Collision targeting for an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9235218-B2
Application number	US-201213731450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2012
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for collision targeting for an unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV). For certain example embodiments, at least one machine, such as a UFV, may: (i) ascertain at least one target for at least one collision to include a UFV; or (ii) execute at least one maneuver to divert a UFV at least toward at least one target to induce at least one collision to include the UFV and the at least one target. However, claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations, examples, or so forth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV), the UFV comprising:
circuitry configured for ascertaining at least one target for at least one collision to include at least the UFV, including at least circuitry configured for receiving at least one indication identifying the at least one target as at least one other UFV; and
circuitry configured for executing at least one maneuver to divert the UFV at least toward the at least one target to induce the at least one collision to include at least the UFV and the at least one target based at least partially on ascertaining at least one target for at least one collision to include at least the UFV.

2. The UFV of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for ascertaining at least one target for at least one collision to include at least the UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for selecting at least one other UFV as the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on receiving from at least one of a base station or another UFV at least one indication identifying that the selected at least one other UFV is a UFV.

3. The UFV of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for selecting at least one other UFV as the at least one target for the at least one collision comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication of at least one value of the at least one other UFV; and
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one other UFV as the at least one target based at least partially on the indication of at least one value of the at least one other UFV.

4. The UFV of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for selecting at least one other UFV as the at least one target for the at least one collision comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication of a likelihood of recoverability from the at least one collision; and
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one other UFV as the at least one target based at least partially on the likelihood of recoverability from the at least one collision.

5. The UFV of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for selecting at least one other UFV as the at least one target for the at least one collision comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication of the at least one other UFV having at least one of a related ownership or a related operator as that of the UFV; and
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one other UFV as the at least one target based at least partially on the at least one other UFV having at least one of a related ownership or a related operator as that of the UFV.

6. The UFV of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry configured for selecting at least one other UFV as the at least one target for the at least one collision comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication that the at least one other UFV is unoccupied by at least one pilot; and
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one other UFV as the at least one target in lieu of a pilot-occupied flying vehicle (POFV).

7. The UFV of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for ascertaining at least one target for at least one collision to include at least the UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication of an amount of harm likely to result from the at least one collision; and
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the amount of harm likely to result from the at least one collision.

8. The UFV of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the amount of harm likely to result from the at least one collision comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication of an amount of monetary harm likely to result from the at least one collision; and
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the amount of monetary harm likely to result from the at least one collision.

9. The UFV of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the amount of harm likely to result from the at least one collision comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication of an amount of harm to one or more humans likely to result from the at least one collision; and
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the amount of harm to one or more humans likely to result from the at least one collision.

10. The UFV of claim 9 , wherein the circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the amount of harm to one or more humans likely to result from the at least one collision comprises:
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the circuitry configured for ascertaining at least one consequence of the at least one collision so as to avoid crashing into a school.

11. The UFV of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the amount of harm likely to result from the at least one collision comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication of a risk of danger associated with one or more potential collision targets; and
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the risk of danger associated with one or more potential collision targets.

12. The UFV of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the risk of danger associated with one or more potential collision targets comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication of an incendiary location; and
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one target for the at least one collision based at least partially on the circuitry configured for ascertaining at least one consequence of the at least one collision so as to avoid the incendiary location.

13. The UFV of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for ascertaining at least one target for at least one collision to include at least the UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication identifying at least one man-made object; and
circuitry configured for selecting the at least one man-made object as the at least one target.

14. The UFV of claim 13 , wherein the circuitry configured for selecting the at least one man-made object as the at least one target comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication of likelihood that the at least one man-made object is materially damaged by the at least one collision to include at least the UFV; and
circuitry configured for selecting a man-made object that is unlikely to be materially damaged by the at least one collision to include at least the UFV.

15. The UFV of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for ascertaining at least one target for at least one collision to include at least the UFV comprises:
circuitry configured for obtaining an indication of movement of one or more objects; and
circuitry configured for selecting a substantially stationary object as the at least one target.

16. The UFV of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured for ascertaining at least one target for at least one collision to includ

Assignees

• Elwha Llc A Ltd Liability Corp State Delaware
• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Levien Royce A
• Lord Robert W
• Lord Richard T
• Malamud Mark A
• Rinaldo Jr John D
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• G05D1/12 Primary

  Target-seeking control · CPC title

• F41G7/2233

  Multimissile systems · CPC title

• F41G9/00

  Systems for controlling missiles or projectiles, not provided for elsewhere · CPC title

• F41G7/2206

  using a remote control station · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title