Autonomous unmanned aerial system having continuous path regulator (cpr) and associated methods

A method of operating an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that comprises a flight control unit (FCU) vehicle sensors operative with the FCU to provide real time position, orientation and velocity of the UAV during flight, a UAV flight controller connected to the FCU, and flight actuators operative with the FCU and configured to receive a control signal from the UAV flight controller and control UAV flight along a preplanned flight trajectory, the method comprising:

• storing within the FCU a preplanned flight trajectory comprising a trajectory start time and position and a trajectory end time and position within a geographical area of operation (AO) that the UAV operates that is conflict free from flight trajectories of other UAVs operating within the geographical AO, the flight trajectory including a plurality of preplanned trajectory waypoints defining flight segments, each flight segment comprising a parabolic function for each of X, Y and Z positions projected separately as a function of time, said FCU configured to,
• initiating the UAV flight according to the stored, preplanned flight trajectory starting at its preplanned trajectory start time and position,
• receiving data during flight from the vehicle sensors and process real time position, orientation and velocity during flight, and for the beginning of each flight segment,
• computing a new position and velocity for each corresponding flight segment,
• updating the parabolic function for each of the X, Y and Z positions projected separately as time for each respective flight segment to correct for any errors in the flight of the respective UAV that deviates from its preplanned flight trajectory,
• operating the flight controller to control the flight actuators and correct for any deviation in the flight within that flight segment and bring the UAV back on time, on position and on velocity by the end of that flight segment corresponding to the next successive waypoint as established by the preplanned flight trajectory, and
• repeating for each respective flight segment to maintain flight of the UAV along the preplanned flight trajectory.

A system of operating an autonomous unmanned aerial system, comprising:

• a plurality of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), each UAV comprising a flight control unit (FCU) and vehicle sensors operative with the FCU to provide real time position, orientation and velocity of the UAV during flight, and a UAV flight controller and flight actuators operative with the FCU that control UAV flight along a preplanned flight trajectory;
• an Air Traffic Controller (ATC) having an autorouter configured to generate a preplanned flight trajectory for each of the plurality of UAVs operating within a defined geographical area of operation (AO), each preplanned UAV flight trajectory having a trajectory start time and position and a trajectory end time and position within the geographical AO, each preplanned UAV trajectory being deconflicted from the other preplanned UAV flight trajectories in position, velocity and time such that the preplanned flight trajectory for each UAV is conflict free from the other flight trajectories of other UAVs operating within the geographical AO;
• each UAV flight trajectory comprising a plurality of preplanned trajectory waypoints defining flight segments, each flight segment comprising a parabolic function for each of X, Y and Z positions projected separately as a function of time;
• wherein each UAV FCU is configured to
• receive and store its preplanned flight trajectory before the UAV initiates its flight,
• initiate the flight of its respective UAV according to its stored, preplanned flight trajectory starting at its preplanned trajectory start time and position,
• receive data during flight from respective vehicle sensors and process real time position, orientation and velocity during flight and for the beginning of each flight segment,
• compute a new position and velocity for each corresponding flight segment,
• update the parabolic function for each of the X, Y and Z positions projected separately as time for each respective flight segment to correct for any errors in the flight of the respective UAV that deviates from the preplanned flight trajectory,
• operate the flight controller to control the flight actuators and correct for any deviation in the flight of the respective UAV within that flight segment and bring the respective UAV back on time, on position and on velocity by the end of that flight segment corresponding to the next successive waypoint as established by the preplanned flight trajectory, and
• repeat for each respective flight segment to maintain flight of the UAV along the preplanned flight trajectory and in a deconflicted manner with other UAV's operating within the geographical AO.

A method of operating an autonomous unmanned aerial system having a plurality of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), each UAV comprising a flight control unit (FCU) and vehicle sensors operative with the FCU to provide real time position, orientation and velocity of the UAV during flight, and a UAV flight controller and flight actuators operative with the FCU that control UAV flight along a preplanned flight trajectory, the method comprising:

• generating within an autorouter at an Air Traffic Controller (ATC) a preplanned flight trajectory for each of the plurality of UAVs operating within a defined geographical area of operation (AO), each preplanned UAV flight trajectory having a trajectory start time and position and a trajectory end time and position within the geographical AO, each preplanned UAV trajectory being deconflicted from the other preplanned UAV flight trajectories in position, velocity and time such that the preplanned flight trajectory for each UAV is conflict free from the other flight trajectories of other UAVs operating within the geographical AO;
• each UAV flight trajectory comprising a plurality of preplanned trajectory waypoints defining flight segments, each flight segment comprising a parabolic function for each of X, Y and Z positions projected separately as a function of time;
• receiving and storing within each UAV FCU its preplanned flight trajectory;
• initiating the flight of each respective UAV according to its stored, preplanned flight trajectory starting at its preplanned trajectory start time and position;
• during flight, receiving data within each FCU from respective vehicle sensors and processing real time position, orientation and velocity of respective UAVs during flight and for the beginning of each flight segment;
• computing a new position and velocity for each corresponding flight segment;
• updating the parabolic function for each of the X, Y and Z positions projected separately as time for each respective flight segment to correct for any errors in the flight of the respective UAV;
• operating the flight controller to control the flight actuators at the respective UAV and correct for any deviation in the flight of the respective UAV within that flight segment and bring the respective UAV back on time, on position and on velocity by the end of that flight segment corresponding to the next successive waypoint as established by the preplanned flight trajectory;
• and
• repeating for each respective flight segment to maintain flight of the UAV along the preplanned flight trajectory and in a deconflicted manner with other UAV's operating within the geographical AO.