Flight interpreter for captive carry unmanned aircraft systems demonstration
First Claim
1. A system for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) testing comprising:
- a UAS flight control system capable of autonomous operation of a UAS;
an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) having capability for a pilot on board the OPV and flight characteristics capable of mimicking a flight profile of the UAS attached to the UAS flight control system, said OPV having an OPV flight control system with an autopilot and a pilot override operable by the on board pilot; and
,a flight control interpreter (FCI) receiving input of control parameters from the UAS flight control system representing a flight profile of the UAS, said FCI providing status commands as an output to the autopilot in the OPV flight control system to replicate the flight profile.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) testing which incorporates a UAS flight control system and an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) carrying the UAS flight control system. The OPV has an OPV flight control system and a flight control interpreter (FCI) which receives input from the UAS flight control system representing control parameters for a flight profile of the UAS. The FCI provides status commands as an output to the OPV flight control system to replicate the flight profile. These status commands are selected from the group consisting of data regarding attitude, vertical navigation, lateral navigation, turn rate, velocity and engine operations. The OPV flight control system includes a pilot override for emergency, flight safety or other contingencies allowing an on board pilot to assume control of the OPV.
26 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A system for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) testing comprising:
-
a UAS flight control system capable of autonomous operation of a UAS; an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) having capability for a pilot on board the OPV and flight characteristics capable of mimicking a flight profile of the UAS attached to the UAS flight control system, said OPV having an OPV flight control system with an autopilot and a pilot override operable by the on board pilot; and
,a flight control interpreter (FCI) receiving input of control parameters from the UAS flight control system representing a flight profile of the UAS, said FCI providing status commands as an output to the autopilot in the OPV flight control system to replicate the flight profile. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. An unmanned aircraft system (UAS) Captive Carry test system comprising:
-
at least a UAS fuselage having a UAS flight control system capable of autonomous operation of a UAS; an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) with capability for a pilot on board the OPV having an OPV flight control system with an autopilot and a pilot override operable by the on board pilot, said OPV carrying the UAS fuselage and having flight characteristics capable of mimicking a flight profile of the UAS, and a flight control interpreter (FCI) receiving control parameters from the UAS flight control system, said FCI providing status commands to the OPV flight control system to replicate a UAS flight profile; and
,an OPV ground monitor. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for testing of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in the national airspace (NAS) comprising:
-
attaching at least a UAS fuselage having a UAS flight control system capable of autonomous operation of a UAS to an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) having an OPV flight control system with an autopilot and pilot override for a pilot on board the OPV and flight characteristics capable of mimicking a flight profile of the UAS; interconnecting the UAS flight control system to a flight control interpreter (FCI); interconnecting the FCI to the OPV flight control system; initiating a UAS flight profile; providing control parameters from the UAS flight control system to the FCI; interpreting the control parameters in the FCI; determining if the profile is complete and, if not, outputting status commands from the FCI to the OPV control system; determining if there is an override by the on board pilot; and
,controlling the OPV based on the status commands. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of controlling an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) in national airspace comprising:
-
attaching an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to an OPV having an autopilot, the capability for a pilot on board the OPV, and an override capability by the on board pilot; receiving control parameters for a flight profile with a UAS flight control system capable of autonomous operation of a UAS; and
,directing the control parameters to a flight control interpreter (FCI); receiving status commands from the FCI in an OPV flight control system; replacing the UAS flight profile with the autopilot in the OPV. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
Specification