Secure system for emergency-mode operation, system monitoring and trusted access vehicle location and recovery

• US 10,178,535 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2015
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Unmanned Aerial Systems ULC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aeryon Labs, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huber, Scott, McCallum, Nevin, McCabe, Sean, McDonald, Ian, Nagy, Thomas Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US15/504,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20180279105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 340902
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to an autonomous emergency system (EMS) for UAVs and UMVs. The autonomy of the emergency system enables the vehicle to self-detect that it is in an emergency state (autonomous detection). When vehicle detects the emergency state the vehicle is configured to implement an improved autonomous emergency system process. The vehicle triggers autonomous state change, and controls its operation (auxiliary, power levels, and so on). The vehicle has beacons to emit pulses over time intervals to communicate with specific vehicles. For example, when known, friendly, other vehicles come into a specific radius, the EMS detects the friendly vehicle(s) and sends safe signals. The EMS implements a pairing communication process based on pre-establish configurations and protocols.

Claims

1. A system for comprising:

an unmanned vehicle comprising;

an operations control having a first processor for, in response to control signals received from a vehicle control station, controlling operation, navigation and communication for the unmanned vehicle based on a normal mode and an emergency mode of operation;

an emergency system with at least one beacon and a second processor for transmitting and receiving emergency signals when an emergency state is activated to transmit over time intervals to communicate with other vehicles or stations and to implement a pairing communication process with the other vehicles or stations to authenticate the other vehicles or stations prior to transmission or emission of the pulse or signal notifications, wherein the transmission comprises the pulse emissions or signal notifications;

a recovery station having a third processor for establishing a secured wireless communication link with the emergency system to trigger or monitor the emergency mode of operation; and

wherein the emergency system receives a trigger control activated remotely by recovery station to control the beacon to transmit encrypted emergency signal messages as part of the pulse or signal notifications, where the beacon transmits and receives multi-mode notification messages with the other vehicles or stations when in the emergency mode of operation.

2. The system of claim 1, where the recovery station provides a user interface to control and establish a communication link with the operations control to control operation, navigation and communication for the unmanned vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, where the emergency system handles operations logging and filters and encrypts log messages for storing on a data storage device.

4. The system of claim 1, where the emergency system comprises a tamper proof ruggedized case and low-power separate energy source for the beacon.

5. The system of claim 1, where the emergency system comprises peripheral interface between the operations control and sensors, and an electronic interface between the second processor and other electronics of the unmanned vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, where the emergency system may trigger the beacon to emit the pulse signals automatically upon detecting emergency data conditions from sensors, or may inhibit the beacon permanently or temporarily until the trigger message is received and the other vehicles or stations are authenticated.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data storage system for storing sensor data and other emergency data as directed by a system monitor for logging filtered emergency data.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a system monitor for logging filtered emergency data to a data storage system.

9. An unmanned vehicle comprising:

an operations control having a first processor for, in response to control signals received from a vehicle control station, controlling operation, navigation and communication for the unmanned vehicle based on a normal mode and an emergency mode of operation;

an emergency system with at least one beacon and a second processor for transmitting and receiving emergency signals when an emergency state is activated to transmit over time intervals to communicate with other vehicles or stations and to implement a pairing communication process with the other vehicles or stations to authenticate the other vehicles or stations prior to transmission or emission of the pulse signals or notifications, wherein the transmission comprises pulse emissions or signal notifications;

wherein the emergency system receives a trigger control activated remotely to control the beacon to transmit encrypted emergency signal messages, where the beacon transmits and receives multi-mode notification messages to provide the signal pulses and to trigger an emergency flight mode;

a flight system for implementing the emergency flight mode in response to trigger control; and

a communication interface for establishing a wireless communication link between the emergency system and a recovery station to trigger the emergency mode of operation or communication by the beacon.

10. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein the system provides a user interface to control and establish a communication link between an external system and the operations control to control operation, navigation and communication for the unmanned vehicle.

11. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, where the emergency system handles operations logging using timestamps on signals from the beacon.

12. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, where the emergency system comprises a tamper proof ruggedized case and low-power energy storage for the beacon.

13. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, where the emergency system comprises a peripheral interface between the operations control and sensors, and an electronic interface between the second processor and other electronics of the unmanned vehicle.

14. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, where the emergency system may trigger the beacon to emit pulses automatically upon detecting emergency data conditions from sensors, or may inhibit the beacon permanently or temporarily until message received.

15. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a data storage system for storing sensor data and other emergency data as directed by a system monitor for logging.

16. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a system monitor for logging emergency data to a data storage system.

17. A system comprising:

an unmanned vehicle comprising;

an emergency system with at least one beacon and a first processor for transmitting and receiving emergency signals when an emergency state is activated to emit pulse notifications over time intervals to communicate with other vehicles or stations and to implement a pairing communication process with the other vehicles or stations to authenticate the other vehicles or stations prior to emission of the pulse notifications configurations and protocol;

a recovery station having a second processor for establishing a wireless communication link with the emergency system to trigger the emergency mode of operation when the emergency state is activated; and

wherein the emergency system receives a trigger control to control the beacon to transmit encrypted emergency signal messages, where the beacon transmits and receives multi-mode notification messages to provide signal pulses.

18. The system of claim 17, where the recovery station provides a user interface to control and establish a communication link with an operations control to control operation, navigation and communication for the unmanned vehicle.

19. The system of claim 17, where the emergency system handles operations logging by writing emergency data to a data storage device.

20. The system of claim 17, where the emergency system comprises a tamper proof ruggedized case and low-power energy storage for the beacon.

21. The system of claim 17, where the emergency system comprises a peripheral interface between the operations control and sensors, and an electronic interface between the first processor and the other electronics of the unmanned vehicle.

22. The system of claim 17, where the emergency system may trigger the beacon to emit pulses automatically upon detecting emergency data conditions from sensors, or may inhibit the beacon permanently or temporarily until message received.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising a data storage system for storing sensor data and other emergency data as directed by a system monitor for logging.

24. The system of claim 17, further comprising a system monitor for logging emergency data to a data storage system.

25. The system of claim 17 configured to implement a jettison for the signals.

26. The system of claim 17 configured to generate and store encrypted log messages relating to operation of the unmanned vehicle using one or more encryption keys received in response to one or more detected emergency events to activate the emergency state.

27. The system of claim 17 comprising a user interface with operation control elements to control operation of the unmanned vehicle based on a predetermined condition or a map-based activation.

28. The system of claim 17 comprising an system monitor to control encryption of data stored at a data storage device located on the unmanned vehicle based on one or more data types associated with the data, the data types including, flight variables, location information, sensor data, video or audio recordings, internal system variables, and emergency events.

29. The system of claim 17 comprising a system monitor to filter data collected by the unmanned vehicle and logging filtered data to a data storage device located on the unmanned vehicle or the emergency system.

30. The system of claim 17 configured to inhibit the one or more beacons in response to a state variable being activated, the state variable based on a map-based control so that the decision to inhibit is based on a location of the vehicle.

31. The system of claim 17 configured to inhibit the one or more beacons in response to a state variable being activated, and trigger single burst signals in response to a demand message.

32. The system of claim 17 configured to self-destruct in response to an emergency message or trigger.

33. The system of claim 17 configured to control the transmission or emission of the pulse notifications over increasingly longer time intervals.

34. The system of claim 17 configured to authenticate the other vehicles or stations prior to the transmission or emission of the pulse notifications.