DE102013202585A1 - Control unit for a flying object - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control unit for a flying object. It is more precisely a control unit for a flying object, which has a plurality of sensors, each of which generates at least one measurement value, so that a first plurality of measurement values is generated, at least one forwarding device being provided, which forwards the measurement values to a control unit, and wherein the control unit has a first storage unit in which a multiplicity of reference values are stored, a second multiplicity of measured values also being present, which is a selection of two or more measured values from the first multiplicity, characterized in that for each measured value from the second Plurality of measured values, at least one reference value is stored in the first storage unit and each measured value from the second plurality is compared with a comparison algorithm executed by the control unit with at least one reference value and the comparison algorithm then also a measurement status value sg and the control system assigns an object status value to the flying object, which is calculated depending on all measurement status values. It is also about a corresponding procedure.

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a control unit for a flying object. The control unit is usually used to control the status of the flying object. The flying object may, for example, be a manned or unmanned aircraft.

Background of the invention

Aviation is an important field of technology in which very sophisticated technical developments have regularly taken place. It concerns both the aerodynamic flying ability of flying objects as well as their propulsion as well as in many ways their control and control. Control and control, for example, is about controlling the way of the aircraft. Furthermore, it may be a question of being able to control the condition of the flying object, in particular its safety and suitability.

The Japanese patent application JP 8 324 498 A discloses a way to control flight operations. This is especially suitable for the control of unmanned aerial vehicles. It is essentially about the control of the altitude, the direction of flight and speed. The collected data is provided by sensors, such as an altimeter. Due to this data, the flying object can be influenced by servomotors so that it remains on its nominal trajectory.

The British patent application GB 2 315 138 A follows a similar approach. Again, this is about controlling the flight of an aircraft with the help of a control system. This control device records measurement data from sensors, such as altitude data, position data and acceleration data. The data is compared with setpoints and the system should allow a particularly accurate control of the flight path. The control apparatus should be suitable for both manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft.

The US patent application US 2004/030448 A shows methods for controlling mobile systems, especially weapon systems. The patent application makes it clear that the processing of a large number of sensor data is very demanding and requires external computing power. This is where computers that are outside of the objects to be controlled are used.

From the European application EP 1 956 451 A1 It becomes clear that the control of unmanned aerial systems can also be achieved by triggering certain relevant functions in a controlled manner. In this respect, a control unit also has an application option extended to the control of such functions.

The German patent application DE 10 2008 020 534 A1 discloses a manned or unmanned aerial vehicle and a method for rescuing the aircraft. From the application it becomes clear that it is very difficult to generate emergency signals in all flight situations from the regular flight computer alone, which are reliable and error-free. Therefore, an additional self-sufficient emergency trip unit is provided. This emergency trip unit processes data of a height measurement. Before the start, a limit value for a sinking speed can be entered into a corresponding control device. If this sinking speed is exceeded, then the rescue procedure provided can be initiated by the self-sufficient emergency release unit.

It is an object of the present invention to improve this prior art. In particular, a control unit for a flying object should be offered, which can very reliably evaluate a large number of sensor data. This control unit should be suitable for lightweight flying objects, so that it can be used especially in small unmanned aerial vehicles.

Further description of the invention

This object is achieved by a control unit according to claim 1 and further a method according to claim 8.

The present invention is therefore a control unit for a flying object. The flying object may be a manned flying object, for example an aircraft for civilian or military use. Likewise, the flying object may be a helicopter. Furthermore, the flying object may be an unmanned aerial vehicle. It can be a model airplane or a model helicopter, which are mainly used in playful use. It can also be an unmanned aerial object for military use. Such flying objects are referred to as drones, or as UAV (an abbreviation for the English term "unmanned aerial vehicle") or as RPA (an abbreviation for the English term "remotedly piloted aircraft").

The control unit for the flying object is preferably a control unit in the flying object. This control unit can therefore be carried on the flight and is permanently installed in the flying object. The control unit can also be located outside of the flying object, for example in a ground station or in a co-moving flying object. However, the benefit of the present invention is particularly great when the control unit is in the flying object. In principle, the control unit can also be used in other moving or stationary objects than on flying objects or also control other processes and states as flight processes and flight states, for example complex production processes.

The flying object is equipped with a variety of sensors. These may be, for example, sensors for altitude measurement, sensors for temperature measurement, sensors for position measurement and position measurement, also sensors to measure voltages and currents, u. s. w. Each of these sensors generates at least one measured value. Individual sensors can also generate several measured values. Therefore, the sensors as a whole generate a first plurality of measured values. A sensor can also be understood to mean in general a measuring device.

These measured values can be forwarded individually or bundled to a control unit. At least one forwarding device serves this purpose. For example, a cable comes into question. But it can also go to a wireless forwarding, in which a radio link is used with a common wireless protocol. It is possible to bundle the transmission of measurement signals over the entire route or parts of the route.

The control unit receiving the first plurality of measurements has a first storage unit. This may again be a conventional memory, which should be small and reliable and should allow the fast retrieval of data. In this memory unit, a plurality of reference values are stored.

With respect to the first plurality of measured values, there should be a second multiplicity of measured values. This second plurality describes a selection (or subset) of the first measurements. However, at least two measured values should be selected. All measured values can also be selected so that then the second plurality corresponds to the first plurality.

The control unit should now store at least one reference value in the first memory unit for each measured value from the second plurality of measured values. The control unit should also enable the execution of a comparison algorithm. With this algorithm, each measured value from the second plurality is to be compared with at least one reference value. As a result of the comparison, the comparison algorithm outputs a measurement status value. This value is to classify the measurement in relation to the reference value. This can be a quantitative classification, for example "too high" or "too low". But it can also be a qualitative assignment, for example "okay" or "not okay".

Furthermore, the control system should be able to assign an object status value to an object, as a rule in the present case the flying object. This object status value should be dependent on all measurement status values of the second plurality. It should be noted that the object status value evaluates a situation where the score is more complex than would be possible due to a single measurement status value. For example, while it is possible to classify a particular temperature as high or low based on a measurement status value, it would be possible to assign the status of the flying object to the status "in a storm" due to the object status value. In this case, to determine such a weather situation above the measurement status value for the temperature, for example, a measurement status value for the flight direction and speed or for the wind direction would also be used.

Particularly useful is a control unit for a flying object when two reference values are stored for each measured value. These two reference values can be used to form a reference interval. Often useful is a reference interval closed down and up, so that a first reference value forms the lower limit of the reference interval and the second reference value forms the upper limit of the reference interval. This interval can be a target interval for certain measured values. The measurement status value can then be set in such a way that it indicates whether a specific measured value in the set interval lies below the setpoint interval. It can also be distinguished whether the measured value is above the desired interval or below the desired interval.

A particular advantage of the control unit according to the invention is that the control unit can also record measured values. These measurements can be recorded as reference values during a reference operation. A reference operation can be for example undisturbed flight. For all measured values, relevant measured values can then be determined during a flight, which can be classified as "undisturbed" independently of these measured values.

Such a control unit is expedient in particular if in the first Storage unit or in a second additional storage unit, a plurality of object status values is stored. In this way, a plurality of measurement status values can be assigned a plurality of object status values. Together with the corresponding object status values, interpretations or evaluations can also be stored. Such an object status value may be, for example, "normal flight operation". Another value could be "disturbed flight operations". This value may additionally be associated with a score, such as "low noise" or "high noise". In this way, due to this overall complex process, difficult-to-determine object status values can be displayed even with simple control units. For example, it is difficult with conventional control units to reliably detect special states of the flying object, such as icing of the wings.

The object status value is obtained from a plurality of measurement status values and from a generally even larger number of measured values. It is therefore, so to speak, a condensed or higher quality value. Accordingly, the plurality of object status values output are smaller than the plurality of measurement status values. For the purposes of the invention, this third plurality of object status values is advantageously more than three times or more than five times or even more than ten times smaller than the second plurality, the plurality of measurement status values.

Also useful is a control unit in which probabilities for the occurrence of certain states are stored in a memory unit, for example the first memory unit, the second memory unit or a further, third memory unit. In particular, it is contemplated that probabilities for the occurrence of certain object status values are stored, which may occur depending on certain measurement status values. This makes it possible to ignore or slightly weight certain measurement status values when determining the object status if their relevance to determining a particular object status appears low. It would even be possible in such a system to ignore an important but (currently) unreliable sensor, even if it appears relevant to its reading. For example, an attempt can be made to generate a height indication (as object status value) when the altimeter is defective

Especially with unmanned aerial vehicles, it is very important to effect a reliable ground control of the flying object. For this purpose, the control unit can advantageously be connected to a strong radio connection, which allows the transmission of the object status values to a ground station. In addition, the measurement status values can also be sent to the ground station. However, this is not required in the sense of the present invention. Rather, it is possible to maintain a relatively compact control unit on board a flying object and to carry out a first evaluation of the measured data there. Because of this first evaluation, then (per time interval) only a single value, namely an object status value, is to be transmitted. This allows the efficient control of an unmanned aerial vehicle, even if the aircraft is at a great distance and the radio link may not be satisfactory in terms of capacity and speed.

• a. Aufzeichnung von Messwerten, welche von Sensoren erzeugt werden
• b. Weiterleiten der Messwerte an eine Kontrolleinheit
• c. Vergleich der Messwerte mit gespeicherten Referenzwerten
• d. Zuordnen eines Messungs-Status-Wert zu jedem der ausgewählen Messwerte
• e. Zuordnen eines Objekt-Status-Wertes zu den ausgewählten Messwerten

For the purposes of the present invention, a method for controlling the status of a flying object can also be used. This method comprises the following steps, preferably in the order of their enumeration:

• a. Recording of measured values, which are generated by sensors
• b. Forwarding the measured values to a control unit
• c. Comparison of measured values with stored reference values
• d. Associate a measurement status value to each of the selected measurements
• e. Assign an object status value to the selected measurements

After step c, the selection of measured values can take place as a further step. In this way, a second, small plurality can be formed from the first plurality. The selection can be made on the basis of a presetting of the control unit, it can be done due to a variable, preferably still in (flight) operation variable setting and it can be done on the basis of a selection algorithm in the control system. The selection algorithm can thereby assign quality characteristics to the measured values, expediently by means of comparison with reference values, and on the basis of these quality characteristics, to give these measured values a specific influence on the object status value. The influence can be larger, smaller or even zero. This step can also be combined with step d in an algorithm.

Furthermore, a method is particularly advantageous in which, prior to the listed measuring steps, reference values are determined on the basis of measurements during a reference operation of the flying object. This determination can be made by input from a human operator, or it can be done in its own automated algorithm. The definition of such measured values during a reference operation is therefore special advantageous because sensors typically have a certain error width. It is therefore possible to detect this error width during flight operation and to set corresponding desired intervals. Also, every flying object and every sensor generates specific values and deviations. Therefore, the adaptation of the reference values to the flying object in a reference mode is particularly desirable. In combination with the compression of measured values on an object status value, this results in a particularly efficient control of the flight operation.

In the present case, the control unit for a flying object and the corresponding method are initially used to obtain status information about the object. This status information can be evaluated for an unmanned aerial object, for example by an operator on the ground. This can then intervene in the flight of the flying object. But it is also possible that the control unit is connected directly to a control unit. This can be done via a ground station or directly inside the flying object.

Furthermore, the control unit is also suitable for controlling certain critical functions of the flying object. In military application is a particularly critical function of the use of weapons. The control unit can then first check whether the flying object is in a suitable state for use in weapons. The control unit could also be used to analyze whether the deployment order for the use of weapons is reliable or could cause some doubt. This comes into question in particular when the use of weapons depends on the decision of several operators or on several parameters, so that the signals are to be checked for consistency.

Other features, but also advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following drawings and the accompanying description. In the figures and in the accompanying descriptions, features of the invention are described in combination. However, these features may also be included in other combinations of an article of the invention. Each disclosed feature is thus also to be regarded as disclosed in technically meaningful combinations with other features. The (partly slightly simplified, schematic) illustrations show:

1 explains the basic principle of the comparison of measured values and reference values and the output of an object status value;

2 shows different constellations for the generation of an object status value;

3 illustrates the generation of an object status value from a selection of measurements;

4 illustrates the generation of reference values during a reference operation.

With respect to the figures, it should be noted that they illustrate certain concepts that are significant to the invention. They do not represent an actual illustration of the control unit.

As 1 shows, the starting point for the control unit or for the method is a multiplicity of measured values. Three measured values are shown, but realistic are certainly also more measured values, eg 10, 15, 20 or more measured values. These measured values are compared with reference values. Each reading is assigned specific reference values. By comparing the measured value with the reference value, a value for the measurement status is generated in each case. Here a is generated by comparing the measured value with the assigned reference value. As explained, this can be a quantitative or qualitative assessment of the measured value. An object status value (OS) is then generated from the resulting series of status values (MS).

In 2 Different situations for measured values relative to reference values are shown in more detail. The starting point here are again three measured values. For each measured value, a lower reference value (R _iu ) and an upper reference value (R _io ) exist. The corresponding value pairs form nominal intervals for the measured values. In the first illustrated constellation (case (a)), all measured values are in the desired interval. Accordingly, measurement status values are set (MS _i ). The (+) sign should indicate that the measured values are within the target interval. From this, an object status value can be generated. For example, in the first illustrated case, the object status value may be "normal flight situation". This is simplified by the rating (+).

In the second illustrated case (case (b)), a measured value is above the upper limit of the reference value. This results in a different status value (OS2). This is rated negative here. It could, for example, be a mechanical defect on the tail.

In case (c) the situation is similar, but here is also the third reading outside the set interval. It is greater than the upper limit. As shown, however, this situation does not require a different status of the measurement status for the measurement status. Again the object status of case (b) (OS2) is reached.

In case (d), the third measured value is below the lower reference value. In this case, another object status is reached. It is also an object status that is evaluated negatively, indicated by the "(-)". It should be noted that the rating can be permanently linked to an object status or an identical object status can be assessed differently. For example, if the object status is "icing," that score may either depend on a variety of measurement status values, or it may depend solely on a single measurement status value and the magnitude of its deviation from the reference value. The rating could then be, for example, "low,""strong," or "dangerous."

Case (e) describes a situation in which two readings are outside the reference. There is no pre-stored object status associated with this situation. An operator is then notified that an extraordinary flight situation exists for which no known object status is stored. In this way, it is also possible to detect unusual object states with the control unit according to the invention. Such unusual object conditions can be achieved for example by wear on one or more components. The control system and the corresponding method allow an early warning and give the pilot or an outside of the flying object operator the opportunity to intervene early.

3 indicates a situation where four readings are available. In this situation, however, only three out of the four readings are selected, and only these are assigned a measurement status value. Only from these values an object status is generated. In the context of the present method, it is also conceivable that the control unit calculates the object status on the basis of a variable selection of measured values. Individual values can be omitted, for example, if their value appears to be particularly unimportant.

4 shows another very interesting aspect of the invention. In the previous illustrative graphs, the starting point has always been a multitude of measured values. This was then assigned a status value as a result. However, in the context of the present invention it is expedient to also be able to operate the control unit in a reference mode. Then the object status is given. For example, it can be observed independently, in the simplest case even by eye or by an on-board pilot. Measured values are then recorded for this object status. Based on these measured values, reference values can be formed, for example in each case two reference values which indicate a desired interval for the measured values. This method takes into account the fact that with each flying object, even with otherwise identical flying objects, individual sensors do not produce completely identical measured values. It may also be that different flight situations are provided for different flying objects, and indeed even different identical flying objects. The control system can then be flexibly adapted to such needs. In rough weather, for example, flight situations can be regarded as normal, which in quiet weather could be regarded as an indication of a defect in the flying object. Thus, the control system even allows the control unit to be adapted in the event of a different use of a flying object.

Overall, the present general description and the more specific description with reference to the graphs has shown that the present invention has a wide range of applications and allows in a novel way, the very light, but also reliable control of a flying object.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• JP 8324498A [0003]
• GB 2315138 A [0004]
• US 2004/030448 A [0005]
• EP 1956451 A1 [0006]
• DE 102008020534 A1 [0007]

Claims (10)

Control unit for a flying object, which has a plurality of sensors, which generate at least one measured value, so that a first plurality of measured values is generated, wherein at least one forwarding device is provided, which forwards the measured values to a control unit and wherein the control unit via a first Memory unit having a plurality of reference values stored therein, and further comprising a second plurality of measurement values which is a selection of two or more measurement values from the first plurality, characterized in that at least one of the second plurality of measurement values is provided for each measurement value Reference value is stored in the first memory unit and each measured value from the second plurality is compared with a comparison algorithm executed by the control unit with at least one reference value and then the comparison algorithm outputs a measurement status value and the Kontrollsy system assigns an object status value to the flight object, which value is calculated as a function of all measurement status values. Control unit for a flying object according to claim 1, in which two reference values are stored for each measured value. Control unit for a flying object according to one of the preceding claims, in which the control unit can record reference values during a reference operation. Control unit for a flying object according to one of the preceding claims, in which the control unit stores in the first memory unit or in an additional second memory unit a third plurality of object status values. A flying object control unit according to the preceding claim, wherein the third plurality is smaller than the second plurality by a factor of three or more.  A flying object control unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the association of object status values with the plurality of measurement status values takes into account probability values. Control unit for a flying object according to one of the preceding claims, wherein one or more object status values are transmitted to a ground station. Method for controlling the status of a flying object which comprises the following steps: a. Recording of measured values, which are generated by sensors b. Forwarding the measured values to a control unit c. Comparison of measured values with stored reference values d. Associate a measurement status value to each metric e. Assigning an object status value to a plurality of measured values Method according to the preceding claim, in which a variable selection of measured values or measurement status values takes place before the object status value is assigned. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the reference values are determined on the basis of measurements during a reference operation of the flying object.

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