Aeronautics and astronautics – Aircraft control – Pilot operated
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-10
2001-08-14
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Aeronautics and astronautics
Aircraft control
Pilot operated
C244S194000, C244S195000, C244S203000, C244S204000, C701S014000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273371
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for interfacing a pilot with the aerodynamic state of the surfaces of an aircraft, in particular relating to the conditions of the boundary layer on the aerodynamic surfaces during the flight.
Furthermore the invention relates to a body interface provided on an aircraft comprising sensors which can be used on the aircraft surfaces to carry out this method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The existing interfacing systems of a pilot with the controls of an aircraft mainly are visual signals that come from the control board and from the outside. Furthermore, the pilot receives many sound signals in the form of radio communication and sounds coming always from the control board and from the aircraft.
Therefore, the visual and acoustic “channels” are almost saturated of data that are usually administered by an expert pilot.
On the other hand, in particular for pilots that conduct difficult flights, direct feedback is necessary from peculiar aerodynamic situations that can cause loss of control of the aircraft or that in any case need to be operated with skill to obtain certain results.
Furthermore, continuous monitoring systems of the boundary layer state present on the aerodynamic surfaces of an aircraft are not known in a way that are interfaced directly with the pilot.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for interfacing a pilot with the surfaces of an aircraft, in particular suitable to allow the a direct sensorization of the boundary layer conditions of the aerodynamic surfaces during the flight, by means of tactile senses, which after training are felt instinctively, in addition to visual and acoustic sensations already saturated by other data necessary for piloting an aircraft.
It is another object of the invention to provide a body interface which can be used by the pilot to carry out this method that allows the direct recognition of the boundary layer state of the aerodynamic surfaces.
It is a further object of the invention to provide sensors which can be used on the surfaces of the aircrafts to carry out this method that are suitable to be arranged on the surfaces of an aircraft and to be easily linked to a body interface, and which, in particular:
are not complex to manufacture;
have output signals clearly distinct for laminar or turbulent flow,
allow filtering the structural vibrations of the surfaces to which they are associated, for distinguishing them from the aerodynamic flow vibrations,
can be arranged on already existing surfaces,
be resistant to flow friction and to environmental action,
operate in a wide temperature range;
have a low aerodynamic drag, i.e. do not spoil substantially the air flow.
According to a first aspect of the invention, the first object is achieved by the method for interfacing a pilot with the aerodynamic state of the surfaces of an aircraft comprising the steps of:
arranging an array of airflow boundary layer state sensors on the aerodynamic surfaces of an aircraft;
connecting the array of sensors with an electronic sorting means;
connecting the electronic sorting means with a tactile sensations actuating means provided in a body interface suitable for acting on the skin of the pilot;
direct transmitting through the electronic sorting means a feedback of tactile sensations actuating signals that generate corresponding tactile sensations to said pilot responsive to signals of airflow boundary layer state of said aerodynamic surfaces.
In a preferred embodiment sensors are arranged on different aerodynamic surfaces of the aircraft and in different areas of a same aerodynamic surface. The tactile sensations actuating means of the body interface are sorted in groups, each group corresponding to a different aerodynamic surface and/or area of an aerodynamic surface. Furthermore, each group is located in a different portion of the body interface, whereby the pilot is capable of correlating the tactile sensations with the surface and/or area from which each signal is coming.
According to another aspect of the invention, an body interface, which can be used by the pilot to obtain the direct sensorization of the conditions of the aerodynamic surfaces of an aircraft during the flight, comprises a body interface in which are arranged tactile sensations actuating means suitable for acting on the skin of the pilot.
Preferably said tactile sensations actuating means are sorted in groups, each group being linked through electronic sorting means to the array of boundary layer state sensors arranged on different aerodynamic surfaces and/or area of an aerodynamic surface. Each group is located in a different portion of the body interface, whereby the pilot is capable of correlating the tactile sensations with the surface and/or area from which each signal comes.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a sensor which can be used on the surfaces of aircrafts to carry out the above method has the characteristic of being a microphone suitable for measuring the presence of relevant and disorganized peaks of the pressure waves representing the turbulent flow.
Advantageously, said microphone comprises a piezoelectric unimorphous membrane element. According to a particular embodiment said piezoelectric unimorphous element is linked to a an airflow activated vibrating mechanical element, or to a resilient plate, or to a tuft or ribbon, or to a block with resonant shape, etc.
Alternatively, the sensor comprises a piezoelectric tuft or is a Hall effect sensor associated to a flexible element comprising a magnet and arranged on the surface of the aircraft.
Further alternatively, the sensor comprises a force or. displacement detecting sensor-advantageously a piezoelectric element-linked to an aerodynamic flow induced vibrating mechanical element, or to a resilient plate, or to a tuft (tuft or ribbon), or to a block with resonant shape, etc.
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Best Christian M.
Jordan Charles T.
The Bilicki Law Firm P.C.
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