110266399 | Method And Device For Reducing Actual Loads Generated On Airplane By An Aerodynamic Disturbance - According to the invention, the device ( | 11-03-2011 |
| 20120104184 | AIRCRAFT COMPRISING A DEVICE FOR INFLUENCING THE DIRECTIONAL STABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND A METHOD FOR INFLUENCING THE DIRECTIONAL STABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT - An aircraft including a device for influencing the directional stability of the aircraft is provided. The device includes a control-input device; a flight control device; a sensor device for acquiring the rotation rates, including the yaw rates, of the aircraft; and at least one actuator, which is coupled with ailerons, spoilers, an elevator and a rudder. The flight control device includes a control function generating adjusting commands for the actuators for controlling the aircraft according to control commands. The aircraft includes two tail-mounted flaps, each including an actuator connected with the flight control device, situated symmetrically to each other and on opposite sides of the fuselage, and movable between retracted and extended positions. The control function is designed such that the adjusting commands that are generated on the basis of the control commands depending on the acquired rotation rates include adjusting commands to the actuators of the tail-mounted flaps. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20130206922 | Method of Guidance for Aircraft Trajectory Correction - Guidance for an aircraft correcting a trajectory deviation due to wind computes a roll command during trajectory alignment according to imposed alignment passing through a determined point, via a current angular divergence between a line through the point and aircraft and direction of alignment and of a current estimated ground speed of the aircraft with respect to a frame of reference. The current estimated ground speed is computed via a current air speed and stored wind speed. The stored wind speed is obtained via at least one wind speed computed via a first value of a first speed equal to the speed of the said aircraft with respect to a frame of reference originating from a satellite navigation system and a second value of a second speed equal to the air speed. The first and second value are simultaneously accounted earlier than or at the instant at the alignment phase. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20150021443 | Method and Apparatus for Minimizing Dynamic Structural Loads of an Aircraft - A method for dynamically alleviating loads generated on an aircraft by a disturbance of gust involves automatically detecting a disturbance due to gust on a flight of the aircraft. When a disturbance due to gust is detected, control commands for control surfaces are automatically generated and the control commands are applied to actuate the control surfaces. The method also involves dynamically actuating the control surfaces in a prescribed dynamic way in order to minimize not only a first load peak but also at least a second load peak. | 01-22-2015 |
| 20150028162 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MINIMIZING DYNAMIC STRUCTURAL LOADS OF AN AIRCRAFT - A method of dynamically alleviating loads generated on an aircraft by a disturbance of gust and/or turbulence. The method comprises monitoring, during flight of the aircraft, to automatically detect a disturbance due to gust and/or turbulence and determining an incidence angle or angle of attack of the disturbance. When a disturbance due to gust and/or turbulence is detected, automatically generating control commands for deflecting control surfaces dependent on the incidence angle or angle of attack, and applying the control commands to deflect the control surfaces. | 01-29-2015 |
| 20090206209 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING DIFFERENTIAL MOTION TO WING HIGH LIFT DEVICE - Systems and methods for providing differential motion to wing high lift devices are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a wing having a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first deployable lift device with a first spanwise location, and a second deployable lift device with a second spanwise location different than the first. The wing system can further include a drive system having a drive link operatively coupleable to both the first and second deployable lift devices, and a control system operatively coupled to the drive system. The control system can have a first configuration for which the drive link is operatively coupled to the first and second deployable lift devices, and activation of at least a portion of the drive link moves the first and second deployable lift devices together. In a second configuration, the drive link is operatively coupled to at least the first deployable lift device and operatively decoupled from the second deployable lift device, so that actuation of at least a portion of the drive link moves the first deployable lift device relative to the second deployable lift device. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090302173 | AUTOMATIC FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS - Automatic flight control systems and methods are disclosed. Low duty cycle motors, such as trim actuators may be driven with pulse width modulation signals. The pulse width modulation signals are structured such that the duty cycles of the low duty cycle motors are not exceeded. The low duty cycle motors are attached to and move flight control surfaces to implement automatic flight control commands. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20100200704 | Automatic Control of a High Lift System of an Aircraft - A device for automatically controlling a system of high-lift elements of an aircraft, which high-lift elements can be set to a retracted and to several extended configurations for cruising, holding flight, takeoff or landing; comprising a flap control unit that by way of a control connection is connected, so as to be functionally effective, to a drive system of the high-lift elements; and an operating unit, connected to the flap control unit, for entering operating instructions that influence the setting of the high-lift elements, where the flap control unit is provided for calculating switching speeds that are associated with the respective configurations of the high-lift elements, where the direction of the configuration change and the operating modes of the automatic system for adjusting the high-lift elements, depending on flight state data and further flight-operation-relevant data; and where, in addition, the flap control unit can also automatically carry out switchover of the operating modes for takeoff or for the landing approach and is provided to automatically generate the instructions that instruct the configuration change, depending on the flight speed. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20150314852 | ELECTRONIC FLAP ACTUATION SYSTEM - A flap actuation system for an aircraft can include a first flap panel connected with a first in-board actuator and a first out-board actuator. A first electronic control unit (ECU) can be electrically coupled to and configured to control the first in-board actuator, and a second ECU can be electrically coupled to and configured to control the first out-board actuator. The flap system may further include a second flap panel connected with a second in-board actuator and a second out-board actuator. A third ECU can be electrically coupled to and configured to control the second in-board actuator, and a fourth ECU can be electrically coupled to and configured to control the second out-board actuator. | 11-05-2015 |
| 20110290947 | Automatic Method And Device For Aiding The Piloting Of An Airplane - The device ( | 12-01-2011 |
