LAYERED ARCHITECTURE FOR CUSTOMER PAYLOAD SYSTEMS

• US 20120035787A1
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: DUNKELBERGER, Troy T., Adkins, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 9,981,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/80 UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms

Abstract

A layered architecture for customer payload systems is disclosed to provide a scalable, reconfigurable integration platform targeted at multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and remove both UAV specific and payload equipment specific characteristics that increase complexity during integration. The layered architecture is a modular design architecture that is split by function. Standard interfaces are implemented between functional layers to increase reconfiguration possibilities and to allow reuse of existing components and layers without modification to the payload or UAV. The standard interfaces also promote easy connection and disconnection from other layer components. Additionally, once the layered architecture is implemented, technological or functional requirements changes can be isolated to one specific component layer, not the entire payload stack. As a result, payload designs based on the layered architecture reduces design time and cost, and allows for easier integration, operation, upgrades, maintenance, and repair.

Claims

1. A layered architecture for customer payload systems in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising:

a platform layer that provides standard mechanical interfaces and electrical interfaces of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

an equipment layer that contains customer payload equipment;

a data link layer that contains a data link transceiver for controlling the customer payload equipment;

a first standard interface between the platform layer and the equipment layer to enable two or more platform and equipment layer components to be compatible with each other; and

a second standard interface between the equipment layer and the data link layer to enable two or more equipment and data link layer components to be compatible with each other.

2. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the equipment layer contains peripheral components unique to the customer payload equipment.

3. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the platform layer provides power from the UAV to the equipment layer and the data link layer.

4. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the platform layer provides data paths between the UAV and the equipment layer.

5. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the equipment layer communicates to ground equipment using the date link layer or a built in data link on the UAV through the platform layer.

6. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the data link layer includes peripheral equipment, including one or more of global positioning systems (GPS), power supplies, voltage regulators, and signal distribution systems.

7. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the platform layer includes a UAV payload interface, wherein power is supplied from the UAV to the platform layer using an existing UAV payload interface and the UAV payload interface.

8. The layered architecture of claim 7, further comprising a video source embedded into one or more of the customer payload equipment and the data link layer.

9. The layered architecture of claim 8, wherein video data obtained from the video source is routed from the layered architecture through the platform layer to the UAV payload interface and then transmitted to a UAV ground control station using an existing video data link and bandwidth provide by the UAV.

10. The layered architecture of claim 9, wherein the video source is a camera.

11. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein each of the platform layer, the equipment layer, and the data link layer includes one or more data interfaces for transmitting bi-directional command and control data between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and the layered architecture.

12. The layered architecture of claim 11, wherein the equipment layer performs data protocol translations from a UAV supported protocol to other protocols.

13. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the equipment layer includes one or more radio frequency (RF) interfaces for systems that need RF connections.

14. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the data link layer includes one or more radio frequency (RF) interfaces for systems that need RF connections.

15. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the equipment layer enables equipment to be added to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with no modifications to the UAVs.

16. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the equipment layer and the data link layer are combined into one mechanical housing.

17. The layered architecture of claim 1, wherein the standard interface and the second standard interface are electrically equivalent so that the data link layer can plug into and obtain power from the platform layer.

18. A layered architecture for customer payload systems in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising:

a platform layer that provides standard mechanical interfaces and electrical interfaces of a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

an equipment layer that contains customer payload equipment; and

a standard interface between the platform layer and the equipment layer to enable two or more platform and equipment layer components to be compatible with each other,

wherein the equipment layer communicates to ground equipment using a built in data link on the UAV.

19. The layered architecture of claim 18, wherein the equipment layer contains peripheral components unique to the customer payload equipment.

20. The layered architecture of claim 18, wherein the platform layer includes a UAV payload interface, wherein power is supplied from the UAV to the platform layer using an existing UAV payload interface and the layered architecture'"'"'s UAV payload interface.

21. The layered architecture of claim 20, further comprising a video source embedded into the customer payload equipment.

22. The layered architecture of claim 21, wherein video data obtained from the video source is routed from the layered architecture through the platform layer to the UAV payload interface and then transmitted to a UAV ground control station using an existing video data link and bandwidth provide by the UAV.

23. A layered architecture for customer payload systems in unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:

a platform layer that standardizes mechanical interfaces and electrical interfaces of a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

a data link layer that contains a data link transceiver for controlling customer payload equipment; and

a standard interface between the platform layer and the data link layer to enable two or more platform and data link layer components to be compatible with each other,

wherein data is sent from a ground control station to the UAV and then relayed to a remote site.

24. The layered architecture of claim 23, wherein the platform layer includes a UAV payload interface, wherein power is supplied from the UAV to the platform layer using an existing UAV payload interface and the layered architecture'"'"'s UAV payload interface.

25. The layered architecture of claim 24, further comprising a video source embedded into the data link layer.

26. The layered architecture of claim 25, wherein video data obtained from the video source is routed from the layered architecture through the platform layer to the UAV payload interface and then transmitted to a UAV ground control station using an existing video data link and bandwidth provide by the UAV.