Inter-vehicle communication for hazard handling for an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV)

• US 10,518,877 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Lord, Richard T., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, Jr., John D., Wood, Jr., Lowell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US13/720,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20140166817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,568 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/80 Arrangement of on-board electronics, e.g. avionics systems or wiring
• 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: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/1064 specially adapted for avoiding collisions with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for inter-vehicle communication for hazard handling with an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV). For certain example embodiments, at least one machine may: (i) receive one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, with the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV; or (ii) adjust a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on one or more flight attributes received from a remote UFV. However, claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations, examples, or so forth.

Claims

1. A method for hazard handling for an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV), the method being at least partially implemented by at least one machine, the method comprising:

autonomously electronically controlling an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) including at least autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with at least one remote UFV (RUFV) including at least;

interrogating the at least one RUFV including at least requesting one or more RUFV flight attributes including at least one flight characteristic and at least one flight capability;

receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV responsive to the interrogation;

autonomously determining a prospective UFV flight path adjustment including at least extrapolating one or more expected future RUFV flight characteristics from two or more recent values of the one or more RUFV flight attributes and determining the prospective UFV flight path adjustment based at least partly on the one or more expected future RUFV flight characteristics; and

exchanging one or more flight path adjustment options between the UFV and the at least one RUFV including at least transmitting at least one offer associated with the prospective UFV flight path adjustment to the at least one RUFV, receiving at least one reply indicative of acceptance or rejection of the at least one offer from the at least one RUFV, adopting the prospective UFV flight path adjustment when the at least one reply indicates acceptance of the at least one offer, and at least repeating at least part of the autonomously negotiating the flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV when the at least one reply indicates rejection of the at least one offer; and

autonomously adjusting a flight path of the UFV at least in accordance with the adopted prospective UFV flight path adjustment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving the one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV at the UFV.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV at the UFV comprises:

receiving the one or more RUFV flight attributes at the UFV directly from the at least one RUFV via at least one wireless signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving the one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV in response to a previously-transmitted request for at least one flight attribute.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving the one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV in accordance with an expected flight attribute update procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one scalar value representing at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one velocity representing at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one acceleration representing at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one altitude representing at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one position representing at least one flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving at least one position representing at least one flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one geographical position representing at least one flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving at least one position representing at least one flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one position indication with reference to at least one determinable position with respect to the earth, the at least one position indication being representative of at least one flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving at least one position representing at least one flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinate that is representative of at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the at least one RUFV.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one acceleration that is expected to be representative of at least a portion of a flight state of the at least one RUFV at a future position.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinate that is expected to be representative of at least a portion of a positional state of the at least one RUFV at a future time.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one velocity that is expected to be representative of at least a portion of a flight state of the at least one RUFV at a future position.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving at least one first satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinate associated with a first time and at least one second SPS coordinate associated with a second time.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously adjusting a flight path of the UFV at least in accordance with the adopted prospective UFV flight path adjustment comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV by accelerating the UFV responsive at least partially to the one or more RUFV flight attributes received from the at least one RUFV to avert a collision with the at least one RUFV.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously adjusting a flight path of the UFV at least in accordance with the adopted prospective UFV flight path adjustment comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV by changing an altitude of the UFV responsive at least partially to the one or more RUFV flight attributes received from the at least one RUFV to increase a vertical separation between the altitude of the UFV and an altitude of the at least one RUFV.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously adjusting a flight path of the UFV at least in accordance with the adopted prospective UFV flight path adjustment comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV by changing a velocity of the UFV responsive at least partially to the one or more RUFV flight attributes received from the at least one RUFV to avoid contact between a flight bubble associated with the UFV and another flight bubble associated with the at least one RUFV.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously adjusting a flight path of the UFV at least in accordance with the adopted prospective UFV flight path adjustment comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV based at least partially on the one or more expected future flight characteristics of the at least one RUFV received from the at least one RUFV.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously adjusting a flight path of the UFV at least in accordance with the adopted prospective UFV flight path adjustment comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV based at least partially on the one or more RUFV flight attributes received from the at least one RUFV and based at least partially on one or more mission objectives associated with the UFV.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

receiving an indication of at least one hazard via at least one communication transmission.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

sensing one or more of sensor readings, telemetry signals, or flight attributes; and

determining an indication of at least one hazard based at least partially on the one or more of sensor readings, telemetry signals, or flight attributes.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously determining a prospective UFV flight path adjustment including at least extrapolating one or more expected future RUFV flight characteristics from two or more recent values of the one or more RUFV flight attributes and determining the prospective UFV flight path adjustment based at least partly on the one or more expected future RUFV flight characteristics comprises:

autonomously determining a prospective UFV flight path adjustment based at least partly on at least one indication of one or more of description of flying state, indication of flying capabilities, identification of craft or operator, indication of flight path, description of flight purpose, flight trajectory, position, altitude, velocity, acceleration, stability, payload, or destination received from the at least one RUFV and at least one indication of at least one characteristic of one or more of the at least one RUFV, other UFVs, occupied flying vehicles, buildings, structures, moving objects, stationary objects, or weather conditions.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV comprises:

autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV wherein the UFV descends and accelerates based at least partly on the UFV transmitting to the at least one RUFV a flight trajectory that is desired by the UFV and the UFV receiving from the at least one RUFV an acknowledgment or a non-conflicting flight trajectory that is intended by the at least one RUFV.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV comprises:

autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV wherein the UFV exchanges among the at least one RUFV one or more flight path adjustment options.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV comprises:

autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV wherein the UFV sends a prospective local flight path adjustment for the UFV to the at least one RUFV, and the UFV receives from the at least one RUFV a prospective remote flight path adjustment for the at least one RUFV or a revised suggested prospective local fight path adjustment for the UFV that the at least one RUFV would prefer.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV comprises:

autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV including at least preparing at least one of an offer and an acceptance, an offer and an acceptance and acknowledgment, an offer and a rejection, an offer and a counter-offer, a suggestion for an alteration to a planned course, an exchange of signals, or a swapping of offers or intentions associated with adjusting the flight path.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV comprises:

autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV wherein the UFV receives at least one current GPS coordinate of the at least one RUFV from the at least one RUFV after having sent a request to the at least one RUFV requesting the at least one current GPS coordinate.

31. An unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) for hazard handling, the UFV comprising:

an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) including one or more electronic devices, the one or more electronic devices including at least;

circuitry configured for autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with the at least one remote UFV (RUFV) including at least;

circuitry configured for interrogating the at least one RUFV including at least requesting one or more RUFV flight attributes including at least one flight characteristic and at least one flight capability;

circuitry configured for receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV responsive to the interrogation;

circuitry configured for autonomously determining a prospective UFV flight path adjustment including at least extrapolating one or more expected future RUFV flight characteristics from two or more recent values of the one or more RUFV flight attributes and determining the prospective UFV flight path adjustment based at least partly on the one or more expected future RUFV flight characteristics; and

circuitry configured for exchanging one or more flight path adjustment options between the UFV and the at least one RUFV including at least transmitting at least one offer associated with the prospective UFV flight path adjustment to the at least one RUFV, receiving at least one reply indicative of acceptance or rejection of the at least one offer from the at least one RUFV, adopting the prospective UFV flight path adjustment when the at least one reply indicates acceptance of the at least one offer, and at least repeating at least part of the autonomously negotiating the flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV when the at least one reply indicates rejection of the at least one offer; and

circuitry configured for autonomously adjusting a flight path of the UFV at least in accordance with the adopted prospective UFV flight path adjustment.

32. The UFV of claim 31, wherein the circuitry configured for receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving the one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV at the UFV.

33. The UFV of claim 32, wherein the circuitry configured for receiving the one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV at the UFV comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving the one or more RUFV flight attributes at the UFV directly from the at least one RUFV via at least one wireless signal.

34. The UFV of claim 31, wherein the circuitry configured for receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV including one or more RUFV flight attributes indicative of the one or more expected future flight characteristics associated with the at least one RUFV comprises:

circuitry configured for receiving the one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV in response to a previously-transmitted request for at least one flight attribute.

35. A system for hazard handling for an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV), the system comprising:

means for autonomously electronically controlling an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) including at least autonomously negotiating a flight path adjustment with at least one remote UFV (RUFV) including at least;

means for interrogating the at least one RUFV including at least requesting one or more RUFV flight attributes including at least one flight characteristic and at least one flight capability;

means for receiving the requested one or more RUFV flight attributes from the at least one RUFV responsive to the interrogation;

means for autonomously determining a prospective UFV flight path adjustment including at least extrapolating one or more expected future RUFV flight characteristics from two or more recent values of the one or more RUFV flight attributes and determining the prospective UFV flight path adjustment based at least partly on the one or more expected future RUFV flight characteristics; and

means for exchanging one or more flight path adjustment options between the UFV and the at least one RUFV including at least transmitting at least one offer associated with the prospective UFV flight path adjustment to the at least one RUFV, receiving at least one reply indicative of acceptance or rejection of the at least one offer from the at least one RUFV, adopting the prospective UFV flight path adjustment when the at least one reply indicates acceptance of the at least one offer, and at least repeating at least part of the autonomously negotiating the flight path adjustment with the at least one RUFV when the at least one reply indicates rejection of the at least one offer; and

means for autonomously adjusting a flight path of the UFV at least in accordance with the adopted prospective UFV flight path adjustment.