Air vehicle navigation systems and methods using a common runtime aircraft intent data structure
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- determining an initial condition of a flight of an air vehicle;
determining a flight constraint;
determining, using a common runtime aircraft intent data structure (CRAIDS), an aircraft trajectory based on the initial condition and the flight constraint, wherein using the CRAIDS includes;
determining a number of degrees of freedom of the air vehicle;
determining a trajectory thread for each of the degrees of freedom, wherein each of the trajectory threads includes a series of instruction nodes including instructions that define how to fly the air vehicle according to the corresponding degree of freedom, and wherein each of the trajectory threads defines a branch of a hierarchical tree, the hierarchical tree including a root node defining the aircraft trajectory, the branches defined by each of the trajectory threads directly derived from the root node, such that each of the branches defines the aircraft trajectory according to a different one of the degrees of freedom;
determining, for each of the trajectory threads, the instructions of the corresponding trajectory thread that satisfy the flight constraint;
determining validity of each of the instructions of each of the trajectory threads;
establishing a trigger node including a trigger associated with each of the instruction nodes in each of the trajectory threads, wherein each of the triggers determines an end of validity of the associated instruction and a start of validity of a subsequent instruction within the corresponding trajectory thread; and
sequencing the instructions and the associated triggers in each of the trajectory threads to fly the air vehicle according to the instructions; and
performing the determined aircraft trajectory during the flight of the air vehicle.
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Abstract
Example air vehicle navigation systems and methods are described herein that utilize a Common Runtime Aircraft Intent Data Structure (CRAIDS). An example method includes determining an initial condition of a flight of an air vehicle, determining a flight constraint, determining, using a common runtime aircraft intent data structure (CRAIDS), an aircraft trajectory based on the initial condition and the flight constraint, and performing the determined aircraft trajectory during the flight of the air vehicle.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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determining an initial condition of a flight of an air vehicle; determining a flight constraint; determining, using a common runtime aircraft intent data structure (CRAIDS), an aircraft trajectory based on the initial condition and the flight constraint, wherein using the CRAIDS includes; determining a number of degrees of freedom of the air vehicle; determining a trajectory thread for each of the degrees of freedom, wherein each of the trajectory threads includes a series of instruction nodes including instructions that define how to fly the air vehicle according to the corresponding degree of freedom, and wherein each of the trajectory threads defines a branch of a hierarchical tree, the hierarchical tree including a root node defining the aircraft trajectory, the branches defined by each of the trajectory threads directly derived from the root node, such that each of the branches defines the aircraft trajectory according to a different one of the degrees of freedom; determining, for each of the trajectory threads, the instructions of the corresponding trajectory thread that satisfy the flight constraint; determining validity of each of the instructions of each of the trajectory threads; establishing a trigger node including a trigger associated with each of the instruction nodes in each of the trajectory threads, wherein each of the triggers determines an end of validity of the associated instruction and a start of validity of a subsequent instruction within the corresponding trajectory thread; and sequencing the instructions and the associated triggers in each of the trajectory threads to fly the air vehicle according to the instructions; and performing the determined aircraft trajectory during the flight of the air vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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determining an initial condition of a flight of an air vehicle; determining a flight constraint; determining using a common runtime aircraft intent data structure (CRAIDS), an aircraft trajectory based on the initial condition and the flight constraint, wherein using the CRAIDS includes; determining a number of degrees of freedom of the air vehicle; determining a trajectory thread for each of the degrees of freedom, wherein each of the trajectory threads includes a series of instruction nodes including instructions that define how to fly the air vehicle according to the corresponding degree of freedom; determining, for each of the trajectory threads, the instructions of the corresponding trajectory thread that satisfy the flight constraint; determining validity of each of the instructions of each of the trajectory threads; establishing a trigger node including a trigger associated with each of the instruction nodes in each of the trajectory threads, wherein each of the triggers determines an end of validity of the associated instruction and a start of validity of a subsequent instruction within the corresponding trajectory thread; and sequencing the instructions and the associated triggers in each of the trajectory threads to fly the air vehicle according to the instructions; and performing the determined aircraft trajectory during the flight of the air vehicle, wherein performing the determined aircraft trajectory includes; determining a set of operations to be performed by the air vehicle based on the determined aircraft trajectory, wherein determining the set of operations includes; updating a state vector of the air vehicle; assessing, based on the state vector, which of the instructions in each of the trajectory threads are still valid by evaluating the triggers and conditions in each of the trajectory threads; and determining operations to be performed so that, when executed by the air vehicle, the air vehicle flies according to the instructions that are still valid; and commanding the air vehicle to execute the set of operations. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method comprising:
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determining an initial condition of a flight of an air vehicle; determining a flight constraint; determining, using a common runtime aircraft intent data structure (CRAIDS), an aircraft trajectory based on the initial condition and the flight constraint, wherein using the CRAIDS includes; determining a number of degrees of freedom of the air vehicle; determining a trajectory thread for each of the degrees of freedom, wherein each of the trajectory threads includes a series of instruction nodes including instructions that define how to fly the air vehicle according to the corresponding degree of freedom; determining, for each of the trajectory threads, the instructions of the corresponding trajectory thread that satisfy the flight constraint; determining validity of each of the instructions of each of the trajectory threads; establishing a trigger node including a trigger associated with each of the instruction nodes in each of the trajectory threads, wherein each of the triggers determines an end of validity of the associated instruction and a start of validity of a subsequent instruction within the corresponding trajectory thread, and wherein at least one of the instruction nodes of at least one of the trajectory threads is a conditional composite node, the conditional composite node including at least two sets of instruction nodes with associated trigger nodes, wherein; a. start of validity of either set of instruction nodes of the conditional composite node is subjected to fulfillment of a condition of the conditional composite node; b. the fulfillment of the condition associated with a trigger in the trajectory thread that precedes the conditional composite node starts the assessment of the condition of the conditional composite node; and c. the fulfillment of the condition of a trigger in the conditional composite node that associated with the last instruction in either set of instructions of the conditional composite node starts the validity of an instruction in the trajectory thread that follows the conditional composite node; and sequencing the instructions and the associated triggers in each of the trajectory threads to fly the air vehicle according to the instructions; and performing the determined aircraft trajectory during the flight of the air vehicle.
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15. A method comprising:
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determining an initial condition of a flight of an air vehicle; determining a flight constraint; determining, using a common runtime aircraft intent data structure (CRAIDS), an aircraft trajectory based on the initial condition and the flight constraint wherein using the CRAIDS includes; determining a number of degrees of freedom of the air vehicle; determining a trajectory thread for each of the degrees of freedom, wherein each of the trajectory threads includes a series of instruction nodes including instructions that define how to fly the air vehicle according to the corresponding degree of freedom; determining, for each of the trajectory threads, the instructions of the corresponding trajectory thread that satisfy the flight constraint; determining validity of each of the instructions of each of the trajectory threads; establishing a trigger node including a trigger associated with each of the instruction nodes in each of the trajectory threads, wherein each of the triggers determines an end of validity of the associated instruction and a start of validity of a subsequent instruction within the corresponding trajectory thread, and wherein at least one of the instruction nodes of at least one of the trajectory threads is a loop node, the loop node including a set of instruction nodes with associated trigger nodes, wherein; a. fulfillment of the condition associated with a trigger in the trajectory thread that precedes the loop node starts the assessment of a main condition of the loop node; b. start of validity of a first instruction of the set of instructions including the loop node is subjected to the fulfillment of the main condition of the loop node; c. if the main condition of the loop node is not fulfilled, the validity of the loop node ends and starts the validity of an instruction in the trajectory thread that follows the loop node; and d. fulfillment of the condition of a trigger node that is associated with the last instruction node in the set of instruction nodes starts the assessment of the main condition of the loop node; and sequencing the instructions and the associated triggers in each of the trajectory threads to fly the air vehicle according to the instructions; and performing the determined aircraft trajectory during the flight of the air vehicle.
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16. A method comprising:
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determining an initial condition of a flight of an air vehicle; determining a flight constraint; determining, using a common runtime aircraft intent data structure (CRAIDS), an aircraft trajectory based on the initial condition and the flight constraint, wherein using the CRAIDS includes; determining a number of degrees of freedom of the air vehicle; determining a trajectory thread for each of the degrees of freedom, wherein each of the trajectory threads includes a series of instruction nodes including instructions that define how to fly the air vehicle according to the corresponding degree of freedom; determining, for each of the trajectory threads, the instructions of the corresponding trajectory thread that satisfy the flight constraint; determining validity of each of the instructions of each of the trajectory threads; establishing a trigger node including a trigger associated with each of the instruction nodes in each of the trajectory threads, wherein each of the triggers determines an end of validity of the associated instruction and a start of validity of a subsequent instruction within the corresponding trajectory thread, and wherein deletion of one of the instruction nodes deletes all sets of instructions included in the deleted instruction node; and sequencing the instructions and the associated triggers in each of the trajectory threads to fly the air vehicle according to the instructions; and performing the determined aircraft trajectory during the flight of the air vehicle.
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17. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
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determine an initial condition of a flight of an air vehicle; determine a flight constraint; determine, using a common runtime aircraft intent data structure (CRAIDS), an aircraft trajectory based on the initial condition and the flight constraint, wherein, to use the CRAIDS, the instructions cause the machine to at least; determine a number of degrees of freedom of the air vehicle; determine a trajectory thread for each of the degrees of freedom, wherein each of the trajectory threads includes a series of instruction nodes including instructions that define how to fly the air vehicle according to the corresponding degree of freedom, and wherein each of the trajectory threads defines a branch of a hierarchical tree, the hierarchical tree including a root node defining the aircraft trajectory, the branches defined by each of the trajectory threads directly derived from the root node, such that each of the branches defines the aircraft trajectory according to a different one of the degrees of freedom; determine, for each of the trajectory threads, the instructions of the corresponding trajectory thread that satisfy the flight constraint; determine validity of each of the instructions of each of the trajectory threads; establish a trigger node including a bigger associated with each of the instruction nodes in each of the trajectory threads, wherein each of the triggers determines an end of validity of the associated instruction and a start of validity of a subsequent instruction within the corresponding trajectory thread; and sequence the instructions and the associated triggers in each of the trajectory threads to fly the air vehicle according to the instructions; and perform the determined aircraft trajectory during the flight of the air vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification