Unmanned aerial vehicle control systems

• US 8,103,398 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Unmanned Systems, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Duggan, David S., Felio, David A., Pate, Billy B., Longhi, Vince R., Petersen, Jerry L., Bergee, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/956,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 701/11, 701/13, 701/15, 701/24, 701/33, 701/36, 244/158.1, 244/75.1, 244/76.R, 746/65.A
• US Class Current: 701/24
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa
• 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: G08G 5/04 Anti-collision systems

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicle control systems are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle includes transmitting an indication of a take-off or landing location to the unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle is launched. A control mode of the unmanned aerial vehicle is switched from an autonomous mode to a manual mode. The control mode of the unmanned aerial vehicle is switched from the manual mode to another autonomous mode, and the unmanned aerial vehicle is landed at the landing location.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

transmitting an indication of a take-off or landing location to the unmanned aerial vehicle;

launching the unmanned aerial vehicle;

switching a control mode of the unmanned aerial vehicle from an autonomous mode to a manual mode;

switching the control mode of the unmanned aerial vehicle from the manual mode to another autonomous mode; and

landing the unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein launching the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises autonomously launching the unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein launching the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises manually launching the unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein landing the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises autonomously landing the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein landing the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises manually landing the unmanned aerial vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting an indication of a take-off or landing location to the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises transmitting an indication of the take-off location, and wherein launching the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises launching the unmanned aerial vehicle from the take-off location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting an indication of a take-off or landing location to the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises transmitting an indication of the landing location, and wherein landing the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises landing the unmanned aerial vehicle at the landing location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting an indication of a take-off or landing location to the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises transmitting indications of both the take-off and the landing location to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein launching the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises autonomously controlling throttle-up operations of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein launching the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises autonomously controlling ground roll operations of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein launching the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises autonomously controlling climbout operations of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein launching the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises autonomously controlling lateral motion operations of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein landing the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises autonomously controlling descent operations of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein landing the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises autonomously controlling flare operations of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein landing the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises autonomously controlling ground roll operations of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein landing the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises autonomously controlling lateral motion operations of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

17. A multimodal variable autonomy control system for an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a plurality of control mode components each corresponding to a different mode of control and being configured to respond to command inputs by generating directionally descriptive control commands, one of the plurality of control modes comprising an autonomous landing mode, the autonomous landing mode being utilized in performing an autonomous landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a unified autopilot component for processing said directionally descriptive control commands; and

a vehicle control component for receiving process commands from the unified autopilot system and actuating control devices accordingly.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the autonomous landing mode receives a user-input programmed landing location.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the autonomous landing mode receives a user-input programmed landing trajectory.

20. A multimodal variable autonomy control system for an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a plurality of control mode components each corresponding to a different mode of control and being configured to respond to command inputs by generating directionally descriptive control commands, one of the plurality of control modes comprising an autonomous take-off mode, the autonomous take-off mode being utilized in performing an autonomous take-off of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

a unified autopilot component for processing said directionally descriptive control commands; and

a vehicle control component for receiving process commands from the unified autopilot system and actuating control devices accordingly.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the autonomous take-off mode receives a user-input programmed take-off location.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the autonomous take-off mode receives a user-input programmed take-off trajectory.