Autonomous underwater vehicle control system and method

• US 8,880,275 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: US Naval Undersea Warfare Center
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Del Savio, James A., Berube, Richard P., Beazley, Stuart K., Menozzi, Alberico, Miller, Ryan K., Licis, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US13/527,658
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 701/21, 367/131, 367/133, 114/312
• US Class Current: 701/29.2
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 2008/004 autonomously operating
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0692 specially adapted for under-water vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle control system is provided that includes an internal communications system. The vehicle control system further includes a controller configured to communicate with a plurality of independent vehicle systems via the internal communications system. The controller stores and accesses a plurality of libraries of system processes having data associated with the plurality of vehicle components. The controller maintains an operational state for the vehicle during an operational failure of at least one of the plurality of independent vehicle systems.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle, said control system comprising:

a power distributer to provide operating voltage for said control system;

start-up circuitry electrically connected to said power distributer;

a battery electrically connected to said start-up circuitry;

a serial server electrically connected to said battery

an acoustic communication transducer capable of interface with said serial server to provide an external acoustic communications system;

an internal Ethernet-based communications system in operational communication with said serial server;

a radio frequency Ethernet bridge in operational communication with said internal communications system, said bridge capable of external communication from the vehicle;

an Ethernet switch in operational communication with said internal communications system and capable of communication with a bathymetric sonar and sidescan sonar of the vehicle;

a video system in operational communication with said internal communications system;

a controller configured to communicate via said internal communications system with components of the vehicle including a motor controller of a motor and fins of the vehicle, communicating with a tracking transponder providing data relating to tracking and distance of the vehicle and communicating with a navigation system operating as independent systems of the vehicle; and

a timestamp system configured to receive and store a timestamp from each of the independent vehicle systems wherein said controller is capable of monitoring the timestamp and based on the timestamp and a preprogrammed response interval, marks a functionality of each of the independent vehicle systems;

wherein said controller is capable of storing and accessing a plurality of libraries which include casualty condition data, communication protocol data, discrete status signal data, message queue data, process information, real time clock data, vehicle controller initialization data and watchdog timer data;

wherein said controller is capable of running a supervisory process in order to power and coordinate the independent vehicle systems and data associated with controlling the independent vehicle systems;

wherein said controller is capable of storing and executing a mission file of guidance data provided by the navigation system such that the guidance data is transmitted to the motor controller;

wherein said controller is capable of maintaining an operations state for the vehicle during an operational failure of at least one of the independent vehicle systems.