Distributed unmanned aerial vehicle architecture

• US 9,273,981 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2015
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Unmanned Innovation Inc (Delair SAS)
• Inventors: Downey, Jonathan, Michini, Bernard J., Richman, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US14/709,263
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 244/53.R, 244/1.R, 244/75.1, 244/76.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 41/00 Power installations for auxiliary purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/00 Equipment not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/19 for use as targets or decoys
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a distributed system architecture for unmanned air vehicles. One of the methods includes obtaining information identifying flight information of a UAV, with the flight information including flight phase information or a contingency condition associated with a flight critical module included in the UAV. The obtained information is analyzed, and one or more first payload modules are determined to enter a modified power state. Requests to enter the modified power state are caused to be transmitted to each determined payload module in the one or more first payload modules.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight processing system comprising:

said interface configured to communicate with one or more payload modules;

an interface configured to communicate with one or more flight critical modules;

one or more processors comprising hardware, the one or more processors configured to at least;

obtain information identifying flight information of the UAV, the flight information comprising flight phase information or a contingency condition associated with a flight critical module;

analyze the identified flight information;

based at least in part on the analysis of the identified flight information, determine at least one or more first payload modules to enter a respective modified power state; and

cause, at least in part, requests to enter the respective modified power state to be transmitted to each of the determined payload modules in the one or more first payload modules.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a modified power state is a nominal power state which enables the determined payload modules to operate with normal functionality.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a modified power state is a low-power state which causes the determined payload modules to operate with less than normal functionality.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine, based at least in part on the analysis of the identified flight information, one or more second payload modules to receive modified bus bandwidth usage; and

at least partly in response to the determination of one or more second payload modules to receive modified bandwidth, modify an ability of each of the second payload modules to deliver data messages over a bus.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine, based at least in part on the analysis of the identified flight information, one or more second payload modules to receive modified bandwidth usage; and

at least partly in response to the determination of one or more second payload modules to receive modified bandwidth, modify an ability of each of the second payload modules to deliver data messages over a shared bus by prioritizing delivery of the data messages on the shared UAV data bus.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface configured to communicate with one or more payload modules is configured to be connected to a payload data bus and the interface configured to communicate with one or more flight critical modules is connected to a flight data bus isolated from the payload data bus.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine, based at least in part on the analysis of the identified flight information, one or more second payload modules to receive modified bandwidth usage; and

at least partly in response to the determination of one or more second payload modules to receive modified bandwidth, blocking delivery of data messages on a shared data bus.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein flight information identifies a flight phase comprising:

landing, takeoff, on-station, or in-flight.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein flight information identifies a contingency condition associated with a flight critical module, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine, from information associated the contingency condition, to block delivery of data messages associated with a particular payload module.

10. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a system comprising hardware included in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and in communication with one or more payload modules and one or more flight critical modules included in the UAV, information identifying flight information of the UAV, wherein the flight information comprises flight phase information or a contingency condition associated with a flight critical module;

analyzing, by the system, the identified flight information;

based at least in part on the analysis of the identified flight information, determining, by the system, one or more first payload modules to enter a respective modified power state; and

causing, at least in part, requests to enter the respective modified power state to be transmitted to each of the determined payload modules in the one or more first payload modules.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a modified power state is a nominal power state.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based at least in part on the analysis of the identified flight information, one or more second payload modules to receive modified bandwidth usage; and

at least partly in response to the determination of one or more second payload modules to receive modified bandwidth, modifying delivery of data messages associated with each of the second payload modules.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based at least in part on the analysis of the identified flight information, one or more second payload modules to receive modified bandwidth usage; and

at least partly in response to the determination of one or more second payload modules to receive modified bandwidth, modifying delivery of data messages associated with each of the second payload modules by prioritizing delivery of the data messages on a shared data bus included in the system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, based at least in part on the analysis of the identified flight information, one or more second payload modules to receive modified bandwidth usage;

blocking delivery of the data messages on a shared data bus included in the system by at least one payload module; and

after blocking delivery of the data messages on the shared data bus included in the system by at least one payload module, modifying delivery of data messages associated with each of the second payload modules by prioritizing delivery of the data messages on a shared data bus included in the system.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein flight information identifies a flight phase comprising:

landing, takeoff, on-station, or in-flight.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein flight information identifies a contingency condition associated with a flight critical module, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, from information associated the contingency condition, to block delivery of data messages associated with a particular payload module.

17. A system included in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the system comprising:

a flight system connected, via one or more flight critical power buses and one or more flight critical data buses, to one or more flight critical modules, the flight system comprising one or more processors configured to at least;

determine power requirements of the flight critical modules;

determine, from the power requirements, an acceptable power usage by a payload system to enforce, wherein the payload system is connected to the flight system via a shared power bus that provides power to the payload system, and via a shared data bus, respectively isolated from the flight critical power buses and flight critical data buses, and

provide, from the flight system to the payload system, information identifying the acceptable power usage; and

the payload system connected, via one or more payload power buses and one or more payload data buses, to one or more payload modules, the payload system comprising one or more processors configured to at least;

receive, from the flight system, the information identifying the acceptable power usage,

determine, from the acceptable power usage, one or more payload modules to enter a respective modified power state, and

provide, to each of the determined payload modules, a request to enter the respective modified power state.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the flight system is further configured to:

sever power to the shared power bus.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the flight system is further configured to:

sever power to the shared power bus in response to determining that the payload system is utilizing greater than the acceptable power usage.

20. The system of claim 17, the flight system is further configured to:

sever power to the shared power bus in response to determining that the payload system is utilizing greater than a threshold amount of current.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the flight system is further configured to:

sever power to the shared power bus in response to the payload system performing operations comprising;

determine that a payload module is experiencing a malfunction, wherein the malfunction causes the payload module to utilize too much current or power; and

provide a request to the flight system to sever power to the shared power bus.