Unmanned Vehicle Route Management System

• US 20100070124A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Wheeler, John A., Yeager, Matthew R., Graham, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,948,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a route management system for an unmanned vehicle includes a network node in communication with an unmanned vehicle control system and an unmanned vehicle. The network node is operable to transmit a number of initial waypoints to the unmanned vehicle, transmit one or more in-flight waypoints to the unmanned vehicle after the unmanned vehicle has arrived at a corresponding one or more of the initial waypoints, and replace the one or more of the initial waypoints with the one or more in-flight waypoints in the unmanned vehicle such that the total quantity waypoints stored in the unmanned vehicle does not exceed a specified quantity.

Claims

1. A route management system comprising:

a vehicle specific module in communication with an unmanned vehicle having a joint architecture for unmanned systems compliant interface that is configured to travel along a route and a vehicle control system having a STANdardization AGreement 4586 compliant interface, the vehicle specific module operable to;

transmit a plurality of initial waypoints to the unmanned vehicle, the plurality of initial waypoints comprising a portion of the route;

transmit one or more in-flight waypoints to the unmanned vehicle after the unmanned vehicle has arrived at one or more of the plurality of initial waypoints; and

replace the one or more of the plurality of initial waypoints with the one or more in-flight waypoints in the unmanned vehicle such that the quantity of the plurality of initial waypoints and the one or more in-flight waypoints stored in the unmanned vehicle does not exceed a specified quantity.

2. The route management system of claim 1, wherein the one or more waypoints is a single waypoint.

3. The route management system of claim 1, wherein the one or more waypoints is a group of in-flight waypoints comprising one or more new waypoints and one or more recursive waypoints, the one or more new waypoints having a quantity that is less than or equal to the quantity of the plurality of initial waypoints in which the unmanned vehicle has previously arrived.

4. The route management system of claim 3, wherein the group of in-flight waypoints is a sub-route.

5. The route management system of claim 4, wherein the sub-route is selected from the group consisting of an approach route, a loiter route, and a vector route.

6. A route management system comprising:

a network node in communication with an unmanned vehicle control system and an unmanned vehicle, the network node being operable to;

transmit a plurality of initial waypoints to the unmanned vehicle, the plurality of initial waypoints comprising a portion of a route by which the unmanned vehicle travels;

transmit one or more in-flight waypoints to the unmanned vehicle after the unmanned vehicle has arrived at one or more of the plurality of initial waypoints; and

replace the one or more of the plurality of initial waypoints with the one or more in-flight waypoints in the unmanned vehicle such that the quantity of the plurality of initial waypoints and the one or more in-flight waypoints stored in the unmanned vehicle does not exceed a specified quantity.

7. The route management system of claim 6, wherein the one or more waypoints is a single waypoint.

8. The route management system of claim 6, wherein the one or more waypoints is a group of in-flight waypoints comprising one or more new waypoints and one or more recursive waypoints, the one or more new waypoints having a quantity that is less than or equal to the quantity of the plurality of initial waypoints in which the unmanned vehicle has previously arrived.

9. The route management system of claim 7, wherein the group of in-flight waypoints is a sub-route.

10. The route management system of claim 9, wherein the sub-route is selected from the group consisting of an approach route, a loiter route, and a vector route.

11. The route management system of claim 7, wherein a final waypoint of the group of in-flight waypoints is a loiter waypoint.

12. The route management system of claim 6, wherein the network node is a vehicle specific module and operable to receive the plurality of initial waypoints and the one or more in-flight waypoints from the unmanned vehicle control system using a STANdardization AGreement 4586 protocol.

13. The route management system of claim 6, wherein the network node is configured to transmit the plurality of initial waypoints and the one or more in-flight waypoints using a joint architecture for unmanned systems protocol.

14. A method comprising:

transmitting a plurality of initial waypoints to an unmanned vehicle, the plurality of initial waypoints comprising a portion of a route by which the unmanned vehicle travels;

transmitting one or more in-flight waypoints to the unmanned vehicle after the unmanned vehicle has arrived at one or more of the plurality of initial waypoints; and

replacing the one or more of the plurality of initial waypoints from the unmanned vehicle with the one or more in-flight waypoints such that the quantity of waypoints stored in the unmanned vehicle does not exceed a specified quantity.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting one or more in-flight waypoints to the unmanned vehicle after the unmanned vehicle has arrived at one or more of the plurality of initial waypoints further comprises transmitting one in-flight waypoint to the unmanned vehicle after the unmanned vehicle has arrived at one of the plurality of initial waypoints.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting one or more in-flight waypoints to the unmanned vehicle after the unmanned vehicle has arrived at one or more of the plurality of initial waypoints further comprises transmitting a group of in-flight waypoints to the unmanned vehicle, the group of in-flight waypoints having a quantity being less than or equal to the quantity of the plurality of initial waypoints in which the unmanned vehicle has previously arrived.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting a group of in-flight waypoints to the unmanned vehicle further comprises transmitting a group of in-flight waypoints comprising at least one recursive waypoint and at least one new waypoint.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting a group of in-flight waypoints to the unmanned vehicle further comprises transmitting a sub-route to the unmanned vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting a sub-route to the unmanned vehicle further comprises transmitting a sub-route that is selected from the group consisting of an approach route, a loiter route, and a vector route to the unmanned vehicle.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting a plurality of initial waypoints and one or more in-flight waypoints further comprises transmitting a plurality of initial waypoints and one or more in-flight waypoints using a STANdardization AGreement 4586 protocol.