Plug and play modular mission payloads

• US 6,665,594 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Armstrong, Clay
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donnelly, Arthur D.
• Application Number:
  US10/012,613
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 701/13, 701/1, 701/2, 701/24, 701/36, 701/215, 224/3.15, 224/120, 370/349, 370/315, 340/459
• US Class Current: 701/13
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/00 Traffic control systems for aircraft , e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

The present application discloses plug and play modular mission payloads in the context of aerial vehicles, and a supporting open system architecture that moves the control function of mission payloads away from the ground station and into the aerial vehicle. The plug-and-play (PnP) modular mission payloads and web-based payload interface software resides in a payload computer in the vehicle, and this is networked via a uniform resource locator (URL) addressing scheme to a ground control station. Consequently, when new payload types are added to the system, integration issues and costs are minimized.

Claims

1. A system for remote control of any of a variety of different payloads in a vehicle, comprising:

a dedicated payload computer resident in said vehicle and connected to a payload therein for control thereof;

a software module resident on said payload computer and containing payload-specific data parameters inclusive of weight and power consumption;

a software application resident on said payload computer and including a generic command set as required to control a variety of different payloads, said generic software application incorporating the data parameters of the software module into said generic command set for issuing payload-specific commands to said payload; and

a control station inclusive of a computer, display, and communication link for providing a remote human computer interface with said payload via the payload computer.

2. The system for remote control of any of a variety of different payloads in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control station computer is configured as a network client, said payload computer is configured as a network server for networked communication with said control station computer, and said software module is stored in said payload computer according to a uniform resource locator (URL) addressing scheme.

3. A system for remotely controlling a payload in a vehicle, comprising:

a payload computer resident in the vehicle and connected to a payload therein for control, said payload computer including,

a discrete software module loaded in said payload computer and containing data parameters specific to said payload, and

a generic software application loaded in said payload computer and containing a generic instructions for controlling a variety of different payloads;

whereby said generic software application assimilates the data parameters of the discrete software module into its generic instructions to thereby issue payload-specific commands to the payload.

4. The system for remotely controlling a payload in a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a control station inclusive of a computer, display, and wireless communication link for providing a remote human computer interface with said payload via the payload computer.

5. The system for remotely controlling a payload in a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said control station computer is configured as a network client and said payload computer is configured as a network server for networked communication with said control station computer.

6. The system for remotely controlling a payload in a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said discrete software module is stored in said payload computer according to a uniform resource locator (URL) addressing scheme.

7. The system for remotely controlling a payload in a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said discrete software module is configured as a web-based plug-in.

8. A system for remotely controlling payloads in a vehicle of a type having a payload computer resident therein for connection to a variety of payloads for control, comprising:

a generic software application containing generic instructions for controlling said variety of different payloads; and

a discrete software module loaded in said payload computer and containing data parameters specific to one of said payloads;

whereby said generic software application assimilates the data parameters of the discrete software module into its generic instructions to thereby issue payload-specific commands to the payloads.

9. The system for remotely controlling payloads in a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said generic software is loaded in said payload computer.

10. The system for remotely controlling payloads in a vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising a remote computer interface in wireless communication with said payload computer for providing a human interface to said payload.

11. The system for remotely controlling payloads in a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein said generic software is loaded in said remote computer interface, whereby the generic software in both of said remote computer interface and payload computer may access the payload interface software module in said payload computer, thereby allowing the remote computer interface to remotely control the payloads.

12. The system for remotely controlling payloads in a vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising a plurality of discrete web-based plug-in software modules loaded in said payload computer and each containing data parameters specific to one of said payloads.

13. The system for remotely controlling payloads in a vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said plurality of discrete web-based plug-in software modules are stored in said payload computer according to a uniform resource locator (URL) addressing scheme.