MISSION PLANNING INTERFACE FOR ACCESSING VEHICLE RESOURCES

• US 20120237028A1
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Khazan, Roger, Petcher, Adam Shawn, Utin, Daniil M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,644,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/201
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time

Abstract

In an aspect, the invention features a method for mission planning The method includes displaying a graphical representation of a geographical area and displaying a graphical representation of one or more regions within the geographical area. The method also includes accepting a specification of geographical regions from a user, accepting a specification of a set of one or more receivers from the user, and accepting a specification of resource access rights associated with the specific one of the geographical regions from the user. The method also includes remotely causing access to a vehicle'"'"'s resources to be provided or denied to the specified set of one or more receivers based on their association with the specific one of the geographical regions specified by the user when the vehicle is within the specific one of the geographical regions specified by the user.

Claims

1. A method for mission planning comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of a geographical area;

displaying a graphical representation of one or more regions within the geographical area;

accepting a specification of geographical regions from a user;

accepting a specification of a set of one or more receivers from the user;

accepting a specification of resource access rights associated with the specific one of the geographical regions from the user; and

remotely causing access to a vehicle'"'"'s resources to be provided or denied to the specified set of one or more receivers based on their association with the specific one of the geographical regions specified by the user when the vehicle is within the specific one of the geographical regions specified by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an unmanned vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein remotely causing access to the vehicle'"'"'s resources to be provided or denied further comprises sending cryptographic information to the specified set of one or more receivers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cryptographic information is sent through the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the cryptographic information comprises an encryption of access data for accessing the resources, the encryption of access data formed for decryption with a key associated with a receiver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the access data is a receiver specific key for decryption of data received from the UAV.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiver specific key is a private key.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein remotely causing access to the vehicle'"'"'s resources to be provided or denied further comprises causing the vehicle to provide or deny access to the resources.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource access rights include at least one of acquired data access rights and vehicle control access rights.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource access rights include at least one of flight control system access rights, weapons control system access rights, and surveillance control system access rights.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource rights include video acquisition rights.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a part of a flight plan of a vehicle including geographic path information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein accepting the specification of the set of one or more receivers from the user further includes associating the set of one or more receivers with a specific one of the geographical regions.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a range of time is specified by the user and the set of one or more receivers is associated with the specific one of the geographical regions for the range of time.

15. A system at a vehicle control station comprising:

a display for displaying information to a user, the display information including;

a graphical representation of a geographical area;

a graphical representation of one or more regions within the geographical area; and

data acquired by the vehicle;

an input device for accepting information from the user, the accepted information including;

a specification of geographical regions;

a specification of a group of receivers;

a specification of resource access rights associated with a specific one of the geographical regions;

a data storage device;

a database implemented on the data storage device for storing a mission plan including;

a data representation of the geographical area;

a data representation of the one or more regions within the geographical area; and

the data acquired by the vehicle;

a communication module for communication with a vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle comprises an unmanned vehicle.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the resource access rights including acquired data access rights and vehicle control access rights.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the resource access rights include at least one of flight control system access rights, weapons control system access rights, and surveillance control system access rights.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the resource rights include video acquisition rights.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the display information further includes a part of a flight plan of a vehicle including geographical path information.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the specification of the group of receivers further includes an association of the group of receivers with a specific one of the geographical regions.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the specification of the group of receivers further includes a specification of a range of time that the group of receivers is to be associated with the specific one of the geographical regions.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the mission plan further includes at least part of a flight plan of the vehicle including path information.