Distributed unmanned aerial vehicle architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11799787-B2
Application number	US-202017007618-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2020
Priority date	May 12, 2014
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

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. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, comprising one or more processors and one or more computer storage media storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
obtaining flight information of the UAV;
determining one or more modifications based on the flight information; and
transmitting data messages over data buses based on the one or more modifications.

2. The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
blocking transmission of a type of data based on the one or more modifications.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the flight information includes a contingency condition.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the contingency condition is associated with a lost global positioning system lock, and wherein the type of data comprises data associated with one or more data transmission radios.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more modifications comprises any of restricting, throttling, blocking and prioritizing the data messages.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data messages transmitted from or to flight critical payload modules are prioritized on the data buses.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight information includes a present flight phase, and wherein the one or more modifications comprises storing the data messages and providing the data messages to an intended target upon an occurrence of a different flight phase.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flight information includes a present flight phase associated with the UAV being inflight, and wherein the one or more modifications comprises restricting the data messages from one or more payload modules not currently needed during the present flight phase.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more modifications comprises throttling the data messages from a payload module, and wherein the payload module is limited to a data rate of transmission on the data buses.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more modifications comprises causing the data messages to not be delivered to an intended target or to not be delivered for a certain period of time.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more payload modules associated with respective software processes use the data buses, and wherein the one or more modifications comprises any of restricting, throttling, blocking and prioritizing delivering of the data messages from, or to, the software processes.

12. A method, comprising:
obtaining flight information of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
determining one or more modifications based on the flight information; and
transmitting data messages over data buses based on the one or more modifications.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
blocking transmission of a type of data based on the one or more modifications.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the flight information includes a contingency condition that is associated with a lost global positioning system lock, and wherein the type of data comprises data associated with one or more data transmission radios.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more modifications comprises any of restricting, throttling, blocking and prioritizing the data messages.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the data messages transmitted from or to flight critical payload modules are prioritized on the data buses.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the flight information includes a present flight phase, and wherein the one or more modifications comprises storing the data messages and providing the data messages to an intended target upon an occurrence of a different flight phase.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the flight information includes a present flight phase associated with the UAV being inflight, and wherein the one or more modifications comprises restricting the data messages from one or more payload modules not currently needed during the present flight phase.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more modifications comprises throttling the data messages from a payload module, and wherein the payload module is limited to a data rate of transmission on the data buses.

20. A computer program product, encoded on one or more non-transitory computer storage media, comprising instructions that when executed by a system, comprising one or more computers, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
obtaining flight information of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
determining one or more modifications based on the flight information; and
transmitting data messages over data buses based on the one or more modifications.

Assignees

• Skydio Inc

Inventors

• Downey Jonathan
• Michini Bernard J
• Richman Brian

Classifications

• 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

• B64U2101/19

  for use as targets or decoys · CPC title

• B64U2101/64

  for parcel delivery or retrieval · CPC title