Patents by Inventor Francois Kubica

Francois Kubica 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: 7463957
    Abstract: A method for operating an aircraft includes the steps of receiving guidance instructions and guidance parameters at a navigation computer, and transmitting automatic pilot instructions from the navigation computer to a flight control computer. The method also includes the steps of receiving control instructions and the automatic pilot instructions at the flight control computer, and generating operating commands at the flight control computer. In an automatic pilot mode, the operating commands are generated at the flight control computer based on the automatic pilot instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Airbus France S.A.S.
    Inventor: Francois Kubica
  • Patent number: 7260455
    Abstract: A system for operating an aircraft includes a navigation computer and a flight control computer. The navigation computer receives guidance instructions and guidance parameters, and outputs automatic pilot instructions. The flight control computer receives control instructions and the automatic pilot instructions, and generates operating commands based on the automatic pilot instructions in an automatic pilot mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Airbus France S.A.S.
    Inventor: Francois Kubica
  • Patent number: 7090172
    Abstract: A system and process for countering the vibrations induced in an aircraft by the windmilling of an engine fan may produce a first electric flight control command for a servocontrol to use in actuating a control surface of the aircraft. The servocontrol is slaved to the first electric flight control command, and the servocontrol's operation is limited to a reduced frequency band. Vibrations induced by the windmilling of the engine fan are monitored, and, when the monitored vibrations exceed a threshold, a second electric flight control command for application to the servocontrol is computed to oppose the induced vibrations. Also, the first and second electric flight control commands are summed to produce an overall control command for the control surface, and the servocontrol is temporarily slaved to the overall control command for operation in a widened frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: AIRBUS France
    Inventors: François Kubica, Dominique Briere
  • Patent number: 6986483
    Abstract: An inertial reference system for an aircraft includes two accelerometers and a gyrometer. One accelerometer is located at a front portion of the aircraft, the other is located at a rear portion of the aircraft. The gyrometer is located at a center portion of the aircraft. The system also includes a control computer linked to the accelerometers and to the gyrometer. The center portion can include the aircraft's center of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Airbus France S.A.S.
    Inventor: Francois Kubica
  • Patent number: 6976656
    Abstract: A method for controlling an aircraft includes the steps of receiving acceleration data related to an acceleration of a front portion of the aircraft, and receiving pitch, roll, and/or yaw rate data related to a rate of a center portion of the aircraft. The method also includes a step of generating a pitch, roll, and/or yaw command based on the acceleration data and on the rate data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Airbus France S.A.S.
    Inventor: Francois Kubica
  • Publication number: 20050075761
    Abstract: A method for operating an aircraft includes the steps of receiving guidance instructions and guidance parameters at a navigation computer, and transmitting automatic pilot instructions from the navigation computer to a flight control computer. The method also includes the steps of receiving control instructions and the automatic pilot instructions at the flight control computer, and generating operating commands at the flight control computer. In an automatic pilot mode, the operating commands are generated at the flight control computer based on the automatic pilot instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventor: Francois Kubica
  • Publication number: 20040245388
    Abstract: Process for countering the vibrations induced in an aircraft by the windmilling of a fan and system of electric flight controls implementing this process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicant: AIRBUS FRANCE
    Inventors: Francois Kubica, Dominique Briere
  • Publication number: 20040155155
    Abstract: An inertial reference system for an aircraft includes two accelerometers and a gyrometer. One accelerometer is located at a front portion of the aircraft, the other is located at a rear portion of the aircraft. The gyrometer is located at a center portion of the aircraft. The system also includes a control computer linked to the accelerometers and to the gyrometer. The center portion can include the aircraft's center of gravity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventor: Francois Kubica
  • Publication number: 20040155156
    Abstract: A method for controlling an aircraft includes the steps of receiving acceleration data related to an acceleration of a front portion of the aircraft, and receiving pitch, roll, and/or yaw rate data related to a rate of a center portion of the aircraft. The method also includes a step of generating a pitch, roll, and/or yaw command based on the acceleration data and on the rate data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventor: Francois Kubica
  • Patent number: 6772979
    Abstract: Method and device for reducing the vibratory motions of the fuselage of an aircraft. According to the invention, accelerometers (9, 10) are mounted on engines (M1, M4) of the aircraft (1) and, with the aid of the accelerometric measurements thus obtained and of the aeroelastic model of said aircraft, control commands (dZ, dY) to be applied to the ailerons (M1 to M4) so as to counteract the oscillations of said engines are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Airbus France
    Inventors: François Kubica, Christophe Le Garrec
  • Publication number: 20040153220
    Abstract: A system for operating an aircraft includes a navigation computer and a flight control computer. The navigation computer receives guidance instructions and guidance parameters, and outputs automatic pilot instructions. The flight control computer receives control instructions and the automatic pilot instructions, and generates operating commands based on the automatic pilot instructions in an automatic pilot mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventor: Francois Kubica
  • Patent number: 6694230
    Abstract: An aircraft with electrical fly-by-wire controls is equipped with an automatic pilot having a navigation computer producing automatic pilot instructions that are sent directly to a flight control computer. The flight control computer produces commands for operating the automatic pilot in respect of the actuators for control surfaces on the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Airbus France
    Inventor: François Kubica
  • Patent number: 6669139
    Abstract: According to the invention, in this aircraft, the elements of the inertial reference system are separated according to whether they are intended for navigation (CI) or flight control (5, 6, 7). The accelerometers (5 and 6) intended for flight control are arranged at a vibration antinode, while the gyrometers (7) dedicated to flight control are placed at a vibration node. The accelerometers (5 and 6) and the gyrometers (7) are connected to the flight control computer (12) and their measurements serve as flight control parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Airbus France
    Inventor: François Kubica
  • Publication number: 20030234324
    Abstract: Method and device for reducing the vibratory motions of the fuselage of an aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Inventors: Francois Kubica, Christophe Le Garrec
  • Publication number: 20030189129
    Abstract: According to the invention, in this aircraft, the elements of the inertial reference system are separated according to whether they are intended for navigation (CI) or flight control (5, 6, 7). The accelerometers (5 and 6) intended for flight control are arranged at a vibration antinode, while the gyrometers (7) dedicated to flight control are placed at a vibration node. The accelerometers (5 and 6) and the gyrometers (7) are connected to the flight control computer (12) and their measurements serve as flight control parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventor: Francois Kubica
  • Patent number: 6526338
    Abstract: An electrical fly-by-wire system for operating an aircraft rudder includes a low-pass filter, arranged between a rudder bar and an actuator of a rudder. The low-pass filter receives a control command from the rudder bar corresponding to the degree of travel the rudder bar has experienced from a neutral position. Based on the amplitude of the control command, the filter generates an operating command for the actuator. Additionally, the filter operates such that the higher the fraction of the rudder bar's travel away from the neutral position, with respect to its maximum value of travel, the higher the filter's time constant is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Airbus France
    Inventors: François Kubica, Daniel Cazy, Sylvie Marquier
  • Publication number: 20020022910
    Abstract: Electrical fly-by-wire system for operating an aircraft rudder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: Francois Kubica, Daniel Cazy, Sylvie Marquier
  • Publication number: 20020002428
    Abstract: Aircraft with electrical fly-by-wire controls, equipped with an automatic pilot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Inventor: Francois Kubica