Controlling unmanned aerial vehicles as a flock to synchronize flight in aerial displays

• US 9,102,406 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Stark, James Alexander, Wong, Clifford, Trowbridge, Robert Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSZEWSKI, JOHN
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US13/768,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/3, 701/23, 701/301, 701/467, 701/468, 701/448, 701/472, 701/482, 244/12.2, 244/80, 244/189, 244/219, 244/197, 244/183, 342/368, 342/385, 342/56, 342/63
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0808 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• 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 5/04 Anti-collision systems
• 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

A system for flock-based control of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The system includes UAVs each including a processor executing a local control module and memory accessible by the processor for use by the local control module. The system includes a ground station system with a processor executing a fleet manager module and with memory storing a different flight plan for each of the UAVs. The flight plans are stored on the UAVs, and, during flight operations, each of the local control modules independently controls the corresponding UAV to execute its flight plan without ongoing control from the fleet manager module. The fleet manager module is operable to initiate flight operations by concurrently triggering initiation of the flight plans by the multiple UAVs. Further, the local control modules monitor front and back and communication channels and, when a channel is lost, operate the UAV in a safe mode.

Claims

1. A system for controlling flight of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising:

a plurality of UAVs each including a processor executing a local control module and further including memory accessible by the processor for use by the local control module; and

a ground station system with a processor executing a fleet manager module and with memory storing a different flight plan for each of the UAVs,

wherein corresponding ones of the flight plans are stored in the memory of each of the UAVs,

wherein, during flight operations, each of the local control modules independently controls the UAV to execute the flight plan stored in the memory of the UAV, wherein each of the UAVs includes a front end radio and a back end radio and wherein each of the UAVs communicates with a front end transceiver of the ground station system to establish a front end communication channel with the front end radio and communicates with a back end transceiver of the ground station system to establish a back end communication channel with the back end radio, and

wherein the local control module of each of the UAVs periodically determines status of the front and back end communication channels and, when the status determination indicates a loss of one of the front and back end communication channels, operates the UAV in a predefined safe operating mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fleet manager module is operable to initiate flight operations by concurrently triggering initiation of the flight plans by the multiple UAVs.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the local control module of each of the UAVs operates to gather telemetry data including determining a present position of the UAV and further operates to communicate the gathered telemetry data to the ground station system over the back end communication channel.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the fleet manager module compares, for each of the UAVs, the present position of the UAV with an expected position of the UAV and, based on the comparing, transmits a ground station system action to control operations for at least one of the UAVs to override the local control module.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the local control module of each of the UAVs operates to periodically compare a present position of the UAV with the flight plan and, based on the comparing, modifying control of the UAV and wherein the modifying of the control includes altering a flight speed or selecting a new way point in the flight plan as a target way point for the UAV.

6. The system of claim 1,

wherein the local control module of each of the UAVs operates to detect another one of the UAVs within a safety envelope about the UAV and, in response, operating a radio to communicate a collision warning message to the detected one of the UAVs causing the local control module of the detected one of the UAVs to alter a course of the detected one of the UAVs to move out of the safety envelope.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the local control module of each of the UAVs operates to gather telemetry data including determining a present position of the UAV and further operates to communicate the gathered telemetry data to the ground station system over the back end communication channel and wherein the fleet manager module compares, for each of the UAVs, the present position of the UAV with an expected position of the UAV and, based on the comparing, transmits a ground station system action to control operations for at least one of the UAVs to override the local control module.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the local control of each of the UAVs operates to detect another one of the UAVs within a safety envelope about the UAV and, in response, operating a radio to communicate a collision warning message to the detected one of the UAVs to cause the detected one of the UAVs to alter its course to move out of the safety envelope.

9. A system for controlling flight of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising:

a plurality of UAVs each including a processor executing a local control module and further including memory accessible by the processor for use by the local control module; and

a ground station system with a processor executing a fleet manager module and with memory storing a different flight plan for each of the UAVs,

wherein corresponding ones of the flight plans are stored in the memory of each of the UAVs,

wherein, during flight operations, each of the local control modules independently controls the UAV to execute the flight plan stored in the memory of the UAV, and

wherein the UAVs are multicopters and wherein the local control module of each of the UAVs operates to detect pitch and roll of the multicopter and, when the pitch or the roll exceeds a predefined maximum, switching operations of the multicopter to a safe operating mode.

10. A flight control system for use with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), comprising:

a ground control system including a fleet manager module; and

a plurality of UAVs each with a front end radio communicating with a first radio of the ground control system to receive operating commands from the fleet manager module and with a back end radio communicating with a second radio of the ground control system to transfer telemetry data to the ground control system,

wherein the UAVs each comprises a multicopter,

wherein each of the UAVs includes a local control module operating rotors to follow a flight plan specific to the UAV,

wherein the flight plan defines a plurality of way points each defining a geographic location and an elevation for the UAV, and

wherein the control logic further detects a pitch and a roll of the multicopter and, when the pitch or the roll exceeds a predefined limit, operates the multicopter in a safe operating mode.

11. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein each of the multicopter further include a processor executing control logic to determine a present position of the multicopter and compare the present position with one of the way points and, based on the comparing, adjusting at least one of flight speed and course to follow the flight plan.

12. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein the control logic further detects another one of the multicopters within a predefined space and, in response, transmitting a message to the detected other one of the multicopters to cause the other one of the multicopters to modify course or position to avoid a collision.

13. The flight control system of claim 10, wherein the operating commands include a signal for all the UAVs to concurrently initiate operations to follow a plurality of differing flight plans previously downloaded to each of the UAVs and wherein each of the UAVs includes a local control module operating the UAV based on a comparison of a present location for the UAV with a way point defined in the flight plan downloaded on the UAV.