APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN UNMANNED VEHICLE

• US 20090326735A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Stephen P., Thourot, Fred G., Hashimi, Jamil R., Carroll, Douglas, Wood, Joanne E., Goff, Russell W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• 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 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• 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: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

In one or more embodiments, an apparatus and method for operating an unmanned and autonomous vehicle includes a sensor management module configured to direct sensors as to what function they are to provide; a mission management module configured to provide execute function capabilities; an effects management module configured to provide launching and directing weapons to their target capabilities; a vehicle management module; a situation awareness management module configured to provide correlate sensor data of objects, threats, targets, geographic points of interest that the pilot requires in the immediate environment; a communications management module; an information management module configured to provide a database of intelligence-related data; a middleware module configured to interface with the sensor management module, the mission management module, the effects management module, the vehicle management module, the situation awareness management module, the communications management module, and the information management module.

Claims

1. An apparatus for operating an unmanned and autonomous vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor management module configured to direct sensors as to what function they are to provide;

a mission management module configured to provide execute function capabilities;

an effects management module configured to provide launching and directing weapons to their target capabilities;

a vehicle management module;

a situation awareness management module configured to provide correlate sensor data of objects, threats, targets, geographic points of interest that the pilot requires in the immediate environment;

a communications management module;

an information management module configured to provide a database of intelligence-related data;

a middleware module configured to interface with the sensor management module, the mission management module, the effects management module, the vehicle management module, the situation awareness management module, the communications management module, and the information management module.

2. A system comprising:

a command element configured to receive and collect information from an information source and to transmit commands based, in part, on the collected information, to a subordinate element,

wherein the subordinate element including one or more unmanned and autonomous vehicles that are configured to perform functions including intelligence gathering and tactical operations.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the intelligence gathering includes one or more of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the tactical operations includes one or more of planning, delivery and effectiveness assessment of weapons delivery to a target.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the command element is configured to maintain situational awareness of a space in which the subordinate element operates.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the one or more unmanned and autonomous vehicles includes a leader vehicle if at least two vehicles are designated in a group.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the leader vehicle is configured to perform dynamic planning and re-planning for a follower vehicle in the group.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the leader vehicle is configured to adapt, re-task and re-plan a pre-planned mission plan based on commands transmitted by the command element.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the leader vehicle is configured to transmit the re-tasked and re-planned mission plan to the follower vehicle in the group.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the leader vehicle and the follower vehicle are configured to communication using a different communication mechanism than was used to transmit the commands from the command element.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the command element is configured to operate on either a land-based, water-based, or air-based platform remote from the subordinate element.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein the subordinate element is configured to operate on either a land-based, water-based, or air-based platform remote from the command element.

13. The system according to claim 2, wherein the command element is configured to receive user input to command functions on the subordinate vehicle.

14. An apparatus comprising:

an unmanned and autonomous vehicle configured to perform functions including intelligence gathering and tactical operations, wherein the intelligence gathering includes one or more of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations and the tactical operations includes one or more of planning, delivery and effectiveness assessment of weapons delivery to a target,

wherein the vehicle is configured to receive commands from a command element, and based, in part, on the received commands, adapt, re-task and re-plan a pre-planned mission plan based on commands transmitted by the command element.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate on either a land-based, water-based, or air-based platform remote from the command element.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the vehicle is configured to operate in a group of vehicle commanded by the command element, wherein a single vehicle of the group is configured to designated as a leader and the remainder of the group of vehicles are configured to be designated as followers.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the leader vehicle is configured to adapt, re-task and re-plan a pre-planned mission plan based on commands transmitted by the command element.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the leader vehicle is configured to transmit the re-tasked and re-planned mission plan to the follower vehicles in the group.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the leader vehicle and the follower vehicles are configured to communication using a different communication mechanism than was used to transmit the commands from the command element.

20. A method comprising:

providing a pre-planned mission plan to an unmanned and autonomous vehicle via a communications link;

receiving information from a command element, wherein the information includes updated battlefield assessment, updated weather information, updated friendly operations, updated threat information;

using a processor to update the pre-planned mission plan based on information received from the command element;

transmitting the updated mission plan to subordinate vehicles over the communications link; and

performing operations on a target based on the updated mission plan, wherein the operations include one or more of the following;

intelligence, surveillance reconnaissance operations, planning, delivery and effectiveness assessment of a weapons delivery to a target.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a user input to direct operations onto the target.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the received information is processed in accordance with pre-stored or post-stored instructions stored in a memory of the vehicle.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the received information supersedes a current command.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the received information is encrypted.

25. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

authenticating the received information.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the received information is authenticated using information stored in a memory of the vehicle.

27. The method according to claim 20, wherein the received information instructs the vehicle to designate itself a leader or a follower.

28. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

transmitting an acknowledgement to the received information.