US 2020/0027358 A1Published application

Flight control systems for aerial vehicles and related methods

AssigneeAurora Flight Sciences Corporation

InventorJason Solomon Fine

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Methods and systems may allow for automatic initiation of a contingency maneuver, to prevent mid-air collisions between an aerial vehicle and another aircraft or other obstacle, without requiring input from an operator. Generally, a processing unit on board the aerial vehicle detects potential conflicts via a navigation system on board the aerial vehicle. Said navigation system may receive, for example, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) signals and global positioning system (GPS) data. Disclosed systems automatically initiate one or more contingency maneuvers to change the flight (e.g., speed, position, direction, and/or altitude) of the aerial vehicle to avoid close calls or colliding with a potential conflict in the surrounding airspace. Such contingency maneuvers provide an automatic flight modification that may occur independently from any operator input. Such systems may also be implemented to prevent an aerial vehicle from entering a restricted airspace and/or from operating too close to another aircraft.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method of causing an aerial vehicle to perform a contingency maneuver, wherein the aerial vehicle comprises a navigation system configured to receive air traffic signals, the method comprising:

identifying a first situational data set of the aerial vehicle by receiving sensor data via a sensor on board the aerial vehicle while the aerial vehicle is in-flight, wherein the identifying the first situational data set is performed by at least one processing unit on board the aerial vehicle, and wherein the sensor is configured to communicate the sensor data to the at least one processing unit;
comparing the first situational data set to a second situational data set via the at least one processing unit;
detecting a deviating condition as a result of the comparing the first situational data set to the second situational data set, wherein the detecting the deviating condition is performed by the at least one processing unit, and wherein criteria for the deviating condition are stored on non-transitory computer readable memory of the aerial vehicle;
and
triggering activation of the contingency maneuver in response to the deviating condition, wherein the triggering activation is performed by the at least one processing unit without external input, and wherein the contingency maneuver mitigates the deviating condition.

2 more elements

A system, comprising:

an aerial vehicle;
a navigation system comprising a sensor on-board the aerial vehicle, wherein the sensor is configured to receive sensor data while the aerial vehicle is in flight, and wherein the navigation system is configured to receive air traffic signals;
at least one processing unit positioned on-board the aerial vehicle, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to receive the sensor data from the sensor on-board the aerial vehicle, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to identify a first situational data set of the aerial vehicle by receiving the sensor data via the sensor while the aerial vehicle is in-flight;
and
a memory storing non-transitory computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the at least one processing unit to compare the first situational data set to a second situational data set and cause activation of a contingency maneuver when the at least one processing unit detects a deviating condition as a result of comparing the first situational data set to the second situational data set, wherein criteria for the deviating condition are stored on the memory, wherein the contingency maneuver mitigates the deviating condition without external input, and wherein the instructions cause the at least one processing unit to automatically trigger the contingency maneuver in response to detecting the deviating condition.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.