Vehicle control system for transitioning between mediums

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10737779-B2
Application number	US-201816059397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2018
Priority date	Aug 18, 2017
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle for aerial-aquatic locomotion is provided. The vehicle may include a propeller, an electric motor operably coupled to the propeller and configured to rotate the propeller, a maneuvering assembly configured to change an attitude and altitude of the vehicle, and a controller operably coupled to the electric motor and the maneuvering assembly. The controller may be configured to receive a command for the vehicle to exit a first medium and enter a second medium, compute or retrieve a hybrid trajectory, and control the electric motor and the maneuvering assembly to maneuver the vehicle in accordance with the hybrid trajectory.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A vehicle for aerial-aquatic locomotion, the vehicle comprising:
a propeller;
an electric motor operably coupled to the propeller and configured to rotate the propeller;
a maneuvering assembly configured to change an attitude and altitude of the vehicle; and
a controller operably coupled to the electric motor and the maneuvering assembly, the controller being configured to:
receive a command for the vehicle to exit a first medium and enter a second medium;
compute or retrieve a hybrid trajectory for transitioning the vehicle from the first medium to the second medium;
control the electric motor and the maneuvering assembly to maneuver the vehicle in accordance with the hybrid trajectory; and
track a state of the vehicle and, based on the state indicating that the vehicle is in a medium transitional mode, make maneuvering adjustments to maintain compliance with the hybrid trajectory; or based on the state indicating that the vehicle has completed entry into the second medium and the vehicle is in a non-transitional mode, make maneuvering adjustments for operation in the second medium,
wherein the state of the vehicle includes one or more of a mode, an altitude, an attitude, and a speed of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to input the state into a linear model predictive control to determine the maneuvering adjustments.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to retrieve the hybrid trajectory from a trajectory library based on the state of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect the mode to be a medium transitional mode by detecting a change in revolutions per minute of the electric motor that exceeds a threshold value.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect the mode to be a medium transitional mode by detecting a change in the electric current or voltage to the electric motor that exceeds a threshold value.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to track the state of the vehicle based on one or more vehicle condition sensor inputs to the controller.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising a range sensor configured to indicate a distance to a medium transition and operably coupled to the controller to provide one of the vehicle condition sensor inputs.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising a pressure sensor operably coupled to the controller to provide one of the vehicle condition sensor inputs.

9. A method for controlling the movement of an aerial-aquatic vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving a command, at a controller, for the vehicle to exit a first medium and enter a second medium;
computing or retrieving a hybrid trajectory for transitioning the vehicle from the first medium to the second medium;
controlling an electric motor and a maneuvering assembly of the vehicle to maneuver the vehicle in accordance with the hybrid trajectory; and
tracking a state of the vehicle and, based on the state indicating that the vehicle is in a medium transitional mode, making maneuvering adjustments to maintain compliance with the hybrid trajectory; or based on the state indicating that the vehicle has completed entry into the second medium and the vehicle is in a non-transitional mode, making maneuvering adjustments for operation in the second medium,
wherein the state of the vehicle includes one or more of a mode, an altitude, an attitude, and a speed of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein making maneuvering adjustments further comprises inputting the state of the vehicle into a linear model predictive control to determine the maneuvering adjustments.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising retrieving the hybrid trajectory from a trajectory library based on the state of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising detecting the mode to be a medium transitional mode by detecting a change in revolutions per minute of the electric motor that exceeds a threshold value.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising detecting the mode to be a medium transitional mode by detecting a change in the electric current or voltage to the electric motor that exceeds a threshold value.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising tracking the state of the vehicle based on one or more vehicle condition sensor inputs to the controller.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising tracking the state of the vehicle based on an input from a range sensor configured to indicate a distance to a medium transition.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising tracking the state of the vehicle based on an input from a pressure sensor indicating an environmental pressure of the vehicle.

17. A control system for a vehicle capable of travelling through medium transitions, the control system comprising a controller and a plurality of sensors providing inputs to the controller, the controller being configured to:
receive a command for the vehicle to exit a first medium and enter a second medium;
compute or retrieve a hybrid trajectory for transitioning the vehicle from the first medium to the second medium;
control the electric motor and a maneuvering assembly operably coupled to the controller to maneuver the vehicle in accordance with the hybrid trajectory; and
track a state of the vehicle,
wherein the state of the vehicle includes one or more of a mode, an altitude, an attitude, and a speed of the vehicle.

18. The control system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to input the state of the vehicle into a linear model predictive control to iteratively determine the maneuvering adjustments.

19. The control system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is further configured to retrieve the hybrid trajectory from a trajectory library based on the state of the vehicle.

20. The control system of claim 17 , wherein based on the state indicating that the vehicle is in a medium transitional mode, the controller makes maneuvering adjustments to maintain compliance with the hybrid trajectory; or based on the state indicating that the vehicle has completed entry into the second medium and the vehicle is in a non-transitional mode, the controller makes maneuvering adjustments for operation in the second medium.

Assignees

• Univ Johns Hopkins

Inventors

• Moore Joseph L

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B63G8/08 Primary

  Propulsion ({schnorkels B63G8/36;} nuclear propulsion B63H21/18; submerged exhausting apparatus F01N13/12) · CPC title

• B64U10/70

  Convertible aircraft, e.g. convertible into land vehicles · CPC title

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title

• B64C37/00 Primary

  Convertible aircraft · CPC title