Navigation of helicopter with limited polar groundspeed commands
US6059226A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 29, 1998 |
| Grant date | May 9, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 29, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05D1/0858
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The airspeed limiting performance envelope of a helicopter is converted to a groundspeed envelope by factoring-in the wind speed and direction. A groundspeed command for an unmanned helicopter is provided as a function of the range to the helicopter's destination. The function may be calculated so as to provide a nominal groundspeed command equal to a nominal groundspeed command limit, or the function may be a fixed function to cause the aircraft to creep toward final approach. The cosine and sine of the desired relative flight direction of the aircraft, which is equal to the true bearing to the destination minus the true heading of the aircraft, are utilized to scale the groundspeed command into a longitudinal groundspeed command and a lateral groundspeed command. If one of the groundspeed commands is over a corresponding limit, the other groundspeed command is scaled back so that the vector addition of the two commands will cause flight in the desired direction. Exceedance of either a right or left groundspeed command, as well as saturation of the right or left cyclic pitch channel will cause the aircraft heading to be yawed into the direction of the limit exceedance or channel s…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.