EVALUATING AILERON DEFLECTION WHILE AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE IS IN FLIGHT
First Claim
1. A method of operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:
- launching, by processing circuitry, the UAV into flight;
performing, by the processing circuitry, a series of control surface deflection evaluations while the UAV is in flight; and
performing, by the processing circuitry, a UAV remedial operation in response to the series of control surface deflection evaluations indicating abnormal control surface deflection behavior.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique is directed to operating a UAV. The technique involves launching (or guiding) the UAV into flight. The technique further involves performing a series of aileron (or other control surface) deflection evaluations while the UAV is in flight. The technique further involves performing a UAV remedial operation in response to the series of aileron deflection evaluations indicating abnormal aileron behavior, e.g., the UAV can send a warning message to a ground control station (GCS), land the UAV at a target location, deploy a chute, and so on. Such operation enables detection of an unexpected change in the UAV'"'"'s center of gravity, e.g., due to a blocked fuel bladder connection, icing on one side of the UAV, mechanical failure of an aileron, etc.
25 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:
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launching, by processing circuitry, the UAV into flight; performing, by the processing circuitry, a series of control surface deflection evaluations while the UAV is in flight; and performing, by the processing circuitry, a UAV remedial operation in response to the series of control surface deflection evaluations indicating abnormal control surface deflection behavior. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
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an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) frame; ailerons supported by the UAV frame; and a controller supported by the UAV frame and in operable communication with the ailerons, the controller being constructed and arranged to; while the UAV is in flight, perform a series of aileron deflection evaluations, and perform a UAV remedial operation in response to the series of aileron deflection evaluations indicating abnormal aileron behavior. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of:
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launching the UAV into flight; while the UAV is in flight, performing a series of aileron deflection evaluations; and performing a UAV remedial operation in response to the series of aileron deflection evaluations indicating abnormal aileron behavior.
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Specification