Countermeasures for threats to an uncrewed autonomous vehicle

• US 9,524,648 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mackraz, James Domit, Gopalakrishnan, Varadarajan, Johansson, Jesper Mikael, McClintock, Jon Arron, Porter, Brandon William, Roths, Andrew Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler
• Application Number:
  US14/543,198
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 348/117
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight 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 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0056 in an emergency situation, e.g. hijacking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/222 wherein jamming detection includes detecting the absence or impossibility of intelligible communication on at least one channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/224 with countermeasures at transmission and/or reception of the jammed signal, e.g. stopping operation of transmitter or receiver, nulling or enhancing transmitted power in direction of or at frequency of jammer
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/25 based on characteristics of target signal or of transmission as countermeasure against surveillance H04K3/827, e.g. using direct sequence spread spectrum or fast frequency hopping spread spectrum techniques H04B1/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/92 related to allowing or preventing remote control

Abstract

Uncrewed autonomous vehicles (“UAVs”) may navigate from one location to another location. Described herein are systems, devices, and methods providing countermeasures for threats that may compromise the UAVs. A plurality of UAVs may establish a mesh network to distribute information to one another. A first UAV may receive external data from a second UAV using the mesh network. The external data may be used to confirm or cross-check data such as location, heading, altitude, and so forth. Disagreement between data generated by the first UAV with external data from the second UAV may result in the determination that the first UAV is compromised. Remedial actions may be taken, such as the first UAV may be directed to a safe location to land or park, may receive commands from another UAV, and so forth.

Claims

1. A method of operating an uncrewed autonomous vehicle (“

UAV”

) comprising;

establishing, at the UAV via a communication interface, communication with a mesh network comprising a plurality of other UAVs;

generating first location data of the UAV using a first navigation system onboard the UAV, wherein the first location data indicates a first location of the UAV;

receiving external data from one or more of the plurality of other UAVs in the mesh network;

generating second location data using a second navigation system, wherein the second location data indicates a second location of the UAV;

determining that the first location data differs from the second location data by a threshold value;

determining operation of the UAV is compromised based at least in part on the external data;

transitioning to a fail-safe mode wherein the UAV is configured to disregard one or more of commands, the first location data, or the second location data; and

transmitting alert data indicative of;

the compromise of the UAV; and

last available location data of the UAV.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the external data comprises one or more of:

third location data of one of the plurality of other UAVs,

fourth location data of the UAV as generated by the one of the plurality of other UAVs,

a bearing between the UAV and the one of the plurality of other UAVs, or

a distance between the UAV and the one of the plurality of other UAVs.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the UAV is in the fail-safe mode, receiving commands from one of the plurality of other UAVs directing the UAV to a landing site;

landing the UAV; and

maintaining surveillance of the UAV by one or more of the plurality of other UAVs.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a direction, relative to the UAV, of a navigational signal received by the first navigation system;

accessing source data indicative of an expected location of a source of the navigational signal;

based at least in part on the first location data and the source data, determine an expected direction of the navigational signal;

determine a difference between the direction and the expected direction; and

wherein the determining operation of the UAV is compromised is further based at least in part on the difference between the direction and the expected direction.

5. A system comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

a hardware processor in communication with the communication interface and the memory, the hardware processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

establish communication between a first uncrewed autonomous vehicle (“

UAV”

) and a second UAV;

access first parameter data associated with a first system of the first UAV;

receive second parameter data from the second UAV;

compare the first parameter data with the second parameter data; and

determine operation of the first UAV is compromised.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the first parameter data comprises first location data indicative of a first location of the first UAV;

the first location data is generated using a satellite-based navigation system;

the second parameter data comprises second location data indicative of a second location of the first UAV as determined by the second UAV; and

the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to determine the operation of the first UAV is compromised in response to a determination that the first location is different from the second location by a threshold distance.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the first parameter data comprises first altitude data indicative of an altitude of the first UAV;

the second parameter data comprises second altitude data indicative of an altitude of the second UAV operating proximate to the first UAV; and

the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to determine the operation of the first UAV is compromised in response to a determination that the first altitude data is different from the second altitude data by a threshold altitude.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the first parameter data comprises first heading data indicative of a first direction toward which the first UAV is moving;

the second parameter data comprises second heading data indicative of a second direction toward which the first UAV is moving, as determined by the second UAV; and

the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to determine the operation of the first UAV is compromised in response to a determination that the first direction is different from the second direction by a threshold amount.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the first parameter data is indicative of a first direction of a signal received by the first UAV;

the second parameter data comprises an expected direction of the signal; and

the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to determine the operation of the first UAV is compromised in response to a determination that the first direction is different from the expected direction by a threshold amount.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the first parameter data comprises metric data representative of one or more metrics of the first UAV, wherein the one or more metrics are indicative of at least one of hardware processor usage, memory usage, or input/output interface (“

I/O”

) usage;

the second parameter data is indicative of a threshold value; and

the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to determine the operation of the first UAV is compromised in response to a determination that one or more of the one or more metrics are equal to or greater than the threshold value.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the first UAV comprises an aerial UAV;

and

the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to, in response to the determination operation of the first UAV is compromised, execute computer-executable instructions to;

receive commands from one or more of the second UAV or a third UAV; and

responsive to the commands, direct the first UAV to a designated location.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to, in response to the determination operation of the first UAV is compromised, execute computer-executable instructions to:

render one or more circuits inoperable by providing one or more of electrical current or electrical voltage above a predetermined level to the one or more circuits of the first UAV.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to, in response to the determination operation of the first UAV is compromised, execute computer-executable instructions to:

reset one or more systems of the first UAV associated with the compromised operation.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to, in response to the determination operation of the first UAV is compromised, execute computer-executable instructions to:

activating an airbag,

deploying foam,

deploying a parachute,

deploying a bumper, or

configure one or more rotors for autorotation.

15. A first uncrewed autonomous vehicle (“

UAV”

) comprising;

a communication interface;

one or more directional antennas exhibiting gain in a predetermined direction;

a first navigation system configured to generate location data;

a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

a hardware processor in communication with the communication interface and the memory, the hardware processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive a signal;

determine a direction of the signal using the one or more antennas;

access source data indicative of an expected location of a source of the signal;

based at least in part on one or more of the location data or the source data, determine an expected direction of the signal;

determine a difference between the direction and the expected direction;

determine operation of the first UAV is compromised; and

transmit alert data indicative of;

the compromise of the first UAV; and

last available location data of the first UAV.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to:

receive, from a second UAV, data indicative of a second difference between the direction and the expected direction of the signal as received at the second UAV; and

wherein the determination that operation of the first UAV is compromised is based at least in part on the data indicative of the second difference as received from the second UAV.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the hardware processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to, in response to the determination operation of the first UAV is compromised, execute computer-executable instructions to:

receive commands from a second UAV; and

operate the first UAV based on the commands.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising a second navigation system comprising one or more of:

a compass,

a gyroscope,

an accelerometer,

a tilt sensor,

a clock,

a speed measuring device, or

an altimeter; and

wherein the hardware processor is configured to, in response to the determination operation of the first UAV is compromised, execute computer-executable instructions to;

disregard the location data from the first navigation system; and

receive second location data from a second UAV;

initialize the second navigation system using the second location data; and

direct the first UAV to a predetermined location using dead reckoning.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the source data comprises one or more of:

almanac data received from a satellite navigation system,

ephemeris data received from the satellite navigation system,

stored coordinates associated with the source, wherein the source is fixed, or

relative position data indicating the source is expected to be above or below the first UAV.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the source of the signal is a second UAV, and the expected location is of the second UAV.