Unmanned aerial vehicle angular reorientation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776709-B2
Application number	US-201514947871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 2, 2011
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A system comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having wing elements and tail elements configured to roll to angularly orient the UAV by rolling so as to align a longitudinal plane of the UAV, in its late terminal phase, with a target. A method of UAV body re-orientation comprising: (a) determining by a processor a boresight angle error correction value bases on distance between a target point and a boresight point of a body-fixed frame; and (b) effecting a UAV maneuver comprising an angular role rate component translating the target point to a re-oriented target point in the body-fixed frame, to maintain the offset angle via the offset angle correction value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) body re-orientation comprising:
determining, by a processor, a boresight offset angle error correction value based on a distance between a target point and a boresight point of a body-fixed image frame; and
effecting, by the processor, an onboard control surface actuation maneuver comprising an angular roll component to translate the target point in the body-fixed image frame to thereby maintain an offset angle via the boresight offset angle correction value.

2. The method of UAV body re-orientation of claim 1 further comprising:
effecting, by the processor, an onboard control surface actuation maneuver comprising a pitch component to translate the target point in the body-fixed image frame to thereby maintain the offset angle via the boresight offset angle correction value.

3. The method of UAV body re-orientation of claim 1 wherein the onboard control surface actuation maneuver further comprises orienting the target point in the body-fixed image frame below a boresight point in the body-fixed image frame.

4. The method of UAV body re-orientation of claim 1 wherein the onboard control surface actuation maneuver further comprises actuating one or more aileron actuators.

5. The method of UAV body re-orientation of claim 1 wherein the onboard control surface actuation maneuver is by one of: a bank-to-turn guidance and a skid-to-turn guidance.

6. The method of UAV body re-orientation of claim 1 wherein the target point is based on a target in motion.

7. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a processor having addressable memory, the processor configured to:
determine a body roll angle error based on a target location in a body reference frame and an orientation of the UAV in the body reference frame; and
effect a transition to reorient the UAV in attitude based on the determined body roll angle error.

8. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the effected transition orients the target location in the body reference frame below the orientation of the UAV in the body reference frame.

9. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the effected transition is further based on a range-to-target.

10. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the effected transition is via one or more control surface commands.

11. The UAV of claim 10 wherein the one or more control surface commands are one or more aileron actuator commands.

12. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the effected transition is via a bank-to-turn guidance.

13. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the effected transition is via a skid-to-turn guidance.

14. The UAV of claim 7 further comprising a propeller, wherein the propeller is driven by at least one of: a chemical battery store and a combustion engine.

15. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the target location is in motion.

16. The UAV of claim 15 wherein the target location in motion is an evasive target.

17. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the target location is an air target.

18. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the effected transition is about a centerline of the UAV.

19. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to:
effect a payload release, wherein the released payload contacts the target location.

20. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the body roll angle error is further based on at least one of: a GPS location of the UAV, a crosswind estimation, and a crosswind measurement.

21. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the target location is determined by a guidance sensor suite.

22. The UAV of claim 21 wherein the guidance sensor suite comprises at least one of: a passive radar subsystem, an active radar subsystem, an infrared detection subsystem, an infrared imaging subsystem, a visible light imaging subsystem, and an ultraviolet light detection subsystem.

23. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the target location is received, by an antenna of the UAV, post-launch of the UAV by a third-party.

24. The UAV of claim 7 wherein the target location is modified, by an antenna of the UAV, post-launch of the UAV by a third-party.

Assignees

• Aerovironment Inc

Inventors

• Miralles Carlos Thomas

Classifications

• B64C13/16 Primary

  actuated automatically, e.g. responsive to gust detectors · CPC title

• F41G7/2253

  Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target · CPC title

• F41G7/2286

  using radio waves · CPC title

• F41G7/2293

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• B64B2201/00

  Hybrid airships, i.e. airships where lift is generated aerodynamically and statically · CPC title