	US 12,455,574 B2
	Control of aircraft with vertical take-off and landing capabilities
Val Petrov, Brookline, MA (US)
Assigned to PteroDynamics Inc., Moorpark, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/924,789
Filed by PteroDynamics Inc., Moorpark, CA (US)
PCT Filed May 13, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/032258 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 11, 2022, PCT Pub. No. WO2021/242535, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 2, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/024,693, filed on May 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0195143 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. G06D 1/00 (2006.01); B64C 3/56 (2006.01); G01M 1/12 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/24 (2024.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01)

CPC G05D 1/102 (2013.01) [B64C 3/56 (2013.01); G01M 1/127 (2013.01); G05D 1/24 (2024.01); B64C 29/00 (2013.01); B64C 29/0033 (2013.01)]

15 Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of autonomously controlling an aircraft comprising:

determining, by at least one processor, a first center of gravity of the aircraft based on wings of the aircraft being in a first folded configuration before providing power to a plurality of thrust producing components of the aircraft to cause the aircraft to rise vertically;

controlling, by the at least one processor, the plurality of thrust producing components of the aircraft to cause the aircraft to rise vertically based on the wings of the aircraft being in the first folded configuration, wherein, when the wings of the aircraft are in the first folded configuration, a leading edge of each wing is oriented in a vertical direction;

setting, by the at least one processor, motor controller gains based on the wings of the aircraft being in the first folded configuration;

causing, by the at least one processor, the aircraft to align with a direction of airflow based on the wings of the aircraft being in the first folded configuration;

determining, by the at least one processor, that the aircraft is aligned with the direction of airflow based on the wings of the aircraft being in the first folded configuration and the aircraft is in flight;

determining, by the at least one processor, that the aircraft has reached a target altitude;

determining, by the at least one processor, that an orientation of the aircraft based on a pitch axis, a yaw axis, and/or a roll axis corresponds to a predetermined orientation of the aircraft based on the pitch axis, the yaw axis, and/or the roll axis;

changing, by the at least one processor, the wings of the aircraft from the first folded configuration to an unfolded configuration based on an airspeed of the aircraft; and

autonomously controlling, by the at least one processor, the plurality of thrust producing components of the aircraft, wherein autonomously controlling the plurality of thrust producing components of the aircraft comprises:

determining a second center of gravity of the aircraft based on the wings of the aircraft being in the unfolded configuration; and

causing the aircraft to fly according to a flight path based on the second center of gravity of the aircraft based on the wings of the aircraft being in the unfolded configuration.