Patents by Inventor Bryan C. Chu

Bryan C. Chu 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: 11623740
    Abstract: A flight control system includes an active control inceptor, a flight control computer, and a force trim release. The active control inceptor includes a control member movable from a first position to a second position to command a vehicle-body rate and including a detent position that holds an attitude. The flight control computer generates a trim command from the second position, a reference position, and a vehicle-body state. With the force trim release selected when the control member is moved from the first position to the second position, the first position is designated as the reference position and the second position is designated as the detent position. Upon deselection of the force trim release with the control member at the second position, the second position is designated as the reference position and the trim command is designated as the detent position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Bryan C. Chu, Jacob Walrath, Gary D. Klein, Donald J. Hunter
  • Publication number: 20220266986
    Abstract: A flight control system includes an active control inceptor, a flight control computer, and a force trim release. The active control inceptor includes a control member movable from a first position to a second position to command a vehicle-body rate and including a detent position that holds an attitude. The flight control computer generates a trim command from the second position, a reference position, and a vehicle-body state. With the force trim release selected when the control member is moved from the first position to the second position, the first position is designated as the reference position and the second position is designated as the detent position. Upon deselection of the force trim release with the control member at the second position, the second position is designated as the reference position and the trim command is designated as the detent position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Bryan C. Chu, Jacob Walrath, Gary D. Klein, Donald J. Hunter
  • Patent number: 11148785
    Abstract: A flight control system having a plurality of dual mode operator control inputs is disclosed and includes a plurality of active parallel actuators, one or more processors, and memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores data comprising a database and program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the flight control system to receive a signal indicating an airspeed of the compound aircraft and select between rotary and fixed wing modes of operation based on the airspeed. In response to selecting a mode of operation, the flight control system sends either a rotary or a fixed wing force feel profile to the plurality of active parallel actuators, where the force feel profile defines the respective detent force gradient, where the fixed wing detent force gradient is at least about two times greater than a rotary wing detent force gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jaheen Noor Ahmad, Bryan C. Chu, Russell Enns, Gary D. Klein
  • Patent number: 11059568
    Abstract: A control system having a variable operator interface (VOI) is disclosed, and includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors. The memory stores program code causing the control system to detect an existence and first direction of an operator control input to one or more active inceptors being backdriven from an operator on inceptor detector (OID). The control system is caused to compare the first direction of the operator control input with a second direction of one or more zero-force detent rates to determine a variance and interprets the operator control input as inadvertent based on the variance. In response to interpreting the operator control input as inadvertent, the control system is caused to limit the operator control input to reduce or substantially eliminate movement of the machine caused by inadvertent input by modifying the operator control input based on one or more command modifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Bryan C. Chu, Joseph G. Irwin, Russell Enns, Gary D. Klein, Jon F. Lenander
  • Publication number: 20210061444
    Abstract: A flight control system having a plurality of dual mode operator control inputs is disclosed and includes a plurality of active parallel actuators, one or more processors, and memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores data comprising a database and program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the flight control system to receive a signal indicating an airspeed of the compound aircraft and select between rotary and fixed wing modes of operation based on the airspeed. In response to selecting a mode of operation, the flight control system sends either a rotary or a fixed wing force feel profile to the plurality of active parallel actuators, where the force feel profile defines the respective detent force gradient, where the fixed wing detent force gradient is at least about two times greater than a rotary wing detent force gradient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Jaheen Noor Ahmad, Bryan C. Chu, Russell Enns, Gary D. Klein
  • Patent number: 10908560
    Abstract: A control system for a machine having variable rate damping based control (VRDC) is disclosed, and includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors storing data comprising a database and program code that, when executed by the processors, causes the control system to receive an inceptor position from one or more active inceptors and calculate an operator command based on at least the inceptor position. The control system is caused to determine an amplitude of the operator command. The control system is caused to determine a variable gain based on the amplitude of the operator command and determines an actuation command based on the variable gain. The control system sends the inline actuators the actuation command. The inline actuators actuate into a total actuator position to variably damp movement of the machine as a function of the magnitude of the operator command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Joseph G. Irwin, Bryan C. Chu, Russell Enns, Gary D. Klein, Jon F. Lenander
  • Publication number: 20200290728
    Abstract: A control system having a variable operator interface (VOI) is disclosed, and includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors. The memory stores program code causing the control system to detect an existence and first direction of an operator control input to one or more active inceptors being backdriven from an operator on inceptor detector (OID). The control system is caused to compare the first direction of the operator control input with a second direction of one or more zero-force detent rates to determine a variance and interprets the operator control input as inadvertent based on the variance. In response to interpreting the operator control input as inadvertent, the control system is caused to limit the operator control input to reduce or substantially eliminate movement of the machine caused by inadvertent input by modifying the operator control input based on one or more command modifiers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Bryan C. Chu, Joseph G. Irwin, Russell Enns, Gary D. Klein, Jon F. Lenander
  • Publication number: 20200293004
    Abstract: A control system for a machine having variable rate damping based control (VRDC) is disclosed, and includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors storing data comprising a database and program code that, when executed by the processors, causes the control system to receive an inceptor position from one or more active inceptors and calculate an operator command based on at least the inceptor position. The control system is caused to determine an amplitude of the operator command. The control system is caused to determine a variable gain based on the amplitude of the operator command and determines an actuation command based on the variable gain. The control system sends the inline actuators the actuation command. The inline actuators actuate into a total actuator position to variably damp movement of the machine as a function of the magnitude of the operator command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Joseph G. Irwin, Bryan C. Chu, Russell Enns, Gary D. Klein, Jon F. Lenander