Granted Patent B2

US 8,090,481 · App. 12/034,520 · Granted Jan 3, 2012

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A hands on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) for an aircraft, comprising:

at least eight switches, at least three of the at least eight switches each comprising:

a center terminal;

at least four switch positions that each electrically connect a respective position terminal to the center terminal, each position terminal electrically connected in parallel to a first electrical connector, each position terminal coupled to the first electrical connector through a respective resistor module, each resistor module having a total resistance value that is different from a total resistance value of each other resistor module; and

wherein each of the center terminals of the at least three switches are electrically connected in parallel to a second electrical connector.

2. The HOTAS of claim 1 , further comprising a control box coupled to each of the first electrical connectors and the second electrical connector, the control box comprising:

a detector capable of determining whether an actual voltage level associated with the four switch positions of each of the at least three switch switches is within a predetermined range; and

a controller capable of effecting a control operation for the aircraft based on the determination.

3. The HOTAS of claim 2 , wherein the control operation for the aircraft is selected from the group consisting of:

aircraft trim;

weapons select;

weapons release; and

target management.

4. The HOTAS of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least eight switches comprises:

a first terminal electrically connected through a resistor module to the first electrical connector of one of the at least three switches, the resistor module of the at least one of the at least eight switches having a total resistance value that is different from the total resistance value of each resistor module of the at least three switches; and

a second terminal electrically connected to the second electrical connector.

5. The HOTAS of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrical connectors are conductive wires.

6. The HOTAS of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrical connectors are coupled to a control box through respective pin interfaces of a bank of at least seventeen pin interfaces.

7. The HOTAS of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least eight switches are electrically coupled to a control box through bank of pin interfaces; and

wherein a total number pin interfaces of the bank of pin interfaces is no more than one greater than a total number of switches of the at least eight switches.

8. A method for controlling an aircraft by a hands on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) that reduces the number of required electrical connections, comprising:

selectively connecting, by the HOTAS, two interfaces of a controller for the aircraft, the selective connection being made through one of a plurality of possible paths, each path having an expected respective voltage drop within a predetermined range;

determining the selected one of the possible paths connecting the two interfaces by determining an actual voltage drop associated with the selected path;

effecting a control operation for the aircraft, by the controller, based on the determined selected path; and

electrically connecting a plurality of switches of the HOTAS to the controller through a plurality of interfaces, a total number of the plurality of interfaces no more than one greater than a total number of the plurality of switches.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of switches are four-way switches.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined range of the expected respective voltage drop of each path is mutually exclusive from each other path.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selectively connecting further comprises manipulating a four-way switch.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selectively connecting further comprises manipulating a two-way switch.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising coupling at least eight switches to the HOTAS; and

wherein the selectively connecting further comprises manipulating at least one of the at least eight switches.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the effected control operation is selected from a list consisting of:

aircraft trim;

weapons select;

weapons release; and

target management.

15. An aircraft control system comprising:

avionics equipment comprising a detector and a controller;

a hands on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) capable of selectively connecting two interfaces of the controller, the selective connection being made through one of a plurality of possible paths each path having an expected respective voltage drop within a predetermined range;

wherein the detector is capable of determining the selected one of the possible paths connecting the two interfaces by determining an actual voltage drop associated with the selected path; and

wherein the controller is capable of generating a signal, based on the selected path determined by the detector, that controls an operation for the aircraft; and

wherein a plurality of switches of the HOTAS are communicatively coupled to the avionics equipment through a plurality of interfaces, a total number of the plurality of interfaces no more than one greater than a total number of the plurality of switches.

16. The aircraft control system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of switches are each four-way switches.

17. The aircraft control system of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined range of the expected respective voltage drop of each path is mutually exclusive from each other path.

18. The aircraft control system of claim 15 , wherein the operation of the aircraft is selected from a list consisting of:

aircraft trim;

weapons select;

weapons release; and

target management.

Assignments (9)