Distributed unmanned aerial vehicle architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10764196-B2
Application number	US-201615174387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2016
Priority date	May 12, 2014
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a distributed system architecture for unmanned air vehicles. One of the methods includes obtaining information identifying flight information of a UAV, with the flight information including flight phase information or a contingency condition associated with a flight critical module included in the UAV. The obtained information is analyzed, and one or more first payload modules are determined to enter a modified power state. Requests to enter the modified power state are caused to be transmitted to each determined payload module in the one or more first payload modules.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system included in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the system comprising one or more processors and one or more computer storage media storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
obtaining flight information of the UAV comprising flight phase information or a contingency condition;
determining, based on an analysis of the flight information, one or more modifications associated with (1) one or more modules use of one or more data buses to provide data messages over the data buses, and/or (2) delivery of provided data messages over the data buses from, or to, one or more modules; and
causing the modules to use the data buses, and/or data messages to be delivered over the data buses, based on the modifications.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight information indicates a contingency condition, and wherein the operations further comprise:
based on the determined modifications, blocking delivery of a particular type of data messages from, or to, one or more modules.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the contingency condition is associated with a lost global positioning system lock, and wherein the particular type of data messages are data messages associated with use of one or more data transmission radios.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a determined modification comprises one or more of: restricting, throttling, blocking, or prioritizing, delivery of data messages.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein delivery of data messages provided from, or to, one or more modules, comprising flight critical modules, are prioritized on the one or more data buses.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight information indicates a present flight phase, and wherein a determined modification associated with delivery of data messages comprises storing data messages, and providing the data messages to an intended target upon an occurrence of a different flight phase.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein a determined modification associated with use of the data buses comprises throttling data messages from a particular module, wherein the module is limited to a particular data rate of transmission on the one or more data buses.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein a determined modification associated with delivery of data messages comprises causing the data messages to not be delivered to an intended target, or to not be delivered for a certain period of time.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more modules are associated with respective software processes, and wherein a determined modification associated with delivery of data messages comprises one or more of: restricting, throttling, blocking, or prioritizing, delivery of data messages from, or to, the software processes.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight information indicates a present flight phase associated with the UAV being in-flight, and wherein at least one modification associated with delivery of data messages is restricting data messages from particular modules not currently needed during the present flight phase.

11. A method comprising:
obtaining, by a system comprising hardware included in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), flight information of the UAV comprising flight phase information or a contingency condition;
determining, based on an analysis of the flight information, one or more modifications associated with delivery of data messages, over one or more data buses, to, or from, one or more modules; and
causing data messages to, or from, the one or more modules to be delivered based on the modifications.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the flight information indicates a contingency condition, and wherein the method further comprises:
based on the determined modifications, blocking delivery of a particular type of data messages from, or to, one or more modules.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the contingency condition is associated with a lost global positioning system lock, and wherein the particular type of data messages are data messages associated with use of one or more data transmission radios.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein a determined modification associated with delivery of data messages comprises one or more of: restricting, throttling, blocking, or prioritizing, delivery of data messages from, or to, one or more modules.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein delivery of data messages from one or more modules comprising flight critical modules are prioritized on the one or more data buses.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the flight information indicates a present flight phase, and wherein a determined modification associated with delivery of data messages comprises storing data messages, and providing the data messages to an intended target upon an occurrence of a different flight phase.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein a determined modification is associated with throttling data messages from a particular module, wherein the module is limited to a particular data rate of transmission on the one or more data buses.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein a determined modification associated with delivery of data messages comprises causing the data messages to not be delivered to an intended target, or to not be delivered for a certain period of time.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more modules are associated with respective software processes, and wherein a determined modification associated with delivery of data messages comprises one or more of: restricting, throttling, blocking, or prioritizing, delivery of data messages from, or to, the software processes.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the flight information indicates a present flight phase associated with the UAV being in-flight, and wherein at least one modification associated with delivery of data messages is restricting data messages from particular modules not currently needed during the present flight phase.

21. A system included in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the system comprising one or more processors and one or more computer storage media storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
obtaining flight information of the UAV comprising flight phase information or a contingency condition;
determining a measure indicating sufficient bandwidth for flight critical modules; and
maintaining, by the system, sufficient bandwidth for the flight critical modules comprising:
determining, from the determined measure, one or more modifications associated with delivery of data messages, over one or more data buses, to, or from, one or more payload modules; and
causing data messages to, or from, the one or more payload modules to be delivered based on the modifications.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein a determined modification associated with delivery of data messages from a particular payload module comprises throttling the data messages, wherein the particular payload module is limited to a respective data rate of transmission on the one or more data buses.

23. The system of claim 21 , wherein a determined modification associated with delivery of data messages from a particular payload module comprises increasing a latency associated with the data messages, wherein delivery of the data messages over the data buses is delayed for a particular period of

Assignees

• Skydio Inc

Inventors

• Downey Jonathan
• Michini Bernard J
• Richman Brian

Classifications

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G05D1/226

  Communication links with the remote-control arrangements · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title