Systems and methods for unmanned aircraft system collision avoidance

• US 8,965,679 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Euteneuer, Eric, Elgersma, Michael Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSZEWSKI, JOHN
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghajargar, Mohsen
• Application Number:
  US13/781,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0265 Automatic obstacle avoidance by steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/1064 specially adapted for avoiding collisions with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

Systems and methods are operable maintain a proscribed Self Separation distance between an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and an object. In an example system, consecutive intruder aircraft locations relative to corresponding locations of a self aircraft are determined, wherein the determining is based on current velocities of the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft, and wherein the determining is based on current flight paths of the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft. At least one evasive maneuver for the self aircraft is computed using a processing system based on the determined consecutive intruder aircraft locations relative to the corresponding locations of the self aircraft.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring separation distances between an intruder aircraft and a self aircraft, the monitoring comprising;

periodically determining a current separation distance between an intruder aircraft and a self aircraft, wherein the current separation distance is a distance between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft determined at a current time during the monitoring; and

comparing the current separation distance to a Self Separation Threshold (SST), wherein the SST is a predefined distance between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft,

wherein the monitoring determines when the monitored separation distance is less than or equal to the SST;

determining a closest point of approach (CPA) between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft in response to the current separation distance becoming less than or equal to the SST;

determining whether the current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft is greater than a Collision Avoidance Threshold (CAT)

determining whether the CPA to the intruder aircraft is to a left of a flight path of the self aircraft or to a right of the flight path of the self aircraft in response to the current separation distance becoming less than the SST,

wherein the self aircraft turns left when performing Self Separation and the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be to the right of the flight path of the self aircraft, and

wherein the self aircraft turns right when performing Self Separation and the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be to the left of the flight path of the self aircraft,

wherein the self aircraft climbs when performing Collision Avoidance and the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be below the flight path of the self aircraft and

wherein the self aircraft descends when performing Collision Avoidance and the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be above the flight path of the self aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the CPA comprises:

determining a current flight path of the intruder aircraft based on a current bearing of the intruder aircraft and a current velocity of the intruder aircraft; and

comparing the flight path of the self aircraft with the determined current flight path of the intruder aircraft to determine separation distances between the self aircraft and the intruder aircraft as each traverses along their respective flight paths,

wherein the CPA corresponds to the location of the intruder aircraft at a shortest determined separation distance between the self aircraft and the intruder aircraft as each traverses along their respective flight paths.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the self aircraft is an unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

communicating flight operating information from a ground station to the UAS via a wireless signal, wherein the flight operating information operates the UAS in accordance with a maneuver.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

communicating surveillance information from a surveillance system on the UAS to the ground station via the wireless signal,

wherein determining whether the current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft is less than the SST

 

determining whether the current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft is less than the CAT, determining whether the CPA to the intruder aircraft is to the left of the flight path of the self aircraft or to the right of the flight path of the self aircraft, and determining whether the CPA to the intruder aircraft is above or below the flight path of the self aircraft or to the right of the flight path of the self aircraft is performed by a processing system at the ground station and is based on the surveillance information received from the UAS.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the UAS is an autonomous UAS, and further comprising:

generating the surveillance information from a radar system on the UAS,

wherein determining whether the current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft is less than the SST, determining whether the current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft is less than the CAT, determining whether the CPA to the intruder aircraft is to the left of the flight path of the self aircraft or to the right of the flight path of the self aircraft, and determining whether the CPA to the intruder aircraft is above or below the flight path of the self aircraft or to the right of the flight path of the self aircraft is performed by a processing system at the UAS and is based on the surveillance information generated at the UAS.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the intruder aircraft is a first intruder aircraft, wherein the current separation distance is a first current separation distance, wherein the CPA between the first intruder aircraft and the self aircraft is a first CPA, the method further comprising:

monitoring a second current separation distance between a second intruder aircraft and the self aircraft concurrently with the monitoring of the first current separation distance between the first intruder aircraft and the self aircraft;

comparing the second current separation distance to the SST;

determining a second CPA between the second intruder aircraft and the self aircraft in response to the second current separation distance becoming less than the SST;

determining whether the second current separation distance between the second intruder aircraft and the self aircraft is greater than the CAT;

in response to the second current separation distance becoming less than the SST and in response to determining that the second current separation distance is greater than the CAT, determining whether the CPA to the second intruder aircraft is to the left of the flight path of the self aircraft or to the right of the flight path of the self aircraft,

wherein the self aircraft turns in the direction of smallest horizontal angle to CPA of the first and second intruder aircraft, and

in response to the second current separation distance becoming less than the CAT, determining whether the CPA to the second intruder aircraft is to above the flight path of the self aircraft or below the flight path of the self aircraft,

wherein the self aircraft maneuvers vertically in the direction of smallest vertical angle to CPA of the first and second intruder aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying restricted airspace that defines a geographic area that the self aircraft should not travel over, wherein the restricted airspace is defined by a leading edge point which identifies a portion of the restricted airspace which first intersects the SST with respect to the flight path of the self craft, a left-most extent point that identifies a farthest left side extent of the restricted airspace with respect to the flight path of the self aircraft, and a right-most extent point that identifies a farthest right side extent of the restricted airspace with respect to the flight path of the self aircraft;

determining a first modified flight path assuming the self aircraft makes a turn to the right to avoid the farthest right side extent of the restricted airspace; and

determining a second modified flight path assuming the self aircraft makes a turn to the left to avoid the farthest left side extent of the restricted airspace;

wherein the self aircraft turns left when the turn to the right is greater than the turn to the left, and

wherein the self aircraft turns right when the turn to the right is less than the turn to the left.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a magnitude of a first turn angle based on the first modified flight path, wherein the magnitude of the first turn angle defines the magnitude of the turn to the right to avoid the farthest right side extent of the restricted airspace;

determining a magnitude of a second turn angle based on the second modified flight path, wherein the magnitude of the second turn angle defines the magnitude of the turn to the left to avoid the farthest left side extent of the restricted airspace; and

comparing the magnitude of the first turn angle with the magnitude of the second turn angle,

wherein the self aircraft turns left when the magnitude of the first turn angle is greater than the magnitude of the second turn angle, and

wherein the self aircraft turns right when the magnitude of the first turn angle is less than the magnitude of the second turn angle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft comprises:

determining a range rate of the intruder aircraft, wherein a negative range rate indicates that the intruder aircraft is getting closer to the self aircraft, and wherein a positive range rate indicates that the intruder aircraft is getting farther from the self aircraft; and

continuing flight along the flight path of the self aircraft in response to determining that the range rate of the intruder aircraft is positive,

wherein determining the current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft is performed in response to determining that the range rate of the intruder aircraft is negative.

11. The method of claim 1, in response to the current separation distance becoming less than the SST and in response to determining that the current separation distance is less than the CAT, the method further comprising:

determining whether the self aircraft is at a higher altitude or a lower altitude than the intruder aircraft;

determining that the self aircraft should implement a rapid ascent in response to determining that the self aircraft is at the higher altitude, and

determine that the self aircraft should implement a rapid descent in response to determining that the self aircraft is at the lower altitude.

12. A system, comprising:

an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) that is configured to fly over terrain without a crew;

a surveillance system configured to detect proximity of an intruder aircraft to the UAS;

a processing system configured to receive information from the surveillance system, wherein the processor system is configured to;

periodically determine a current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the UAS, wherein the current separation distance is a distance between the intruder aircraft and the UAS at a current time that the current separation distance is determined;

compare the current separation distance to a Self Separation threshold (SST), wherein the SST is a predefined distance between the intruder aircraft and the UAS;

determine a closest point of approach (CPA) between the intruder aircraft and the UAS in response to the current separation distance becoming less than the SST, wherein the CPA is determined based on the predicted flight path of the UAS and the predicted flight path of the intruder aircraft; and

determine whether the CPA to the intruder aircraft is to a left of the current flight path of the self aircraft or to a right of the current flight path of the self aircraft in response to the current separation distance becoming less than the SST,

wherein the self aircraft turns left when the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be to the right of the current flight path of the self aircraft, and

wherein the self aircraft turns right when the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be to the left of the current flight path of the self aircraft.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

determine whether the current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the UAS is less than a Collision Avoidance Threshold (CAT);

determine whether the CPA to the intruder aircraft is above the current flight path of the self aircraft or below the current flight path of the self aircraft in response to the current separation distance becoming less than the CAT,

wherein the self aircraft climbs when the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be below the current flight path of the self aircraft, and

wherein the self aircraft descends when the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be above the current flight path of the self aircraft.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the surveillance system and the processing system reside in the UAS.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing system resides in a ground station, and further comprising:

a first transceiver system residing in the UAS and configured to emit wireless signals and receive wireless signals; and

a second transceiver system residing in the ground station and configured to emit wireless signals and receive wireless signals,

wherein an operator controls flight of the UAS by generating control commands that are emitted from the second transceiver system and that are received by the second transceiver system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the surveillance system resides in the UAS, wherein the first transceiver system emits wireless signals having surveillance information generated by the surveillance system, and wherein the second transceiver system receives the wireless signals having the surveillance information that is used to determine the current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the UAS.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first transceiver system receives wireless signals emitted by the intruder aircraft that has at least one of current location information, current flight path bearing information, current altitude information, current velocity information, and intent information of the intruder aircraft that indicates an intended change in the current flight path, the current altitude, and the current velocity of the intruder aircraft.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) residing in the UAS and configured to determine a current location of the UAS, wherein the first transceiver system emits wireless signals having location information corresponding to the current location of the UAS, and wherein the second transceiver system receives the wireless signals having the location information,

wherein the location information of the UAS and the information received from the intruder aircraft are used to determine the current separation distance between the intruder aircraft and the UAS.

19. A method, comprising:

determining consecutive intruder aircraft locations relative to corresponding locations of a self aircraft, wherein the determining is based on current velocities of the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft, and wherein the determining is based on current flight paths of the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft; and

computing using a processing system at least one evasive maneuver for the self aircraft based on the determined consecutive intruder aircraft locations relative to the corresponding locations of the self aircraft,

wherein the at least one evasive maneuver comprises one of a left turn and a right turn;

determining separation distances between intruder aircraft locations and the self aircraft based on the determined consecutive intruder aircraft locations relative to the corresponding locations of the self aircraft;

comparing the separation distances to a Self Separation threshold (SST), wherein the SST is a predefined distance; and

determining a closest point of approach (CPA) between the intruder aircraft and the self aircraft only after the current separation distance becomes less than the SST, wherein the self aircraft is performing Self Separation and turns left when the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be to the right of the current flight path of the self aircraft, and wherein the self aircraft is performing Self Separation and turns right when the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be to the left of the current flight path of the self aircraft;

wherein the self aircraft is performing Collision Avoidance and climbs when the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be below the current flight path of the self aircraft, and wherein the self aircraft is performing Collision Avoidance and descends when the CPA to the intruder aircraft is determined to be above the current flight path of the self aircraft.