Adaptive detect and avoid system with integrity monitoring

A method for avoidance, the method comprising:

• collecting, via a first sensor, environmental data, wherein the environmental data includes data associated with one or more conditions in or around a vehicle;
• collecting, via a second sensor, external data corresponding to an external object detected within a detection range;
• calculating, via a processor coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor of an apparatus, in real-time, a minimum distance to avoid the external object, based at least in part on the environmental data, the external data, and a volume of space,
• wherein the volume of space is determined, where a collision between the vehicle and the external object is calculated to occur, in a direction of the vehicle;
• monitoring, in real-time, the environmental data and the external data;
• comparing a designed sensor performance of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor to the calculated minimum distance,
• wherein the designed sensor performance is information associated with performance of the one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor, based on speed of the vehicle, and
• wherein the designed sensor performance is stored in a memory of the apparatus;
• determining that one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor cannot meet a safety condition, based on the speed of the vehicle, to provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic in response to the comparison of the designed sensor performance of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor to the calculated minimum distance;
• controlling the apparatus to reestablish meeting of the safety condition to provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic based on the determination that one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor cannot provide sufficient alerting to maintain the separation against all traffic;
• and
• avoiding the external object based on the calculated minimum distance and the monitored environmental data and external data, wherein the environmental data from the first sensor includes at least one of:
• communication latency,
• latency of the processor,
• decision time of the apparatus, or
• response time of the apparatus that corresponds to a time period between an input to commence a maneuver and when the vehicle commences the maneuver.

A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed, for avoidance, to:

• control a first sensor to collect environmental data, wherein the environmental data includes data associated with one or more conditions in or around a vehicle;
• control a second sensor to collect external data corresponding to an external object detected within a detection range;
• calculate, via a processor coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor of an apparatus, in real-time, a minimum distance to avoid the external object, based at least in part on the environmental data, the external data, and a volume of space,
• wherein the volume of space is determined, where a collision between the vehicle and the external object is calculated to occur, in a-direction of the vehicle;
• monitor, in real-time, the environmental data and the external data;
• compare a designed sensor performance of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor to the calculated minimum distance,
• wherein the designed sensor performance is information associated with performance of the one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor, based on speed of the vehicle, and
• wherein the designed sensor performance is stored in a memory of the apparatus;
• determine that one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor cannot meet a safety condition, based on the speed of the vehicle, to provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic in response to the comparison of the designed sensor performance of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor to the calculated minimum distance;
• control the apparatus to reestablish meeting of the safety condition to provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic based on the determination that one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor cannot provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic;
• and
• control to avoid the external object based on the calculated minimum distance and the monitored environmental data and external data, wherein the environmental data from the first sensor includes at least one of:
• communication latency, latency of the processor, decision time of the apparatus, or response time of the apparatus that corresponds to a time period between an input to commence a maneuver and when the vehicle commences the maneuver.