MULTIMODE UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

• US 20160025457A1
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Miralles, Carlos Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 10,222,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/00 Aircraft not otherwise provided for
• 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 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: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/008 Combinations of different guidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2206 using a remote control station
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2246 Active homing systems, i.e. comprising both a transmitter and a receiver
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2253 Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/2293 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 9/002 for guiding a craft to a correct firing position for bombing control F41G9/02
• 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 1/12 Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

A system comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to transition from a terminal homing mode to a target search mode, responsive to an uplink signal and/or an autonomous determination of scene change.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operated by an external user, the UAV comprising:

a processing unit which upon a command from the external user transitions the UAV autonomously from a first trajectory automatically homing on a target to a second trajectory avoiding and moving away from the target;

wherein during the first trajectory the UAV maintains sufficient energy and maneuverability to transition to the second trajectory.

2. The UAV of claim 1 wherein the command is an uplink signal from the external user.

3. The UAV of claim 2 wherein the processing unit continually checks for the command while in the first trajectory.

4. The UAV of claim 1 wherein the processing unit maintains a minimum flight speed of the UAV during the first trajectory.

5. The UAV of claim 4 wherein the minimum flight speed of the UAV is at least one of:

a stall speed of the UAV and a minimum maneuver speed of the UAV.

6. The UAV of claim 1 wherein the processing unit maintains a maneuver margin of 2.0 to 2.5 times the acceleration of gravity while in the first trajectory.

7. The UAV of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors detect at least one of;

a UAV position, a UAV linear velocity, a UAV rotational velocity, a UAV linear acceleration, and a UAV attitude.

8. The UAV of claim 1 wherein the target is stationary.

9. The UAV of claim 1 wherein the target is in motion.

10. A method comprising:

maintaining, by a processing unit of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), sufficient energy and maneuverability of the UAV during a trajectory approaching a target to maneuver the UAV to avoid and move away from the target; and

maneuvering, by the processing unit of the UAV, the UAV to avoid and move away from the target.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein maneuvering the UAV away from the target is responsive to a command by a user.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the command is a signal is an uplink signal from a user.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

checking, by the processing unit of the UAV, continually for the command during the trajectory approaching the target.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein maintaining sufficient energy and maneuverability of the UAV during the trajectory approaching the target comprises maintaining a minimum flight speed of the UAV.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the minimum flight speed of the UAV is at least one of:

a stall speed of the UAV and a minimum maneuver speed of the UAV.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

maneuvering, by the processing unit of the UAV, the UAV toward a waypoint.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

maneuvering, by the processing unit of the UAV, the UAV toward the target.

18. An apparatus comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) airframe configured to deliver a payload into a target volume via homing on the target volume; and

a processing unit onboard the UAV airframe, wherein the processing unit comprises at least one of;

a central processing unit configured to execute computer-executable instructions;

electrical circuitry;

electronic circuitry; and

a logical gate array;

wherein the processing unit is configured to engage in two or more terminal homing approaches to the target volume;

wherein the two or more terminal homing approaches comprise one or more instructions for the UAV homing on the target volume; and

wherein the processing unit is further configured to transition the UAV away from the target volume in at least one of the two or more terminal homing approaches.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein at least one of the two or more terminal homing approaches to the target volume is to accomplish at least one of:

confirm a selection of a target in the target volume, confirm a de-selection of the target in the target volume, select a new target volume, evaluate a chosen approach of the UAV to the target volume, evaluate one or more alternate approaches of the UAV to the target volume, identify a specific person in the target volume, identify a specific vehicle in the target volume, identify a specific building in the target volume, and identify a specific object in the target volume.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the processor is configured to deliver the payload into the target volume in at least one of the two or more terminal homing approaches.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the transition away from the target volume avoids impact of the UAV with the target volume.