Deployable aerial countermeasures for neutralizing and capturing target aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11465741-B2
Application number	US-201816151279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2018
Priority date	Oct 3, 2018
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), for aerial neutralization of a detected target aerial vehicle, comprises a flight body and a flight control system to intercept the detected target aerial vehicle, and comprises an aerial vehicle capture countermeasure (e.g., a net) operable to capture the detected target aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle capture countermeasure can comprise a net deployable from the counter-attack UAV, and a captured target aerial vehicle can be delivered to a particular location. A system for aerial neutralization of a detected target aerial vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle detection system comprising at least one detection sensor operable to detect the target aerial vehicle, and operable to provide command data (including location data) to at least one counter-attack UAV for neutralization of the target aerial vehicle. The counter-attack UAV and systems may be autonomously operated. Associated systems and methods are provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for aerial neutralization of a target aerial vehicle, the counter-attack UAV comprising:
a flight body;
a flight control system that controls flight of the counter-attack UAV to intercept a detected target aerial vehicle; and
an aerial vehicle capture countermeasure carried by the flight body and operable to capture the detected target aerial vehicle, the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure comprising at least one support member and at least one flexible entangling element supported by the at least one support member, the at least one support member comprising an elongate rod, the at least one support member and the at least one flexible entangling element being operable to passively move from a stowed position to a deployed position,
wherein the at least one support member comprises at least one upper support member connected to an upper deploy mechanism and at least one lower support member connected to a lower deploy mechanism, the upper and lower deploy mechanisms being operable to facilitate the passive movement of the at least one upper support member and the at least one lower support member, and wherein the at least one flexible entangling element comprises a net coupling the at least one upper support member to the at least one lower support member.

2. The counter-attack UAV of claim 1 , wherein the counter-attack UAV comprises at least one sensor configured to detect a position of the target aerial vehicle, the flight control system comprising a flight controller operable to control autonomous flight of the counter-attack UAV based on a detected position of the target aerial vehicle.

3. The counter-attack UAV of claim 1 , wherein the flight control system comprises a central processing unit (CPU) and a flight controller in communication with one another, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a camera operable to detect a position of the target aerial vehicle, the camera operatively coupled to the CPU for processing data associated with the detected position to track a dynamic flight position of the target aerial vehicle, wherein the flight controller is configured to control autonomous flight of the counter-attack UAV to intercept the dynamic flight position of the target aerial vehicle.

4. The counter-attack UAV of claim 1 , further comprising a release mechanism coupling the flight body to the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure, the counter-attack UAV operable to actuate the release mechanism to release the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure from the counter-attack UAV after capturing the target aerial vehicle to deliver the captured target aerial vehicle to a particular location.

5. The counter-attack UAV of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication device supported by the flight body and communicatively coupled to an external aerial vehicle detection system, the communication device configured to receive command data from the external aerial vehicle detection system, the command data associated with the target aerial vehicle as detected by the external aerial vehicle detection system.

6. The counter-attack UAV of claim 5 , further comprising at least one camera movably coupled to flight body, the at least one camera movable to establish and modify a pointing position, based on the command data received from the external aerial vehicle detection system, to detect and track the target aerial vehicle.

7. The counter-attack UAV of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible entangling element is configured to disrupt operation of at least one rotary propeller device of the target aerial vehicle in response to the counter-attack UAV being in close proximity with the target aerial vehicle.

8. The counter-attack UAV of claim 7 , wherein the at least one flexible entangling element comprises at least one of a net, filament, monofilament, braided filament, tendril, fiber, string, cord, strand, thread, rope, or wire.

9. The counter-attack UAV of claim 1 , wherein the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure is operable by the counter-attack UAV between a folded position and a deployed position.

10. The counter-attack UAV of claim 9 , wherein the at least one support member comprises a plurality of support members and the at least one flexible entangling element comprises at least one net coupled to the plurality of support members, wherein the plurality of support members and the at least one net are collapsible when in the folded position.

11. The counter-attack UAV of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of support members and the at least one net define a plurality of net capture zones, when in the deployed position, each extending in different directions from each other to define a three-dimensional zone of capture defined by the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure.

12. The counter-attack UAV of claim 10 , further comprising a restraint device coupled to the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure, and configured to maintain the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure in the folded position, wherein the counter-attack UAV is operable to actuate the restraint device to facilitate movement of the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure to the deployed position.

13. The counter-attack UAV of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of support members comprises a first radial support member and a second radial support member, wherein the at least one net couples the first and second radial support members together to form a three-dimensional zone of capture defined by the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure.

14. A system for detecting and neutralizing a target aerial vehicle, the system comprising:
a counter-attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a flight body;
a flight control system that controls flight of the counter-attack UAV; and
an aerial vehicle capture countermeasure carried by the flight body, the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure comprising a first support member and a second support member, and at least one flexible entangling element supported by the first support member and the second support member, the first support member and the second support member each comprising an elongate rod, the first support member, the second support member, and the at least one flexible entangling element being operable to passively move from a stowed position to a deployed position such that the first support member and the second support member are transverse to one another in the deployed position to define a plurality of net capture zones,

an aerial vehicle detection system comprising at least one detection sensor operable to detect a target aerial vehicle, and operable to provide command data to the counter-attack UAV to facilitate interception of the target aerial vehicle by the counter-attack UAV;
wherein, in response to interception of the target aerial vehicle, the counter-attack UAV is operable to capture the detected target aerial vehicle with the aerial vehicle capture countermeasure.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the command data comprises at least one of intercept data, aerial vehicle capture countermeasure deployment command data, target aerial vehicle detection data, counter-attack UAV control data, authorization to engage and capture data, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the aerial vehicle detection system comprises an on-board aerial vehicle detection system comprising the at least one detection sensor configured to detect a position of the target aerial vehicle, the flight control system comprising a flight controller operable to control autonomous flight of t

Assignees

• Sarcos Corp

Inventors

• Smith Fraser M
• Olivier Marc X

Classifications

• B64U70/30

  for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net · CPC title

• B64U2201/104

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

• B64U2101/19

  for use as targets or decoys · CPC title

• G05D1/86

  Monitoring the performance of the system, e.g. alarm or diagnosis modules · CPC title

• G05D1/82

  Limited authority control, e.g. enforcing a flight envelope (limitation of acceleration or structural stress G05D1/83) · CPC title