# US 10,768,624 B2 · Unmanned aircraft turn and approach system

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- Number: US 10,768,624 B2
- Document ID: US10768624B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/051,481
- Filed: 2018-07-31
- Published: 2018-12-13
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-18
- Assignees: AeroVironment, Inc.
- Applicants: AeroVironment, Inc.
- Inventors: William J. Nicoloff; Eric M. Sornborger; Lars B. Cremean
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768624B2

## CPC

- G05D 1/0094: {involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target}
- B64C 9/00: Adjustable control surfaces or members, e.g. rudders (trimming stabilising surfaces B64C5/10)
- B64C 39/024: {of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV}
- B64D 47/08: Arrangements of cameras
- B64U 70/50: Launching from storage containers, e.g. from submarine missile tubes
- F41G 7/2253: {Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target}
- F41G 7/2293: {using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves}
- F41G 7/30: Command link guidance systems {(homing F41G7/2206)}
- G05D 1/689: Pointing payloads towards fixed or moving targets (positioning towed, pushed or suspended implements G05D1/672)
- B64U 10/25: Fixed-wing aircraft (VTOL aircraft B64U10/20)
- B64U 30/40: Empennages, e.g. V-tails (foldable or collapsible UAVs B64U20/50)
- B64U 2101/15: for conventional or electronic warfare
- B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography
- B64U 2201/00: UAVs characterised by their flight controls
- B64U 2201/20: Remote controls
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
- F41G: WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING (optical aspects thereof G02B)

## Abstract

An aircraft including a wing system, a plurality of control surfaces, a camera mounted on a camera pod, and a control system. The camera pod is configured to vary the orientation of the camera field of view only in yaw, relative to the aircraft, between a directly forward-looking orientation and a side-looking orientation. The control system controls the control surfaces such that they induce a significant aircraft yaw causing an identified target to be within the field of view of the camera with the camera in the directly forward-looking orientation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An unmanned aircraft system including an aircraft, comprising:
a wing system configured to carry the majority of the aircraft weight when in flight;
a plurality of control surfaces configured to control aircraft pitch, aircraft roll and aircraft yaw in flight;
a camera characterized by a field of view, the camera being mounted on a camera pod, wherein the camera pod is only provided with actuators that vary the orientation of the camera field of view in yaw, relative to the aircraft, between a forward-looking orientation defining a forward-looking field of view and a side-looking orientation defining a side-looking field of view; and
a control system programmed to control the control surfaces, and further programmed to control the camera pod actuators to change the camera orientation in yaw, relative to the aircraft;
wherein the control system is programmed with a commit function for use when the camera is observing an identified target that is not in the forward-looking field of view; and
wherein, with the identified target in a camera field of view that is not the forward-looking field of view, the commit function controls the control surfaces and the camera orientation such that the aircraft changes its orientation to bring the identified target into the forward-looking field of view, and the camera continuously maintains the identified target within its field of view.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The unmanned aircraft system of claim 1, wherein the control system is programmed to control the control surfaces to bring the aircraft to the target, and to control the camera orientation such that the camera continuously maintains the identified target within its field of view.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The unmanned aircraft system of claim 2, and further comprising an integrated explosive that detonates upon the aircraft reaching the identified target, and that damages the aircraft and the identified target upon detonation.

### Claim 4

An unmanned aircraft system including an aircraft, comprising:
a wing system configured to carry the majority of the aircraft weight when in flight;
a plurality of control surfaces configured to control aircraft pitch, aircraft roll and aircraft yaw in flight;
a camera characterized by a field of view, the camera being mounted on a camera pod, wherein the camera pod is only provided with actuators that vary the orientation of the camera field of view in a single degree of freedom, relative to the aircraft, between a forward-looking orientation defining a forward-looking field of view and a side-looking orientation defining a side-looking field of view; and
a control system programmed to control the control surfaces, and further programmed to control the camera pod actuators to change the camera orientation in the single degree of freedom relative to the aircraft;
wherein the control system is programmed with a commit function that controls the aircraft flight and the camera single degree of freedom to guide the aircraft toward the target when an identified target is not in the forward-looking field of view and the camera is observing the identified target;
wherein the commit function controls the control surfaces such that they induce aircraft yaw that causes the identified target to be within the forward-looking field of view; and
wherein the commit function controls the camera orientation in the single degree of freedom such that the camera continuously maintains the identified target within its field of view.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The unmanned aircraft system of claim 4, wherein the commit function further controls the control surfaces such that they induce an aircraft roll that causes the identified target to be within the field of view of the camera with the camera not being in the forward-looking orientation and with the aircraft not flying directly toward the identified target.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The unmanned aircraft system of claim 5, wherein the camera is characterized by a field of view that is larger in a vertical dimension than in a lateral dimension.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The unmanned aircraft system of claim 4, wherein the camera pod actuators can vary the orientation of the camera field of view, relative to the aircraft, between an orientation 45 degrees aft of a side-looking orientation and a forward-looking orientation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The unmanned aircraft system of claim 4, wherein the commit function further controls the control surfaces such that they induce an aircraft roll that causes the identified target to be within the field of view of the camera with the camera not being in the forward-looking orientation and with the aircraft not flying directly toward the identified target.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The unmanned aircraft system of claim 4, wherein the camera pod actuators can vary the orientation of the camera field of view, relative to the aircraft, between an orientation 45 degrees aft of a side-looking orientation and a forward-looking orientation.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The unmanned aircraft system of claim 4, wherein the single degree of freedom is a rotation in yaw.

### Claim 11 (depends on 4)

The unmanned aircraft system of claim 4, wherein the control system is programmed to control the control surfaces to bring the aircraft to the target, and to control the camera orientation such that the camera continuously maintains the identified target within its field of view.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The unmanned aircraft system of claim 11, and further comprising an integrated explosive that detonates upon the aircraft reaching the identified target, and that damages the aircraft and the identified target upon detonation.