WIRELESS CONTROL SYSTEM FOR GROUND-MOBILE ROBOTIC VEHICLES

• US 20070297320A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: True, Christopher, Brummette, Steven C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,633,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/208
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/28 using brushing or sweeping means or dozers to push mines lying on a surface aside; using means for removing mines intact from a surface
• CPC Class Codes: F42D 5/04 Rendering explosive charges harmless, e.g. destroying ammunition F42B39/14 and F42B39/20 take precedence ; extracting primers, dismantling ammunition F42B33/04, F42B33/06 ; chemical deactivating of explosives C06B21/0091; Rendering detonation of explosive charges harmless
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems

Abstract

A wireless control system for ground-mobile robotic systems in which communication between the operator control unit and the unmanned ground vehicle is transmitted via a plurality of spectrally efficient simplex communication links.

Claims

1. A ground-mobile robotic system comprising:

an operator control unit (OCU) comprising;

a coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (COFDM) receiver,

a first OCU transmitter,

a second OCU transmitter configured to receive analog audio data from an OCU audio source, modulate an audio data radio frequency (RF) carrier, and transmit the modulated audio data RF carrier via a simplex RF channel, and

an OCU processing element configured to provide control data to the first OCU transmitter via a serial communication link; and

an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) comprising;

a COFDM transmitter configured to receive analog video data from a video source and to receive analog audio data from a UGV audio source,

a first UGV receiver,

a second UGV receiver, and

a UGV processing element configured to provide feedback data to the COFDM transmitter via a serial communication link;

wherein the first OCU transmitter is configured to modulate a control data RF carrier and transmit the modulated control data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex radio frequency (RF) channel such that the transmitted control data RF carrier is received by the first UGV receiver,

wherein the COFDM transmitter of the UGV is configured to multiplex the feedback data, the video data and the audio data, modulate multiplexed data RF carriers using a COFDM scheme and transmit the modulated multiplexed data RF carriers to the OCU via a simplex RF channel,

wherein the COFDM receiver of the OCU is configured to receive the modulated multiplexed data RF carrier from the UGV, demodulate the received data RF carrier to extract the multiplexed data, and de-multiplex the extracted data into separate video data, audio data, and feedback data, and

wherein the COFDM receiver is further configured to provide the video data to a video display element, provide the audio data to an OCU loudspeaker, and provide the feedback data to the OCU processing element.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the OCU processing element is configured to provide control data to the first OCU transmitter via the serial communication link at a data speed less than 21 kilobits per second.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the UGV processing element is configured to provide feedback data to the COFDM transmitter via the serial communication link at a data speed less than 21 kilobits per second.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the COFDM transmitter is further configured to transmit the modulated multiplexed data RF carrier to the OCU via the simplex RF channel having a channel bandwidth less than 2.75 megahertz.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second OCU transmitters each comprise a frequency modulation (FM) transmitter and the first and second UGV receivers each comprise a frequency modulation (FM) receiver, wherein the first OCU transmitter is configured to modulate the control data RF carrier using an FM scheme and transmit the FM control data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel,

wherein the second OCU transmitter is configured to modulate the audio data RF carrier using an FM scheme and transmit the FM audio data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel,

wherein the first UGV receiver is configured to receive the modulated control data RF carrier, demodulate the received control data RF carrier to extract the control data, and provide the extracted control data to the UGV processing element, and wherein the second UGV receiver is configured to receive the modulated audio data RF carrier, demodulate the received audio data RF carrier to extract the audio data, and provide the extracted audio data to a UGV loudspeaker.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first OCU transmitter is configured to transmit the FM control data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel having a channel bandwidth less than 27.5 kilohertz, and wherein the second OCU transmitter is configured to transmit the FM audio data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel having a channel bandwidth less than 14 kilohertz.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second OCU transmitters comprise a single COFDM transmitter configured to multiplex the control data and audio data, modulate the multiplexed data RF carriers using a COFDM scheme, and transmit the COFDM multiplexed data RF carriers to the UGV via a simplex RF channel, and

wherein the first and second UGV receivers comprise a single COFDM receiver configured to receive the modulated multiplexed data RF carriers, demodulate the received data RF carriers to extract the multiplexed data, de-multiplex the extracted data into control data and audio data, provide the control data to the UGV processing element, and provide the audio data to a UGV loudspeaker.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the single COFDM transmitter is configured to transmit the COFDM multiplexed data RF carriers to the UGV via a simplex RF channel having a channel bandwidth less than 55 kilohertz.

10. A ground-mobile robotic system comprising:

an operator control unit (OCU) comprising a coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (COFDM) receiver, a first OCU transmitter, and an OCU processing element configured to provide control data to the first OCU transmitter via a serial communication link; and

an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) comprising a COFDM transmitter configured to receive analog video data from a video source, a first UGV receiver, and a UGV processing element configured to provide feedback data to the COFDM transmitter via a serial communication link;

wherein the first OCU transmitter is configured to modulate a control data radio frequency (RF) carrier and transmit the modulated control data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel such that the transmitted control data RF carrier is received by the first UGV receiver,

wherein the COFDM transmitter of the UGV is configured to multiplex the feedback data and the video data, modulate multiplexed data RF carriers using a COFDM scheme and transmit the modulated multiplexed data RF carriers to the OCU via a simplex RF channel,

wherein the COFDM receiver of the OCU is configured to receive the modulated multiplexed data RF carriers from the UGV, demodulate the received data RF carriers to extract the multiplexed data, and de-multiplex the extracted data into separate video data and feedback data, and

wherein the COFDM receiver is further configured to provide the video data to a video display element and provide the feedback data to the OCU processing element.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the OCU processing element is configured to provide control data to the first OCU transmitter via the serial communication link at a data speed less than 21 kilobits per second

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the UGV processing element is configured to provide feedback data to the COFDM transmitter via the serial communication link at a data speed less than 21 kilobits per second.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the COFDM transmitter is further configured to transmit the modulated multiplexed data RF carriers to the OCU via the simplex RF channel having a channel bandwidth less than 2.75 megahertz.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the COFDM transmitter is configured to receive analog audio data from a UGV audio source and to multiplex the audio data with the feedback data and the video data, and

wherein the COFDM receiver is configured to de-multiplex the demodulated data RF carriers into separate video data, audio data, and feedback data and provide the audio data to an OCU loudspeaker.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the OCU further comprises a second OCU transmitter configured to receive analog audio data from an OCU audio source, modulate the audio data RF carrier, and transmit the modulated audio data RF carrier via a simplex RF channel, and

wherein the UGV further comprises a second UGV receiver configured to receive the modulated audio data RF carrier, demodulate the received audio data RF carrier to extract the audio data, and provide the extracted audio data to a UGV loudspeaker.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second OCU transmitters each comprise a frequency modulation (FM) transmitter and the first and second UGV receivers each comprise a frequency modulation (FM) receiver, wherein the first OCU transmitter is configured to modulate the control data RF carrier using an FM scheme and transmit the FM control data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel,

wherein the second OCU transmitter is configured to modulate the audio data RF carrier using an FM scheme and transmit the FM audio data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel,

wherein the first UGV receiver is configured to receive the modulated control data RF carrier, demodulate the received control data RF carrier to extract the control data, and provide the extracted control data to the UGV processing element, and wherein the second UGV receiver is configured to receive the modulated audio data RF carrier, demodulate the received audio data RF carrier to extract the audio data, and provide the extracted audio data to a UGV loudspeaker.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first OCU transmitter is configured to transmit the FM control data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel having a channel bandwidth less than 27.5 kilohertz, and wherein the second OCU transmitter is configured to transmit the FM audio data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel having a channel bandwidth less than 14 kilohertz.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second OCU transmitters comprise a single COFDM transmitter configured to multiplex the control data and audio data, modulate the multiplexed data RF carriers using a COFDM scheme, and transmit the COFDM multiplexed data RF carriers to the UGV via a simplex RF channel, and

wherein the first and second UGV receivers comprise a single COFDM receiver configured to receive the modulated multiplexed data RF carriers, demodulate the received data RF carriers to extract the multiplexed data, de-multiplex the extracted data into control data and audio data, provide the control data to the UGV processing element, and provide the audio data to a UGV loudspeaker.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the single COFDM transmitter is configured to transmit the COFDM multiplexed data RF carriers to the UGV via a simplex RF channel having a channel bandwidth less than 55 kilohertz.

20. An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) of a ground-mobile robotic system comprising:

a COFDM transmitter configured to receive analog video data from a video source and to receive analog audio data from an audio source,

a first UGV receiver configured to receive a modulated control data radio frequency (RF) carrier transmitted from an operator control unit (OCU) via a simplex RF channel,

a second UGV receiver configured to receive a modulated audio data RF carrier transmitted from the OCU via a simplex radio frequency (RF) channel, and

a UGV processing element configured to provide feedback data to the COFDM transmitter via a serial communication link;

wherein the COFDM transmitter is configured to multiplex the feedback data, the video data and the audio data, modulate multiplexed data RF carriers using a COFDM scheme and transmit the modulated multiplexed data RF carriers to the OCU via a simplex RF channel.

21. The unmanned ground vehicle of claim 20, wherein the first and second UGV receivers each comprise a frequency modulation (FM) receiver,

wherein the first UGV receiver is configured to receive the modulated control data RF carrier from the OCU via a simplex RF channel, demodulate the received control data RF carrier to extract the control data, and provide the extracted control data to the UGV processing element, and

wherein the second UGV receiver is configured to receive the modulated audio data RF carrier from the OCU via a simplex RF channel, demodulate the received audio data RF carrier to extract the audio data, and provide the extracted audio data to a UGV loudspeaker.

22. The unmanned ground vehicle of claim 20, wherein the first and second UGV receivers comprise a single COFDM receiver configured to receive the modulated multiplexed data RF carriers from the OCU via a simplex RF channel, demodulate the received data RF carriers to extract the multiplexed data, de-multiplex the extracted data into control data and audio data, provide the control data to the UGV processing element, and provide the audio data to a UGV loudspeaker.

23. An operator control unit (OCU) of a ground-mobile robotic system comprising:

a coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (COFDM) receiver,

a first OCU transmitter,

a second OCU transmitter configured to receive analog audio data from an OCU audio source, modulate an audio data radio frequency (RF) carrier, and transmit the modulated audio data RF carrier to an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) via a simplex RF channel, and

an OCU processing element configured to provide control data to the first OCU transmitter via a serial communication link; and

wherein the first OCU transmitter is configured to modulate a control data RF carrier and transmit the modulated control data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel,

wherein the COFDM receiver is configured to receive multiplexed feedback data, video data and audio data RF carriers which have been modulated using a COFDM scheme and transmitted from the UGV via a simplex RF channel,

wherein the COFDM receiver is further configured to demodulate the received data RF carriers to extract the multiplexed data, and de-multiplex the extracted data into separate video data, audio data, and feedback data, and

wherein the COFDM receiver is further configured to provide the video data to a video display element, provide the audio data to an OCU loudspeaker, and provide the feedback data to the OCU processing element.

24. The operator control unit of claim 23, wherein the first and second OCU transmitters each comprise a frequency modulation (FM) transmitter,

wherein the first OCU transmitter is configured to modulate the control data RF carrier using an FM scheme and transmit the FM control data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel, and

wherein the second OCU transmitter is configured to modulate the audio data RF carrier using an FM scheme and transmit the FM audio data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel.

25. The operator control unit of claim 23, wherein the first and second OCU transmitters comprise a single COFDM transmitter configured to multiplex the control data and audio data, modulate the multiplexed data RF carriers using a COFDM scheme, and transmit the COFDM multiplexed data RF carriers to the UGV via a simplex RF channel.

26. A method of operating a ground-mobile robotic system comprising an operator control unit (OCU) and an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), the method comprising:

receiving control data from an OCU processing element;

modulating a received control data radio frequency (RF) carrier;

transmitting the modulated control data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel;

receiving analog audio data from an OCU audio source;

modulating a received OCU audio data RF carrier;

transmitting the modulated audio data RF carrier to the UGV via a simplex RF channel;

receiving analog video data from a UGV video source;

receiving analog audio data from a UGV audio source;

receiving feedback data from a UGV processing element;

multiplexing the received feedback data, video data and OCU audio data;

modulating multiplexed data RF carriers using a COFDM modulation scheme;

transmitting the modulated multiplexed data RF carriers to the OCU via a simplex RF channel,

27. The method of claim 26, wherein modulating the control data RF carrier comprises modulating the control data RF carrier using an FM scheme, and wherein modulating the OCU audio data RF carrier comprises modulating the audio data RF carrier using an FM scheme.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

multiplexing the control data and the OCU audio data;

wherein modulating the control data and the OCU audio data RF carriers comprises modulating the multiplexed control data and OCU audio data RF carriers using a COFDM scheme.