Flight technical control management for an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 8,515,609 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2009
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McAndrew, Katherine, Watson, Linda, Feist, Jon, Moorman, A. Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US12/497,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/3, 701 4- 16, 701/451, 701/454, 701/461, 701/462, 701/463, 701/466, 701/468, 701/470, 244/76.R, 244174-190, 244/30, 342/357.2, 342/357.23, 434/29, 434/30, 434/31, 434/34, 434/38
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• 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: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/006 in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

Two architectures for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and a method for executing a mission plan are provided. One architecture for a UAV includes a flight command and mission execution (FCME) component making strategic decisions, a flight technical control manager (FTCM) making tactical decisions and a vehicle management system (VMS) providing navigational support. The FCME and FTCM execute on one processor and the VMS executes on a separate processor. The second architecture includes redundant processors for executing the FCME and FTCM as well as redundant processors for executing the VMS. The UAV executes a mission plan, which may include flight plan(s), communication plan(s), weapons plan(s), sensor plan(s), and/or contingent flight plan(s). The UAV may control various optical sensors, training sensors, and lights as well.

Claims

1. An aerial vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle management system configured to navigate the aerial vehicle; and

a flight technical control manager configured to;

receive a mission plan comprising a flight plan, wherein the flight plan comprises one or more waypoints for a particular mission,

validate the mission plan by at least determining the mission plan includes the flight plan, wherein the flight technical control manager is configured to validate the mission plan by at least one of;

determining the flight plan includes an expected number of waypoints,

determining the mission plan includes a sensor plan that indicates how sensors aboard the aerial vehicle should be used during the particular mission or a weapons plan that indicates how weapons aboard the aerial vehicle should be deployed during the particular mission,

verifying the sensor plan of the mission plan only utilizes sensors aboard the aerial vehicle,

verifying the weapons plan only utilizes weapons aboard the aerial vehicle, or

determining the mission plan was correctly transmitted to the flight technical control manager using cyclic redundancy codes, encryption/decryption algorithms, or both;

after validating the mission plan, execute the mission plan by at least providing the mission plan to the vehicle management system, wherein the vehicle management system is configured to direct the aerial vehicle to travel along the flight plan,

determine that a current location of the aerial vehicle is outside the flight plan, and

in response to determining the current location of the aerial vehicle is outside the flight plan, control the vehicle management system to execute a contingent flight plan.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a radio, wherein the flight technical control manager is configured to communicate with a ground control via the radio.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 2, wherein the flight technical control manager is further configured to:

determine an integrated-platform mode of operation of the aerial vehicle;

receive one or more commands from the ground control; and

determine the one or more commands are appropriate for the integrated-platform mode prior to controlling the aerial vehicle based on the one or more commands.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 3, wherein the flight control manager is configured to select the integrated-platform mode from a group including an integrated-platform-safe mode, an integrated-platform-maintenance mode, an integrated-platform-training mode, and an integrated-platform-combat mode.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 2, wherein the flight technical control manager is configured to hand-off control of the aerial vehicle to the ground control, the control of the vehicle management system to execute the contingent flight plan being implemented by the ground control via the radio.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 2, wherein the flight technical control manager is configured to receive at least part of the mission plan from the ground control via the radio.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 2, wherein the flight technical control manager is configured to execute the mission plan by at least providing to the ground control, via the radio, a health report for the aerial vehicle while executing the mission plan.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a sensor, and wherein the flight technical control manager is configured to receive data from the sensor, and control the sensor.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the flight technical control manager comprises a processing unit, and the aerial vehicle further comprises data storage, and machine-language instructions, stored in the data storage and executable by the processing unit to receive the mission plan, validate the mission plate, execute the mission plan, determine that the current location of the aerial vehicle is outside the flight plan, and, in response to determining the current location of the aerial vehicle is outside the flight plan, execute a contingent fight plan.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the flight technical control manager comprises a first processing unit, and wherein the first processing unit comprises a first processor and a second processor, wherein at least one of the first processor or the second processor is configured to receive the mission plan, validate the mission plate, execute the mission plan, determine that the current location of the aerial vehicle is outside the flight plan, and, in response to determining the current location of the aerial vehicle is outside the flight plan, execute a contingent fight plan.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 10, further comprising at least one navigational sensor, and a second processing unit comprising a third processor and a fourth processor, wherein at least one of the third processor or the fourth processor is configured to receive navigational data from the at least one navigational sensor, determine a current location of the aerial vehicle based on the navigational data, and communicate the current location of the aerial vehicle to at least one of the first or second processors of the first processing unit.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a fuel sensor, and wherein the second processing unit is configured to receive fuel data from the fuel sensor, determine a fuel level based on the fuel data, and communicate the fuel level to at least one of the first or second processors of the first processing unit, and wherein the first processing unit is configured to communicate the flight path to at least one of the third or fourth processors of the second processing unit.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the mission plan further includes at least one of:

the contingent flight plan that comprises one or more waypoints, one or more maneuver constraints for flight of the aerial vehicle, or both,

a communication plan that includes at least one of information to be communicated, times and devices for communication, communication identification information, communication frequencies, or security information for communication,

the sensor plan that indicates how a sensor aboard the aerial vehicle should be controlled during execution of the mission plan, or

the weapons plan that indicates how sensors, communication equipment, or weapons aboard the aerial vehicle should be deployed during execution of the mission plan.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the contingent flight plan includes a plan to at least one of land the aerial vehicle, hover the aerial vehicle, continue the flight plan, or fly the aerial vehicle to a rally point.

15. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the flight technical control manager is configured to determine that the current location of the aerial vehicle is outside the flight plan by at least determining the current location of the aerial vehicle is within a threshold distance of a boundary indicated by the flight plan or is past the boundary.

16. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a fuel sensor, wherein the flight technical control manager is further configured to control the vehicle management system to execute the contingent flight plan based on information from the fuel sensor.

17. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the flight plan comprises one or more maneuver constraints, wherein each of the one or more maneuver constrains specifies at least one of a boundary for the aerial vehicle during the mission plan, a minimum speed, a maximum speed limits, or a sub-flight plan.

18. A method for executing a mission plan, the method comprising:

receiving the mission plan at an aerial vehicle, wherein the mission plan comprises a flight plan, wherein the flight plan comprises one or more waypoints for a particular mission;

determining, with a flight technical control manager, that the mission plan is valid, wherein determining the mission plan is valid comprises determining the mission plan includes the flight plan, and at least one of;

determining the flight plan includes an expected number of waypoints,

determining the mission plan includes a sensor plan that indicates how sensors aboard the aerial vehicle should be used during the particular mission or a weapons plan that indicates how weapons aboard the aerial vehicle should be deployed during the particular mission,

verifying the sensor plan of the mission plan only utilizes sensors aboard the aerial vehicle,

verifying the weapons plan only utilizes weapons aboard the aerial vehicle, or

determining the mission plan was correctly transmitted to the flight technical control manager using cyclic redundancy codes, encryption/decryption algorithms, or both;

after determining the mission plan is valid, executing the mission plan by at least providing the mission plan to a vehicle management system of the aerial vehicle, the vehicle management system being configured to navigate the aerial vehicle, wherein the vehicle management system is configured to direct the aerial vehicle to travel along the flight plan;

with the flight technical control manager, determining that a current location of the aerial vehicle is outside the flight plan; and

in response to determining the current location of the aerial vehicle is outside the flight plan, controlling, with the flight technical control manager, the aerial vehicle to execute a contingent flight plan.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining that the mission plan is not valid; and

responsively requesting retransmission of at least part of the mission plan.