Patents by Inventor Luke Dafydd Gillett
Luke Dafydd Gillett has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 11685515Abstract: A rotorcraft has a horizontal stabilizer movable about an axis of rotation and a horizontal stabilizer control system configured to control the horizontal stabilizer to at least one of move the rotorcraft into a minimum drag position, maintain the aircraft in a minimum drag position, efficiently achieve a maneuver, enter efficient autorotation, and maintain efficient autorotation.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2020Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Luke Dafydd Gillett, James Rigsby, Jeffrey Kirkman, Craig Lovell, Andrew Carter, Aaron Alexander Acee
-
Patent number: 11599111Abstract: A flight control computer (FCC) for a rotorcraft includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, with the program including instructions for providing main rotor overspeed protection. The instructions for providing the main rotor overspeed protection include instructions for monitoring sensor signals indicating a main rotor RPM, determining a target operating parameter, determining one or more flight parameters in response to a relationship between the main rotor RPM and the target operating parameter indicating a main rotor overspeed condition. Determining the one or more flight parameters includes determining a setting for a flight control device of the rotorcraft that changes the main rotor RPM, controlling positioning of a pilot control according to the flight parameters, and controlling the flight control device of the rotorcraft according to positioning of the pilot control.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2020Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventors: Christopher Mike Bothwell, Luke Dafydd Gillett, Jillian Samantha Alfred
-
Patent number: 11472535Abstract: A fly-by-wire system for a rotorcraft includes a computing device having control laws. The control laws are operable to engage a level-and-climb command in response to a switch of a pilot control assembly being selected. The level-and-climb command establishes a roll-neutral (“wings level”) attitude with the rotorcraft increasing altitude. The switch may be disposed on a collective control of the pilot control assembly (e.g., a button on a grip of the collective control). Selection of the switch may correspond to a button depress. The level-and-climb command may include a roll command and a collective pitch command. One or more control laws may be further operable to increase or decrease forward airspeed in response to pilot engagement of the level-and-climb command. The level-and-climb command may correspond to a go-around maneuver, an abort maneuver, or an extreme-attitude-recovery maneuver to be performed by the rotorcraft.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Robert Earl Worsham, II, Luke Dafydd Gillett
-
Patent number: 11312480Abstract: In an embodiment, a rotorcraft includes: a flight control computer configured to: receive a first sensor signal from a first aircraft sensor of the rotorcraft; receive a second sensor signal from a second aircraft sensor of the rotorcraft, the second aircraft sensor being different from the first aircraft sensor; combine the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal with a complementary filter to determine an estimated vertical speed of the rotorcraft; adjust flight control devices of the rotorcraft according to the estimated vertical speed of the rotorcraft, thereby changing flight characteristics of the rotorcraft; and reset the complementary filter in response to detecting the rotorcraft is grounded.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2019Date of Patent: April 26, 2022Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventors: Luke Dafydd Gillett, Sung Kyun Kim, Robert Earl Worsham, II
-
Patent number: 11208205Abstract: A rotorcraft including a main rotor, flight controls connected to the main rotor the main rotor, a plurality of engines connected to the main rotor and operable to drive the main rotor, a main rotor revolutions per minute (RPM) sensor, and a monitoring system operable to determine an engine failure of the plurality of engines. The monitoring system is further operable to engage an automated autorotation entry assist process in response to at least determining the engine failure and according to the measured main rotor RPM, where the automated autorotation entry assist process comprises the monitoring system generating one or more rotor RPM related commands according to at least a target main rotor RPM and the measured main rotor RPM, where the automated autorotation entry assist process further comprises controlling the one or more flight controls according to the one or more rotor RPM related commands.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2020Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventor: Luke Dafydd Gillett
-
Patent number: 11186357Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes: obtaining a first signal from a first sensor of a rotorcraft, the first signal indicating measured angular velocity around a first axis of the rotorcraft; filtering the first signal with a lag compensator to estimate angular position around the first axis of the rotorcraft; and adjusting flight control devices of the rotorcraft according to the estimated angular position and the measured angular velocity around the first axis of the rotorcraft, thereby changing flight characteristics of the rotorcraft around the first axis of the rotorcraft.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2019Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Jillian Samantha Alfred, Luke Dafydd Gillett, Robert Earl Worsham, II, Sung Kyun Kim
-
Patent number: 11136136Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of indicating flight modes of a rotorcraft includes: detecting a change in flight mode of the rotorcraft from a previous flight mode to an active flight mode, the active flight mode and the previous flight mode each being from one of a first subset or a second subset of a plurality of flight modes; determining whether the active flight mode and the previous flight mode are from different subsets of the plurality of flight modes; and updating one or more flight mode indicators on an instrument panel of the rotorcraft in response to the active flight mode and the previous flight mode being from different subsets of the plurality of flight modes.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2018Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Robert Earl Worsham, II, Morganne Cody Klein, Christopher M. Bothwell, Luke Dafydd Gillett, Jillian Samantha Alfred, Sung Kyun Kim, Stephanie Baynham, Troy Caudill
-
Patent number: 11117653Abstract: An rotorcraft including a pilot control, a pilot control position sensor connected to the pilot control and operable to generate a position signal indicating a position of the pilot control, a flight control computer (FCC) in signal communication with the pilot control position sensor and operable to provide a tactile cue in the pilot control in response to the position signal indicating the position of the pilot control exceeds a threshold associated with an operating limit, and further operable to determine a tactile cueing value for the tactile cue according to a relationship between the position of the pilot control and the threshold, and generate a cue control signal according to the tactile cueing value, and a tactile cue element connected to the pilot control and in signal communication with the FCC and operable to control action of the pilot control in response to the cue control signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2018Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventors: Charles Eric Covington, Bradley Don Linton, Thomas Earl Johnson, Jr., Luke Dafydd Gillett, Robert Earl Worsham, II, Jillian Samantha Alfred
-
Publication number: 20210107625Abstract: A rotorcraft has a horizontal stabilizer movable about an axis of rotation and a horizontal stabilizer control system configured to control the horizontal stabilizer to at least one of move the rotorcraft into a minimum drag position, maintain the aircraft in a minimum drag position, efficiently achieve a maneuver, enter efficient autorotation, and maintain efficient autorotation.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.Inventors: Luke Dafydd Gillett, James Rigsby, Jeffrey Kirkman, Craig Lovell, Andrew Carter, Aaron Alexander Acee
-
Patent number: 10926871Abstract: A rotorcraft including a control element, a control sensor connected to the control element, where the control sensor is operable to generate trim data indicating a displacement of the control element in relation to a trim position of the control element, and a flight control computer (FCC) operable to monitor the trim data and determine an active detent state of the control element. The active detent state is one of an in-detent state, an out-of-detent state, and an in-transition state. The FCC is operable to buffer a transition of the active detent state from the in-detent state to the out-of-detent state using the in-transition state. The FCC provides a first flight management function when the active detent state is the in-detent state or the in-transition state, and provides a second flight management function when the active detent state is the out-of-detent state.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2018Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventors: Jillian Samantha Alfred, Luke Dafydd Gillett, Bradley Don Linton, Robert Earl Worsham, II
-
Patent number: 10890924Abstract: An embodiment rotorcraft includes a rotor system including a plurality of blades; a control assembly operable to receive commands from a pilot; a flight control system (FCS), the flight control system operable to control flight of the rotorcraft by changing an operating condition of the rotor system; and a flight management system (FMS) in signal communication with the control assembly and the FCS. The FMS is operable to receive a target location and a plurality of approach parameters from the control assembly; generate a plurality waypoints between a current location of the rotorcraft and a missed approach point (MAP) based on the target location and the plurality of approach parameters; receive a command to engage in an approach maneuver from the control assembly; and in response to the command to engage in the approach maneuver, instruct the FCS to fly to the MAP.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2018Date of Patent: January 12, 2021Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventors: Robert Earl Worsham, II, Troy Caudill, Luke Dafydd Gillett
-
Patent number: 10860038Abstract: An embodiment rotorcraft includes a main rotor, one or more flight controls connected to the main rotor and operational to control flight characteristics of the main rotor by pitching a nose of the rotorcraft upward, and a flight control computer (FCC) operable to determine an attitude command and to generate an adjusted attitude command by adjusting a magnitude of the attitude command according to an above ground level (AGL) altitude of the rotorcraft. The FCC is further operable to control a flight characteristic of the rotorcraft by sending the adjusted attitude command to one or more flight controls.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2018Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventor: Luke Dafydd Gillett
-
Patent number: 10860037Abstract: A method for controlling a rotorcraft, including receiving, by a fly-by-wire (FBW) system of the rotorcraft, a pilot input that initiates an automated descend-to-hover flight mode, scheduling, by the FBW system, a descend plane for bringing the rotorcraft to a hover, and autonomously descending and decelerating the rotorcraft according to the descend plane in response to determining that the rotorcraft has entered the automated descend-to-hover flight mode and until the rotorcraft reaches a hover or the rotorcraft exits the automated descend-to-hover flight mode.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2018Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventors: Robert Earl Worsham, II, Luke Dafydd Gillett
-
Patent number: 10816999Abstract: In an embodiment, a rotorcraft includes: a flight control computer configured to: receive a first sensor signal from a first aircraft sensor of the rotorcraft; receive a second sensor signal from a second aircraft sensor of the rotorcraft, the second aircraft sensor being different from the first aircraft sensor; combine the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal with a complementary filter to determine an estimated vertical speed of the rotorcraft; adjust flight control devices of the rotorcraft according to the estimated vertical speed of the rotorcraft, thereby changing flight characteristics of the rotorcraft; and reset the complementary filter in response to detecting the rotorcraft is grounded.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Luke Dafydd Gillett, Sung Kyun Kim, Robert Earl Worsham, II
-
Patent number: 10802482Abstract: A flight control computer (FCC) for a rotorcraft includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, with the program including instructions for providing main rotor overspeed protection. The instructions for providing the main rotor overspeed protection include instructions for monitoring sensor signals indicating a main rotor RPM, determining a target operating parameter, determining one or more flight parameters in response to a relationship between the main rotor RPM and the target operating parameter indicating a main rotor overspeed condition. Determining the one or more flight parameters includes determining a setting for a flight control device of the rotorcraft that changes the main rotor RPM, controlling positioning of a pilot control according to the flight parameters, and controlling the flight control device of the rotorcraft according to positioning of the pilot control.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2017Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventors: Christopher Mike Bothwell, Luke Dafydd Gillett, Jillian Samantha Alfred
-
Publication number: 20200290733Abstract: A rotorcraft including a main rotor, flight controls connected to the main rotor the main rotor, a plurality of engines connected to the main rotor and operable to drive the main rotor, a main rotor revolutions per minute (RPM) sensor, and a monitoring system operable to determine an engine failure of the plurality of engines. The monitoring system is further operable to engage an automated autorotation entry assist process in response to at least determining the engine failure and according to the measured main rotor RPM, where the automated autorotation entry assist process comprises the monitoring system generating one or more rotor RPM related commands according to at least a target main rotor RPM and the measured main rotor RPM, where the automated autorotation entry assist process further comprises controlling the one or more flight controls according to the one or more rotor RPM related commands.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2020Publication date: September 17, 2020Inventor: Luke Dafydd Gillett
-
Publication number: 20200285232Abstract: A flight control computer (FCC) for a rotorcraft includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor, with the program including instructions for providing main rotor overspeed protection. The instructions for providing the main rotor overspeed protection include instructions for monitoring sensor signals indicating a main rotor RPM, determining a target operating parameter, determining one or more flight parameters in response to a relationship between the main rotor RPM and the target operating parameter indicating a main rotor overspeed condition. Determining the one or more flight parameters includes determining a setting for a flight control device of the rotorcraft that changes the main rotor RPM, controlling positioning of a pilot control according to the flight parameters, and controlling the flight control device of the rotorcraft according to positioning of the pilot control.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2020Publication date: September 10, 2020Inventors: Christopher Mike Bothwell, Luke Dafydd Gillett, Jillian Samantha Alfred
-
Publication number: 20200277041Abstract: A fly-by-wire system for a rotorcraft includes a computing device having control laws. The control laws are operable to engage a level-and-climb command in response to a switch of a pilot control assembly being selected. The level-and-climb command establishes a roll-neutral (“wings level”) attitude with the rotorcraft increasing altitude. The switch may be disposed on a collective control of the pilot control assembly (e.g., a button on a grip of the collective control). Selection of the switch may correspond to a button depress. The level-and-climb command may include a roll command and a collective pitch command. One or more control laws may be further operable to increase or decrease forward airspeed in response to pilot engagement of the level-and-climb command. The level-and-climb command may correspond to a go-around maneuver, an abort maneuver, or an extreme-attitude-recovery maneuver to be performed by the rotorcraft.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2020Publication date: September 3, 2020Inventors: Robert Earl Worsham II, Luke Dafydd Gillett
-
Publication number: 20200216165Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes: obtaining a first signal from a first sensor of a rotorcraft, the first signal indicating measured angular velocity around a first axis of the rotorcraft; filtering the first signal with a lag compensator to estimate angular position around the first axis of the rotorcraft; and adjusting flight control devices of the rotorcraft according to the estimated angular position and the measured angular velocity around the first axis of the rotorcraft, thereby changing flight characteristics of the rotorcraft around the first axis of the rotorcraft.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2019Publication date: July 9, 2020Inventors: Jillian Samantha Alfred, Luke Dafydd Gillett, Robert Earl Worsham, II, Sung Kyun Kim
-
Patent number: 10703470Abstract: A rotorcraft including a main rotor, flight controls connected to the main rotor, a plurality of engines connected to the main rotor and operable to drive the main rotor, a main rotor revolutions per minute (RPM) sensor, and a monitoring system operable to determine an engine failure of the plurality of engines. The monitoring system is further operable to engage an automated autorotation entry assist process in response to at least determining the engine failure and according to the measured main rotor RPM, where the automated autorotation entry assist process comprises the monitoring system generating one or more rotor RPM related commands according to at least a target main rotor RPM and the measured main rotor RPM, where the automated autorotation entry assist process further comprises controlling the one or more flight controls according to the one or more rotor RPM related commands.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2018Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventor: Luke Dafydd Gillett