Unmanned vehicle simulation

• US 10,410,537 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Insitu Incorporated (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Hales, Simon Anthony, Trowbridge, Theodore Terris
• Primary Examiner(s): Saint-Vil, Eddy
• Application Number:
  US14/453,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20150064658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 434 30, 434219, 701 2, 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/02 for teaching control of vehicles or other craft
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/08 for teaching control of aircraft, e.g. Link trainer
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/48 a model being viewed and manoeuvred from a remote point

Abstract

A system for simulating a vehicle may include a designing tool for configured for a vehicle simulation and a simulation tool for controlling simulation characteristics of the vehicle. A method for simulating an object may include displaying a map of a region, displaying a plurality of actions operative on a simulated object, and performing a selected action.

Claims

1. A method for simulating an object using a computer operating according to computer instructions stored in a memory, the method comprising:

displaying, using the computer, a map of a region;

designing, with a designing tool, one or more routes for a simulation of an unmanned vehicle, wherein the routes comprise a plurality of obstacles or terrains and a number of waypoints; and

simulating, with a simulation tool, the unmanned vehicle during the route;

responsive to a single user input selecting a location on said map, dynamically determining, using the computer, a plurality of user-selectable actions, the actions determined based on a current context of the simulation of the unmanned vehicle;

providing, using the computer, the determined plurality of user-selectable actions for display on the map of the region;

accepting, using the computer, a user-selected action from the displayed plurality of actions; and

performing, using the computer, the user-selected action by updating the simulating of the unmanned vehicle based on the user-selected action;

wherein the plurality of user-selectable actions include;

creating a further simulated object at the selected location on the map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said single user input consists of a mouse click.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulated object comprises one of a target, thermal, launcher, air vehicle, land vehicle, water vessel, or skyhook.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said user-selected action is operative on one or more simulated objects of a same type including a land type and an air type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user-selectable actions are provided for user selection grouped according to:

map actions altering the display of the map;

target actions; and

simulation actions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user-selectable actions comprise moving a simulated location of the unmanned vehicle to the selected location faster than by simulation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

checking to determine whether the user-selected action is permitted at the selected location on the map; and

providing a warning if the user-selected action is not permitted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the simulating of the unmanned vehicle performed according to a start-up file and the updating of the simulating of the unmanned vehicle is performed without the start-up file.

9. A system comprising at least one memory having stored therein computer instructions that, upon execution by one or more processors of the system, at least cause the system to:

display a map of a region;

design, with designing tool, one or more routes for a simulation of an unmanned vehicle, wherein the routes comprise a plurality of obstacles or terrains and a number of waypoints; and

simulate, with a simulation tool, the unmanned vehicle during the route;

responsive to a single user input selecting a location on said map dynamically determine a plurality of user-selectable actions, the user-selectable actions determined based on a current context of the simulation of the unmanned vehicle;

provide the determined plurality of user-selectable actions for display on the map of the region;

accept a user-selected action from the displayed user-selectable plurality of actions; and

perform the user-selected action by updating the simulation of the unmanned vehicle based on the user-selected action;

wherein the plurality of user-selectable actions include;

creating a further simulated object at the selected location on the map.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said single user input consists of a mouse click.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the simulated object comprises one of a target, thermal, launcher, air vehicle, land vehicle, water vessel, or skyhook.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said user-selected action is operative on one or more simulated objects of a same type including a land type and an air type.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions comprising instructions that upon execution on one or more computing devices, at least cause the one or more computing devices to implement:

display of a map of a region;

design, with designing tool, one or more routes for a simulation of an unmanned vehicle, wherein the routes comprise a plurality of obstacles or terrains and a number of waypoints; and

simulate, with a simulation tool, the unmanned vehicle during the route;

responsive to a single user input selecting a location on said map, dynamically determining a plurality of actions, the actions determined based on a current context of the simulation of the unmanned vehicle;

providing the determined plurality of actions for display on the map of the region;

accepting a user-selected action from the displayed plurality of actions; and

performing the user-selected action in real-time by updating the simulation based on the selected action;

wherein the plurality of user-selectable actions include;

creating a further simulated object.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein said single user input consists of a mouse click.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the simulated object comprises one of a target, thermal, launcher, air vehicle, land vehicle, water vessel, or skyhook.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein said user-selected action is operative on one or more simulated objects of a same type including a land type and an air type.