Autopilot control system for unmanned vehicles
AssigneeGE Aviation Systems LLC
InventorsStefano Angelo Mario Lassini, Ryan Daniel Gorby, John Andrew Ingersol
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A control system an unmanned vehicle includes a first processing unit configured to execute a primary autopilot process for controlling the unmanned vehicle. The control system further includes a programmable logic array in operative communication with the first processing unit. The control system also includes a state machine configured in the programmable logic array. The state machine is configured to enable control of the unmanned vehicle according to a backup autopilot process in response to an invalid output of the first processing unit.
Claims13
A method for controlling an unmanned vehicle (UAV), comprising:
- monitoring, by a state machine configured in a programmable logic array, a first output associated with a primary autopilot process executing in a first processing system;
- responsive to receiving the first output, providing, by the state machine, a second output to control the unmanned vehicle according to the primary autopilot process;
- monitoring, by the state machine, a third output associated with a control device configured to control the unmanned vehicle via user-manipulation of one or more inputs of a remote device;
- responsive to receiving the third output, determining, by the state machine, whether the third output indicates a user-selection to control the unmanned vehicle according to the primary autopilot process;
- detecting, by the state machine, a signal loss associated with the first output;
- and
- responsive to detecting the signal loss, providing, by the state machine, the second output to control the unmanned vehicle according to a backup autopilot process executing in a second processing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.