Supervision and Control of Heterogeneous Autonomous Operations

• US 20100312388A1
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Clark, Gregory John, Vian, John Lyle, Jang, Jung Soon, Saad, Emad W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,046,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39377 Task level supervisor and planner, organizer and execution and path tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

The different advantageous embodiments may provide an apparatus that may include a number of robotic machine groups, a mission planner, and a mission control. The mission planner may be capable of generating a mission for the number of robotic machine groups. The mission control may be capable of executing the mission using the number of robotic machine groups.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a number of robotic machine groups;

a computer system capable of generating information for the number of robotic machine groups; and

a wireless communications system capable of providing communications with the number of robotic machine groups and the computer system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a mission planner capable of generating a mission for the number of robotic machine groups; and

an operator interface capable of providing an operator access to the mission planner.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the mission planner is further capable of dynamic replication based on mission requirements.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a number of mission controls, wherein each robotic machine group in the number of robotic machine groups has an individual mission control from the number of mission controls.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a number of robotic machine groups;

a mission planner capable of generating a mission for the number of robotic machine groups; and

a mission control capable of executing the mission using the number of robotic machine groups.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a wireless communications system capable of providing communications with the number of robotic machine groups, the mission control, and the mission planner.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the mission planner further comprises:

a logistic planner capable of identifying a number of tasks to execute the mission.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the mission planner further comprises:

a reflexive planner capable of modifying the mission in response to a number of messages from the number of robotic machine groups.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the number of robotic machine groups may be a homogeneous number of robotic machine groups or a heterogeneous number of robotic machine groups.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

a number of programs configured to run on the number of machine groups, wherein the number of programs comprises at least one of a numerical control program, a neural network, fuzzy logic, and artificial intelligence.

11. A method for mission management, the method comprising:

generating a mission plan;

sending the mission plan to a number of robotic machine groups;

monitoring progress of the mission plan by the number of robotic machine groups; and

receiving data from the number of robotic machine groups about the mission plan.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the mission plan further comprises:

retrieving information from a plurality of databases, wherein the information retrieved includes at least one of mission schedules, mission histories, and resource information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the mission plan further comprises:

decomposing the mission plan into a number of tasks.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the mission plan further comprises:

allocating a number of resources for a number of tasks in the mission plan.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein sending the mission plan to the number of robotic machine groups further comprises:

sending commands to the number of robotic machine groups to execute a number of tasks.

16. A method for mission management, the method comprising:

receiving information about a mission from a number of robotic machines;

identifying a conflict in the mission; and

determining whether the conflict can be resolved.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the conflict can be resolved, resolving the conflict to form a solution; and

sending the solution to the number of robotic machines.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the conflict cannot be resolved, sending a conflict report to a mission planner.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a number of robotic machine groups;

a mission planner capable of generating a mission for the number of robotic machine groups;

a mission control capable of executing the mission using the number of robotic machine groups;

a wireless communications system capable of providing communications with the number of robotic machine groups, the mission control, and the mission planner;

a logistic planner capable of identifying a number of tasks to execute the mission; and

a reflexive planner capable of modifying the mission in response to a number of messages from the number of robotic machine groups.

20. A method for mission management, the method comprising:

generating a mission plan for a mission;

retrieving information from a plurality of databases;

decomposing the mission plan into a number of tasks;

allocating a number of resources for the number of tasks in the mission plan;

sending the mission plan to a number of robotic machine groups;

monitoring progress of the mission plan by the number of robotic machine groups; and

receiving data from the number of robotic machine groups about the mission plan.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the information retrieved includes at least one of mission schedules, mission histories, and resource information.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the mission plan includes the number of tasks for the mission.