US 6,819,982 B2 · Uninhabited airborne vehicle in-flight refueling system

Abstract

A method and system is provided for performing automated air refueling of uninhabited airborne vehicles (UAVs). The method and system includes any combination of a positioning system component, an air collision avoidance system (ACAS) component, a voice processing component, an image processing component, a flight controller, a wireless data link connecting the UAV with the tanker, and refueling components. The ACAS component receives position information of other aircraft, such as UAVs and tankers, over the wireless data link, and generates navigation instructions based on the received position information, and sends the generated navigation instructions to the flight controller. The refueling components include sensors that determine the status of the refueling components. Refueling of the UAV is based on the determined status.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An uninhabited airborne vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a position component for determining absolute position;
a memory component for storing flight plan information and one or more images of tanker aircraft;
an air collision avoidance system (ACAS) component;
a voice processing component for analyzing;
a wireless communication component for communicating between a tanker and other UAVs in a predefined vicinity;
an image processing component;
and
a flight control component.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Uninhabited airborne vehicle in-flight refueling system

Life of this patent

Uninhabited airborne vehicle in-flight refueling system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20