Autonomous takeoff and landing with open loop mode and closed loop mode
AssigneeKitty Hawk Corporation
InventorsMark Johnson Cutler, Alexander David Selwa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Autonomous flight is performed in an open loop mode over a first range of altitudes, wherein a plurality altitude-related data from a plurality of altitude-related sensors is ignored while performing the autonomous flight in the open loop mode. The autonomous flight is performed in a closed loop mode over a second range of altitudes, wherein: the plurality of altitude-related data from the plurality of altitude-related sensors is used while performing the autonomous flight in the closed loop mode, and the first range of altitudes is a non-overlapping, lower range of altitudes compared to the second range of altitudes.
Claims23
A system, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:
- determine a confidence value associated with a measured altitude from a plurality of altitude-related sensors;
- in response to the confidence value being below a confidence threshold, perform autonomous flight in an open loop mode over a first range of altitudes, wherein the measured altitude is not used for determining instructions for performing autonomous flight;
- and
- in response to the confidence value exceeding the confidence threshold, perform the autonomous flight in a closed loop mode over a second range of altitudes, wherein:
- the measured altitude from the plurality of altitude-related sensors is used, and the first range of altitudes is a non-overlapping, lower range of altitudes compared to the second range of altitudes.
A method, comprising:
- using a processor to determine a confidence value associated with a measured altitude from a plurality of altitude-related sensors;
- using the processor to, in response to the confidence value being below a confidence threshold, perform autonomous flight in an open loop mode over a first range of altitudes, wherein the measured altitude is not used for determining instructions for performing autonomous flight;
- and
- using the processor to, in response to the confidence value exceeding the confidence threshold, perform the autonomous flight in a closed loop mode over a second range of altitudes, wherein:
- the measured altitude from the plurality of altitude-related sensors is used, and the first range of altitudes is a non-overlapping, lower range of altitudes compared to the second range of altitudes.
A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
- determining a confidence value associated with a measured altitude from a plurality of altitude-related sensors;
- in response to the confidence value being below a confidence threshold, performing autonomous flight in an open loop mode over a first range of altitudes, wherein the measured altitude is not used for determining instructions for performing autonomous flight;
- and
- in response to the confidence value exceeding the confidence threshold, performing the autonomous flight in a closed loop mode over a second range of altitudes, wherein:
- the measured altitude from the plurality of altitude-related sensors is used, and the first range of altitudes is a non-overlapping, lower range of altitudes compared to the second range of altitudes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.