System and methods for unmanned aerial vehicle navigation

• US 8,626,361 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Gerlock, Derick Lucas
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US12/323,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/9, 701/14, 701/23, 701/24, 701/25, 701/26, 701/301, 701/302, 340/991, 340/992, 340/993
• US Class Current: 701/14
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• 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 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to be equipped with data representing a first UAV flight plan, and a ground station configured to control the UAV. The ground station is operable to receive, at a first time, a first data set representing at least one flight path of at least one aircraft, calculate a second UAV flight plan to avoid the at least one flight path of the at least one aircraft, the second UAV flight plan being based on the data representing the first UAV flight plan and the first data set representing at least one flight path of the at least one aircraft, and transmit data representing the second UAV flight plan to the UAV.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor located at a ground station, enable the processor to perform steps for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with data representing a first UAV flight plan, the steps comprising:

receiving, at different times, data sets, each data set representing position of at least one aircraft;

estimating a flight path of the at least one aircraft based on a series of the received data sets;

calculating a second UAV flight plan to avoid the estimated flight path of the at least one aircraft, the second UAV flight plan being based on the data representing the first UAV flight plan and a first data set representing at least one flight path of the at least one aircraft;

transmitting data representing the second UAV flight plan to the UAV,

notifying a controller of the UAV that certainty of position analysis for the at least one aircraft is reduced, when a data set is not included in the series of the received data sets.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the data sets represent the flight path of the at least one aircraft.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the second UAV flight plan is further based on a user-defined setting corresponding to a desired minimum distance between the UAV and the at least one aircraft.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the second UAV flight plan is further based on a user-defined setting corresponding to a predefined UAV maneuver.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the steps further comprise providing an alert to a user if the at least one flight path of at least one aircraft conflicts with the first UAV flight plan.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the steps further comprise:

estimating, based on at least one of the data sets received at a first time, a position of the at least one aircraft at a second time that is later than the first time;

calculating a third UAV flight plan to avoid the at least one flight path of the at least one aircraft, the third UAV flight plan being based on the position; and

transmitting data representing the third UAV flight plan to the UAV.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein the period length between the first time and the second time is user configurable.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein the steps further comprise alerting a user that a second data set representing the at least one flight path of at least one aircraft, expected to be received at a time later than a time associated with a first data set, has not been received.

9. The medium of claim 6, wherein the steps further comprise displaying the position on a display device.

10. The medium of claim 1, wherein the steps further comprise transmitting the data representing the second UAV flight plan to the at least one aircraft.

11. A system, comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to be equipped with data representing a first UAV flight plan; and

a ground station configured to control the UAV and operable to;

receive, at different times, data sets, each data set representing position of at least one aircraft,

estimate a flight path of the at least one aircraft based on a series of the received data sets,

calculate a second UAV flight plan to avoid the flight path of the at least one aircraft, the second UAV flight plan being based on the data representing the first UAV flight plan and a first data set representing at least one flight path of the at least one aircraft, and

transmit data representing the second UAV flight plan to the UAV,

notify a controller of the UAV that certainty of position analysis for the at least one aircraft is reduced, when a data set is not included in the series of the received data sets.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data sets represent the flight path of the at least one aircraft.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the second UAV flight plan is further based on a user-defined setting corresponding to a desired minimum distance between the UAV and the at least one aircraft.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the second UAV flight plan is further based on a user-defined setting corresponding to a predefined UAV maneuver.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the ground station is further operable to provide an alert to a user if the at least one flight path of at least one aircraft conflicts with the first UAV flight plan.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the ground station is further operable to:

estimate, based on at least one of the data sets received at a first time, a position of the at least one aircraft at a second time that is later than the first time;

calculate a third UAV flight plan to avoid the at least one flight path of the at least one aircraft, the third UAV flight plan being based on the position; and

transmit data representing the third UAV flight plan to the UAV.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the period length between the first time and the second time is user configurable.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the ground station is further operable to alert a user that a second data set representing at least one flight path of at least one aircraft, expected to be received at a time later than a time associated with a first data set, has not been received.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the ground station is further operable to display the position on a display device.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the ground station is further operable to transmit the data representing the second UAV flight plan to the at least one aircraft.