US 11,960,303 B2
Situational awareness, vehicle control, and/or contingency planning for aircraft actuator failure
Mark Groden, Hawthorne, CA (US); Mitch Adler, Hawthorne, CA (US); Jonathan Reeves, Hawthorne, CA (US); Nur Harell, Hawthorne, CA (US); and Christopher Ward, Hawthorne, CA (US)
Assigned to Skyryse, Inc., El Segundo, CA (US)
Filed by Skyryse, Inc., Hawthorne, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/146,699.
Application 17/146,699 is a continuation of application No. 16/044,798, filed on Jul. 25, 2018, granted, now 10,921,826.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/634,719, filed on Feb. 23, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/607,230, filed on Dec. 18, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/544,172, filed on Aug. 11, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/544,161, filed on Aug. 11, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/537,691, filed on Jul. 27, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0132634 A1, May 6, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G05D 1/10 (2006.01); B64C 13/16 (2006.01); B64C 27/57 (2006.01); B64D 17/80 (2006.01); B64D 19/02 (2006.01); B64D 25/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G08G 5/00 (2006.01); G08G 5/02 (2006.01); B64D 45/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/106 (2019.05) [B64C 13/16 (2013.01); B64C 27/57 (2013.01); B64D 17/80 (2013.01); B64D 19/02 (2013.01); B64D 25/00 (2013.01); G05D 1/0055 (2013.01); G05D 1/0072 (2013.01); G05D 1/0088 (2013.01); G05D 1/105 (2013.01); G08G 5/0013 (2013.01); G08G 5/0039 (2013.01); G08G 5/0056 (2013.01); G08G 5/0086 (2013.01); G08G 5/0091 (2013.01); G08G 5/025 (2013.01); B64D 2045/0085 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of aircraft operation, the method comprising:
autonomously flying an aircraft in a first flight mode;
while autonomously flying the aircraft in the first flight mode:
sampling a first dataset at a first sensor, the first dataset indicative of a condition associated with a flight control element of the aircraft, wherein the flight control element is a flight control surface and the condition comprises an actuation failure of the flight control surface that causes a directional bias during flight of the aircraft; and
sampling a second dataset at a second sensor different than the first sensor, the second dataset indicative of the actuation failure of the flight control surface;
based on the first and second datasets, determining a presence of the actuation failure of the flight control surface; and
in response to determining the presence of the actuation failure of the flight control surface, flying the aircraft in a modified mode, wherein flying the aircraft in the modified mode comprises:
sampling a set of flight data;
determining the directional bias caused by the actuation failure;
determining a modified flight plan based on the determined directional bias caused by the actuation failure; and
autonomously controlling the aircraft to fly based on the modified flight plan and the set of flight data.