Patents by Inventor Marc Fervel

Marc Fervel 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: 11247768
    Abstract: A flight control system for an aircraft comprises a set of actuators for controlling the aircraft and a set of flight control computers only made up of a set of duplex type main computers and of at least one backup computer. All the main computers are configured to implement auto-pilot laws for the aircraft. The set of main computers comprises two computers from a first hardware type, configured to control actuators of the set of actuators as per a first tolerance level and two computers from a second hardware type, different from the first hardware type, configured to control actuators of the set of actuators as per a second tolerance level, less stringent than the first tolerance level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventor: Marc Fervel
  • Publication number: 20200164965
    Abstract: A flight control system for an aircraft comprises a set of actuators for controlling the aircraft and a set of flight control computers only made up of a set of duplex type main computers and of at least one backup computer. All the main computers are configured to implement auto-pilot laws for the aircraft. The set of main computers comprises two computers from a first hardware type, configured to control actuators of the set of actuators as per a first tolerance level and two computers from a second hardware type, different from the first hardware type, configured to control actuators of the set of actuators as per a second tolerance level, less stringent than the first tolerance level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventor: Marc FERVEL
  • Patent number: 9906469
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft control system, situated in the avionics bay, including a computer, a remote equipment, such as an actuator of control surfaces, and an AFDX network. The computer includes a first module and a second module, respectively connected to a corresponding first module and a second module of the equipment, by a first and a second virtual link sharing a common path through the network, the first and second virtual links being segregated by a separate encoding at the applicative level. A replication and/or frame switching device is connected, on the one hand, to the common port and, on the other hand, to the ports of the first and second modules of the equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Antoine Maussion, Arnaud Lecanu, Sylvain Sauvant
  • Patent number: 9694902
    Abstract: A device for making available navigation parameter values of a vehicle is provided. The device includes components distributed in the following categories: several sensors collecting measurement data relating to at least one navigation parameter of the vehicle; several computers processing the measurement data collected by the sensors and calculating said navigation parameters; several networks linking the sensors to the computers and linking the computers to systems using said parameters. The networks transmit all the collected measurement data to the computers, which calculate a value for each navigation parameter as well as an estimated value of the associated fault, using a single common fusion algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Alain Guillet, Gilles Tatham, Patrice Brot, Marc Fervel, Philippe Goupil
  • Patent number: 9081372
    Abstract: A flight control system for an aircraft, intended for controlling a plurality of actuators adapted for actuating control surfaces of the aircraft from information supplied by piloting members and/or sensors of the aircraft. The system includes a primary control system adapted for controlling a first set of control surface actuators and a secondary control system adapted for controlling a second set of control surface actuators, the primary and secondary systems being respectively powered by independent energy sources of different types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS S.A.S.
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Arnaud Lecanu, Antoine Maussion, Jean-Jacques Aubert
  • Patent number: 8903569
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for controlling a high-lift device or a flight control surface of an aircraft or spacecraft, especially with a system according to the present invention, comprising the steps of receiving, at least one first control unit, a command signal from a commander unit via a data network, providing a primary control signal to at least one secondary control unit via the data network, wherein the primary control signal depends on the received command signal, receiving, at the at least one second control unit, a sensor signal of one or more sensors of the high-lift device or flight control surface, and providing a secondary control signal to one or more actuators of the high-lift device or flight control surface, wherein the secondary control signal depends on the received sensor signal. Furthermore, the present invention discloses a system and an aircraft or spacecraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH, Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Ina Ruckes, Marc Fervel, Tobias Sebastian Rumpf
  • Publication number: 20140236395
    Abstract: A device for making available navigation parameter values of a vehicle is provided. The device includes components distributed in the following categories: several sensors collecting measurement data relating to at least one navigation parameter of the vehicle; several computers processing the measurement data collected by the sensors and calculating said navigation parameters; several networks linking the sensors to the computers and linking the computers to systems using said parameters. The networks transmit all the collected measurement data to the computers, which calculate a value for each navigation parameter as well as an estimated value of the associated fault, using a single common fusion algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Inventors: Alain Guillet, Gilles Tatham, Patrice Brot, Marc Fervel, Philippe Goupil
  • Publication number: 20140180504
    Abstract: The invention relates to an aircraft control system, situated in the avionics bay, including a computer, a remote equipment, such as an actuator of control surfaces, and an AFDX network. The computer includes a first module and a second module, respectively connected to a corresponding first module and a second module of the equipment, by a first and a second virtual link sharing a common path through the network, the first and second virtual links being segregated by a separate encoding at the applicative level. A replication and/or frame switching device is connected, on the one hand, to the common port and, on the other hand, to the ports of the first and second modules of the equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Inventors: Marc FERVEL, Antoine MAUSSION, Arnaud LECANU, Sylvain SAUVANT
  • Patent number: 8740155
    Abstract: An electric flight control system onboard an aircraft provided with flight control surfaces and controllers for controlling these surfaces, that include at least one local electro-hydraulic generator to supply hydraulic servocontrols connected to flight control surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Alexandre Gentilhomme
  • Patent number: 8600584
    Abstract: An aircraft control system in which a plurality of elementary control systems, corresponding to different aircraft functions, can share one or more sensors due to a common AFDX network. The transmission of commands is carried out via AFDX messages sent to network-subscribed actuators. Advantageously, the computers of the different elementary control systems installed in the avionics bay include generic computers hosting software specific to execution of respective functions thereof (IMA architecture).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Arnaud Lecanu, Antoine Maussion, Jean-Jacques Aubert
  • Patent number: 8600583
    Abstract: A flight control system for an aircraft, controlling a plurality of actuators adapted to actuate control surfaces of the aircraft, including: at least one communications bus; at least one computer situated in the avionics bay of the aircraft, and adapted to calculate flight commands and to transmit them over the bus in the form of command messages; and at least a first remote terminal connected to the bus, adapted to control a control surface actuator, and to acquire the state of the actuator from information provided by at least a first sensor, the first terminal receiving command messages from the computer and transmitting electrical orders to the actuator as a function of the command messages received in this way, and also transmitting messages to the computer, at its request, relating to the state of the actuator as a function of the information provided by the first sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Jean-Jacques Aubert, Antoine Maussion
  • Patent number: 8567715
    Abstract: The invention relates to a flight control system for an aircraft comprising control surfaces and actuators associated with the control surfaces to control flight functions, including roll, yaw, pitching, and aerodynamic braking of the aircraft. The actuators associated with the control surfaces that control at least one of the flight control functions are electromechanical actuators. A part of the control surfaces associated with the electromechanical actuators is divided, where each of the divided control surfaces is comprised of at least two independent surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Arnaud Lecanu, Antoine Maussion, Laurent Andrieu
  • Publication number: 20130166111
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for controlling a high-lift device or a flight control surface of an aircraft or spacecraft, especially with a system according to the present invention, comprising the steps of receiving, at at least one first control unit, a command signal from a commander unit via a data network, providing a primary control signal to at least one secondary control unit via the data network, wherein the primary control signal depends on the received command signal, receiving, at the at least one second control unit, a sensor signal of one or more sensors of the high-lift device or flight control surface, and providing a secondary control signal to one or more actuators of the high-lift device or flight control surface, wherein the secondary control signal depends on the received sensor signal. Furthermore, the present invention discloses a system and an aircraft or spacecraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicants: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.), Airbus Operations GMBH
    Inventors: Ina Ruckes, Marc Fervel, Tobias Sebastian Rumpf
  • Patent number: 8430354
    Abstract: Power takeoff means (46, 47, 60, 61) for this flight control system adjacent to the aircraft engines (41, 42) are all-electric and this makes it possible to reduce the length of hydraulic connections leading to actuators of the controlled devices (54, 55, 66). Electrical generators are of different types to minimize the risk of a generic failure. Characteristically of the invention, some generators (60, 61) have a constant voltage to frequency ratio and directly or almost directly control electro-hydraulic pumps (64, 65), without modifying the current characteristic and with no power electronics. Furthermore, system reconfigurations are made possible by additional electrical connections (69, 70, 71, 72) in case of failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Jean-Louis Lando, Alexandre Gentilhomme
  • Publication number: 20120109424
    Abstract: An aircraft control system in which a plurality of elementary control systems, corresponding to different aircraft functions, can share one or more sensors due to a common AFDX network. The transmission of commands is carried out via AFDX messages sent to network-subscribed actuators. Advantageously, the computers of the different elementary control systems installed in the avionics bay include generic computers hosting software specific to execution of respective functions thereof (IMA architecture).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: AIRBUS OPERATIONS (inc as a Societe par Act Simpl)
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Arnaud Lecanu, Antoine Maussion, Jean-Jacques Aubert
  • Publication number: 20120101663
    Abstract: A flight control system for an aircraft, intended for controlling a plurality of actuators adapted for actuating control surfaces of the aircraft from information supplied by piloting members and/or sensors of the aircraft. The system includes a primary control system adapted for controlling a first set of control surface actuators and a secondary control system adapted for controlling a second set of control surface actuators, the primary and secondary systems being respectively powered by independent energy sources of different types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: AIRBUS OPERATIONS (inc as a Societe par Act Simpl)
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Arnaud Lecanu, Antoine Maussion, Jean-Jacques Aubert
  • Publication number: 20110174921
    Abstract: The invention relates to a flight control system for an aircraft comprising control surfaces (111, 211, 331, 431, 541, 121-225), and actuators associated with said control surfaces to control flight functions of roll, yaw, pitching and aerodynamic braking of the aircraft. All of the actuators (111a1-211a2, 121a-225a) associated with the control surfaces controlling at least one of said flight functions are electromechanical actuators. A part of said control surfaces associated with the electromechanical actuators are divided control surfaces (111, 211, 331, 431, 541), each of said divided control surfaces being composed of at least two independent surfaces (113, 114, . . .
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: Airbus Operations (Societe Par Actions Simplifiee)
    Inventors: Marc FERVEL, Arnaud LECANU, Antoine MAUSSION, Laurent ANDRIEU
  • Publication number: 20110118906
    Abstract: A flight control system for an aircraft, controlling a plurality of actuators adapted to actuate control surfaces of the aircraft, including: at least one communications bus; at least one computer situated in the avionics bay of the aircraft, and adapted to calculate flight commands and to transmit them over the bus in the form of command messages; and at least a first remote terminal connected to the bus, adapted to control a control surface actuator, and to acquire the state of the actuator from information provided by at least a first sensor, the first terminal receiving command messages from the computer and transmitting electrical orders to the actuator as a function of the command messages received in this way, and also transmitting messages to the computer, at its request, relating to the state of the actuator as a function of the information provided by the first sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: AIRBUS OPERATIONS (INC AS A SOCIETE PAR ACT SIMPL)
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Jean-Jacques Aubert, Antoine Maussion
  • Publication number: 20100170999
    Abstract: The invention relates to a more electric flight control system onboard an aircraft provided with flight control surfaces and means of controlling these surfaces, that comprises at least one local electro-hydraulic generator (HPP1, HPP2) to supply hydraulic servocontrols (34) connected to flight control surfaces (31, 32, 33).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: Airbus Operations (Societe Par Actions Simplifiee)
    Inventors: Marc FERVEL, Alexandre Gentilhomme
  • Publication number: 20100170983
    Abstract: Power takeoff means (46, 47, 60, 61) for this flight control system adjacent to the aircraft engines (41, 42) are all-electric and this makes it possible to reduce the length of hydraulic connections leading to actuators of the controlled devices (54, 55, 66). Electrical generators are of different types to minimise the risk of a generic failure. Characteristically of the invention, some generators (60, 61) have a constant voltage to frequency ratio and directly or almost directly control electro-hydraulic pumps (64, 65), without modifying the current characteristic and with no power electronics. Furthermore, system reconfigurations are made possible by additional electrical connections (69, 70, 71, 72) in case of failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: Airbus Operations (Societe Par Actions Simplifiee)
    Inventors: Marc Fervel, Jean-Louis Lando, Alexandre Gentilhomme