A method for controlling an aerial vehicle includes determining a direction in which the aerial vehicle is traveling; determining, with reference to a table, an altitude range which corresponds to the determined direction and within which the aerial vehicle is caused to fly, the table indicating correspondences between directions in which the aerial vehicle is traveling and altitude ranges within which the aerial vehicle is to fly; obtaining, from an altimeter, a first altitude, which is a current altitude, at which the aerial vehicle is flying; determining whether the first altitude is included in the determined altitude range; and if it is determined that the first altitude is not included in the determined altitude range, changing an altitude at which the aerial vehicle is caused to fly from the first altitude to a second altitude included in the determined altitude range.

Autoland systems and processes for landing an aircraft without pilot intervention are described. In implementations, the autoland system includes a memory operable to store one or more modules and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The processor is operable to execute the one or more modules to identify a plurality of potential destinations for an aircraft. The processor can also calculate a merit for each potential destination identified, select a destination based upon the merit; receive terrain data and/or obstacle data, the including terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s); and create a route from a current position of the aircraft to an approach fix associated with the destination, the route accounting for the terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s). The processor can also cause the aircraft to traverse the route, and cause the aircraft to land at the destination without requiring pilot intervention.

Autoland systems and processes for landing an aircraft without pilot intervention are described. In implementations, the autoland system includes a memory operable to store one or more modules and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The processor is operable to execute the one or more modules to identify a plurality of potential destinations for an aircraft. The processor can also calculate a merit for each potential destination identified, select a destination based upon the merit; receive terrain data and/or obstacle data, the including terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s); and create a route from a current position of the aircraft to an approach fix associated with the destination, the route accounting for the terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s). The processor can also cause the aircraft to traverse the route, and cause the aircraft to land at the destination without requiring pilot intervention.

A system for determining a region of interest for an imaging device based on instrument landing system (ILS) is provided herein. The system may include an imaging device attached to an aircraft; an ILS detector; a computer processor configured in to calculate in a line of sight between said aircraft and a planned touch down point, based on the received ILS signals; a touchdown positioning module executed by the computer processor and configured to calculate a position in a field of view (FOV) of said imaging device which represents the planned touchdown point, based on said line of sight; and a region of interest (ROI) module executed by the computer processor and configured to define a region of interest (ROI) of the imaging device based on said position in said FOV, wherein said computer processor is further configured to apply an image processing operation only to data within said ROI.

A system for determining a region of interest for an imaging device based on instrument landing system (ILS) is provided herein. The system may include an imaging device attached to an aircraft; an ILS detector; a computer processor configured in to calculate in a line of sight between said aircraft and a planned touch down point, based on the received ILS signals; a touchdown positioning module executed by the computer processor and configured to calculate a position in a field of view (FOV) of said imaging device which represents the planned touchdown point, based on said line of sight; and a region of interest (ROI) module executed by the computer processor and configured to define a region of interest (ROI) of the imaging device based on said position in said FOV, wherein said computer processor is further configured to apply an image processing operation only to data within said ROI.

An unmanned aerial vehicle and control method thereof are provided. Data associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle that is to be communicated during handoff is identified. A service supplier is informed of an operational status of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the identified data. Instructions corresponding to operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle are received from the service supplier.

In aspects herein, if GPS signals used as inputs into a GPS landing system become unreliable, an aircraft instead uses signals derived from radar data to operate the GPS landing system. Generally, GPS signals are unreliable if they cannot be received or if the signals are corrupted. Instead of using GPS signals, the landing system uses radar derived location data as inputs. In one example, the radar derived location data is generated using a radar system located at the intended landing site—e.g., an airport or aircraft carrier. The landing site transmits this data to the aircraft which processes the data using its GPS landing system that outputs control signals for landing the aircraft. Thus, even when GPS signals are unreliable, the aircraft can use the GPS landing system to land.

A system is provided for maneuvering a payload in an air space constrained by one or more obstacles, and may include first and second aerial vehicles coupled by a tether to a ground station. Sensor systems and processors in the ground station and aerial vehicles may track obstacles and the tether's and the vehicles' positions and attitude to maneuver the payload and the tether to carry out a mission. The sensor system may include airborne cameras providing data for a scene reconstruction process and simultaneous mapping of obstacles and localization of aerial vehicles relative to the obstacles. The aerial vehicles may include a frame formed substantially of a composite material for preventing contact of the rotors with the tether segments.

The present invention is a method for dynamically determining a blended navigation solution for a mobile platform (ex.—aircraft) via a receiver implemented on-board the platform. In the method disclosed herein, the receiver concurrently utilizes data from satellite signals obtained from a plurality of independent satellite constellations in calculating its (the receiver's) navigation solution (ex.—Position, Velocity, Time (PVT) solution), thereby overcoming weaknesses inherent in currently available systems and methods, which rely on only a single satellite constellation.

Autoland systems and processes for landing an aircraft without pilot intervention are described. In implementations, the autoland system includes a memory operable to store one or more modules and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The processor is operable to execute the one or more modules to identify a plurality of potential destinations for an aircraft. The processor can also calculate a merit for each potential destination identified, select a destination based upon the merit; receive terrain data and/or obstacle data, the including terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s); and create a route from a current position of the aircraft to an approach fix associated with the destination, the route accounting for the terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s). The processor can also cause the aircraft to traverse the route, and cause the aircraft to land at the destination without requiring pilot intervention.