Evaluating aileron deflection while an unmanned aerial vehicle is in flight
AssigneeAAI Corporation
InventorJames M. Barbour
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A technique is directed to operating a UAV. The technique involves launching (or guiding) the UAV into flight. The technique further involves performing a series of aileron (or other control surface) deflection evaluations while the UAV is in flight. The technique further involves performing a UAV remedial operation in response to the series of aileron deflection evaluations indicating abnormal aileron behavior, e.g., the UAV can send a warning message to a ground control station (GCS), land the UAV at a target location, deploy a chute, and so on. Such operation enables detection of an unexpected change in the UAV's center of gravity, e.g., due to a blocked fuel bladder connection, icing on one side of the UAV, mechanical failure of an aileron, etc.
Claims24
A method of operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:
- launching, by processing circuitry, the UAV into flight;
- performing, by the processing circuitry, a series of control surface deflection evaluations while the UAV is in flight;
- and
- performing, by the processing circuitry, a UAV remedial operation in response to the series of control surface deflection evaluations indicating abnormal control surface deflection behavior;
- wherein performing the series of control surface deflection evaluations includes:
- while a set of ailerons of the UAV operate normally to compensate for a shift in the center of gravity of the UAV, identifying an UAV weight imbalance situation based on deflection by the set of ailerons;
- and
- wherein identifying the UAV weight imbalance situation includes:
- while the set of ailerons of the UAV operate normally to compensate for the shift in the center of gravity of the UAV, detecting (i) gradually increasing deflection of a first aileron in a first deflection direction over time and (ii) gradually increasing deflection of a second aileron in a second deflection direction over time, the first deflection direction being opposite the second deflection direction, to identify occurrence of a weight imbalance condition.
An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
- an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) frame;
- a set of ailerons supported by the UAV frame;
- and
- a controller supported by the UAV frame and in operable communication with the ailerons, the controller being constructed and arranged to:
- while the UAV is in flight, perform a series of aileron deflection evaluations, and
- perform a UAV remedial operation in response to the series of aileron deflection evaluations indicating abnormal aileron behavior;
- wherein the controller, when performing the series of aileron deflection evaluations includes:
- while the set of ailerons of the UAV operate normally to compensate for a shift in the center of gravity of the UAV, identifying an UAV weight imbalance situation based on deflection by the set of ailerons;
- and
- wherein identifying the UAV weight imbalance situation includes:
- while the set of ailerons of the UAV operate normally to compensate for the shift in the center of gravity of the UAV, detecting (i) gradually increasing deflection of a first aileron in a first deflection direction over time and (ii) gradually increasing deflection of a second aileron in a second deflection direction over time, the first deflection direction being opposite the second deflection direction, to identify occurrence of a weight imbalance condition.
A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of:
- launching the UAV into flight;
- while the UAV is in flight, performing a series of aileron deflection evaluations;
- and
- performing a UAV remedial operation in response to the series of aileron deflection evaluations indicating abnormal aileron behavior;
- wherein performing the series of aileron deflection evaluations includes:
- while a set of ailerons of the UAV operate normally to compensate for a shift in the center of gravity of the UAV, identifying an UAV weight imbalance situation based on deflection by the set of ailerons;
- and
- wherein identifying the UAV weight imbalance situation includes:
- while the set of ailerons of the UAV operate normally to compensate for the shift in the center of gravity of the UAV, detecting (i) gradually increasing deflection of a first aileron in a first deflection direction over time and (ii) gradually increasing deflection of a second aileron in a second deflection direction over time, the first deflection direction being opposite the second deflection direction, to identify occurrence of a weight imbalance condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.