Autonomous intelligence surveillance reconnaissance and payload delivery system and method of using same

• US 9,373,262 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicis Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Silicis Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Stigler, Michael J., Setar, Nicholas James
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Hara, Brian M
• Application Number:
  US13/568,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20150298786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/005 Arrangements for landing or taking-off, e.g. alighting gear
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/10 Tail unit construction B64B1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/12 Movable control surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/14 Outer covering
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/18 Attachment to structure
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/22 Arrangement of cabins or gondolas
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/24 Arrangement of propulsion plant B64B1/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/36 Arrangement of jet reaction apparatus for propulsion or directional control
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/60 Gas-bags surrounded by separate containers of inert gas
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/62 Controlling gas pressure, heating, cooling, or discharging gas
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/64 Gas valve operating mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/66 Mooring attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• 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 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• 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: 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 1/106 : Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 : specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 : by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/06 : by aeroplanes, airships, balloons, or kites

Abstract

An intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system is disclosed including a ground station and one or more aerial vehicles. The aerial vehicles are autonomous systems capable of communicating intelligence data to the ground station and be used as part of a missile delivery package. A plurality of aerial vehicles can be configured to cast a wide net of reconnaissance over a large area on the ground including smaller overlapping reconnaissance areas provided by each of the plurality of the aerial vehicles.

Claims

1. A method of operating a vehicle system comprising an autonomous vehicle and a command and control interface station having at least intermittent communication with the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

a) the vehicle monitoring a plurality of environment data;

b) the vehicle calculating, based at least in part upon the environment data, a soft wall radius from which it can return to the command and control interface station;

c) the vehicle receiving a destination position to which it is commanded to fly;

d) the vehicle determining if the destination position is beyond the soft wall radius; and

e) the vehicle communicating an alert to the command and control interface station if the destination position is beyond the soft wall radius.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

f) the vehicle flying to the soft wall radius but no further.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

f)the command and control interface station communicating to the vehicle to fly beyond the soft wall radius to the destination position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination position is a GPS waypoint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the environment data is selected from the group consisting of:

mean power consumption for 30 second, one minute, 10 minute and entire mission, remaining battery charge, wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature, current heading, speed, relative position and distance to the command and control interface station.