G08G5/34

Unmanned aerial vehicle authorization and geofence envelope determination

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for unmanned aerial vehicle authorization and geofence envelope determination. One of the methods includes determining, by an electronic system in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), an estimated fuel remaining in the UAV. An estimated fuel consumption of the UAV is determined. Estimated information associated with wind affecting the UAV is determined using information obtained from sensors included in the UAV. Estimated flights times remaining for a current path, and one or more alternative flight paths, are determined using the determined estimated fuel remaining, determined estimated fuel consumption, determined information associated wind, and information describing each flight path. In response to the electronic system determining that the estimated fuel remaining, after completion of the current flight path, would be below a first threshold, an alternative flight path is selected.

Flight management system of an aircraft

A flight management system architecture with two separate modules is proposed. In the core module, generic functionalities relative to the flight management of the aircraft are implemented. In the supplementary module, supplementary functions are implemented. The supplementary functionalities include functionalities specific to an entity to which the aircraft belongs such as the specific aircraft model, a family of airdraft, a company, an alliance, and so on. The flight management system also includes a message exchange interface in which enables the core and supplementary modules to exchanges messages with each other. The core and supplementary modules includes corresponding core module and supplementary module interfacing functionalities that respectively interface with generic and specific man-machine interfaces.

SAFETY MOTOR CONTROLLER FOR A VEHICLE
20170084181 · 2017-03-23 ·

According to various embodiments, there is provided a safety motor controller (SMC) for installing in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) between at least one electronic speed controller (ESC) configured to use a predetermined data protocol and an existing motor controller (EMC) configured to transmit EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC, the SMC including: an input port configured to receive the EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol from the EMC; and a processor configured to detect a trigger event and to transmit SMC motor control signals corresponding to at least one of the EMC motor control signals in accordance with the predetermined data protocol to the at least one ESC in response to the trigger event.

HEADING GENERATION METHOD AND SYSTEM OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE
20170083027 · 2017-03-23 · ·

The present invention discloses a heading generation method of an unmanned aerial vehicle including the following steps of: making a preliminary flight for selecting a point of view to record flight waypoints, the waypoints including positioning data and flight altitude information of the unmanned aerial vehicle; receiving and recording flight waypoints of the unmanned aerial vehicle; generating a flight trajectory according to waypoints of the preliminary flight; editing the flight trajectory to obtain a new flight trajectory; and transmitting the edited new flight trajectory to the unmanned aerial vehicle to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly according to the new flight trajectory. The present invention further relates to a heading generation system of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Systems and methods for restricting drone airspace access
09601022 · 2017-03-21 · ·

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for providing conditional access for a drone for accessing a restricted area. Conditional access information associated with conditional access restrictions for the restricted area may be received by the drone. The drone may compare the received conditional access information to one or more access parameters for the drone. The drone may access the restricted area based on the comparison of the received conditional access information and the access parameter. A drone may take corrective action when the received conditional access information does not permit access to the restricted area based on the access parameter for the drone.

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING AN AIRCRAFT TRAJECTORY
20170076614 · 2017-03-16 ·

Systems and methods of the present invention are provided to generate a plurality of flight trajectories that do not conflict with other aircraft in a local area. Interventions by an air traffic control system help prevent collisions between aircraft, but these interventions can also cause an aircraft to substantially deviate from the pilot's intended flight trajectory, which burns fuels, wastes time, etc. Systems and methods of the present invention can assign a standard avoidance interval to other aircraft in the area such that a pilot's aircraft does not receive an intervention by an air traffic control system. Systems and methods of the present invention also generate a plurality of conflict-free flight trajectories such that a pilot or an automated system may select the most desirable flight trajectory for fuel efficiency, speed, and other operational considerations, etc.

VALIDATING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL MESSAGES DURING THE COURSE OF FLIGHT
20170076611 · 2017-03-16 ·

A system and method for dynamically validating uplink messages during flight are provided. The system comprises at least one processing unit in an aircraft, and at least one communication device in the aircraft that is operatively connected to the processing unit. The communication device is configured to receive uplink messages from a ground air traffic control (ATC) center, and transmit downlink messages to the ground ATC center. The system also includes a human machine interface (HMI) in the aircraft that is operatively connected to the processing unit. The HMI is configured to receive input from a user and display information to the user. One or more data sources that provide dynamic information are in operative communication with the processing unit. The processing unit is configured to determine whether an ATC uplink message is acceptable based on analysis of the dynamic information from the one or more data sources.

SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING UNINHABITED AIRBORNE VEHICLE
20170076613 · 2017-03-16 ·

The present invention is to provide a system of controlling an uninhabited airborne vehicle and method of controlling an uninhabited airborne vehicle, which are capable of storing a flight route through which an airborne vehicle has flown to reproduce a flight of the uninhibited airborne vehicle. The system of controlling an uninhabited airborne vehicle by controlling a flight route of an uninhabited airborne vehicle, includes: a memory unit that stores a flight route through which an uninhabited airborne vehicle has flown; an acquisition unit that acquires the flight route stored in the memory unit; and a control unit that controls the flight route acquired by the acquisition unit to reproduce a flight of the uninhibited airborne vehicle.

METHOD OF FLIGHT PLAN FILING AND CLEARANCE USING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE
20170069213 · 2017-03-09 ·

A method for obtaining flight plan clearance allows a general aviation pilot to negotiate flight plan clearance directly with an air navigation service provider (ANSP), exchanging digital data messages, with the pilot using a wireless communication device, such as a smartphone or a tablet computer. After an initial flight plan has been submitted, the pilot receives a message regarding clearance of the initial flight plan. Proposed changes to the flight plan may be received using the wireless communication device, which may be used to conduct further flight plan change negotiations via digital data messages. The messages may be sent from the wireless communication device may use a format that is suitable for use by the ANSP. There may be security features provided to ensure that flight plan changes are negotiated only by an authorized user, such as the pilot who submitted the original flight plan.

Method and system for automatically displaying flight path, seeding path and weather data

Provided are a method and system for automatically displaying a flight path, a seeding path, and weather data, the system including: an experimental scientist terminal transmitting weather data; a pilot terminal; a terrestrial data processing server transmitting wind field observation data concerning a seeding path; and a portable data processing server that receives and stores weather data from the experimental scientist terminal and constitutes a flight path and a seeding path of an experimental airplane, and a current location of the experimental airplane, thereby transmitting information on the constituted flight path, seeding path, and current location to the experimental scientist terminal and the pilot terminal, the portable data processing server resetting the stored seeding path by control of the experimental scientist terminal based on wind field observation data concerning the seeding path, and storing location information of the experimental airplane by control of the experimental scientist terminal.