High Altitude, Long Endurance, Unmanned Aircraft and Methods of Operation Thereof

• US 20140195150A1
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Rios, Edward Oscar
• Granted Patent: US 9,404,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/469
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/21 Interference related issues ; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform

Abstract

Embodiments include one or more high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft (110) capable of persistent station-keeping having one or more electromagnetic (IR/Visual/RF) sensor elements or suites (112, 337) for purposes of survey and/or signal gathering. Embodiments include one or more high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft (110) capable of persistent station-keeping having a directable laser (331). Embodiments include a group of four or more high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft (611-614) configured as GPS repeaters.

Claims

1. A method of global positioning system (GPS) signal augmentation comprising:

deploying a group of four or more high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft, each unmanned aircraft comprising a GPS antenna, GPS receiver, and a GPS repeater;

receiving, by at least four of the four more HALE unmanned aircraft, a GPS signal from a respective GPS satellite; and

forming, by each of the at least four HALE unmanned aircraft respectively, a repeatable received GPS signal for transmission.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting, by each of at least four HALE unmanned aircraft, the respective, repeatable received GPS signal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting within a defined geographic boundary, by each of at least four HALE unmanned aircraft, its repeatable received GPS signal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

flying, by each of the group of four or more HALE unmanned aircraft each, in one or more station-keeping patterns in a stratospheric layer above a first defined terrestrial region.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

relocating, by the group of four or more HALE unmanned aircraft, to fly in one or more station-keeping patterns in a stratospheric layer above a second defined terrestrial region.

6. A system of global positioning system (GPS) signal augmentation comprising:

a group of four or more high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft, each aircraft comprising a GPS antenna, GPS receiver, and a GPS repeater;

wherein each HALE unmanned aircraft is configured to receive a GPS signal from a respective GPS satellite, and form a repeatable received GPS signal for transmission.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein each of at least four HALE unmanned aircraft is further configured to transmit, within a defined geographic boundary, the repeatable received GPS signal.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein each HALE unmanned aircraft, of the group of four or more HALE aircraft, is configured to fly in one or more station-keeping patterns in a stratospheric layer above a first defined terrestrial region.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein each HALE unmanned aircraft, of the group of four or more HALE aircraft, is configured to relocate and fly in one or more station-keeping patterns in a stratospheric layer above a second defined terrestrial region.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein each HALE unmanned aircraft is configured to persist at altitude for a plurality of twenty-four hour periods, and wherein each HALE unmanned aircraft is configured to land for at least one of:

resupply and repair; and

thereafter return to a stratospheric layer.

11. A method of satellite sensor interdiction comprising:

deploying a first high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft comprising a satellite tracker and a directable electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitter in cooperation with the satellite tracker,

acquiring, by the satellite tracker, a satellite having an onboard EM sensor;

tracking, by the satellite tracker, the acquired satellite; and

emitting interdicting EM radiation, by the directable EM radiation emitter, to the tracked satellite.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

prior to the step of emitting by the first HALE unmanned aircraft, deploying a second HALE unmanned aircraft comprising a satellite tracker;

signaling by the first HALE unmanned aircraft to the second HALE unmanned aircraft, the location of the tracked satellite;

acquiring, by the satellite tracker of the second HALE unmanned aircraft, the satellite tracked by the first HALE unmanned aircraft; and

tracking, by the satellite tracker of the second HALE unmanned aircraft, the satellite tracked by the first HALE unmanned aircraft.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the second HALE unmanned aircraft transmitting, by the second HALE unmanned aircraft, an interdiction assessment to the first HALE unmanned aircraft.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the second HALE unmanned aircraft further comprises a directable electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitter in cooperation with a satellite tracker of the second HALE unmanned aircraft.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

emitting interdicting EM radiation, by the directable EM radiation emitter of the second HALE unmanned aircraft, to the tracked satellite based on an interdiction assessment of at least one of;

the first HALE unmanned aircraft and the second HALE unmanned aircraft.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the directable EM radiation emitter of the first HALE unmanned aircraft is a turret mounted laser.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the satellite tracker of the first HALE unmanned aircraft comprises a gyroscopically stabilized telescopic platform feeding an electro-optical sensor in communication with a tracking processor.

18. A system for satellite sensor interdiction comprising:

a first high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft comprising;

a satellite tracker and a directable electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitter in cooperation with the satellite tracker wherein the satellite tracker is configured to acquire and track a satellite having an onboard EM sensor; and

wherein the directable EM radiation emitter is configured to emitting interdicting EM radiation to the EM sensor of the tracked satellite.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

a second HALE unmanned aircraft comprising a satellite tracker, wherein the second HALE unmanned aircraft is configured to receive, via signaling by the first HALE unmanned aircraft or via signaling via a ground station, the location of the tracked satellite;

wherein the satellite tracker of the second HALE unmanned aircraft is configured to acquire the satellite tracked by the first HALE unmanned aircraft; and

wherein the satellite tracker of the second HALE unmanned aircraft is further configured to track the satellite tracked by the first HALE unmanned aircraft.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the second HALE unmanned aircraft is further configured to transmit an interdiction assessment to the first HALE unmanned aircraft.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the second HALE unmanned aircraft further comprises a directable electromagnetic (EM) radiation emitter in cooperation with a satellite tracker of the second HALE unmanned aircraft.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the directable EM radiation emitter of the second HALE unmanned aircraft is further configured to emit interdicting EM radiation to the tracked satellite based on an interdiction assessment of at least one of:

the first HALE unmanned aircraft and the second HALE unmanned aircraft.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the directable EM radiation emitter of the first HALE unmanned aircraft is a turret mounted laser.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the satellite tracker of the first HALE unmanned aircraft comprises a gyroscopically stabilized telescopic platform feeding an electro-optical sensor in communication with a tracking processor.

25. A high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft comprising:

a fuselage having an outer skin, the fuselage comprising a communication suite; and

an electromagnetic radiation sensor array comprising a plurality of sensor elements disposed about the outer skin of the fuselage;

wherein the disposition of the sensor elements define one or more sensor baselines; and

wherein the HALE unmanned aircraft is configured to receive and process signal intelligence while flying in a stratospheric layer for a plurality of twenty-four hours periods.