IP Library Granted Patent US 12691998
Granted Patent B2
US 12691998 · App. 18/745,352 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

System and method for the prioritization of flight controls in an electric aircraft

Inventors: Joshua E. Auerbach (Waterbury Center, VT); Nicholas Moy (South Burlington, VT); Collin Freiheit (Burlington, VT)
Assignee: BETA AIR LLC
B64C29/0025B64C13/16B64C13/24B64D27/34B64D31/16G06F3/0481G06F16/275G06F21/6209G06Q10/101H04L63/102H04L63/123H04L67/10H04L67/1097
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691998
App. No.
18/745,352
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for the prioritization of flight controls in an electric aircraft is illustrated. The system includes a plurality of flight components, a sensor, and a computing device. The plurality of flight components are coupled to the electric aircraft. The sensor is coupled to each flight component of the plurality of flight components. Each sensor of the plurality of sensors is configured to detect a failure event of a flight component of the plurality of flight components and generate a failure datum associated to the flight component of the plurality of flight components. The computing device is communicatively connected to the sensor and is configured to receive the failure datum associated to the flight component of the plurality of flight component from the sensor, determine a prioritization element as a function of the failure datum, and restrict at least a flight element as a function of the prioritization element.

Claims (60)

1 . A system comprising:

a flight component configured at an electric aircraft;

a sensor configured at the flight component; and

a computing device configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from the sensor, an indication of a failure event associated with the flight component, wherein the flight component is configured to maneuver the electric aircraft;

determining, based at least in part on the failure event, a prioritization of the flight component; and

restricting, based at least in part on the prioritization of the flight component, control of a flight element by a pilot.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight element comprises one or more of:

a torque of the flight component,

a thrust of the flight component,

an airspeed velocity of the electric aircraft,

a groundspeed velocity of the electric aircraft,

an altitude of the electric aircraft,

a direction of the electric aircraft,

an orientation of the electric aircraft,

a yaw of the electric aircraft,

a roll of the electric aircraft,

a heave of the electric aircraft, or

a pitch of the electric aircraft.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the prioritization of the flight component is further based at least in part on a ranking, determined based at least in part on the failure event, of the flight component among a plurality of flight components configured at the electric aircraft.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight component is mechanically coupled to the electric aircraft.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the prioritization of the flight component is further based at least in part on a ranking of the flight element among a plurality of flight elements.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein restricting control of the flight element comprises preventing control of the flight component by the pilot or limiting control of the flight component by the pilot.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein restricting control of the flight element comprises:

receiving a pilot signal from a pilot control; and

restricting control of the flight element further based at least in part on the pilot signal.

8 . A method, comprising:

receiving, at a computing device configured at an electric aircraft, an indication of a failure event associated with a flight component of the electric aircraft, wherein the flight component is configured to maneuver the electric aircraft;

determining, at the computing device, based at least in part on the failure event, a prioritization of the flight component; and

restricting, at the computing device, based at least in part on the prioritization of the flight component, control of a flight element by a pilot.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the failure event comprises a failure of the flight component to produce at least a threshold amount of one or more of propulsion, thrust, or torque.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the failure event comprises a failure of the flight component to produce a level of thrust required to maintain at least one of an airspeed or a lift.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the failure event comprises a lack of detected motion of a control surface.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein restricting control of the flight element comprises:

receiving a pilot signal from a pilot control; and

restricting control of the flight element further based at least in part on the pilot signal.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the flight component comprises one or more of:

a propulsor,

a pusher component, or

a puller component.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein restricting control of the flight element comprises restricting control of one or more of a plurality of flight components by the pilot, the plurality of flight components comprising the flight component.

15 . A flight controller configured at an electric aircraft, the flight controller comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively connected to the processor, the memory comprising instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication of a failure event associated with a flight component of the electric aircraft, wherein the flight component is configured to maneuver the electric aircraft;

determining, based at least in part on the indication of the failure event, a prioritization of the flight component; and

restricting, based at least in part on the prioritization of the flight component, control of a flight element by a pilot.

16 . The flight controller of claim 15 , wherein restricting control of the flight element comprises:

receiving a pilot signal from a pilot control; and

transmit, to the flight component, based at least in part on the pilot signal and the prioritization of the flight component, instructions to control one or more of a plurality of flight components, the plurality of flight components comprising the flight component.

17 . The flight controller of claim 15 , wherein determining the prioritization of the flight component comprises ranking, based at least in part on the failure event, the flight component among a plurality of flight components configured at the electric aircraft.

18 . The flight controller of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second indication of a second failure event associated with a second flight component of the electric aircraft;

determining, based at least in part on the second failure event, a second prioritization of the second flight component; and

restricting control of the flight element is further based at least in part on the second prioritization of the second flight component.

19 . The flight controller of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise, based at least in part on the prioritization of the flight component, control of a second flight element configures at the electric aircraft by the pilot, wherein the second flight element is distinct from the flight element.

20 . The flight controller of claim 15 , wherein the flight component comprises one or more of:

a propulsor,

a pusher component, or

a puller component.