Patent ID: 8185255

Claim:
A method for providing actual control effector command signals which allocate real time control authority among the control effectors of a vehicle for the execution of commanded maneuvers that are received as reference command signals which identify the control actions to be performed and the vehicle control axes in which those actions must be performed to enable vehicle execution of the commanded maneuver, the actual control effector command signal allocating control authority among those vehicle control effectors capable of producing the necessary control actions in the required vehicle control axes in satisfaction of the reference command signal, with consideration given in such control allocation to at least one of the possible nonlinear and non-monotonic effects each of the performing control effectors may have on the vehicle and on each other, the method comprising: apportioning the reference command signals among a suite of virtual control effectors having control authority to perform the commanded maneuvers, such apportions being identified as virtual control effector signals which command performance of their assigned portion of the reference command signal by their associated virtual control effector, such suite of virtual control effectors being present in such number as necessary to accommodate apportionment of all control actions as may be required by the reference command signals in pre-selected vehicle control axes; mapping the performance commanded of each of the virtual control effectors by their associated virtual control effector command signals, into actual control effector command signals which actuate those of the vehicle control effectors as are identified as capable, individually or in combination, of performance which achieves the control actions required by the reference command signal, wherein mapping comprises prioritizing the actuation of those vehicle control effectors elected for performance of the control actions to achieve the control actions required by the reference command signal in each of the vehicle control axes when the reference command signal in each of the vehicle control axes cannot be satisfied simultaneously; and modifying the virtual control effector signals using a stable feedback loop which accommodates for at least one of such nonlinear and non-monotonic performance effects as are predicted, in response to the present control effector command signals, to occur on the vehicle or on the vehicle control effectors.