System and method for autonomous light aircraft operation
AssigneeBirket IP Holdings, Inc.
InventorDavid Wayne RUSSELL
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles also known as UAVs or Drones, either autonomous or remotely piloted, are classified as drones by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as weighing under 212 pounds. The system described herein details Autonomous Flight Vehicles (AFV) which weigh over 212 pounds but less than 1,320 pounds which may require either a new classification or a classification such as Sport Light Aircraft, but without the requirement of a pilot due to the safe autonomous flight system such as the Safe Temporal Vector Integration Engine or STeVIE. Safe Autonomous Light Aircraft (SALA) are useful as drone carriers, large scale air package or cargo transport, and even human transport depending on the total lift capability of the platform.
Claims20
A method of operating an autonomous aircraft system, the autonomous aircraft system comprising an air traffic controller (ATC) that generates a flight plan for an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) having an autonomous control system that controls autonomous flight of the AAV, the autonomous aircraft system further comprising a traffic light control system in communication with the ATC to control at least one traffic signal installed at a roadway at which the AAV is scheduled to land and to operate the at least one traffic signal to halt the surface vehicle traffic at the roadway when the AAV is scheduled to land on the roadway, and an airfield control system in communication with the ATC, said ATC operative to receive a landing clearance from the airfield control system and transmit the landing clearance to the AAV when the AAV is scheduled to land at the airfield, the method comprising:
- receiving within the autonomous control system of the AAV a flight plan generated from the ATC that includes a flight path having a scheduled landing on at least one of the roadway having the at least one traffic signal controlled by the traffic light control system and the airfield controlled by the airfield control center;
- and
- flying the AAV to at least one of the roadway and airfield, and when the AAV is scheduled to land on the roadway having the at least one traffic signal installed thereat, the ATC transmits to the traffic light control system the schedule when the AAV is scheduled to land on the roadway, and in response, the traffic light control system controls the at least one traffic signal to halt the surface vehicle traffic on the roadway when the AAV is scheduled to land on the roadway, and when the AAV is scheduled to land on the airfield controlled by the airfield controller, the airfield controller transmits a landing clearance to the ATC, the ATC transmitting the landing clearance to the AAV when the AAV is scheduled to land at the airfield.
An autonomous aircraft system, comprising:
- an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) having an autonomous control system that controls autonomous flight of the AAV;
- an air traffic controller (ATC) that generates a flight plan for the AAV that includes a scheduled landing on at least one of a roadway and an airfield;
- a traffic light control system in communication with the ATC and operative to control at least one traffic signal installed at the roadway at which the AAV is scheduled to land and to operate the at least one traffic signal to halt the surface vehicle traffic at the roadway when the AAV is scheduled to land on the roadway;
- an airfield control system in communication with the ATC, said ATC operative to receive a landing clearance from the airfield control system and transmit the landing clearance to the AAV when the AAV is scheduled to land at the airfield,
- wherein the ATC is configured to transmit to the autonomous control system of the AAV a flight plan generated from the ATC that includes a flight path having a scheduled landing on at least one of the roadway having the at least one traffic signal controlled by the traffic light control system and the airfield controlled by the airfield control center;
- and
- when the AAV is scheduled to land on the roadway having the at least one traffic signal installed thereat, the ATC is operative to transmit the schedule to land to the traffic light control system, wherein said traffic light control system is operative to control the at least one traffic signal to halt the surface vehicle traffic on the roadway when the AAV is scheduled to land on the roadway, and when the AAV is scheduled to land on the airfield controlled by the airfield controller, the airfield controller is operative to transmit a landing clearance to the ATC, said ATC transmitting the landing clearance to the AAV when the AAV is scheduled to land at the airfield.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.