Automatic parafoil turn calculation method and apparatus

• US 8,489,256 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Government Of The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Yakimenko, Oleg
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US13/083,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3- 14, 244/75.1, 244/142, 244/180, 244/186, 244/902
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/00 Parachutes non canopied parachutes B64D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/025 for gliding chutes
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0684 on a moving platform, e.g. aircraft carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/105 specially adapted for unpowered flight, e.g. glider, parachuting, forced landing parachutes per se B64D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A method is described that involves performing the following with a parafoil'"'"'s control unit composed of electronic circuitry while the control unit is being transported with a parafoil: determining a desired exit of a turn; determining a desired time for the turn; determining the parafoil'"'"'s actual entrance for the turn; determining an arc between the actual entrance and the desired exit; and, incorporating said arc as said parafoil'"'"'s planned flight trajectory through said turn.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

performing the following with a parafoil'"'"'s control unit composed of electronic circuitry while said control unit is being transported with a parafoil;

determining a desired exit of a turn;

determining a desired time for said turn;

determining said parafoil'"'"'s actual entrance for said turn;

determining an arc between said actual entrance and said desired exit;

incorporating said arc as said parafoil'"'"'s planned flight trajectory through said turn.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining said arc further comprises solving an optimization problem.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said optimization problem assigns a cost to a deviation from a time spent traveling along said arc from a previously calculated total time for said turn.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said optimization problem assigns a cost to said parafoil'"'"'s sharpness of turning through said arc.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said method further comprises:

determining said parafoil'"'"'s actual position during said turn;

determining a second arc between said actual position during said turn and said desired exit of said turn;

incorporating said second arc as said parafoil'"'"'s planned flight trajectory through the remainder of said turn.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said determining of said second arc is in response to said parafoil'"'"'s flight path deviating from said arc.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said determining of said second arc is part of a pre-determined series of arc calculations to be made while said parafoil is within said turn.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code that when processed by a processing unit for a parafoil'"'"'s electronic control unit causes a method to be performed, said method comprising:

determining a desired exit of a turn;

determining a desired time for said turn;

determining said parafoil'"'"'s actual entrance for said turn;

determining an arc between said actual entrance and said desired exit;

incorporating said arc as said parafoil'"'"'s planned flight trajectory through said turn.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said determining said arc further comprises solving an optimization problem.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein said optimization problem assigns a cost to a deviation from a time spent traveling along said arc from a previously calculated total time for said turn.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein said optimization problem assigns a cost to said parafoil'"'"'s sharpness of turning through said arc.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said method further comprises:

determining said parafoil'"'"'s actual position during said turn;

determining a second arc between said actual position during said turn and said desired exit of said turn;

incorporating said second arc as said parafoil'"'"'s planned flight trajectory through the remainder of said turn.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein said determining of said second arc is in response to said parafoil'"'"'s flight path deviating from said arc.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein said determining of said second arc is part of a pre-determined series of arc calculations to be made while said parafoil is within said turn.

15. An electronic control unit for a parafoil having an electronic processing unit to perform a method while said electronic control unit is being transported by said parafoil, comprising:

determining a desired exit of a turn;

determining a desired time for said turn;

determining said parafoil'"'"'s actual entrance for said turn;

determining an arc between said actual entrance and said desired exit;

incorporating said arc as said parafoil'"'"'s planned flight trajectory through said turn.

16. The electronic control unit of claim 15 wherein said determining said arc further comprises solving an optimization problem.

17. The electronic control unit of claim 16 wherein said optimization problem assigns a cost to a deviation from a time spent traveling along said arc from a previously calculated total time for said turn.

18. The electronic control unit of claim 16 wherein said optimization problem assigns a cost to said parafoil'"'"'s sharpness of turning through said arc.

19. The electronic control unit of claim 15 wherein said method further comprises:

determining said parafoil'"'"'s actual position during said turn;

determining a second arc between said actual position during said turn and said desired exit of said turn;

incorporating said second arc as said parafoil'"'"'s planned flight trajectory through the remainder of said turn.

20. The electronic control unit of claim 19 wherein said determining of said second arc is in response to said parafoil'"'"'s flight path deviating from said arc.