Relative navigation for aerial refueling of an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 8,868,256 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Waid, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/434,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,081 Days
• Field of Search: 701 3- 4, 701 7- 9, 701300-301, 701/207, 701213-214, 701/23, 244/135.A, 244/1.TD, 244/3.15, 340/961, 342/358, 141/382
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/00 Refuelling during flight filling or emptying fuel tanks B64D37/14
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/40 Correcting position, velocity or attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00

Abstract

A method and system for navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for aerial refueling is described. A system processor in the UAV receives navigation data from a tanker aircraft and calculates a plurality of relative navigation solutions with respect to the tanker aircraft. The system processor compares the plurality of relative navigation solutions to identify any inconsistent solutions. The inconsistent solutions are discarded and the system processor navigates the UAV in position for refueling using the remaining relative navigation solutions.

Claims

1. A system for aerial refueling navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle relative to a tanker aircraft, comprising in combination:

a processor;

data storage; and

machine language instructions stored in the data storage executable by the processor to;

calculate a plurality of relative navigation solutions between an unmanned aerial vehicle and a tanker aircraft;

compare the plurality of relative navigation solutions to identify relative navigation solutions that are within a threshold value of each other; and

navigate the unmanned aerial vehicle with respect to the tanker aircraft using the relative navigation solutions that are within the threshold value of each other.

2. A system comprising in combination:

an Inertial Navigation System;

a Global Positioning System; and

a system processor that receives data from the Inertial Navigation System, the Global Positioning System, and a tanker aircraft, wherein the system processor calculates a plurality of relative navigation solutions between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the tanker aircraft based on the received data, wherein the system processor compares the plurality of relative navigation solutions to detect whether any of the plurality of relative navigation solutions is inconsistent with the other solutions, and wherein the system processor uses consistency information obtained from the comparison to form a protection level for the plurality of relative navigation solutions.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the system processor identifies at least one of a Global Positioning System receiver and an inertial sensor that is malfunctioning if at least one of the plurality of relative navigation solutions is inconsistent with the other solutions.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a navigation processor that receives data from the Inertial Navigation System and the Global Positioning System, and provides information regarding the unmanned aerial vehicle to the system processor.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of relative navigation solutions is calculated using a navigation solution for each of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the tanker aircraft selected from the group consisting of a Global Positioning System-only solution, a loosely coupled solution, and a tightly coupled solution.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of relative navigation solutions is calculated by taking a difference between data obtained from the tanker aircraft and the unmanned aerial vehicle to obtain a loosely coupled relative navigation solution.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of relative navigation solutions is calculated by using a Kalman filter to obtain a tightly coupled relative navigation solution.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of relative navigation solutions depends on a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the tanker aircraft.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of relative navigation solutions depends on a number of Global Positioning Systems and inertial systems located in the unmanned aerial vehicle and the tanker aircraft.