WO2014124621A1

WO2014124621A1 - Control unit for a flying object

Info

Publication number: WO2014124621A1
Application number: PCT/DE2014/000043
Authority: WO
Inventors: Burkhard WRENGER
Original assignee: Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe
Priority date: 2013-02-18
Filing date: 2014-02-07
Publication date: 2014-08-21
Also published as: DE102013202585A1; DE112014000878A5

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control unit for a flying object, which flying object comprises a plurality of sensors, which each produce at least one measured value, so that a first plurality of measured values is produced, wherein at least one forwarding device is provided, which forwards the measured values to a control unit, wherein the control unit comprises a first memory unit, in which a plurality of reference values is stored, wherein furthermore a second plurality of measured values exists, which is a selection of two or more measured values from the first plurality characterized in that at least one reference value is stored in the first memory unit for each measured value from the second plurality of measured values, each measured value from the second plurality is compared with at least one reference value by means of a comparison algorithm executed by the control unit and the comparison algorithm thereupon outputs a measurement status value, and the control system assigns an object status value to the flying object, which object status value is calculated as a function of all measurement status values. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method.

Description

Control unit for a flying object 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. In which

Flight object may be, for example, 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 is about both the

aerodynamic flying ability of flying objects as well as their propulsion as well as in many ways theirs

Control and control. Control and control, for example, is about controlling the way of the aircraft. It may also concern the condition of the flying object, in particular its safety and security

Fitness to be able to control.

Japanese Patent Application JP 8 324 498 A discloses a possibility for controlling the flight operation. 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. Because of this data can be controlled by servomotors

CONFIRMATION COPY the flying object is influenced so that it remains on its target trajectory.

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, location data and

Acceleration data. The data comes with setpoints

compared and the system should be a particularly accurate

Allow control of the flight path. It should be the

Be suitable for both manned aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. US patent application US 2004/030448 A shows methods for controlling mobile systems, in particular of

Weapon systems, on. 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 AI it becomes clear that in the control of unmanned aerial systems it can also be concerned, in a controlled way certain relevant

Trigger functions. Insofar offers itself for a

Control unit also on the control of such

Functions extended application possibility. German Offenlegungsschrift DE 10 2008 020 534 A1 discloses a manned or unmanned aerial vehicle and a method for rescuing the aircraft. From the registration it becomes clear that it is very difficult in all

Flight situations from the regular flight computer alone

To generate emergency signals that are reliable and error-free. Therefore, an additional self-sufficient emergency trip unit

intended. This emergency trip unit processes data of a height measurement. Before the start can be in a corresponding

Control means are entered a limit for a sinking speed. Will this sinking speed

exceeded, so the intended rescue procedure can be initiated by the self-sufficient emergency trip unit.

It is an object of the present invention to improve this prior art. In particular, should a

Control unit are offered for a flying object, which can evaluate a variety of sensor data very reliable. 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.

So in the present invention is about 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 go, which are mainly used in playful use. It can also be an unmanned aerial object for

act military. Such flying objects are called drones, or as UAV (an abbreviation for the English term "unmanned aerial vehicle") or as RPA

denoted (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 outside of that

Flying object, for example, in a ground station or in a mitbewegten flying object. The benefits of

However, the present invention is particularly large when the control unit is located 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

fitted. These may be, for example, sensors for measuring altitude, sensors for measuring temperature,

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 generate a first plurality of total

Readings. A sensor can also be understood to mean in general a measuring device.

These readings can be collected individually or bundled to one

Control unit to be forwarded. At least one forwarding device serves this purpose. For example, a cable comes into question. But it can also be a wireless one

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 is a variety of reference values

saved .

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

Readings. 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 off 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

Object, so in the present case in this case the flight object to assign an object status value. This object status value should be dependent on all measurement status values of the second plurality. Note that the object status value is a Assessment situation, where the evaluation is more complex than would be possible due to a single measurement status value.

While it is possible, for example, due to a

Measuring status value to classify a certain temperature as high or low, it would be due to the

For example, object status value would allow the flight object to be assigned the status "in a thunderstorm." In doing so, to determine such a weather situation would be above the

Measurement status value for the temperature, for example, also a measurement status value for the flight direction and

speed or used for the wind direction.

Particularly useful is a control unit for a

Flying object, if for each measured value two reference values

are stored. These two reference values can be used to form a reference interval. Useful is often a down and up reference interval, so that a first reference value is the lower bound of the

Reference interval forms 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 above the

Target interval or below the target interval.

A particular advantage of the control unit according to the invention is that the control unit also has measured values

can record. 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 can then be during a

Flight, which can be classified as "undisturbed" regardless of these readings, determine relevant readings. Such a control unit is expedient, in particular, if a multiplicity of. In the first memory unit or in an additional second memory unit

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 can also

Interpretations or ratings are saved. Such an object status value may be, for example, "normal flight operation." Another value could be

This value may be further associated with a score such as "low noise" or "high noise." In this way, even with simple control units, this complex procedure makes it difficult to determine

Object status values are displayed. 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 made up of a variety of

Measured status values and from a usually even larger variety of measured values won. It is therefore, so to speak, a condensed or higher quality value. It corresponds to that the multiplicity of

Object status values that are output are less than the plurality of measurement status values. In the sense 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.

It is also expedient to have a control unit in which, in a storage unit, for example the first storage unit, the second memory unit or a further, third memory unit probabilities for the occurrence of certain states are stored. Here it comes

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 weight certain measurement status values when determining the object status, if their relevance to the

Determination of a certain object status appears low. It would even be possible in such a system

Ignore important but (currently) unreliable sensor, even if it seems relevant to its reading. For example, it can be tried so, with a defective altimeter a height indication (as

Object status value).

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 for

Ground station to be sent. 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 located at a great distance and the radio link may be in view of their

Capacity and speed is not satisfactory. 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 listing: 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 ones

reference values

d. Associate a measurement status value with 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 may be due to a default of

Control unit, it can be due to a

changeable, 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 be used for the measured values

Assigning quality characteristics, expediently by comparison with reference values, and due to these quality characteristics, have a certain influence on these measured values

Measure 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 based on measurements during a reference operation of the

Flying object. This determination can be made by Input can be made by a human operator, or it can be done in its own automated algorithm. The definition of such measured values during a

Reference operation is particularly 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 applies that every flying object and each sensor specific values and

Deviations generated. Therefore, the adaptation of the

Reference values to the flying object in a reference mode 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 operations.

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. These

Status information may be for an unmanned aerial object

for example, be evaluated by an operator on the ground. This can then be in the flight of the flying object

intervention. 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 is particularly in question when the use of weapons depends on the decision of several operators or of several parameters, so that the signals are 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:

Fig. 1 illustrates the basic principle of the comparison of

Measured values and reference values and the output of an object status value;

Fig. 2 shows various constellations for the

Generation of an object status value;

Fig. 3 illustrates the generation of a

Whether ect status value from a selection of

Measurements;

Fig. 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 shown in FIG. 1, the starting point for the

Control unit or for the process a variety of measurements. Three measured values are shown, but realistic are also more measured values, e.g. 10, 15, 20 or more readings. These readings are taken with reference values

compared. Each reading is assigned specific reference values. From the comparison of the measured value with the

Reference value is generated in each case a value for the measurement status. 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. From the resulting series of

Status values (MS) is then generated an object status value (OS).

2 shows different situations for measured values relative to reference values. The starting point here are again three measured values. For each measured value, a lower reference value (Ri _u ) and an upper reference value (Rj _.0 ) 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 (MSj _. ). The (+) sign should indicate that the measured values are within the target interval. From this, an object status value can be generated. In the first illustrated case can

For example, the object status value is "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. However, as shown, the measurement status does not have to change from this situation

Situation in the object status. Again, the

Object status of case (b) (OS2) 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 negatively evaluated, indicated by the "(-)"

Note that the rating may be fixed to an object status or an equal 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 on the magnitude of its deviation from

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 recognize unusual object states with the control unit according to the invention. Such unusual Obj ektzustände 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. Fig. 3 indicates a situation in which four measured values are available. In this situation, however, only three of the four measured values are selected and only these are assigned a measuring 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 the

Object status due to a variable selection of

Calculated values. Individual values can be about then

be omitted if their value is particularly low

meaningful.

Fig. 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, there is in the context of the present invention expediently also the possibility of the control unit in one

To operate 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 correspond to a desired interval for the

Specify measured values. This procedure contributes to the circumstance

For each flight object, even with otherwise identical flying objects, individual sensors do not produce completely identical measured values. Also, it may be that for different flying objects, and even different ones

identical flying objects, different flight situations

are provided. The control system can then be flexibly adapted to such needs. In rough weather, for example, flight situations can be regarded as normal, which is considered in calm weather as an indication of a defect in the flying object could become. 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.

Claims

Control unit for a flying object, which has a plurality of sensors, each generating 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 has a first memory unit in which a plurality of reference values

wherein there is further stored 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 reference value is stored in the first storage unit and each for each measurement value from the second plurality of measurement values Measured value from the second plurality with one of the

Control unit is compared with at least one reference value and the comparison algorithm then a

Output the measurement status value and the control system assigns an object status value to the flight object, which 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

preceding claims, wherein the control unit record reference values during a reference operation can,

Control unit for a flying object according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit in the first memory unit or in an additional second memory unit, a third plurality of

Saves object status values.

Control unit for a flying object after the

The preceding claim, wherein the third plurality is smaller by a factor of three or more than the second plurality.

Control unit for a flying object according to one of the preceding claims, in which the assignment of object status values to the plurality of

Measurement status values Probability values

considered .

Control unit for a flying object according to one of the preceding claims, in 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 by sensors

be generated,

b. Forwarding the measured values to a control unit, c. Comparison of measured values with stored ones

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 occur 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.