UAS platforms flying capabilities by capturing top human pilot skills and tactics

• US 9,840,328 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Howard, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewandroski, Sara J
• Application Number:
  US14/948,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20170144755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• 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: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing

Abstract

A system and method for an unmanned combat system programmed with autonomous combat capabilities. The system and method include at least one unmanned combat vehicle and a computing subsystem that includes a database, the database storing interview data about combat experiences from a plurality of vehicle operators and recorded vehicle simulator data from simulations of vehicle operations performed by the plurality of vehicle operators, the computing subsystem being configured to program the interview data and the recorded vehicle simulator data stored in the database into the at least one unmanned combat vehicle.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial system programmed with autonomous combat capabilities, said system comprising:

at least one unmanned aerial vehicle; and

a computing subsystem including a database, said database storing interview data about combat experiences from a plurality of aircraft fighter pilots, recorded flight simulator data from simulated flights flown in a simulator by the plurality of fighter pilots, electronic bus flight data collected from an aircraft that has been in combat, and flight control laws for the unmanned aerial system that do not consider physiological limitations of a human body, wherein the computing subsystem is configured to program the interview data, the electronic bus flight data, the recorded flight simulator data and the flight control laws stored in the database into the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle to autonomously control the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle, and wherein the computing subsystem is further configured to compare the interview data and the electronic bus flight data to the recorded flight simulator data to determine if the interview data and the recorded flight simulator data correlate and store the interview data and the recorded flight simulator data which correlate in the database, and wherein the recorded flight simulator data includes signals from the mind of a pilot in the simulator, and flight simulator sensor inputs that include control surfaces, weapons, engines, and pilot physiological signs.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle is a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the computing subsystem is further configured to apply a weighting function to the interview data, the electronic bus flight data, and the recorded flight simulator data that does not correlate to organize the data that is programmed into the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle does not require full time GPS or satellite communications to operate.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the computing subsystem updates the programming of the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle periodically.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the computing subsystem is further configured to record combat experience data of the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle of the unmanned aerial system and add the recorded combat experience data to the database of the computing subsystem such that the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle may be programmed with the recorded combat experience data from other unmanned aerial vehicles of other unmanned aerial systems.

7. A method for creating an autonomous unmanned aerial system with combat capabilities, said method comprising:

interviewing a plurality of fighter pilots about their combat experience as a pilot;

storing the interview data in a database;

using the stored interview data to create a plurality of simulated flights that are recreations of the experiences of the plurality of fighter pilots;

recording flight simulator data while each of the plurality of fighter pilots perform at least one simulated flight in a simulator, wherein the recorded flight simulator data is stored in the database;

creating flight control laws for the unmanned aerial system that do not consider physiological limitations of a human body, wherein the created flight control laws are stored in the database;

comparing the stored interview data to the recorded flight simulator data to determine if the stored interview data and the recorded flight simulator data correlate and storing the interview data and the recorded flight simulator data which correlate in the database, wherein recording the flight simulator data includes signals from the mind of the pilot in the simulator, and flight simulator sensor inputs that include control surfaces, weapons, engines, and pilot physiological signs;

programming the interview data, the recorded flight simulator data and the created flight control laws that are stored in the database into at least one unmanned aerial vehicle; and

using the interview data, the recorded flight simulator data and the created flight control laws to autonomously control the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 7 further comprising recording combat experience data of the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle and adding recorded combat experience data to the database such that the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle may use the information and learn from other unmanned aerial vehicles of other unmanned aerial systems.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle is a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles.

10. The method according to claim 7 further comprising applying a weighting function to the stored interview data and the recorded flight simulator data that does not correlate to organize the data that is programmed into the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 7 wherein the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle does not require full time GPS or satellite communications to operate.

12. The method according to claim 7 further comprising periodically updating the programming of the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle.

13. An unmanned combat system programmed with autonomous combat capabilities, said system comprising:

at least one unmanned combat vehicle; and

a computing subsystem including a database, said database storing interview data about combat experiences from a plurality of vehicle operators and recorded vehicle simulator data from simulations of vehicle operations performed in a simulator by the plurality of vehicle operators, said computing subsystem being configured to program the interview data and the recorded vehicle simulator data stored in the database into the at least one unmanned combat vehicle to autonomously control the at least one unmanned combat vehicle, wherein the computing subsystem is further configured to compare the interview data to the recorded vehicle simulator data to determine if the interview data and the recorded vehicle simulator data correlate and store the interview data and the recorded vehicle simulator data which correlate in the database, and wherein the recorded vehicle simulator data includes signals from the mind of a vehicle operator in the simulator, and simulator inputs that include control surfaces, weapons, engines and operator physiological signs.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the at least one unmanned combat vehicle is a plurality of unmanned combat vehicles.

15. The system according to claim 13 wherein the at least one unmanned combat vehicle does not require full time GPS or satellite communications to operate.

16. The system according to claim 13 wherein the computing subsystem is further configured to record combat experience data of the at least one unmanned combat vehicle and add the recorded combat experience data to the database of the computing subsystem such that the unmanned combat vehicle may be programmed with the recorded combat experience data from a different unmanned combat vehicle.

17. The system according to claim 13 wherein the computing subsystem is further configured to apply a weighting function to the interview data and the recorded vehicle simulator data that does not correlate to prioritize the data programmed into the at least one unmanned combat vehicle.