Flight initiation proximity warning system

• US 10,565,887 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Cherepinsky, Igor, Stathis, Christopher, Leland, Joshua M., Zywiak, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US15/557,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20180053427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/0245 Radar with phased array antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0669 specially adapted for vertical take-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 for taking-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• 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

According to an aspect of the invention, a method of flight initiation proximity warning for an autonomous vehicle is provided. A flight initiation request is detected at a processing system of the autonomous vehicle. A preflight proximity scan is performed for any obstacles within a predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle based on the flight initiation request. An alert is sent to a control station based on detecting at least one obstacle within the predetermined distance. Flight initiation of the autonomous vehicle is inhibited until an acknowledgement of the alert is received at the processing system of the autonomous vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for a flight initiation proximity warning for an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a flight initiation request at a processing system of the autonomous vehicle;

performing a preflight proximity scan with one or more sensors of a perception sensing system of the autonomous vehicle to detect any obstacles within a predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle based on the flight initiation request;

sending an alert to a control station based on detecting at least one obstacle within the predetermined distance;

identifying an estimated position of the at least one obstacle relative to an orientation of the autonomous vehicle based on which of the one or sensors detect the at least one obstacle;

sending the estimated position of the at least one obstacle to the control station; and

inhibiting flight initiation of the autonomous vehicle until an acknowledgement of the alert is received at the processing system of the autonomous vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the perception sensing system captures one or more of an image or range to the at least one obstacle as obstacle data, and the method further comprises reporting the obstacle data to the control station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a record of the at least one obstacle in a world model for a path planner of the autonomous vehicle to modify a path plan of the autonomous vehicle based on the at least one obstacle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is defined by a sensing range of at least one of the one or more sensors of the perception sensing system or a minimum safe distance defined between the autonomous vehicle and any obstacle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight initiation request is received from the control station or a vehicle computer system of the autonomous vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicle is an unmanned vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

7. A system for a flight initiation proximity warning of an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:

a processing system; and

memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processing system, cause the system to;

detect a flight initiation request;

perform a preflight proximity scan with one or more sensors of a perception sensing system of the autonomous vehicle to detect any obstacles within a predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle based on the flight initiation request;

send an alert to a control station based on detection of at least one obstacle within the predetermined distance;

identifying an estimated position of the at least one obstacle relative to an orientation of the autonomous vehicle based on which of the one or sensors detect the at least one obstacle;

sending the estimated position of the at least one obstacle to the control station; and

inhibit flight initiation of the autonomous vehicle until an acknowledgement of the alert is received.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the perception sensing system captures one or more of an image or range to the at least one obstacle as obstacle data, and the instructions when executed by the processing system further cause the system to report the obstacle data to the control station.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions when executed by the processing system further cause the system to store a record of the at least one obstacle in a world model for a path planner of the autonomous vehicle to modify a path plan of the autonomous vehicle based on the at least one obstacle.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the predetermined distance is defined by a sensing range of at least one of the one or more sensors of the perception sensing system or a minimum safe distance defined between the autonomous vehicle and any obstacle.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the autonomous vehicle is an unmanned vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and the flight initiation request is received from the control station or a vehicle computer system of the autonomous vehicle.