Methods and apparatus of tracking moving targets from air vehicles

• US 10,101,750 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Querejeta Masaveu, Carlos, Navarro Felix, Francisco A., Valls Hernandez, Ernesto, Hayes, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US15/227,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20170038781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 40/00 On-board mechanical arrangements for adjusting control surfaces or rotors; On-board mechanical arrangements for in-flight adjustment of the base configuration control of position, course, altitude or attitude of air or space vehicles, e.g. automatic pilot, G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

Methods and apparatus of tracking moving targets from air vehicles are disclosed. An example method in response to an estimated speed and an estimated location of a moving target, determines a detectability zone surrounding the moving target; and causes an air vehicle to follow the moving target outside of the detectability zone.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

in response to an estimated speed and an estimated location of a moving target, determining a detectability zone surrounding the moving target; and

causing an air vehicle to follow the moving target outside of the detectability zone including;

1) determining a reference location of the air vehicle relative to the estimated location of the moving target, the reference location being outside of the detectability zone; and

2) determining a guidance reference to cause the air vehicle to follow the moving target.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detectability zone is a first detectability zone, further including determining a second detectability zone associated with a boundary beyond which the air vehicle is unlikely to detect the moving target.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the boundary is a first boundary and the reference location is determined based on a second boundary of the detectability zone and the first boundary.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if the estimated speed of the moving target is less than a minimum speed of the air vehicle, further including causing the air vehicle to traverse an area between the first boundary and the second boundary.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the guidance reference includes at least one of a course for the air vehicle to fly, a speed for the air vehicle to fly, and an altitude for the air vehicle to fly.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the reference location and the guidance reference are determined based on a behavior policy of the air vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the behavior policy includes at least one of a maximum speed of the air vehicle or a minimum speed of the air vehicle.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the speed is determined based on wind velocity local to the air vehicle.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the speed is determined based on a difference between the estimated location of the moving target and the reference location of the air vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the difference between the estimated location of the moving target and the reference location of the air vehicle is determined based on 1) an angular deviation between an actual location of the air vehicle and the reference location of the air vehicle;

and

     2) a radial deviation between the actual location of the air vehicle and the reference location of the air vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the angular deviation is associated with the angular deviation between a first projection on a horizontal plane that links the moving target and the air vehicle and a second projection on the horizontal plane that links the moving target with the reference location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the radial deviation is associated with the radial deviation between a first circumference centered on the moving target and passing along the first projection and a second circumference centered on the moving target and passing along the second projection.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the detectability zone defines a circular area in which the moving target is disposed adjacent a center of the circular area.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

in response to an estimated speed and an estimated location of a moving target, determining a detectability zone surrounding the moving target based on one or more of a probability that sound emitted by an air vehicle is detectable at the moving target or a probability that the air vehicle is visually detectable from the moving target; and

causing an air vehicle to follow the moving target outside of the detectability zone.

14. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

in response to an estimated speed and an estimated location of a moving target, determining a detectability zone surrounding the moving target; and

causing an air vehicle to follow the moving target outside of the detectability zone based on the estimated speed of the moving target in relation to a maximum speed of the air vehicle and a minimum speed of the air vehicle.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

in response to an estimated speed and an estimated location of a moving target, determining a detectability zone surrounding the moving target; and

causing an air vehicle to follow the moving target outside of the detectability zone along an estimated trajectory, the estimated trajectory determined when the estimated speed of the moving target is greater than a maximum speed of the air vehicle.

16. An article of manufacture comprising instructions, which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

in response to an estimated speed and an estimated location of a moving target, determine a first detectability zone surrounding a moving target;

cause an air vehicle to follow the moving target outside of the first detectability zone; and

determine a second detectability zone associated with a boundary beyond which the air vehicle is unlikely to detect the moving target.

17. An article of manufacture comprising instructions, which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

in response to an estimated speed and an estimated location of a moving target, determine a detectability zone surrounding a moving target; and

cause an air vehicle to follow the moving target outside of the detectability zone including;

1) determining a reference location of the air vehicle relative to the estimated location of the moving target, the reference location being outside of the detectability zone; and

2) determining a guidance reference to cause the air vehicle to follow the moving target.