INTER-VEHICLE COMMUNICATION FOR HAZARD HANDLING FOR AN UNOCCUPIED FLYING VEHICLE (UFV)

• US 20140166817A1
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Lord, Richard T., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,518,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/190
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/80 Arrangement of on-board electronics, e.g. avionics systems or wiring
• 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: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/1064 specially adapted for avoiding collisions with other aircraft
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for inter-vehicle communication for hazard handling with an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV). For certain example embodiments, at least one machine may: (i) receive one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, with the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV; or (ii) adjust a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on one or more flight attributes received from a remote UFV. However, claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations, examples, or so forth.

Claims

1. A method for hazard handling for an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV), the method being at least partially implemented by at least one machine, the method comprising:

receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV; and

adjusting a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV at the UFV.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV at the UFV comprises:

receiving the one or more flight attributes at the UFV directly from the remote UFV via at least one wireless signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV in response to a previously-transmitted request for at least one flight attribute.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV in accordance with an expected flight attribute update procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving at least one scalar value representing at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the remote UFV.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving at least one velocity representing at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the remote UFV.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving at least one acceleration representing at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the remote UFV.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving at least one altitude representing at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the remote UFV.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving at least one position representing at least one flight characteristic of the remote UFV.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving at least one position representing at least one flight characteristic of the remote UFV comprises:

receiving at least one geographical position representing at least one flight characteristic of the remote UFV.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving at least one position representing at least one flight characteristic of the remote UFV comprises:

receiving at least one position indication with reference to at least one determinable position with respect to the earth, with the at least one position indication representative of at least one flight characteristic of the remote UFV.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving at least one position representing at least one flight characteristic of the remote UFV comprises:

receiving at least one satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinate that is representative of at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the remote UFV.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more expected future flight characteristics of the remote UFV.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more expected future flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving from the remote UFV at least one satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinate that is expected to be representative of at least a portion of a positional state of the remote UFV at a future time.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more expected future flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving from the remote UFV at least one velocity that is expected to be representative of at least a portion of a flight state of the remote UFV at a future position.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more expected future flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

receiving from the remote UFV at least one first satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinate associated with a first time and at least one second SPS coordinate associated with a second time, with the second time corresponding to a future time.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV by accelerating the UFV responsive at least partly to the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV to avert a collision with the remote UFV.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV by changing an altitude of the UFV responsive at least partly to the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV to increase a vertical separation between the altitude of the UFV and an altitude of the remote UFV.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV by changing a velocity of the UFV responsive at least partly to the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV to avoid contact between a flight bubble associated with the UFV and another flight bubble associated with the remote UFV.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV and based at least partially on one or more flight attributes received from another remote UFV.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV based at least partially on one or more expected future flight characteristics of the remote UFV received from the remote UFV.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV based at least partially on at least one negotiation that includes at least the UFV and the remote UFV.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the adjusting the flight path of the UFV based at least partially on at least one negotiation that includes at least the UFV and the remote UFV comprises:

exchanging between or among at least the UFV and the remote UFV one or more flight path adjustment options.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV comprises:

adjusting the flight path of the UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV and based at least partially on one or more mission objectives associated with the UFV.

26. An unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) for hazard handling, the UFV comprising:

circuitry for receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV; and

circuitry for adjusting a flight path of the UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV.

27. The UFV of claim 26, wherein the circuitry for receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

circuitry for receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV at the UFV.

28. The UFV of claim 27, wherein the circuitry for receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV at the UFV comprises:

circuitry for receiving the one or more flight attributes at the UFV directly from the remote UFV via at least one wireless signal.

29. The UFV of claim 26, wherein the circuitry for receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

circuitry for receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV in response to a previously-transmitted request for at least one flight attribute.

30-50. -50. (canceled)

51. A system for hazard handling for an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV), the system comprising:

means for receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV; and

means for adjusting a flight path of a UFV based at least partially on the one or more flight attributes received from the remote UFV.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

means for receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV at the UFV.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the means for receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV at the UFV comprises:

means for receiving the one or more flight attributes at the UFV directly from the remote UFV via at least one wireless signal.

54. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

means for receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV in response to a previously-transmitted request for at least one flight attribute.

55. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

means for receiving the one or more flight attributes from the remote UFV in accordance with an expected flight attribute update procedure.

56. The system of claim 51, wherein the means for receiving one or more flight attributes from a remote UFV, the one or more flight attributes indicative of one or more flight characteristics of the remote UFV, comprises:

means for receiving at least one scalar value representing at least one substantially current flight characteristic of the remote UFV.

57-75. -75. (canceled)