Autonomous vessel for unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) carrier operations

• US 10,065,717 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SparkCognition Inc.
• Original Assignee: SparkCognition Inc.
• Inventors: Husain, Syed Mohammad Amir, Allen, John Rutherford
• Primary Examiner(s): Olson, Lars A
• Application Number:
  US15/704,855
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 114 201, 114316, 114317, 114318, 114319, 244 63
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/16 Submarines
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/50 Vessels or floating structures for aircraft aircraft carriers B63G11/00; flying-boat hulls, other flotation means for aircraft B64
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/004 autonomously operating
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/15 for conventional or electronic warfare
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/20 for releasing or capturing UAVs in flight by another aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/84 Waterborne vehicles

Abstract

An autonomous vessel comprises a hull. The hull contains a plurality of subsystems. The subsystems comprise a sensor subsystem configured to sense potential target information regarding a potential target, a database subsystem configured to store target characterization information, a processing subsystem coupled to the sensing subsystem and to the database subsystem, and an ordnance subsystem. The processing subsystem is configured to process the potential target information according to the target characterization information to confirm the potential target as being a confirmed target. The ordnance subsystem comprises an ordnance magazine configured to store ordnance, the ordnance deliverable by an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). The ordnance is deployable against the confirmed target.

Claims

1. An autonomous vessel comprising:

a hull, the hull containing a plurality of subsystems, the subsystems comprising;

a sensor subsystem configured to sense potential target information regarding a potential target;

a database subsystem configured to store target characterization information;

a processing subsystem coupled to the sensing subsystem and to the database subsystem, the processing subsystem configured to process the potential target information according to the target characterization information to confirm the potential target as being a confirmed target; and

an ordnance subsystem, the ordnance subsystem comprising an ordnance magazine configured to store ordnance, the ordnance deliverable by an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the ordnance deployable against the confirmed target.

2. The autonomous vessel of claim 1, wherein the processing subsystem is configured to provide autonomous control of the autonomous vessel.

3. The autonomous vessel of claim 1, further comprising:

a communications subsystem configured to provide communication with a second vessel for coordinating engagement of the confirmed target.

4. The autonomous vessel of claim 1, wherein the UCAV is configured to communicate with a second UCAV deployable from the autonomous vessel for coordinating engagement of the confirmed target.

5. The autonomous vessel of claim 4, wherein the second UCAV comprises a second communications subsystem configured to communicate with the UCAV, wherein the second UCAV further comprises a second processing subsystem to plan cooperative engagement of the confirmed target by the second UCAV in coordination with the UCAV.

6. The autonomous vessel of claim 4, wherein the UCAV and the second UCAV are configured to deploy cooperatively with additional UCAVs to form an aerial minefield against the confirmed target.

7. The autonomous vessel of claim 1, wherein the confirmed target includes a cruise missile, anti-submarine-warfare (ASW) ordnance, or an ASW ordnance delivery system.

8. A system comprising:

an autonomous vessel comprising;

a sensor subsystem configured to sense potential target information regarding a potential target;

a database subsystem configured to store target characterization information;

a processing subsystem coupled to the sensing subsystem and to the database subsystem, the processing subsystem configured to process the potential target information according to the target characterization information to confirm the potential target as being a confirmed target; and

an ordnance subsystem, the ordnance subsystem comprising an ordnance magazine configured to store ordnance, the ordnance deliverable by a plurality of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), at least a portion of the ordnance expendable against the confirmed target.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of UCAVs is configured to operate autonomously and cooperatively.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of UCAVs further comprises:

a communications subsystem configured to provide communication with others of the plurality of UCAVs for coordinating engagement of the confirmed target.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of UCAVs further comprises:

a navigation subsystem configured to identify a respective location of a respective one of the UCAVs relative to the others of the plurality of UCAVs.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of UCAVs are configured to share the potential target information regarding the potential target among each other.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of UCAVs further comprises:

a tracking subsystem configured to track the confirmed target.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of UCAVs are configured to deploy cooperatively to form an aerial minefield against the confirmed target.

15. A method comprising:

deploying to a location via a navigation subsystem, a sensor subsystem, and a propulsion subsystem;

maintaining the location via the navigation subsystem, the sensor subsystem, and a dynamics subsystem;

maintaining readiness via a power subsystem, a processing subsystem, a database subsystem, and an ordnance subsystem;

coordinating operation via a communications subsystem, the processing subsystem, the database subsystem, the sensor subsystem, and a tracking subsystem;

confirming a target via the sensor subsystem, the tracking subsystem, the processing subsystem, the database subsystem, and the communications subsystem;

deploying a plurality of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) via the ordnance subsystem, the tracking subsystem, the processing subsystem, and the database subsystem; and

guiding at least one of the UCAVs to the target via the tracking subsystem, the communications subsystem, and the processing subsystem.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a tasking order via the communications subsystem.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the deploying the plurality of UCAVs comprises forming an aerial minefield of the plurality of UCAVs.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of UCAVs cooperatively develop an engagement plan for at least one of the plurality of UCAVs to expend ordnance against the target.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the maintaining the location comprises maintaining a standoff distance around a plurality of naval surface vessels.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the guiding the at least one of the UCAVs to the target comprises guiding several of the plurality of UCAVs to a plurality of targets to provide a counter-swarm defense.