Audiovisual display modes for sense-and-avoid system for aerial vehicles

• US 8,370,057 B1
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stanley Robert Herwitz
• Original Assignee: Stanley Robert Herwitz
• Inventors: Herwitz, Stanley Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/661,672
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 701/454, 701/301, 701/120, 701/482, 701/484, 701/487, 701/514, 701/517, 701/3, 701/66, 701/408, 340/901, 340/903, 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/426.19
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/003 Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/91 for traffic control G01S13/93 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• 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

Abstract

The invention provides six different display modes illustrating interaction and relative locations of two or more aerial vehicles (AVs), with at least one of the AVs being controllable by a ground-based or airborne-based controller of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or a pilot of a standard manned aircraft. Some display modes also indicate a predicted distance of closest approach of two AVs, the possibility of conflict or collision, and a remaining time, measured relative to the present time, before this conflict occurs. An audio and/or visual indicator advises the AV controller if this conflict event is likely to occur and recommends an acceleration or deceleration increment that may avoid such conflict.

Claims

1. A method for displaying present and predicted future locations, velocities and accelerations of each of at least first and second aerial vehicles (AVs), the method comprising providing a computer that is programmed:

to receive or otherwise provide estimates of present locations rj(t0) of a selected number J of AVs, numbered j=1, . . . , J (J≧

2), for a present time, t=t0, where the locations rj(t0) are determined with reference to a Cartesian coordinate system (x,y,z) having unit length vectors i, j and k oriented parallel to x-, y- and z-coordinate axes, with initial vector location values rj(t0)=(xj0,yj0,zj0);

to provide estimates of at least one of present velocity vectors vj(t0) and present acceleration vectors aj(t0) for the J AVs, for the present time, t=t0;

to provide an estimate of locations rj(t), velocity vectors vj(t) and acceleration vectors aj(t) for at least two spaced apart times t that are greater than t0;

to provide an estimate of a time, t=t(min)≧

t0, for which a distance separation value |r1(t)−

r2(t)| attains a locally minimum value for the AVs j=1 and j=2, and estimating the locations rj(t=t(min)) for j=1 and 2;

to provide a unit length normal vector n of a display plane for the J AVs, where the vector n is determined with reference to at least one of the following vectors;

i, j, k, −

i sin φ

+j cos φ

, (v10^v20)/|v10^v20|, and (v10^a10)/|v10^a10|, where φ

is a selected azimuthal angle in a range 0≦

φ

<

2π

;

to visually represent, on a display screen, a display plane Π

defined by the normal vector n and passing through at least one display plane anchor point AP that is determined with reference to one or more locations AP=r10, r20, {f·

z10+1−

f) z20}k, r1(t=t(min)), and r2(t=t(min)), where f is a selected value in a range 0≦

f≦

1; and

to visually represent, on the display screen, the locations r1(t0) and r2(t0) on or adjacent to a display plane Π

, determined with reference to the normal vector n.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer is further programmed to provide, on said display screen, a distance scale that presents a visually perceptible line segment that is linearly proportional to a separation distance |r1(t0)−

r2(t0)| between said present location of said first AV and said second AV.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer is further programmed to provide, on said display screen, a closing-rate scale that presents a visually perceptible line segment having a length that is linearly proportional to a time rate of change, (∂

/∂

t)|r1(t)−

r2(t)|, of a difference of said location vectors, r1(t) and r2(t), for said first AV and said second AV for a selected value of time t, and that indicates whether the time rate of change of the difference, |r1(t)−

r2(t)|, is positive, is negative or is substantially zero.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer is further programmed to choose said normal vector n to be i, representing said present location vector r10 on said display plane Π

, and representing said present location vector r20 adjacent to or on said display plane Π

, and representing a location vector projection r20(proj) that is a projection of said present location vector r20 onto said display plane Π

.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said computer is further programmed to determine said vector r20(proj) as r20(proj)=r20−

{(r20−

r20(i))·

n}n, where r20(i) is a location where a line segment aligned with said vector r20 intersects said display plane Π

.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer is further programmed to choose said normal vector n to be j, representing said present location vector r10 on said display plane Π

, and representing said present location vector r20 adjacent to or on said display plane Π

, and representing a location vector projection r20(proj) that is a projection of said present location vector r20 onto said display plane Π

.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said computer is further programmed to determine said vector r20(proj) as r20(proj)=r20−

{(r20−

r20(i))·

n}n, where r20(i) is a location where a line segment aligned with said vector r20 intersects said display plane Π

.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said computer is further programmed to determine said vector projection r20(proj;

1) as r20(proj;

1)=r20−

{(r20−

r20(i))·

n(1)}n(1), where r20(i) is a location where a line segment aligned with said vector r20 intersects said display plane Π

.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said computer is further programmed to determine said vector projection r20(proj;

2) as r20(proj;

2)=r20−

{(r20−

r20(i))·

n(2)}n(2), where r20(i) is a location where a line segment aligned with said vector r20 intersects said display plane Π

.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer is further programmed:

to provide a first display plane with normal vector n(1)=i;

to provide a second display plane with normal vector n(2)=j, that intersects the first display plane in a line segment;

to represent said present location vector r10 on the line segment;

to represent said present location vector r20 on or adjacent to at least one of the first display plane and the second display plane;

to represent a first location vector projection r20(proj;

1) that is a projection of said present location vector r20 onto the first display plane; and

to represent a second location vector projection r20(proj;

2) that is a projection of said present location vector r20 onto the second display plane.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer is further programmed:

to choose said normal vector for said display plane as n=−

i sin φ

+j cos φ

, where φ

is an angle chosen to satisfy a relation tan φ

=(y20−

y10)/(x20−

x10), where said present locations r10 and r20 have the respective coordinates (x10,y10,z10) and (x20,y20,z20), and x20−

x10 is not substantially 0; and

to choose said anchor point for said display plane so that said display plane contains said locations r10 and r20.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer is further programmed:

to choose said normal vector for said display plane as n=k, and said display plane to be a substantially horizontal plane having a z coordinate that is substantially equal to f·

z10+(1−

f)·

z20, with 0≦

f≦

1; and

to represent at least one of said present locations r=r10 and r=r20 adjacent to or on said display plane Π

, and to represent a location projection r(proj) that is a projection of said present location r onto said display plane Π

, with r(proj)=r−

{(r−

r(i))·

n}n, where r(i) is a location where a line segment, aligned with said location r, intersects said display plane Π

.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer is further programmed:

to choose said display plane Π

to include said present location vector r10 and to include said velocity vectors v10 and v20, where v10 and v20 are not substantially parallel to each other;

to represent said present location vector r20 adjacent to or on said display plane Π

; and

to represent a projection vector r20(proj) of said present location vector r20 onto said display plane Π

as r20(proj)=r20−

{(r20−

r20(i))·

n}n, where n is said normal vector for said display plane Π and

r20(i) is a location where a line segment aligned with said vector r20 intersects said display plane Π

.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said computer is further programmed to choose said normal vector n to be

n={v10^v20}/|v10^v20|,

where v10 and v20 are not substantially parallel to each other.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said velocity vectors v10 and v20 are approximately parallel to each other, and wherein said computer is further programmed:

to choose said display plane to include said present location vector r10 and

to include said vectors k and vj0 (j=1 or

     2);

to represent said present location vector r20 adjacent to said display plane Π

;

to represent a projection vector r20(proj) of said present location vector r20 onto said display plane Π

as

r20(proj)=r20−

{(r20−

r20(i))·

n}n,

where n is said normal vector for said display plane Π

, and r20(i) is a location where a line segment aligned with said vector r20 intersects said display lane Π

.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said computer is further programmed to chose said normal vector n to be

n={vj0^k}/|vj0^k|.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer is further programmed:

to choose said display plane Π

to include said first AV present location vector r10 and to include said first AV velocity and acceleration vectors v10 and a10, where v10 and a10 are not approximately parallel to each other;

to represent said present location vector r20 adjacent to or on said display plane Π

;

to represent a projection vector r20(proj) of said present location vector r20 onto said display plane Π

as

r20(proj)=r20−

{(r20−

r20(i))·

n}n,

where n is said normal vector for said display plane Π

, and r20_I is a location where a line segment aligned with said vector r20 intersects said display plane Π

.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said computer is further programmed to choose said normal vector n to be

n={v10^a10}/|v10^a10|.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said velocity and acceleration vectors v10 and a10 are substantially parallel to each other, and wherein said computer is further programmed:

to choose said display plane to include said present location vector r10 and to include said vectors k and either v10 or a10;

to represent said present location vector r20 adjacent to or on said display plane Π

; and

to represent a projection vector r20(proj) of said present location vector r20 onto said display plane Π

as

r20(proj)=r20−

{(r20−

r20(i))·

n}n,

where n is said normal vector for said display plane Π

, and r20(i) is a location that a line segment aligned with said vector r20 intersects with said display plane Π

.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said computer is further programmed to choose said normal vector n to be at least one of

n={v10^k}/|v10^k|

and

n={a10^k}/|a10^k|.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, in a visually perceptible manner, at least one of a primary display mode and a secondary display mode, on a single screen where the primary display mode and the secondary display mode are distinct modes that are constructed and displayed according to claim 1.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, in a visually perceptible manner, a primary display mode on a primary screen and at least one secondary display mode on at least one secondary screen, where the primary display mode and the secondary display mode are distinct modes that are constructed and displayed according to claim 1.