Unmanned aerial system targeting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486809-B2
Application number	US-201615293020-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2016
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

An unmanned aerial system (UAS) includes a body and a lift and propulsion system coupled to the body. The UAS includes a weapon coupled to the body. The weapon has an aiming axis oriented in a fixed direction relative to the body. The UAS includes a control system operatively coupled to the lift and propulsion system and the weapon. The control system is configured to determine a roll angle and a flight path such that the aiming axis is directed at a target when the UAS moves according to at least a portion of the flight path at the roll angle. The control system is further configured to control the lift and propulsion system such that the UAS moves according to the at least the portion of the flight path at the roll angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial system (UAS) comprising:
a body;
a lift and propulsion system coupled to the body;
a weapon coupled to the body and having an aiming axis oriented in a fixed direction relative to the body; and
a control system operatively coupled to the lift and propulsion system and the weapon, the control system configured to:
determine a roll angle and a flight path so the aiming axis is directed at a target when the UAS moves according to at least a portion of the flight path at the roll angle, wherein the aiming axis is side-facing; and
control the lift and propulsion system so the UAS moves according to the at least the portion of the flight path at the roll angle.

2. The UAS of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to:
receive one or more indicators of one or more flight parameter guidelines;
determine, based at least in part on the one or more flight parameter guidelines, parameters that the UAS is to maintain relative to the target while the UAS moves according to the at least the portion of the flight path; and
determine the at least the portion of the flight path at least in part based on the determined parameters.

3. The UAS of claim 2 , wherein the one or more flight parameter guidelines include a minimum altitude parameter guideline indicative of a minimum altitude relative to the target, a minimum range parameter guideline indicative of a minimum range to the target, a minimum orbit radius parameter guideline indicative of a minimum orbit radius centered at the target, a minimum velocity parameter guideline indicative of a minimum velocity for the UAS, or a combination thereof.

4. The UAS of claim 2 , wherein the control system is further configured to:
receive an indication of a location of the target; and
determine the at least the portion of the flight path based at least in part on the location of the target and the determined parameters.

5. The UAS of claim 1 , wherein the lift and propulsion system includes at least three rotors.

6. The UAS of claim 1 , wherein the weapon includes a firearm.

7. The UAS of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor coupled to the body and configured to obtain image data, wherein the control system is configured to:
determine a physical location of the target based on the image data; and
determine the at least the portion of the flight path based at least in part on the location of the target and determined parameters that the UAS is to maintain relative to the target while the UAS moves according to the at least the portion of the flight path.

8. The UAS of claim 7 , wherein the control system is configured to receive an indication of the target from a remote control station and to determine the physical location of the target based on the indication and the image data.

9. A system for aiming at a target, the system comprising:
a remote control station configured to display an image to an operator and to receive an input from the operator indicating that the image includes a representation of a target to generate an indication of a physical location of the target; and
an unmanned aerial system (UAS) comprising:
a body;
a lift and propulsion system coupled to the body;
a weapon coupled to the body and having an aiming axis oriented in a fixed direction relative to the body; and
a control system operatively coupled to the lift and propulsion system and the weapon, the control system configured to:
receive the indication of the physical location of the target from the remote control station;
determine, based at least in part on the indication of the physical location of the target, a roll angle and a flight path so the aiming axis is directed at the target when the UAS moves according to at least a portion of the flight path at the roll angle, wherein the aiming axis is side-facing; and
control the lift and propulsion system so the UAS moves according to the at least the portion of the flight path at the roll angle.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the weapon includes a firearm, and wherein the lift and propulsion system includes at least three rotors.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the UAS further comprises a sensor coupled to the body and configured to obtain image data, wherein the UAS is configured to transmit the image data to the remote control station, and wherein the remote control station is configured to process the image data to generate the image.

12. A method comprising:
determining, by a control system of an unmanned aerial system (UAS), a roll angle and a flight path so an aiming axis of a weapon of the UAS is directed at a target when the UAS moves according to at least a portion of the flight path at the roll angle, wherein the weapon is coupled to a body of the UAS so the aiming axis is oriented in a fixed direction relative to the body, and wherein the aiming axis is side-facing; and
controlling a lift and propulsion system of the UAS so the UAS moves according to the at least the portion of the flight path at the roll angle.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a physical location of the target, wherein the at least the portion of the flight path is determined based at least in part on the physical location of the target and determined parameters that the UAS is to maintain relative to the target while the UAS moves according to the at least the portion of the flight path.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determined parameters are determined based at least in part on one or more received or stored flight parameters that include a minimum altitude relative to the target, a minimum range to the target, a minimum orbit radius centered at the target, a minimum velocity of the UAS, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the physical location of the target includes receiving an indication of the physical location from a remote control station.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising obtaining, by the UAS, image data of a scene including the target, wherein the physical location is determined by the UAS based on the image data.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the UAS to a remote control station, image data of a scene including the target;
receiving an indication of a physical location of the target from a remote control station that includes a display configured to display an image that is generated based on the image data, the physical location determined based on input from an operator at the display; and
determining, by the control system, the at least the portion of the flight path at least in part based on the indication.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the input includes a location of a portion of a display touched by the operator or a position of a cursor on the display.

19. The UAS of claim 1 , wherein the aiming axis is perpendicular to a flight vector direction of the UAS, and wherein the at least the portion of the flight path comprises a portion of a circle.

20. The UAS of claim 1 , wherein the UAS is set to maintain a constant distance from the target, a constant altitude relative to the target, a constant ground range relative to the target, or a combination thereof, when the UAS moves according to the at least the portion of the flight path.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Hupp Ryan L
• Wakayama Sean R

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title

• B64D7/04

  fixedly mounted · CPC title

• F41G9/002 Primary

  for guiding a craft to a correct firing position (for bombing control F41G9/02) · CPC title

• G05D1/0038

  by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation (images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246) · CPC title