US 12,430,958 B2
Systems and methods for distributed control computing for a high altitude long endurance aircraft
Derek Lisoski, Simi Valley, CA (US); and William Stuart Sechrist, Simi Valley, CA (US)
Assigned to AeroVironment, Inc., Arlington, VA (US)
Appl. No. 17/605,716
Filed by AEROVIRONMENT, INC., Arlington, VA (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 23, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/029640
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/219765, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 29, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/855,593, filed on May 31, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/838,783, filed on Apr. 25, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/838,833, filed on Apr. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0122385 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. G07C 5/08 (2006.01); B64D 43/00 (2006.01)
CPC G07C 5/0808 (2013.01) [B64D 43/00 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a first flight control computer (FCC) of two or more FCCs;
a second FCC of the two or more FCCs;
at least one selector in communication with the first FCC and the second FCC;
at least one watchdog window in communication with the at least one selector, wherein the at least one watchdog window monitors a performance of the first FCC based on a first electrical pulse emitted by the first FCC, and wherein the at least one watchdog window monitors a performance of the second FCC based on a second electrical pulse emitted by the second FCC; and
a flight termination system;
wherein the at least one watchdog window is configured to detect a first fault pulse of the first electrical pulse emitted by the first FCC, wherein the detected first fault pulse is a pulse that is outside a predetermined frequency range and a predetermined amplitude range;
wherein the at least one watchdog window is configured to detect a second fault pulse of the second electrical pulse emitted by the second FCC;
wherein the selector is configured to toggle to the second FCC based on the detected first fault pulse emitted by the first FCC if there is no detected second fault pulse of the second electrical pulse emitted by the second FCC;
wherein the flight termination system is configured to implement a landing procedure based on the detected first fault pulse emitted by the first FCC and the detected second fault pulse emitted by the second FCC;
wherein after toggling to the second FCC, the selector is further configured to reset power to the first FCC; and
wherein the selector is configured to toggle to the first FCC after the power has been reset to the first FCC.