METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING DEPLOYMENT OF SYSTEMS

• US 20130085981A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Zuber, James R., Ii, David L., FUCIARELLI, DAVID A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,224 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/52
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/007 Preparatory measures taken before the launching of the guided missiles
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 9/00 Systems for controlling missiles or projectiles, not provided for elsewhere
• 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: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for controlling deployment of systems according to various aspects of the present invention operate in conjunction with at least one deployable asset, a scoring system, and an optimization system. The scoring and optimization systems provide an optimized solution to mission planning, asset positioning, and control of multiple entities within a geographic region. The system combines a scoring method with an optimization method to quickly select a globally optimal solution from a larger set of potential solutions.

Claims

1. A planning system for deploying a deployable asset in a geographic space, comprising:

a scoring system having a processor configured to;

calculate a score for each of a plurality of possible deployment locations in the geographic space for the deployable asset, wherein the score corresponds to a projected effectiveness of the deployable asset at the deployment location; and

an optimization system responsive to the scoring system and having a processor configured to;

compare the score from the scoring system for each of the deployment locations to a threshold, wherein the threshold corresponds to a selected level of projected effectiveness; and

discard the possible deployment locations corresponding to scores that fail to meet the threshold; and

select a deployment location for the deployable asset from the remaining possible deployment locations.

2. A planning system according to claim 1, wherein the scoring system is further configured to incorporate data from a dynamic data source to calculate the score for the plurality of possible deployment locations.

3. A planning system according to claim 1, further comprising an autonomous planner configured to:

receive the results of the scoring system and optimization system; and

determine a course of action based on the results of the scoring system and optimization system.

4. A planning system according to claim 3, wherein the deployment of the deployable asset within the geographic space is dynamically linked to the autonomous planner.

5. A planning system according to claim 1, wherein the deployable asset further comprises an autonomous planner configured to house the scoring system and the optimization system.

6. A planning system according to claim 1, wherein the deployable asset further comprises a communications link.

7. A planning system according to claim 6, wherein the deployable asset is configured to interact with a second deployable asset via the communications link.

8. A planning system according to claim 1, wherein the scoring system comprises a Bayesian net.

9. A computer implemented method of planning for a deployable asset in a Geographic space, comprising:

calculating a score for each of a plurality of possible deployment locations in the geographic space for the deployable asset, wherein the score corresponds to a projected effectiveness of the deployable asset at the deployment location;

comparing the score for each of the deployment locations to a threshold, wherein the threshold corresponds to a selected level of projected effectiveness;

discarding the possible deployment locations corresponding to scores that fail to meet the threshold; and

selecting a deployment locations for the deployable asset according to the score for the selected deployment location.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising receiving data from a dynamic data source.

11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising receiving the scoring system results and the optimization system results from a remote source via a communications link.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising estimating the search path of a second deployable asset based on the data received from the communications link.

13. A method according to claim 9, further comprising calculating at least one additional series of probability values for at least one additional set of spaces beyond the first local space.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein calculating the sore comprises calculating the score using a Bayesian net.

15. A computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a computer, wherein the instructions cause the computer to execute a method for mission planning and optimization for a first deployable asset comprising:

calculating a score with a processor for each of a plurality of possible deployment locations for the deployable asset, wherein the score corresponds to a projected effectiveness of the deployable asset at the deployment location;

comparing the score for each of the deployment locations to a threshold, wherein the threshold corresponds to a selected level of projected effectiveness;

discarding the possible deployment locations corresponding to scores that fail to meet the threshold; and

selecting a deployment locations for the deployable asset according to the score for the selected deployment location.

16. A medium according to claim 15, the method further comprising:

identifying a set of possible second deployment locations for each of the first possible deployment locations remaining after discarding the possible deployment locations corresponding to scores that fail to meet the threshold;

calculating a score for each of the second deployment locations, wherein the score for each of the second deployment locations corresponds to a projected effectiveness of the deployable asset at second deployment location;

calculating an overall score for each second deployment locations and its corresponding first deployment location;

comparing each overall score a second threshold, wherein the second threshold corresponds to a second selected level of projected effectiveness;

discarding the possible second deployment locations corresponding to overall scores that fail to meet the second threshold; and

selecting a second deployment location for the deployable asset according to the overall score for the selected second deployment location.

17. A medium according to claim 16, wherein the second threshold is identical to the first threshold.

18. A medium according to claim 15, the method further comprising transmitting the score for each of the possible deployment locations and the selected deployment location to a remote system through a communications link.

19. A medium according to claim 15, wherein calculating the score comprises calculating the score using a Bayesian net.

20. A medium according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the score and deployment locations from a second deployable asset;

estimating a future deployment location of the second deployable asset and

adjusting the deployment location of the first deployable asset in order to reduce the probability of overlap between the first deployable asset and the second deployable asset.