Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Bryan M Krawiec

Vladislav Gavrilets

Angus L McLean

Jason J Jakusz

Jack Jordan

Christopher M Boggs

Alexander Roup

Maxime M Gariel

Joel J Fuster

Robert M Caplinger

Daniel K Papke

Amy Lindaman

John D Anderson

David L Lempia

A system for providing maneuvering behaviors to a vehicle is disclosed. The system may include one or more controllers communicatively coupled to one or more vehicles. The one or more controllers may include one or more processors configured to execute one or more program instructions causing the one or more processors to: initiate one or more maneuver primitives in response to decision engine selection; receive a plurality of input parameters for the one or more maneuver primitives, the plurality of input parameters including one or more initialization definition input parameters, one or more goal definition input parameters, one or more navigation state input parameters, one or more design input parameters, and one or more vehicle performance envelope input parameters; and generate one or more control signals at one or more predetermined intervals of time to maneuver the one or more vehicles based on the decision engine selection.

System and method for providing maneuvering behaviors to a vehicle using maneuver primitives

A mission system for autonomous vehicle (AV) team coordination and a method of using the same are disclosed. A controller included on an AV shares mission data between two or more AVs, and in response to communication denial, generates estimated navigation trajectories for teammate AVs. A simulation outputs estimated navigation states for the teammate AVs. The estimated navigation states are identical or substantially identical to navigation states otherwise generated by controllers included on the teammate AVs. The estimated navigation trajectories are generated based on the estimated navigation states.

High fidelity teammate state estimation for coordinated autonomous operations in communications denied environments

A system and method for integrity monitoring generates primary control output via a primary module. The primary control output is configured to be used to control an autonomous vehicle (AV). The system and method receive situational data comprising AV data and environmental data. The system and method generate, using a monitor module configured to monitor the AV, a set of fallback actions based on at least the situational data. The system and method generate, using the monitor module, a fallback status based on at least the set of fallback actions, where the fallback status is configured to correspond to a determination of whether to override the primary control output.

System and method for guidance integrity monitoring for low-integrity modules

A hierarchical modular arbitration architecture for a mobile platform guidance system is disclosed. In embodiments, the architecture comprises a hierarchy of arbitration layers, each arbitration layer narrower in scope than the layer above (e.g., mission objective arbitrators, route arbitrators, path arbitrators). Each arbitration layer includes one or more objective-based arbitrators in communication with one or more applications or modes. Each arbitrator receives control input (e.g., from the pilot, from aircraft sensors) and control signals from the level above, selecting a mode to make active based on decision agents within the arbitrator layer which control mode priorities and sequencing (e.g., some flight objectives may involve multiple arbitrators and their subject applications coordinating in sequence). Each arbitrator passes control signals associated with fulfilling the commands of the active mode to the level below and reports application and error information to the arbitrator level above and/or human/artificial pilot machine interfaces.

Platform guidance system incorporating hierarchical modular arbitration architecture

A system for automated formation flight is disclosed. The system may include a formation commander sub-system including a task-based interface configured to receive a sequence of one or more task-based commands along with one or more sets of task-based options for each of the one or more task-based commands from an operator using one or more task-based selectable buttons of the task-based interface. The system may further include a formation manger sub-system communicatively coupled to the formation commander sub-system. Each vehicle of one or more vehicles within one or more teams may be configured to employ the formation manager sub-system. The formation manager sub-system may be configured to receive the one or more task-based commands along with the one or more sets of task-based options for each vehicle to perform.

Formation management and guidance system and method for automated formation flight

A system and method for automated vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft emergency landing is disclosed. The system receives a plurality of inputs from onboard modules including aircraft state, vehicle health, acceptable landing zone (LZ), emergency landing path, and 3D world model to prepare an emergency landing procedure when necessary. If functional onboard an unmanned VTOL aircraft, the vehicle health module determines an emergency landing requirement, the system commands a damage tolerant autopilot to perform the emergency procedure and automatically control the VTOL aircraft. If functional onboard a manned VTOL aircraft, an operator or the vehicle health module initiates the emergency landing. Regardless of initiation, the emergency landing system controls, or provides guidance for manned control of, the VTOL aircraft from the point of initiation through touchdown at a threat differentiated preferred LZ via failure-based flight control inputs for automatic landing, or autonomous autorotation entry, glide, and flare.

VTOL emergency landing system and method

An avionics computing device of an aircraft including a rotor may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium and a processor communicatively coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium. Upon an occurrence of a condition indicative of a requirement to perform an autorotation maneuver, the processor may be configured to generate autorotation guidance commands based on a generated feasible three-dimensional autorotation trajectory. The generated feasible three-dimensional autorotation trajectory may be for the autorotation maneuver of an aircraft including a rotor. The generated autorotation guidance commands may be configured to guide a pilot of the aircraft to perform the autorotation maneuver of the aircraft along the generated feasible three-dimensional autorotation trajectory. The processor may further be configured to output data associated with the generated autorotation guidance commands to an input/output device for presentation to the pilot.

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Herndon, VA, United States of America

Bryan M Krawiec