US 11,940,816 B2
Aircraft control system and method
Blake English, Santa Cruz, CA (US); and JoeBen Bevirt, Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Assigned to Joby Aero, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed by Joby Aero, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/206,788.
Application 17/206,788 is a division of application No. 16/708,367, filed on Dec. 9, 2019, granted, now 10,983,534.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/776,870, filed on Dec. 7, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0294355 A1, Sep. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. B64C 13/04 (2006.01); B64C 27/54 (2006.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/08 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/102 (2013.01) [B64C 13/04 (2013.01); B64C 13/0421 (2018.01); B64C 27/54 (2013.01); B64C 29/0033 (2013.01); G05D 1/0858 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A control system for an aircraft configurable between a forward configuration, a hover configuration, and ground operations, the control system comprising:
an input mechanism movable along an x-axis, a y-axis, a z-axis, and an a-axis, wherein along the x-axis, the input mechanism maps the x-axis to:
a pitch rate/flight path in the forward configuration;
a vertical rate in the hover configuration; and
braking motion during ground operations;
wherein along the y-axis, the input mechanism maps the y-axis to:
a roll rate/flight path in the forward configuration; and
a lateral translational rate/acceleration rate in the hover configuration;
wherein along the z-axis, the input mechanism maps the z-axis to:
a sideslip response in the forward configuration;
yaw in the hover configuration; and
steering during ground operations; and
wherein along the a-axis, the input mechanism maps the a-axis to:
an airspeed rate in the forward configuration;
a longitudinal translational rate and acceleration rate in the hover configuration; and
a speed during ground operations; and
a processor configured to provide a control output based on inputs received along each of the x-axis, the y-axis, the z-axis, and the a-axis, wherein the control output for each of the forward configuration, the hover configuration, and the ground operations is determined using a lookup table.