Systems and methods for automated fleet management for aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11804138-B2
Application number	US-202117528597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2021
Priority date	Nov 17, 2021
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

In an aspect of the present disclosure is a system of automated fleet management for aerial vehicles, including a first aerial vehicle, the aerial vehicle comprising: a first sensor configured to measure an external metric and generate external datum based on the external metric; and a second sensor configured to measure an aircraft metric and generate aircraft datum based on the aircraft metric; and a computing device operating on the first aerial vehicle, the computing device communicatively connected to a network including at least a second aerial vehicle, the computing device configured to: receive the external datum from the first sensor of the first aerial vehicle and the aircraft datum from the second sensor of the first aerial vehicle; and transmit at least a flight plan update element to the network based on the external datum and the aircraft datum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system of automated fleet management for aerial vehicles, comprising:
a first aerial vehicle, the first aerial vehicle comprising:
a first sensor configured to measure an external metric and generate an external datum based on the external metric, wherein the external metric comprises a visibility measurement around the first aerial vehicle; and
a second sensor configured to measure an aircraft metric and generate an aircraft datum based on the aircraft metric;

a first computing device operating onboard the first aerial vehicle and including a first node, the first computing device communicatively connected to a layered data network including at least a second aerial vehicle, the first computing device configured to:
receive the external datum from the first sensor of the first aerial vehicle and the aircraft datum from the second sensor of the first aerial vehicle;
modify a flight trajectory of the first aerial vehicle, wherein modifying the flight trajectory comprises:
generating a flight trajectory datum, using a plant model, as a function of the external datum and the aircraft datum; and
generating at least an aircraft command as a function of the flight trajectory datum; and

transmit at least a flight plan update element, based on the flight trajectory datum, from the first node via the layered data network to the at least a second aerial vehicle, wherein the layered data network comprises independent data layers that provide redundancy in communications; and

a second computing device onboard the at least a second aerial vehicle and including a second node, the second computing device configured to:
receive, at the second node, the at least a flight plan update element from the first aerial vehicle; and
update a flight plan for the second aerial vehicle based on the at least a flight plan update element received from the first aerial vehicle, wherein the first and second nodes are configured to update corresponding flight paths of each of the first and second aerial vehicles so as to maintain consistent displacements therebetween.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft metric comprises a torque output.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aircraft metric comprises a battery temperature.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the external metric comprises a wind velocity.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the layered data network comprises a mesh network.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the mesh network is configured to control the first aerial vehicle and the at least a second aerial vehicle as a single aerial vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the layered data network is configured for the first aerial vehicle to communicate data directly to the at least a second aerial vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first aerial vehicle comprises an electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a flight plan update element comprises altering a position of the first aerial vehicle relative to a position of the at least a second aerial vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to generate an aircraft command as a function of the external datum and the aircraft datum.

11. A method for implementing a system of automated fleet management for aerial vehicles, comprising:
receiving, at a first computing device, including a first node, operating onboard a first aerial vehicle and communicatively connected to a layered data network including at least a second aerial vehicle, an external datum based on an external metric from a first sensor and an aircraft datum based on an aircraft metric from a second sensor, wherein the external metric comprises a visibility measurement around the first aerial vehicle;
modifying, by the first computing device, a flight trajectory of the first aerial vehicle, wherein modifying the flight trajectory comprises:
generating a flight trajectory datum, using a plant model, as a function of the external datum and the aircraft datum; and
generating at least an aircraft command as a function of the flight trajectory datum;

transmitting, by the first computing device, at least a flight plan update element, based on the flight trajectory datum, from the first node, via the layered data network, to the at least a second aerial vehicle, wherein the layered data network comprises independent data layers that provide redundancy in communications;
receiving, at a second node of a second computing device onboard the at least a second aerial vehicle, the at least a flight plan update element from the first aerial vehicle;
updating, by the second computing device, a flight plan for the second aerial vehicle based on the at least a flight plan update element received from the first aerial vehicle; and
updating, at the first and second nodes, corresponding flight paths of each of the first and second aerial vehicles so as to maintain consistent displacements therebetween.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the aircraft metric comprises a torque output.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the aircraft metric comprises a battery temperature.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the external metric comprises a wind velocity.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the layered data network comprises a mesh network.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the mesh network is configured to control the first aerial vehicle and the at least a second aerial vehicle as a single aerial vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the layered data network is configured for the first aerial vehicle to communicate data directly to the at least a second aerial vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first aerial vehicle comprises an electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least a flight plan update element comprises altering a position of the first aerial vehicle relative to a position of the at least a second aerial vehicle.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating, at the first computing device, an aircraft command as a function of the external datum and the aircraft datum.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Foland Steven J
• Ferrier Lochie
• Warren Nick
• Palombini John

Classifications

• B64D31/06

  actuated automatically · CPC title

• B64D27/24

  using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• G08G5/34

  for flight plan modification · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/26

  Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations · CPC title