Systems and methods for weather detection and avoidance

• US 10,255,818 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Oldach, Arnold
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US15/041,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20160232796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3- 14
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/00 Type of UAV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/30 for safety, e.g. with frangible components rotor guards B64U30/299
• 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: G01S 13/951 ground based
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Various vehicular systems may benefit from the appropriate use of detection and avoidance of potentially dangerous scenarios. For example, autonomous aircraft may benefit from systems and methods for weather detection and avoidance. A method can include sensing, by an aircraft, an environmental condition of the aircraft. The method can also include controlling, by the aircraft, flight of the aircraft based on the sensed environmental condition.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sensing, by an aircraft, an environmental condition of the aircraft;

determining, by the aircraft, a risk level associated with the environmental condition of the aircraft; and

controlling, by the aircraft, flight of the aircraft based on the sensed environmental condition and the risk level,

wherein controlling the flight comprises selecting a flight path for the aircraft from a plurality of possible flight paths for the aircraft based on the environmental condition and the risk level,

wherein the selecting comprises weighting each path of the plurality of possible flight paths based on a kind of environmental condition presented in each path and the risk level, and

wherein the kind of environmental condition comprises a severity level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition comprises weather.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition comprises a thunderstorm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting further comprises weighting each path of the plurality of possible flight paths based on the length of a path.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with a ground station regarding the environmental condition.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the controlling is based on commands received from the ground station.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the communicating comprises receiving additional environmental condition information from the ground station, wherein the controlling is also based on the additional environmental condition information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the risk level is based on at least one of a capability of the aircraft, a mission of the aircraft, or a minimum criteria of safety of the aircraft.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program instructions,

wherein the at least one memory and computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to

sense, by an aircraft, an environmental condition of the aircraft;

determine, by the aircraft, a risk level associated with the environmental condition of the aircraft; and

control, by the aircraft, flight of the aircraft based on the sensed environmental condition and the risk level,

wherein control of the flight comprises selecting a flight path for the aircraft from a plurality of possible flight paths for the aircraft based on the environmental condition and the risk level,

wherein selection of the flight path comprises weighting each path of the plurality of possible flight paths based on a kind of environmental condition presented in each path and the risk level, and

wherein the kind of environmental condition comprises a severity level.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the environmental condition comprises weather.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the environmental condition comprises a thunderstorm.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein selection of the flight path further comprises weighting each path of the plurality of possible flight paths based on a length of the path.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to communicate with a ground station regarding the environmental condition.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the control of the flight is based on commands received from the ground station.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein communication with the ground station comprises receiving additional environmental condition information from the ground station, wherein the controlling is also based on the additional environmental condition information.

19. The apparatus claim 8, wherein the risk level is based on at least one of a capability of the aircraft, a mission of the aircraft, or a minimum criteria of safety of the aircraft.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform a process, the process comprising:

sensing, by an aircraft, an environmental condition of the aircraft;

determining, by the aircraft, a risk level associated with the environmental condition of the aircraft; and

controlling, by the aircraft, flight of the aircraft based on the sensed environmental condition and the risk level,

wherein controlling the flight comprises selecting a flight path for the aircraft from a plurality of possible flight paths for the aircraft based on the environmental condition and the risk level,

wherein the selecting comprises weighting each path of the plurality of possible flight paths based on a kind of environmental condition presented in each path and the risk level, and

wherein the kind of environmental condition comprises a severity level.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the process further comprising:

communicating with a ground station regarding the environmental condition.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the risk level is based on at least one of a capability of the aircraft, a mission of the aircraft, or a minimum criteria of safety of the aircraft.