SECURE SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCY-MODE OPERATION, SYSTEM MONITORING AND TRUSTED ACCESS VEHICLE LOCATION AND RECOVERY

• US 20180279105A1
• Filed: 08/19/2015
• Published: 09/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Unmanned Aerial Systems ULC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aeryon Labs, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: HUBER, Scott, MCCALLUM, Nevin, MCCABE, Sean, MCDONALD, Ian, NAGY, Thomas Charles
• Granted Patent: US 10,178,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to an autonomous emergency system (EMS) for UAVs and UMVs. The autonomy of the emergency system enables the vehicle to self-detect that it is in an emergency state (autonomous detection). When vehicle detects the emergency state the vehicle is configured to implement an improved autonomous emergency system process. The vehicle triggers autonomous state change, and controls its operation (auxiliary, power levels, and so on). The vehicle has beacons to emit pulses over time intervals to communicate with specific vehicles. For example, when known, friendly, other vehicles come into a specific radius, the EMS detects the friendly vehicle(s) and sends safe signals. The EMS implements a pairing communication process based on pre-establish configurations and protocols.

Claims

1. An emergency system for unmanned vehicle comprising:

an operations control for, in response to control signals received from a vehicle control station, controlling operation, navigation and communication for the unmanned vehicle based on a normal mode and an emergency mode of operation;

at least one beacon used for transmitting and receiving emergency signals when an emergency state is activated to transmit over time intervals to communicate with other vehicles or stations and to implement a pairing communication process with the other vehicles or stations to authenticate the other vehicles or stations prior to transmission or emission of the pulse or signal notifications, wherein the transmission comprises pulse emissions or signal notifications;

a recovery station for establishing a secured wireless communication link with the emergency system to trigger or monitor the emergency mode of operation; and

a trigger control activated remotely by recovery station to control the beacon to transmit encrypted emergency signal messages as part of the pulse or signal notifications, where the beacon transmits and receives multi-mode notification messages with the other vehicles or stations when in the emergency mode of operation.

2. The emergency system of claim 1, where the recovery station provides a user interface to control and establish a communication link with the operations control to control operation, navigation and communication for the unmanned vehicle.

3. The emergency system of claim 1, where the emergency system handles operations logging and filters and encrypts log messages for storing on a data storage device.

4. The emergency system of claim 1, where the emergency system comprises a tamper proof ruggedized case and low-power separate energy source for the beacon.

5. The emergency system of claim 1, where the emergency system comprises peripheral interface between the operations control and sensors, and an electronic interface between a central processor unit and the other electronics of the vehicle.

6. The emergency system of claim 1, where the emergency system may trigger the beacon to emit the pulse signals automatically upon detecting emergency data conditions from sensors, or may inhibit the beacon permanently or temporarily until the trigger message is received and the other vehicles or stations are authenticated.

7. The emergency system of claim 1 further comprising a data storage system for storing sensor data and other emergency data as directed by a system monitor for logging filtered emergency data.

8. The emergency system of claim 1 further comprising a system monitor for logging filtered emergency data to a data storage system.

9. An unmanned vehicle comprising:

an operations control for, in response to control signals received from a vehicle control station, controlling operation, navigation and communication for the unmanned vehicle based on a normal mode and an emergency mode of operation;

an emergency system with at least one beacon used for transmitting and receiving emergency signals when an emergency state is activated to transmit over time intervals to communicate with other vehicles or stations and to implement a pairing communication process prior to transmission or emission of the pulse signals or notifications, wherein the transmission comprises pulse emissions or signal notifications;

a trigger control activated remotely to control the beacon to transmit encrypted emergency signal messages, where the beacon transmits and receives multi-mode notification messages to provide the signal pulses and to trigger an emergency flight mode;

a flight system for implementing the emergency flight mode in response to trigger control; and

a communication interface for establishing a wireless communication link between the emergency system and a recovery station to trigger the emergency mode of operation or communication by the beacon.

10. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, wherein the emergency system provides a user interface to control and establish a communication link between an external system and the operations control to control operation, navigation and communication for the unmanned vehicle.

11. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, where the emergency system handles operations logging using timestamps on signals from the beacon.

12. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, where the emergency system comprises a tamper proof ruggedized case and low-power energy storage for the beacon.

13. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, where the emergency system comprises a peripheral interface between the operations control and sensors, and an electronic interface between a central processor unit and other electronics of the vehicle.

14. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, where the emergency system may trigger the beacon to emit pulses automatically upon detecting emergency data conditions from sensors, or may inhibit the beacon permanently or temporarily until message received.

15. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a data storage system for storing sensor data and other emergency data as directed by a system monitor for logging.

16. The unmanned vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a system monitor for logging emergency data to a data storage system.

17. An emergency system for unmanned vehicle comprising:

at least one beacon used for transmitting and receiving emergency signals when an emergency state is activated to emit pulse notifications over time intervals to communicate with other vehicles or stations and to implement a pairing communication process with configurations and protocol;

a recovery station for establishing a wireless communication link with the emergency system to trigger the emergency mode of operation when the emergency state is activated; and

a trigger control to control the beacon to transmit encrypted emergency signal messages, where the beacon transmits and receives multi-mode notification messages to provide signal pulses.

18. The emergency system of claim 17, where the recovery station provides a user interface to control and establish a communication link with the operations control to control operation, navigation and communication for the unmanned vehicle.

19. The emergency system of claim 17, where the emergency system handles operations logging by writing emergency data to a data storage device.

20. The emergency system of claim 17, where the emergency system comprises a tamper proof ruggedized case and low-power energy storage for the beacon.

21. The emergency system of claim 17, where the emergency system comprises a peripheral interface between the operations control and sensors, and an electronic interface between a central processor unit and the other electronics of the vehicle.

22. The emergency system of claim 17, where the emergency system may trigger the beacon to emit pulses automatically upon detecting emergency data conditions from sensors, or may inhibit the beacon permanently or temporarily until message received.

23. The emergency system of claim 17, further comprising a data storage system for storing sensor data and other emergency data as directed by a system monitor for logging.

24. The emergency system of claim 17, further comprising a system monitor for logging emergency data to a data storage system.

25. The emergency system of claim 17 configured to implement a jettison for the signals.

26. The emergency system of claim 17 configured to generate and store encrypted log messages relating to operation of the unmanned vehicle using one or more encryption keys received in response to one or more detected emergency events to activate the emergency state.

27. The emergency system of claim 17 comprising a user interface with operation control elements to control operation of the unmanned vehicle based on a predetermined condition or a map-based activation.

28. The emergency system of claim 17 comprising an system monitor to control encryption of data stored at a data storage device located on the unmanned vehicle based on one or more data types associated with the data, the data types including, flight variables, location information, sensor data, video or audio recordings, internal system variables, and emergency events.

29. The emergency system of claim 17 comprising a system monitor to filter data collected by the unmanned vehicle and logging filtered data to a data storage device located on the unmanned vehicle or the emergency system.

30. The emergency system of claim 17 configured to inhibit the one or more beacons in response to a state variable being activated, the state variable based on a map-based control so that the decision to inhibit is based on a location of the vehicle.

31. The emergency system of claim 17 configured to inhibit the one or more beacons in response to a state variable being activated, and trigger single burst signals in response to a demand message.

32. The emergency system of claim 17 configured to self-destruct in response to an emergency message or trigger.

33. The emergency system of claim 17 configured to control the transmission or emission of the pulse notifications over increasingly longer time intervals.

34. The emergency system of claim 17 configured to authenticate the other vehicles or stations prior to the transmission or emission of the pulse notifications.

35. A process for an emergency system for an unmanned vehicle comprising:

authenticating operator identification data of the unmanned vehicle at a vehicle control station to generate an authentication response;

recording the authentication response in a data storage device linked to the unmanned vehicle;

establishing a secure communication channel between the vehicle control station and the emergency system;

transmitting an authentication key from the vehicle control station to the emergency system over the secure communication channel, the authentication key used to generate encrypted notifications by a beacon of the emergency system;

storing the authentication key at a system monitor component;

generating encrypted log entries using the authentication key, the encrypted log entries for data relating to operation of the unmanned vehicle;

detecting one or more emergency events relating to the unmanned vehicle, and in response, inhibiting some or all emergency notifications generated by the beacon of the emergency system;

receiving, at the beacon of the emergency system, an additional authentication key to activate some or all of the emergency notifications generated by the beacon of the emergency system, the emergency notifications encrypted using the additional authentication key.