Control apparatus

Claim 3

A control device for controlling the operation of associated equipment, for example apparatus on board an aircraft or road vehicle, the control device comprising a manually movable control member (5, 35, 55, 200, 301 an electrical stepper motor (6, 31, 51, 306) coupled to the control member, a sensor (18, 102, 12, 33, 52, 302) for sensing the position of the control member within its overall range of movement, a computer (1, 101, 318, 406) connected to the sensor and the stepper motor for energising the motor to produce a noticeable increase in resistance to said manual movement of the control member through at least one discrete detent position of the control member, and output means (2,14,33, 52, 302, 402) for transmitting a control action to said associated equipment dependent upon the position of the control member, characterised in that the control device further comprises signal supply means (103) for supplying to the computer (1, 101, 318, 406) signals indicative of at least one physical variable affecting said associated equipment and said computer is programmed to respond to said signals to vary the location of said detent position in dependence upon said physical variable.

Claim 4

A control device for controlling the operation of associated equipment, for example apparatus on board an aircraft or road vehicle, the control device comprising a manually movable control member (5, 35, 55, 200, 301 an electrical stepper motor (6, 31, 51, 306) coupled to the control member, a sensor (18, 102, 12, 33, 52, 302) for sensing the position of the control member within its overall range of movement, a computer (1, 101, 318, 406) connected to the sensor and the stepper motor for energising the motor to produce a noticeable increase in resistance to said manual movement of the control member through at least one discrete detent position of the control member, and output means (2,14,33, 52, 302, 402) for transmitting a control action to said associated equipment dependent upon the position of the control member, characterised in that the control device further comprises signal supply means (103) for supplying to the computer (1, 101, 318, 406) signals indicative of at least one physical variable affecting said associated equipment and said computer is programmed to respond to said signals to vary the location of said detent position in dependence upon said physical variable.

Claim 5

A motor driven vehicle comprising a control device according to claim 2, the control device being connected to control the operation of speed varying apparatus on board the vehicle, said signal supply means comprising transducer means for forming signals representing at least one physical variable which is linked with the operating economy of the vehicle, and the computer is programmed to calculate from said signals a setting of said speed varying apparatus optimised for said economy and to correspondingly locate said detent position in the range of movement of the control member.

Claim 6

A vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said control member comprises a foot operated accelerator pedal (4), the speed varying apparatus is a throttle controlling the supply of fuel to an internal combustion engine, and said setting of the speed varying apparatus is calculated for optimum fuel economy (figures 1, 2 and 3).

Claim 7

A vehicle according to claim 3 or 4, including switch means (22) connected to the computer (1) and operable for causing the computer to hold said control member at a position in which it has then been set by said operator.

Claim 8

A vehicle according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said computer is further operable for energising said motor so as to produce motor-driven movement of said control member, said parameter indicative signal supply means includes means for sensing the speed of said vehicle, and the control device includes switch means connected to the computer means and operable for causing the computer means to vary the position of the control member to maintain said vehicle speed at a constant value.

Claim 9

An aircraft comprising a control device according to claim 2, the control device being connected to control the throttle setting of an engine of the aircraft, said signal supply means being operable to supply a signal indicative of aircraft altitude, and the computer being programmed to vary the location of said detent in dependence upon said altitude.

Claim 10

An aircraft according to claim 7, said parameter indicative signal supply means being further operable to supply a signal indicating that the aircraft has landed and the computer being programmed to respond to the aircraft landed signal by increasing the energisation of the motor to lessen the possibility of said control member then inadvertently moving away from a low throttle- setting position thereof.

Claim 11

An aircraft according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said computer comprises an input connected to an autopilot computer on board the aircraft and is alternatively operable in response to signals received from said autopilot computer to energise said motor in a manner which produces movement of its mover part and of said control member.

Claim 12

An aircraft according to any one of claims 7 to 9, including pilot controllable switch means supported by said control member, switch signal receiving means (108) fixed with respect to the control device, and wireless transmission means (104, 105, 107) for transmitting signals indicative of the state of said switch means to the receiving means (Figure 4).