US 12,129,016 B2
Method of controlling an aircraft
James Scanlan, Winchester (GB); Joe Roberts, Peterborough (GB); and Tom Reed, Eastleigh (GB)
Assigned to WINDRACERS LIMITED, Harrow (GB)
Appl. No. 17/618,179
Filed by WINDRACERS LIMITED, Harrow (GB)
PCT Filed Jun. 23, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/051519
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 10, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/260868, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1909018 (GB), filed on Jun. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0227483 A1, Jul. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 13/00 (2006.01); B64C 13/50 (2006.01); G05B 9/03 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); H04B 7/155 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 13/503 (2013.01) [B64C 13/505 (2018.01); G05B 9/03 (2013.01); G05D 1/0077 (2013.01); H04B 7/155 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of controlling an aircraft, the aircraft comprising a plurality of actuators, a plurality of actuator control units, and a plurality of flight control systems for generating control signals, the method comprising, at each of the plurality of actuator control units:
from each of the plurality of flight control systems, obtaining a respective control signal for controlling an actuator associated with the actuator control unit, the actuator being one of the plurality of actuators; and
providing an actuator control signal to the associated actuator, wherein the actuator control signal is based on an analysis of the obtained control signals,
wherein:
at each of the actuator control units, the analysis of the obtained control signals is independent of analyses carried out at the other actuator control units; and
each of the plurality of flight control systems operates independently of the other flight control systems and independently of the plurality of actuator control units.