Automatic collection manager

• US 20050197749A1
• Filed: 03/02/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Nichols, William Mark, Murufas, Roderic
• Granted Patent: US 7,024,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft

Abstract

A method for the automatic collection of surveillance information by an unmanned air vehicle comprises the steps of receiving an automatic collection requirements message, determining a route for gathering requested information about a target in accordance with a collection policy, and controlling operation of an air vehicle to follow the route and gather the requested information. An automatic collection management system for an unmanned air vehicle that performs the method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for the automatic collection of surveillance information by an unmanned air vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an automatic collection requirements message;

determining a route for gathering requested information about a target in accordance with a collection policy; and

controlling operation of an air vehicle to follow the route and gather the requested information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each automatic collection requirements message includes priority and precedence information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of a determining route for gathering requested information comprises the steps of:

determining a collection plan and a flight plan in accordance with the priority and precedence information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the collection plan is responsive to imaging constraints including one or more of:

temporal constraints, look angles, National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale rating, priority, bandwidth, and storage capacity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of a determining route for gathering requested information comprises the steps of:

determining if the target is within range; and

planning a route to the target if the target is within range.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of a determining route for gathering requested information comprises the steps of:

determining if a receiver is within range; and

if a receiver is not within range, planning a route to an area where a receiver is within range.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

dynamically inserting new sensor collection requests into an existing collection plan.

8. An automatic collection management system for an unmanned air vehicle comprising:

a receiver for receiving an automatic collection requirements message;

a processor for determining a route for gathering requested information about a target in accordance with a collection policy; and

a vehicle control for controlling operation of an air vehicle to follow the route and gather the requested information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each automatic collection requirements message includes priority and precedence information.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor determines a collection plan and a flight plan.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the collection plan is responsive to imaging constraints including one or more of:

temporal constraints, look angles, National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale rating, priority, bandwidth, and storage capacity.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor determines if the target is within range and plans a route to the target if the target is within range.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor determines if a receiver is within range;

and if a receiver is not within range, plans a route to an area where a receiver is within range.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor dynamically inserts new sensor collection requests into an existing collection plan.

15. An automatic collection management system for an unmanned air vehicle comprising:

means for receiving an automatic collection requirements message;

means for determining a route for gathering requested information about a target in accordance with a collection policy; and

means for controlling operation of an air vehicle to follow the route and gather the requested information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each automatic collection requirements message includes priority and precedence information.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for determining a route for gathering requested information determines a collection plan and a flight plan.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the collection plan is responsive to imaging constraints including one or more of:

temporal constraints, look angles, National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale rating, priority, bandwidth, and storage capacity.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for determining a route for gathering requested information determines if the target is within range and plans a route to the target if the target is within range.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for determining a route for gathering requested information determines if a receiver is within range;

and if a receiver is not within range, plans a route to an area where a receiver is within range.