MODULAR FLIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM INCORPORATING AN AUTOPILOT

• US 20140244078A1
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Unmanned Innovation Inc (Delair SAS)
• Inventors: Downey, Jonathan, Michini, Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 9,250,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/11
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• 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 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0077 using redundant signals or controls
• 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: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/08 Control of attitude, i.e. control of roll, pitch, or yaw
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/32 electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

A modular vehicle management system is described, comprising a controller module configured to control different types of carrier modules. The controller module includes a computer system and optionally one or more sensors. The computer system is configured to perform operations comprising detecting whether a carrier module is connected to the controller module. If the carrier module is connected to the controller module, the carrier module is authenticated. If the authentication fails, operation of the vehicle is inhibited. The control module is configured to determine carrier module capabilities including information regarding a navigation processing device, and/or a radio modem. The controller adapts to the capabilities of the controller module. Using information from the sensors and the navigation processing device, the vehicle management system navigates the vehicle.

Claims

1. A modular flight management system for an unmanned vehicle, comprising:

a controller board configured to control a plurality of different types of carrier modules, the controller board including at least;

computer readable media storing an operating system;

a computer system configured to execute the operating system;

a pressure sensor coupled to the computer system,

a magnetometer coupled to the computer system,

a MEMS (Micro-electromechanical systems) gyroscope coupled to the computer system;

a MEMS (Micro-electromechanical systems) accelerometer coupled to the computer system;

a connector configured to receive a carrier board;

wherein the computer system is configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting whether a carrier board is connected to the connector;

at least partly in response to detecting that the carrier board is connected to the connector, authenticating the carrier board to determine whether the carrier board is authorized to be connected to the controller board,

wherein if the carrier board fails authentication by the control board, operation of the vehicle is inhibited by the flight management system;

determining capabilities of the carrier board to determine at least information regarding;

a navigation satellite system signal processing device coupled to the carrier board, and

a radio modem;

adapting the operation of the controller board to the determined capabilities of the carrier board;

accessing a desired location or route;

receiving signals from the pressure sensor, the MEMS accelerometer, the magnetometer, the MEMS gyroscope, and the navigation satellite system signal processing device;

based at least in part on the received signals, determining a location, an altitude, velocity, attitude and a heading of the vehicle and navigating the vehicle in accordance with the desired location or route.

2. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, further comprising the carrier board, the carrier board comprising the radio modem and the navigation satellite system signal processing device.

3. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, further comprising the carrier board, the carrier board comprising the radio modem, the navigation satellite system signal processing device, a power supply configured to power one or more actuator servos, and a servo interface configured to control one or more actuator servos to control a flight control surface or propulsion system of the vehicle.

4. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller board is configured to be connected to the carrier board without a motherboard.

5. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller board is configured to enable a computer system included on the carrier board to act as a host computer with respect to operations of the controller board.

6. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, consisting essentially of the controller board and the carrier board.

7. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, wherein authenticating the carrier board to determine whether the carrier board is authorized to be connected to the controller board further comprises transmitting a random or pseudo-random challenge word to the carrier board and receiving an encrypted challenge response from the carrier module, the challenge response including information indicating capabilities of the carrier board.

8. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, wherein determining capabilities of the carrier board further comprises determining information regarding payload interfaces on the carrier board.

9. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, wherein determining capabilities of the carrier board further comprises determining information regarding signal conditioning on the carrier board.

10. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, wherein the carrier board weighs no more than about 20 grams.

11. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, wherein the carrier board weighs no more than about 200 grams.

12. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of controller modules, corresponding to two or more redundant controller modules; and

a voting circuit configured to receive outputs from the odd number of redundant controller modules, wherein the voting circuit is configured to determine if a first of the odd number of redundant controller modules is providing an output that fails to correspond to outputs provided by at least two other redundant controller modules, and at least partly in response to determining that the first of the odd number of redundant controller modules is providing an output that fails to correspond to outputs provided by that at least two other redundant controller modules, inhibiting operation of the first of the odd number of redundant controller modules.

13. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

redundant sensors; and

a Kalman filter configured to detect failure of a sensor included in the redundant sensors by detecting excessively high filter residuals, wherein the modular flight management system is configured to inhibit the use of data from a detected failed sensor for control of flight of the unmanned vehicle.

14. The modular flight management system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of controller modules;

a voting circuit configured to detect a failed controller module using median sensor values and/or median controller outs from three or more controller modules.

15. A modular vehicle management system, comprising:

a controller module configured to control a plurality of different types of carrier modules, the controller module including at least;

a computer system;

one or more sensors configured to provide at least one of acceleration information or gyroscopic based orientation information;

a connector configured to receive a carrier module without a backplane;

wherein the computer system is configured to perform operations comprising;

detecting whether a carrier module is coupled to the controller module;

determining capabilities of the carrier module to determine at least information regarding;

a navigation satellite system signal processing device accessible via the carrier module, and/or

a radio modem;

adapting the operation of the controller module to the determined capabilities of the carrier module;

accessing a desired location or route;

based at least in part on information from the one or more sensors and the navigation satellite system signal processing device,

navigating the vehicle in accordance with the desired location or route.

16. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, wherein the computer system is configured to, at least partly in response to detecting that the carrier module is coupled to the controller module, authenticate the carrier module to determine whether the carrier module is authorized to be connected to the controller module,

wherein if the carrier module fails authentication by the control module, operation of the vehicle is inhibited by the vehicle management system.

17. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, wherein the computer system is configured to, at least partly in response to detecting that the carrier module is coupled to the controller module:

authenticate the carrier module to determine whether the carrier module is authorized to be connected to the controller module,

wherein authenticating the carrier module further comprise transmitting a random or pseudo-random challenge word to the carrier module and receiving an encrypted challenge response from the carrier module, the challenge response including information indicating capabilities of the carrier module,

wherein if the carrier module fails authentication by the control module, operation of the vehicle is inhibited by the vehicle management system.

18. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, further comprising the carrier module, the carrier module comprising the radio modem and the navigation satellite system signal processing device.

19. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, further comprising the carrier module, the carrier module comprising the radio modem, the navigation satellite system signal processing device, a power supply configured to power one or more actuator servos, and a servo interface configured to control one or more actuator servos to control a vehicle flight control surface or propulsion system.

20. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, wherein the controller module is configured to be connected to the carrier module without a motherboard.

21. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, wherein the controller module is configured to enable a computer system included on the carrier module to act as a host computer with respect to operations of the controller module.

22. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, consisting essentially of the controller module and the carrier module.

23. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, wherein determining capabilities of the carrier board further comprises determining information regarding payload interfaces on the carrier board.

24. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, wherein the carrier module weighs no more than about 20 grams.

25. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, wherein the carrier module weighs no more than about 200 grams.

26. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of controller modules; and

a voting circuit configured to receive outputs from the odd number of redundant controller modules, wherein the voting circuit is configured to determine if a first of the odd number of redundant controller modules is providing an output that fails to correspond to outputs provided by at least two other redundant controller modules, and at least partly in response to determining that the first of the odd number of redundant controller modules is providing an output that fails to correspond to outputs provided by that at least two other redundant controller modules, inhibiting operation of the first of the odd number of redundant controller modules.

27. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

redundant sensors; and

a Kalman filter configured to detect failure of a sensor included in the redundant sensors by detecting excessively high filter residuals, wherein the modular flight management system is configured to inhibit the use of data from a detected failed sensor.

28. The modular vehicle management system as defined in claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of controller modules;

a voting circuit configured to detect a failed controller module using median sensor values and/or median controller outs from three or more controller modules.

29. A method of assembling a flight management system, the method essentially consisting of:

electrically connecting a controller circuit board, the controller circuit board including at least a processor and one or more sensors configured to provide at least one of acceleration information or gyroscopic based orientation information, and a connector configured to receive a carrier board, with a

carrier board comprising a navigation satellite system signal processing device coupled to the carrier board, and a radio modem coupled to the carrier board; and

mechanically coupling the controller circuit board and the carrier board,

wherein the flight management system is configured to perform autopilot functions.

30. The method of assembling the flight management system as defined in claim 29, wherein mechanically coupling the controller circuit board and the carrier board is performed using at least one screw.