Mutually exclusive three dimensional flying spaces

• US 10,438,495 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Inventors: Robertson, Cameron, Roetter, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US16/110,922
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/54 Floats
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0016 the lift during taking-off being created by free or ducted propellers or by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/101 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• 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: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

Boundary information associated with a three-dimensional (3D) flying space is obtained. An input associated with flying an aircraft is received from an input device. Location information associated with the aircraft is received from a location sensor. A control signal is generated for the aircraft based at least in part on the boundary information, the input, and the location information, wherein the control signal is responsive to the input in a manner that would not cause the aircraft to cross a boundary associated with the 3D flying space.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory;

an input device;

a location sensor; and

a flight computer which is configured to;

obtain boundary information associated with a three-dimensional (3D) flying space from the memory, wherein;

the 3D flying space includes an entrance, an exit, and a curved segment; and

a length of the 3D flying space, measured from the entrance to the exit, is larger than a height or a width of a cross-sectional area associated with the 3D flying space;

receive an input associated with flying an aircraft from the input device;

receive location information associated with the aircraft from the location sensor; and

generate a control signal for the aircraft based at least in part on the boundary information, the input, and the location information, wherein;

the control signal is responsive to the input in a manner that would not cause the aircraft to cross a boundary associated with the 3D flying space;

generating the control signal includes;

in response to receiving an input which would cause the aircraft to cross the boundary associated with the 3D flying space at the curved segment in a direction that is not completely orthogonal to the curved segment, generating a control signal that causes the aircraft to continue moving along a path that follows the curved segment so that the aircraft does not cross the boundary associated with the 3D flying space at the curved segment; and

the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space in the memory is modified, including by;

receiving a first indication prior to a switch between an airborne state of the aircraft and a landed state of the aircraft;

in response to receiving the first indication, temporarily modifying the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space in order to produce modified boundary information associated with a modified 3D flying space, wherein the modified 3D flying space includes a range of permitted altitudes excluded from the 3D flying space and the aircraft switches between the airborne state and the landed state including by passing through the range of permitted altitudes;

receiving a second indication after the switch between the airborne state of the aircraft and the landed state of the aircraft; and

in response to receiving the second indication, returning the modified boundary information to the boundary information such that the modified 3D flying space returns to the 3D flying space.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the 3D flying space has one or more of the following cross sections:

a circular cross section, an elliptical cross section, or a rectangular cross section.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes a range of permitted altitudes and a perimeter.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes:

sending a request to a 3D flying space assignor;

receiving, from the 3D flying space assignor, an assignment; and

storing information from the assignment.

5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes:

sending a request to a 3D flying space assignor;

receiving, from the 3D flying space assignor, an assignment which includes a selection from a plurality of predefined 3D flying spaces with predefined boundary information which are already stored on the aircraft; and

storing information from the assignment, including by storing the selection.

6. The system recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes:

sending a request to a 3D flying space assignor;

receiving, from the 3D flying space assignor, an assignment which includes the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space; and

storing information from the assignment, including by storing the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space.

7. The system recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes:

listening on a wireless channel to receive zero or more communications from zero or more other aircraft;

determining any already-claimed 3D flying spaces using any received communications; and

claiming the 3D flying space, including by transmitting on the wireless channel.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes:

listening on a wireless channel to receive zero or more communications from zero or more other aircraft;

determining any already-claimed 3D flying spaces using any received communications, wherein there is a plurality of predefined 3D flying spaces with predefined boundary information which are already stored on the aircraft and any received communications include an identification of any already-claimed predefined 3D flying spaces; and

claiming the 3D flying space, including by transmitting on the wireless channel, wherein the transmission on the wireless channel includes an identification of the claimed 3D flying space.

9. The system recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes:

listening on a wireless channel to receive zero or more communications from zero or more other aircraft;

determining any already-claimed 3D flying spaces using any received communications, including by querying any other aircraft from which any communication is received; and

claiming the 3D flying space, including by transmitting on the wireless channel, wherein the transmission on the wireless channel includes an identification of the aircraft.

10. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space is modified in response to identification of a potential collision between a moving object and the aircraft using publically-available location information associated with the moving object.

11. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space is modified in response to identification of a potential collision between a moving object and the aircraft using publically-available location information associated with the moving object;

the moving object includes a ship; and

the publically-available location information associated with the moving object is associated with Automatic Identification System (AIS) information.

12. A method, comprising:

obtaining boundary information associated with a three-dimensional (3D) flying space, wherein;

the 3D flying space includes an entrance, an exit, and a curved segment; and

a length of the 3D flying space, measured from the entrance to the exit, is larger than a height or a width of a cross-sectional area associated with the 3D flying space;

receiving an input associated with flying an aircraft from an input device;

receiving location information associated with the aircraft from a location sensor; and

generating a control signal for the aircraft based at least in part on the boundary information, the input, and the location information, wherein;

the control signal is responsive to the input in a manner that would not cause the aircraft to cross a boundary associated with the 3D flying space;

generating the control signal includes;

in response to receiving an input which would cause the aircraft to cross the boundary associated with the 3D flying space at the curved segment in a direction that is not completely orthogonal to the curved segment, generating a control signal that causes the aircraft to continue moving along a path that follows the curved segment so that the aircraft does not cross the boundary associated with the 3D flying space at the curved segment; and

the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space in the memory is modified, including by;

receiving a first indication prior to a switch between an airborne state of the aircraft and a landed state of the aircraft;

in response to receiving the first indication, temporarily modifying the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space in order to produce modified boundary information associated with a modified 3D flying space, wherein the modified 3D flying space includes a range of permitted altitudes excluded from the 3D flying space and the aircraft switches between the airborne state and the landed state including by passing through the range of permitted altitudes;

receiving a second indication after the switch between the airborne state of the aircraft and the landed state of the aircraft; and

in response to receiving the second indication, returning the modified boundary information to the boundary information such that the modified 3D flying space returns to the 3D flying space.

13. The method recited in claim 12, wherein obtaining the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes:

sending a request to a 3D flying space assignor;

receiving, from the 3D flying space assignor, an assignment; and

storing information from the assignment.

14. The method recited in claim 12, wherein obtaining the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes:

listening on a wireless channel to receive zero or more communications from zero or more other aircraft;

determining any already-claimed 3D flying spaces using any received communications; and

claiming the 3D flying space, including by transmitting on the wireless channel.

15. The method recited in claim 12, wherein the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space is modified in response to identification of a potential collision between a moving object and the aircraft using publically-available location information associated with the moving object.

16. The method recited in claim 12, wherein:

the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space is modified in response to identification of a potential collision between a moving object and the aircraft using publically-available location information associated with the moving object;

the moving object includes a ship; and

the publically-available location information associated with the moving object is associated with Automatic Identification System (AIS) information.

17. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

obtaining boundary information associated with a three-dimensional (3D) flying space, wherein;

the 3D flying space includes an entrance, an exit, and a curved segment; and

a length of the 3D flying space, measured from the entrance to the exit, is larger than a height or a width of a cross-sectional area associated with the 3D flying space;

receiving an input associated with flying an aircraft from an input device;

receiving location information associated with the aircraft from a location sensor; and

generating a control signal for the aircraft based at least in part on the boundary information, the input, and the location information, wherein;

the control signal is responsive to the input in a manner that would not cause the aircraft to cross a boundary associated with the 3D flying space;

generating the control signal includes;

in response to receiving an input which would cause the aircraft to cross the boundary associated with the 3D flying space at the curved segment in a direction that is not completely orthogonal to the curved segment, generating a control signal that causes the aircraft to continue moving along a path that follows the curved segment so that the aircraft does not cross the boundary associated with the 3D flying space at the curved segment; and

the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space in the memory is modified, including by;

receiving a first indication prior to a switch between an airborne state of the aircraft and a landed state of the aircraft;

in response to receiving the first indication, temporarily modifying the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space in order to produce modified boundary information associated with a modified 3D flying space, wherein the modified 3D flying space includes a range of permitted altitudes excluded from the 3D flying space and the aircraft switches between the airborne state and the landed state including by passing through the range of permitted altitudes;

receiving a second indication after the switch between the airborne state of the aircraft and the landed state of the aircraft; and

in response to receiving the second indication, returning the modified boundary information to the boundary information such that the modified 3D flying space returns to the 3D flying space.

18. The computer program product recited in claim 17, wherein the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes a range of permitted altitudes and a perimeter.

19. The computer program product recited in claim 17, wherein obtaining the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes:

sending a request to a 3D flying space assignor;

receiving, from the 3D flying space assignor, an assignment; and

storing information from the assignment.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 17, wherein obtaining the boundary information associated with the 3D flying space includes:

listening on a wireless channel to receive zero or more communications from zero or more other aircraft;

determining any already-claimed 3D flying spaces using any received communications; and

claiming the 3D flying space, including by transmitting on the wireless channel.