Multimode unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 9,127,908 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Miralles, Carlos Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US12/698,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/00 Aircraft not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/80 Arrangement of on-board electronics, e.g. avionics systems or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/15 for conventional or electronic warfare
• 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 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/008 Combinations of different guidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2206 using a remote control station
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2246 Active homing systems, i.e. comprising both a transmitter and a receiver
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2253 Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2293 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 9/002 for guiding a craft to a correct firing position for bombing control F41G9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/683 Intercepting moving targets docking at a base station G05D1/661
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/689 Pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

A system comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to transition from a terminal homing mode to a target search mode, responsive to an uplink signal and/or an autonomous determination of scene change.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a processing unit configured to transition the UAV from a first mode trajectory to a second mode trajectory, wherein the first mode trajectory is a terminal homing mode trajectory; and

wherein the UAV is further configured to deliver a payload into a target volume while in the terminal homing mode trajectory.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the processing unit is further configured to autonomously provide one or more instructions for the UAV homing on the target volume while in the terminal homing mode trajectory in response to scene changes communicated to the processing unit from a scene-sensing sensor in communication with the processing unit.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the payload is integral to the UAV.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the payload is configured to be ejected from the UAV proximate to the target volume.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the processing unit comprises at least one of:

a central processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions;

electrical circuitry;

electronic circuitry; and

a logical gate array.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the second mode trajectory is a target search mode trajectory.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the UAV further comprises a target sensor.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 further comprises a target sensor suite wherein the target sensor suite of the UAV comprises at least one of:

an electro-optical camera, a long-wave infrared camera, a short-wave infrared camera, a radio frequency receiver, and a radio frequency transceiver.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the UAV is powered in flight, via a chemical battery store, storing energy in a range of ten to 1,000 watt-hours, and wherein the UAV is capable of transitioning from the terminal homing mode trajectory to a target search mode trajectory and then to the terminal homing mode trajectory.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the UAV is powered in flight, via a chemical battery store, storing less than 44 watt-hours of energy, and wherein the UAV is capable of transitioning from a terminal homing mode trajectory to a target search mode trajectory and then to a terminal homing mode trajectory.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the UAV is characterized by a value of mass of at least 0.5 kilograms and is powered in flight, via a chemical battery store and an electrical motor-driven propeller, and wherein the UAV is capable of transitioning from a terminal homing mode trajectory to a reconnaissance mode trajectory and then to a terminal homing mode trajectory.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the UAV is characterized by a value of mass of at least 1.3 kilograms and is powered in flight, via a chemical battery store and an electrical motor-driven propeller, and wherein the UAV is capable of transitioning from a terminal homing mode trajectory to a reconnaissance mode trajectory and then to a terminal homing mode trajectory.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the UAV is configured to transition from a terminal homing mode trajectory to a target search mode trajectory and then to a terminal homing mode trajectory, wherein the UAV is characterized by a value of launch mass of less than 23 kilograms, and wherein the UAV is configured to generate thrust in flight via a propeller powered by least one:

(a) a chemical battery store; and

(b) a combustion engine.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the UAV is configured to transition from a terminal homing mode trajectory to a target search mode trajectory and then to a terminal homing mode trajectory, wherein the UAV is characterized by a value of mass of less than 23 kilograms, and wherein the UAV is configured to generate thrust in flight via a turbine engine.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the UAV is configured for powered flight to maneuver to a target search mode trajectory, if the processing unit determines an uplink signal indicates a mode transition, from a terminal homing mode comprising homing toward a target volume, to the target search mode, and if the indicative uplink signal is received at the UAV at least two seconds before the UAV'"'"'s achieves a closest approach to the target volume.

16. An apparatus comprising:

unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) airframe configured to deliver a payload into a target volume via homing on the target volume; and

a processing unit onboard the UAV airframe, wherein the processing unit comprises at least one of;

a central processing unit configured to execute computer-executable instructions;

electrical circuitry;

electronic circuitry; and

a logical gate array; and

wherein the processing unit is configured to transition the apparatus from a first mode trajectory to a second mode trajectory, wherein the first mode trajectory is a terminal homing mode trajectory wherein the terminal homing mode trajectory comprises one or more instructions for the UAV homing on the target volume; and

wherein the processing unit is further configured to autonomously transition the apparatus from the terminal homing mode trajectory to the second mode trajectory, responsive to an indicator generated by onboard processing of the processing unit as an autonomous determination of scene change.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the second mode trajectory is a target search mode trajectory, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a target sensor configured to receive electromagnetic emissions from a target search volume during at least the target search mode trajectory.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the apparatus is further configured to sustain at least level flight when in the target search mode trajectory.

19. A method of transitioning flight modes of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

testing, by a UAV processing unit, for a mode change while in a first mode trajectory, wherein the first mode trajectory is an automatic terminal homing mode trajectory for delivering a payload to a target volume, said automatic terminal homing mode trajectory comprising at least one of an automatic strike sub-mode and payload deployment sub-mode;

receiving a mode change command signal autonomously based on one or more image change conditions detected via a UAV onboard targeting sensor; and

transitioning to a second mode trajectory based on the mode change command signal.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the terminal homing mode trajectory further comprises homing, by the UAV, on the target volume.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of receiving a mode change command signal further comprises receiving a mode change command signal based from an external source.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the second mode trajectory is a target search mode trajectory.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the second mode trajectory is a target search mode trajectory comprising a pre-terminal commit UAV flight volume.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the transitioning to a second mode trajectory based on the mode change command signal is affected by automatically altering one or more UAV flight commands via onboard processing of the processing unit.