초록 ▼

A system and related method for monitoring the performance of one or more autonomous unmanned aircraft (UA) includes a flight assistant for periodically determining the viability of an aircraft flight command, flight, or mission by comparing expected flight segment configuration and performance agai

A system and related method for monitoring the performance of one or more autonomous unmanned aircraft (UA) includes a flight assistant for periodically determining the viability of an aircraft flight command, flight, or mission by comparing expected flight segment configuration and performance against at least actual performance. The flight assistant may trend actual performance as a function of differences in expected position and actual position and determine whether a flight command, flight, or mission may be performed or continued according to a hierarchy of user selectable detected anomalies or safety concerns. The flight assistant may report to an operator, controller, pilot, or monitor a rate of deviation, size of deviation, or change in the rate of deviation in accordance with a hierarchy based at least in part on flight segment, altitude, proximity to people or things.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An aircraft flight assistant for an autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS), comprising: (a) a system bus, said system bus for receiving at least one of a UAS position and a UAS altitude at a selected time interval;(b) at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the system bus and configured

1. An aircraft flight assistant for an autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS), comprising: (a) a system bus, said system bus for receiving at least one of a UAS position and a UAS altitude at a selected time interval;(b) at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the system bus and configured to sense one or more of a UAS attitude and UAS acoustics;(c) a control system, said control system communicatively coupled to said system bus and operatively coupled to at least one UAS component, the UAS component comprising one or more of a motor, a propeller, a power source, and a control surface, said control system including one or more processors configured to: (1) determine a current flight segment based on at least one of the UAS position, the UAS altitude, and the time interval;(2) determine at least one of an expected UAS position and an expected UAS configuration based on the current flight segment, the expected UAS configuration associated with at least one first performance setting of the UAS component;(3) determine at least one current UAS configuration based on at least one of the UAS attitude and the UAS acoustics, the current UAS configuration associated with at least one second performance setting of the UAS component;(4) compare at least one of A) the current UAS configuration to the expected UAS configuration and B) the UAS position to the expected UAS position;(5) determine at least one difference resulting from said comparing;(6) detect at least one unusual condition associated with the difference exceeding at least one threshold;(7) determine a viability of at least one current mission of the UAS based on the current UAS configuration;and(8) if the current mission is not viable, alter one or more operations of the UAS via the at least one UAS component. 2. A method for determining an aircraft configuration of an autonomous unmanned aircraft system (UAS) during a flight, comprising: (a) determining, via a control system of an autonomous UAS, at least one current aircraft configuration from at least one of aircraft position over time, aircraft altitude over time, and at least one sensor of the UAS;(b) determining, via the control system, at least one current aircraft flight segment based on at least one of time since departure, time to fix, time to arrival, said aircraft position, and said aircraft altitude;(c) determining, via the control system, at least one of an expected aircraft position and an expected aircraft configuration based at least in part on said current aircraft flight segment;(d) comparing, via the control system, at least one of 1) said aircraft position with said expected aircraft position, and 2) said current aircraft configuration with said expected aircraft configuration;(e) determining, via the control system, at least one difference resulting from said comparison;(f) receiving, via the control system, flight environment information including at least one of traffic data, weather data, wind, flight plan, terrain data, airport data, aircraft data, air traffic control, ground signal, space based signal, and arrival pattern;(g) detecting, via the control system, at least one unusual condition associated with one or more of said difference and said flight environment information exceeding at least one threshold;(h) determining, via the control system, a viability of at least one current mission associated with the UAS;and(i) if said current mission is not viable, altering one or more operations of the UAS via the control system. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said aircraft position further comprises an x and y coordinate set conforming to at least one of: (1) a North American Datum, a North American Vertical Datum, a World Geodetic System, and a European Terrestrial Reference System; (2) a radial DME from a known fix; and (3) a triangulation of bearings from a plurality of known fixes. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein said aircraft altitude further comprises at least one of an Above Ground Level (AGL) altitude and a Mean Sea Level (MSL) altitude. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein said traffic data further comprise at least one of TCAS, radar, ATC feed, ADS-B, and road traffic. 6. The method of claim 2, wherein said terrain data further comprise at least one of a DTED level 1 set, a DTED level 2 set, and satellite based imagery. 7. The method of claim 2, wherein said airport data further comprise at least one of a runway length, a runway width, a runway lighting, an indication of airport rescue and fire-fighting personnel, a proximal medical facility and a proximal maintenance facility. 8. The method of claim 2, wherein said weather data further comprise at least one of a surface wind, an altitude based wind model, a ceiling, a visibility, a barometric pressure, a braking action, and an illumination. 9. The method of claim 2, wherein said aircraft data further comprise at least one of a configuration, a possible change in configuration, a position of a control surface, a performance characteristic, a weight, a pilot flight control input, an autopilot status, an MEL status, a DTED level 1 set, a DTED level 2 set and satellite based imagery. 10. The aircraft flight assistant of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to determine a rate of change of the at least one difference. 11. The aircraft flight assistant of claim 10, wherein the control system is configured to announce the current UAS configuration based on at least one of the determined difference and the determined rate of change. 12. The aircraft flight assistant of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to: (1) receive, via the system bus, flight environment information including at least one of traffic data, weather data, wind data, flight plan data, terrain data, airport data, traffic control data, a ground-based signal, a space-based signal, and an arrival pattern;and(2) detect the at least one unusual condition based on one or more of said flight environment information and said determined difference. 13. The aircraft flight assistant of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to determine whether at least one of a UAS configuration error and an emergency exists based on the determined difference. 14. The aircraft flight assistant of claim 13, wherein the control system is configured to respond to the at least one of a UAS configuration error and an emergency by at least one of: executing a configuration change via the at least one UAS component;executing a course correction via the at least one UAS component;andexecuting a landing at an alternative landing site. 15. The aircraft flight assistant of claim 1, wherein the determined flight segment includes at least one of takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, approach, and landing. 16. The aircraft flight assistant of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to determine said viability by determining at least one energy state of the UAS. 17. The aircraft flight assistant of claim 12, wherein the control system is configured to determine at least one reachable range associated with one or more alternative landing sites based on one or more of the current UAS configuration, the UAS position, the flight environment information, and an emergency state of the UAS. 18. The aircraft flight assistant of claim 17, further comprising: at least one display unit communicatively coupled to the control system and proximate to a remote operator of the UAS, the display unit configured to: (1) display one or more of the UAS position, the alternative landing sites, and at least one shape corresponding to the reachable range; and(2) accept control input from the remote operator, the control input including a selection of the one or more alternative landing sites.