A system and method for authorising and executing safe semi-autonomous engagement of a safety-critical device

A system with three signal communication channels and hardware safety barriers ensures safe, ethical, and reliable semi-autonomous engagement of safety-critical devices, addressing the compliance gap in existing systems for remote operations.

AU2023355694B2Pending Publication Date: 2026-07-16KONGSBERG DEFENCE & AEROSPACE
View PDF 1 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
AU · AU
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
KONGSBERG DEFENCE & AEROSPACE
Filing Date
2023-10-02
Publication Date
2026-07-16

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing systems for operating safety-critical devices at remote locations, particularly in the defense industry, lack a fail-safe mechanism to ensure compliance with operational autonomy levels 4 and 5, which require strict ethical guidelines and high availability radio communication, especially when using AI for semi-autonomous operations.

Method used

A system with three distinct signal communication channels for activation, authorization, and arming control signals, utilizing hardware safety barriers and high availability radio, ensuring true diversity and maintaining a consistent safety architecture, allowing human operators to authorize robotic systems safely.

Benefits of technology

Ensures compliance with operational autonomy levels 4 and 5 by providing a diversified and secure mechanism for authorizing and executing semi-autonomous engagements, maintaining safety and ethical oversight even in the presence of communication errors.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure 00000001_0000
    Figure 00000001_0000
  • Figure 00000022_0000
    Figure 00000022_0000
  • Figure 00000023_0000
    Figure 00000023_0000
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A system and method for authorizing and executing safe semi-autonomous engagement of a safety critical firing device at a remote location. The system comprises, at a near location, a Human Machine Interface with input means comprising at least one hardware safety barrier and hardware barrier communication means with interfaces connected to a network providing at least three different signal communication channels, a first signal communication channel for carrying activation control signals (PALM), a second signal communication channel for carrying authorization signals and a third signal communication channel for carrying arming control signals (ARM). The system further comprises, at the remote location, a control unit and an Robotic Operator Server connected to a fire control system of the safety critical firing device and to the network, where the control unit is adapted to receive the activation control signal (PALM) carried on the first signal communication channel, and where the control unit comprises at least one hardware safety barrier and hardware barrier communication means with interfaces connected to the network, making the third signal communication channel as a closed loop signal communication channel between the hardware safety barriers of the Human Machine Interface and the control unit for transferring the arming control signals (ARM) to a fire control system of the safety critical firing device via the control unit, and where the Robotic Operator Server comprises software for detecting and locking to a target and for providing authorization information via the second signal communication channel of the network to the Human Machine Interface, and to transfer trigger signals (TRIG) to the fire control system when authorisation of engagement is confirmed by an operator via the control panel, and where the safety critical firing device is engaged if all of activation control signals (PALM), arming control signals (ARM) and the trigger signals (TRIG) are present in the fire control system.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art