DISTRIBUTED COLLABORATIVE OPERATIONS PROCESSOR SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20160155339A1
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Saad, Emad W., Vian, John L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,760,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• 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: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

Described herein is an apparatus for semi-autonomous vehicle control of a vehicle includes a distributed mission module configured to modify a mission element of a group mission based on availability of data. The group mission involves a plurality of vehicles. The apparatus also includes a guidance module configured to compute a path for a local vehicle of the plurality of vehicles based on the modified mission element. The path is configured to achieve the modified mission element. Additionally, the apparatus includes a multi-protocol translator module configured to convert the path into one or more control commands for the local vehicle. The distributed mission module, guidance module, and multi-protocol translator are located on-board the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for semi-autonomous vehicle control of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a distributed mission module configured to modify a mission element of a group mission based on availability of data, the group mission involving a plurality of vehicles;

a guidance module configured to compute a path for a local vehicle of the plurality of vehicles based on the modified mission element, the path configured to achieve the modified mission element; and

a multi-protocol translator module configured to convert the path into one or more control commands for the local vehicle;

wherein the distributed mission module, guidance module, and multi-protocol translator are located on-board the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distributed mission module selects a contingency element corresponding to the mission element in response to data from a central control station being unavailable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distributed mission module defines at least one task for the local vehicle based on the modified mission element, the task comprising a task type, a task location, and a task parameter, wherein the guidance module computes a path based on the at least one task.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guidance module is further configured to compute paths for each of others of the plurality of vehicles based on the modified mission element.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a health manager module configured to determine a health state of the local vehicle, wherein the distributed mission module modifies the mission element based on the health state.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a swarm control module configured to compute one or more control commands for the local vehicle to cooperate as a swarm with the plurality of vehicles.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a deconfliction module configured to receive waypoint goals for the plurality of vehicles and to modify the path based on the waypoint goals to minimize path conflicts among the plurality of vehicles.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a collision avoidance module configured to receive vehicle positions for the plurality of vehicles and to modify the path in real-time based on the vehicles positions to avoid collisions.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a task manager module configured to define a task for the local vehicle based on the modified mission element, wherein the guidance module is further configured to generate a waypoint goal based on the defined task.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a health module configured to determine a health state of the local vehicle, wherein the health state comprises a fuel status of the local vehicle and the task manager module modifies the task based on the health state.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a task planning module configured to generate a waypoint goal based on the modified mission element, wherein the guidance module is further configured to compute a flight path that reaches the waypoint goal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a resource manager module configured to identify resources and capabilities of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the distributed mission module modifies the mission element based on available resources and capabilities of the plurality of vehicles.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multi-protocol translator module automatically identifies a protocol of the path, and automatically converts the path into a different protocol corresponding with the one or more control commands for the local vehicle.

14. A method for semi-autonomous vehicle control, comprising:

receiving a mission element of a group mission, the group mission involving a plurality of vehicles;

modifying the mission element based on availability of data; and

generating one or more control commands for a local vehicle of the plurality of vehicles based on a modified mission element.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving vehicle positions for the plurality of vehicles;

receiving health data for the plurality of vehicles; and

modifying the mission element based on the vehicles positions and the health data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating at least one task based on the modified mission element, the task being configured to accomplish the modified mission element;

calculating a local waypoint goal based on the at least one task, wherein generating the one or more control commands comprises calculating a flight path from a current position to the local waypoint goal; and

communicating the local waypoint goal to others of the plurality of vehicles.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving waypoint goals from the others of the plurality of vehicles;

calculating a path that minimizes path conflicts based on the received waypoint goals; and

modifying the one or more control commands based on a calculated path.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising defining a formation for the plurality of vehicles based on the modified mission element, wherein generating the one or more control commands comprises calculating positional commands and velocity commands for the local vehicle consistent with the defined formation.

19. A system for semi-autonomous vehicle control, comprising:

a central command station that provides a group mission, the group mission comprising a plurality of mission elements; and

a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle comprising an autonomy module, the autonomy module comprising;

a distributed mission module configured to modify one of the plurality of mission elements of the group mission based on availability of data, the group mission involving the plurality of vehicles;

a guidance module configured to compute a path for a local vehicle of the plurality of vehicles based on the modified mission element; and

a communications module configured to transmit and receive positions for the plurality of vehicles, wherein the path is computed based on the positions for the plurality of vehicles.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the distributed mission module selects a contingency element corresponding to one of the plurality of mission elements in response to data from the central command station being unavailable.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of vehicles comprises one or more vehicles of the group consisting of:

fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, watercraft, and ground vehicles.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the autonomy modules of the plurality of vehicles are redundant.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the communications module comprises a plurality of wireless link drivers each corresponding with a different wireless communication link.