Methods and apparatuses for autonomous flight termination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9429403-B2
Application number	US-201414335651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2014
Priority date	Aug 6, 2012
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A flight safety assembly onboard an aerial vehicle includes a first sensor configured to sense first information related to flight of the aerial vehicle and a second sensor configured to sense second information related to the flight of the aerial vehicle. A sensor input is adapted to receive third information related to the flight of the aerial vehicle. A processor is operably coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor, and the sensor input. The processor is configured to determine three independent instantaneous impact points for the aerial vehicle by independently analyzing each of the first information, the second information and the third information. The processor is also configured to generate three independent onboard flight termination indicators for each of the three independent instantaneous impact points that intersects with a region to be protected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle including a flight safety assembly, comprising:
a first sensor configured to sense first information related to flight of the aerial vehicle;
a second sensor configured to sense second information related to the flight of the aerial vehicle; and
at least one processor operably coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor and configured to:
generate a first onboard flight termination indicator responsive to an analysis of the first information determining a first instantaneous impact point within a region to be protected for a projected flight path; and
generate a second onboard flight termination indicator responsive to an analysis of the second information determining a second instantaneous impact point within the region to be protected for the projected flight path.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the aerial vehicle comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor comprises an inertial management unit.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor comprises a combination of a global positioning system and an inertial management unit.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor comprises a global positioning system.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a third sensor external to the flight safety assembly and configured to generate third information for a sensor input to the flight safety assembly wherein the at least one processor is further configured to generate a third onboard flight termination indicator responsive to an analysis of the third information determining a third instantaneous impact point within the region to be protected.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the third sensor comprises at least one of a global positioning system or an inertial management unit.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a termination mechanism operably coupled to the flight safety assembly and configured to terminate flight of the aerial vehicle when at least one of the first onboard flight termination indicator or the second onboard flight termination indicator is active.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the termination mechanism is configured to terminate the flight by activating an explosive onboard the aerial vehicle.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the termination mechanism is configured to terminate the flight by disabling propulsion of the aerial vehicle.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to repeat the processes of generating the first onboard flight termination indicator and generating the second onboard flight termination indicator a plurality of times and the aerial vehicle further comprises a termination mechanism operably coupled to the flight safety assembly and configured to terminate flight of the aerial vehicle when at least one of the first onboard flight termination indicator or the second onboard flight termination indicator being active for the plurality of times.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to place the flight safety assembly in a safe mode responsive to a determination by the at least one processor that at least a portion of the flight has been completed successfully.

13. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor includes:
a first processor operably coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor and configured to generate the first onboard flight termination indicator responsive to an analysis of the first information in combination with the second information determining the first instantaneous impact point within the region to be protected; and
a second processor operably coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor and configured to generate the second onboard flight termination indicator responsive to an analysis of the first information in combination with the second information determining the second instantaneous impact point within the region to be protected.

14. The aerial vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the aerial vehicle comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle.

15. The aerial vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor each comprises at least one of a global positioning system or an inertial management unit.

16. The aerial vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising a termination mechanism operably coupled to the first processor and the second processor and configured to terminate the flight of the aerial vehicle if at least one of the first onboard flight termination indicator or the second onboard flight termination indicator is asserted.

17. The aerial vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the termination mechanism is configured to terminate the flight by at least one of activating an explosive onboard the aerial vehicle or disabling propulsion of the aerial vehicle.

18. The aerial vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising:
a third sensor operably coupled to the first processor and for sensing third information related to flight of the aerial vehicle; and
a fourth sensor operably coupled to the second processor and for sensing fourth information related to flight of the aerial vehicle;
wherein the first processor is further configured to generate the first onboard flight termination indicator responsive to an analysis of the third information in combination with the analysis of the first information and the second information when determining the first instantaneous impact point within the region to be protected; and
wherein the second processor is further configured to generate the first onboard flight termination indicator responsive to an analysis of the fourth information in combination with the analysis of the first information and the second information when determining the first instantaneous impact point within the region to be protected.

19. The aerial vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the third sensor and the fourth sensor each comprises at least one of a global positioning system and an inertial management unit.

20. A flight safety system, comprising:
an aerial vehicle; and
two autonomous flight safety assemblies onboard the aerial vehicle, each of the two autonomous flight safety assemblies comprising:
a sensor configured to sense information related to flight of the aerial vehicle; and
a processor operably coupled to the sensor and configured to:
analyze the information to determine a projected flight path of the aerial vehicle; and
generate an onboard flight termination signal if the projected flight path indicates that the aerial vehicle will leave a safe window.

21. The flight safety system of claim 20 , wherein the aerial vehicle comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle.

22. The flight safety system of claim 20 , wherein the sensor for each of the two autonomous flight safety assemblies comprises at least one of a global positioning system and an inertial management unit.

23. The flight safety system of claim 20 , wherein the processor for each of the two autonomous flight safety assemblies is further configured to generate the onboard flight termination signal if the projected flight path indicates that the aerial vehicle will violate a boundary that designates a keep-in or keep-out zone or area.

24. The flight safety system of claim 20 , wherein each of the two autonomous flight safety assemblies further comprises a sensor i

Assignees

• Orbital Atk Inc

Inventors

• Papadopoulos George B
• Devries Derek R
• Thomas Steven W
• Van Dixhorn Timothy J
• Weigel Charles L
• Dedon Charles L

Classifications

• B64G1/002

  Launch systems · CPC title

• B64G1/52

  Protection, safety or emergency devices; Survival aids · CPC title

• F42B10/48 Primary

  Range-reducing, destabilising or braking arrangements, {e.g. impact-braking arrangements}; Fall-retarding means, {e.g. balloons, rockets for braking or fall-retarding}(F42B10/34 takes precedence) · CPC title