SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PLANNING/REPLANNING COLLISION FREE FLIGHT PLANS IN REAL OR ACCELERATED TIME

• US 20100114633A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Czech Technical University In Prague
• Original Assignee: Czech Technical University In Prague
• Inventors: Marik, Vladimir, Pechoucek, Michal, Sislak, David, Losiewicz, Paul, Volf, Premysl
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• 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

A system and method for planning/replanning collision free flight plans in real-time (or accelerated-time) including planning individual flight plans for each flying asset, executing (or simulating) the planned individual flight plans, detecting violations of safety zones of each of the flying assets by negotiation and by other assets monitoring (radar sensing), and repairing the individual flight plans by real-time replanning.

Claims

1. A method for planning/replanning collision free flight plans in real-time comprising the steps of:

(a) planning individual flight plans for each flying asset client based on input data;

(b) executing the planned individual flight plans;

(c) detecting violating individual flight plans that violate safety zones of each of the flying assets; and

(d) repairing the individual flight plans by real-time replanning.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said step of planning individual flight plans comprises the steps of:

receiving the input data;

preparing the individual flight plans based on the input data; and

detecting, according to changes in the input data, if said real-time replanning must be performed.

3. The method as in claim 2 further comprising the step of

selecting the input data from a group consisting of world dimensions, definition of the world surface, no-flight zones, and mission way-points.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein said real-time replanning comprises the step of:

replanning the individual flight plan when the input data changes.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein said step of executing the planned individual flight plans comprises the step of:

simulating the planned individual flight plans.

6. The method as in claim 5 wherein said step of simulating the planned individual flight plans comprises the steps of:

establishing a flying asset configuration;

initiating a plurality of flying asset clients and a simulation server based on the flying asset configuration;

determining a pre-selected configuration part of the flying asset configuration for distribution to the flying asset clients;

distributing a pre-selected configuration part to the flying asset clients;

simulating an environment based on a simulation time;

simulating the flying assets by activating the flying asset clients within the environment;

receiving, in the simulation server, updates from the flying asset clients when the planned individual flight plans change during said step of simulating the flying assets; and

computing, in the simulation server, based on flying asset positions and flight data, updated flight data.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein said step of repairing comprises the steps of:

predicting a future safety zone violation point for one of the flying assets based on the flight data associated with the one of the flying assets and sensor data;

modeling the future safety zone violation point as a modeled dynamic no-flight zone;

storing the modeled future safety zone violation point with the sensor data; and

repeating steps (a)-(d) as in claim 1.

8. The method as in claim 1 wherein said step of repairing comprises the steps of

enabling the flying asset clients to exchange pre-selected configuration parts of their individual flight plans;

predicting, in each of the flying asset clients using the exchanged pre-selected configuration parts, possible future zone violations of the safety zones of each of the flying assets;

providing to the flying asset clients pre-selected evasion maneuvers computed by said step of planning;

adjusting, by the flying asset clients, the planned individual flight plans based on the pre-selected evasion maneuvers and the future zone violation;

collectively negotiating, by the flying asset clients, collision avoidance maneuvers by maximizing a sum of utility values computed from the adjusted individual flight plans;

receiving, from the flying asset clients, the negotiated individual flight plans based on said step of collectively negotiating; and

repeating steps (b)-(d) as in claim 1.

9. The method as in claim 1 wherein said step of detecting comprises the step of:

processing the exchanged updated flight data to determine the violating flight plans.

10. The method as in claim 1 wherein said step of detecting comprises the step of:

receiving updated predicted flight data from sensor data.

11. The method as in claim 6 wherein said step of establishing comprises the step of:

selecting the flying asset configuration parameters from a group consisting of system settings, flying asset positions, and flying assets starting times.

12. The method as in claim 1 comprising the step of:

selecting the configuration part from a group consisting of mission way-points, definition of the world, and no-fly zones.

13. The method as in claim 1 comprising the step of:

selecting the flight data from a group consisting of sensor data, violations of the safety zones, and physical collisions.

19. A computer readable medium storing computer code for carrying out the method of claim 1.

20. A communications network having a computer server for executing the method of claim 1.

14. A computer code system stored on a computer readable medium, said computer code system for planning/replanning collision free flight plans in real-time, comprising:

input data from flying asset databases;

a plurality of computer code flying asset client processors; and

at least one computer code server processor including;

a computer code planner processor planning individual flight plans for each of said flying asset client processors based on said input data;

a computer code executor processor executing the planned individual flight plans;

a computer code detector processor detecting, from flight data received from said computer code flying asset client processors, violating individual flight plans that violate safety zones of flying assets associated with said computer code flying asset client processors; and

a computer code repairer processor repairing said individual flight plans by real-time replanning.

15. The computer code system as in claim 14 wherein said computer code executor processor comprises:

a computer code configuration creator processor establishing a flying asset configuration and initiating a plurality of said computer code flying asset client processors and a simulation server based on said flying asset configuration;

a computer code configuration selector processor determining a pre-selected configuration part of said flying asset configuration for distribution to said computer code flying asset client processors;

a computer code distributor processor distributing said pre-selected configuration part to said plurality of computer code flying asset client processors;

a computer code environment simulator processor simulating an environment based on a simulation time;

a computer code flying asset simulator processor simulating said flying assets by activating said computer code flying asset client processors within said environment; and

a computer code receiver processor receiving updates from said computer code flying asset client processors when said planned individual flight plans change, and computing updated flight data based on flying asset positions and said flight data.

16. The computer code system as in claim 14 wherein said computer code repairer processor comprises:

a computer code receiver predictor predicting a future safety zone violation point for one of said flying assets based on said flight data and sensor data;

a computer code modeler processor modeling said future safety zone violation point as a modeled dynamic no-flight zone and storing said modeled dynamic no-flight zone with said input data.

17. The computer code system as in claim 14 wherein said computer code repairer processor comprises:

a computer code exchange enabler processor enabling said computer code flying asset client processors to exchange pre-selected configuration parts of said individual flight plans;

a computer code receiver predictor predicting, in each of said computer code flying asset client processors using the exchanged pre-selected configuration parts, possible future zone violations of safety zones of each of said flying assets;

a flight plan adjuster adjusting, by said computer code flying asset client processors, said planned individual flight plans based on said pre-selected evasion maneuvers and said future zone violation;

a collective negotiator collectively negotiating, by said computer code flying asset client processors, collision avoidance maneuvers to create negotiated individual flight plans by maximizing a sum of utility values computed from the adjusted individual flight plans; and

a computer code receiver processor receiving, from said computer code flying asset client processors, said negotiated individual flight plans;

wherein said computer code planner processor provides to said computer code flying asset client processors said pre-selected evasion maneuvers computed by said planner.

18. The computer code system as in claim 14 wherein said computer code flying asset client processor comprises:

a computer code client predictor processor predicting, in each of said computer code flying asset client processors using said exchanged pre-selected configuration parts, possible future zone violations of said safety zones of each of said flying assets;

a computer code flight plan adjuster processor adjusting, by said computer code flying asset client processors, said planned individual flight plans based on said pre-selected evasion maneuvers and said future zone violation; and

a computer code collective negotiator processor collectively negotiating, by said computer code flying asset client processors, collision avoidance maneuvers by maximizing a sum of utility values computed from said adjusted individual flight plans.