Systems and methods for detecting vehicle or environmental changes based on data from an automated vehicle

Abstract

The present invention is titled "Systems and Methods for Detecting Vehicle or Environmental Changes Based on Data from Automated Vehicles". The present invention discloses methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable media for managing data from vehicles. For example, the method may include receiving vehicle data from a vehicle among a plurality of vehicles; obtaining aggregated vehicle data and vehicle parameters; performing an analysis on the vehicle data, the aggregated vehicle data, and the vehicle parameters to: detect a vehicle parameter event, or detect an environmental change; and in response to detecting the vehicle parameter event or the environmental change, transmitting a status message to a service associated with the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for managing data from vehicles, and more particularly, to systems and methods for managing data from aerial vehicles. Background Art

[0002] The infrastructure and processes of urban air mobility (UAM) can face several challenges. For example, UAM may require a large amount of data collection, communication, processing, and reporting to ensure timely, safe, and efficient resource allocation for travel in a UAM environment. For example, certifying authorities may require operators of UAM vehicles to ensure specific tolerances for vehicle operation, such as, among other things, sufficient vehicle structural integrity, sufficient electrical system reserve and health, sufficient vehicle spacing within traffic restrictions, and obstacle avoidance. Data for each of these types of tolerances may need to be reported and checked every few seconds during the flight of a UAM vehicle to ensure that the UAM vehicle operates safely in an urban environment. Additionally, the same data can be used to effectively manage UAM vehicles (e.g., for maintenance and scheduling purposes). Since the amount of data for certification purposes can be envisioned as overwhelming operator systems and / or interfering with operator processes outside of certification compliance, the challenge may be how to collect, process relevant information, and present that relevant information to the operator of a UAM vehicle.

[0003] The present disclosure relates to overcoming one or more of the challenges described above. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, systems and methods for managing data from vehicles are disclosed.

[0005] For example, a method may include receiving vehicle data from a vehicle among a plurality of vehicles; obtaining aggregated vehicle data and vehicle parameters; performing an analysis on the vehicle data, the aggregated vehicle data, and the vehicle parameters to: detect a vehicle parameter event, or detect an environmental change; and in response to detecting the vehicle parameter event or the environmental change, transmit a status message to a service associated with the vehicle.

[0006] A system may include a memory storing instructions; and a processor that executes the instructions to perform a process. The process may include: receiving vehicle data from a vehicle among a plurality of vehicles; obtaining aggregated vehicle data and vehicle parameters; performing an analysis on the vehicle data, the aggregated vehicle data, and the vehicle parameters to: detect a vehicle parameter event, or detect an environmental change; and in response to detecting the vehicle parameter event or the environmental change, transmit a status message to a service associated with the vehicle.

[0007] A non-transitory computer-readable medium can store instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method. The method can include: receiving vehicle data from a vehicle among a plurality of vehicles; obtaining aggregated vehicle data and vehicle parameters; performing an analysis on the vehicle data, the aggregated vehicle data, and the vehicle parameters to: detect a vehicle parameter event, or detect an environmental change; and in response to detecting the vehicle parameter event or the environmental change, transmitting a status message to a service associated with the vehicle.

[0008] Additional objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosed embodiments.

[0009] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the embodiments claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The drawings incorporated in and constituting a part of this specification illustrate various exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.

[0011] Figure 1 An exemplary environment is shown in which the methods, systems, and other aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0012] Figure 2 An exemplary system is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0013] Figure 3A and Figure 3B An exemplary block diagram of a vehicle of a system is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0014] Figure 4 A flowchart is shown for managing data from a vehicle in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0015] Figure 5 An exemplary system is shown that can execute the techniques presented herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Various embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to managing data from vehicles.

[0017] Generally speaking, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for managing data from an aerial vehicle. The system of the present disclosure can obtain vehicle data from a vehicle among multiple vehicles; determine whether a vehicle parameter event or an environmental change has occurred; and in response to detecting a vehicle parameter event or an environmental change, transmit a status message to a service associated with the vehicle. The vehicle parameter event can detect whether the vehicle's power system (e.g., battery), structural components, or actuation system, etc., requires maintenance and whether it is unsafe to continue operation (immediately or for the completion of the next task, etc.). The vehicle parameter event can also detect whether the vehicle is following a planned path or detect whether the traffic for the vehicle is too congested. The environmental change detection process can also indicate that a new obstacle to the vehicle (and vehicles similar to it) is new to the vehicle's environment, so that all vehicles (or a part of them) can be made aware of the new obstacle.

[0018] For example, the system of the present disclosure can collect, store, and process vehicle data to ensure certification compliance and provide additional feedback to the UAM operator. For example, the system of the present disclosure can analyze vehicle data and check for sufficient vehicle structural integrity, sufficient power system reserve and health, sufficient vehicle spacing within traffic restrictions, and obstacle avoidance. For example, the system of the present disclosure can notify the operator of battery information (charging, discharge rate, health, etc.), vehicle health information (structural or actuation system), location history, and flight plan tracking, etc. In addition, the system of the present disclosure can provide the operator with a go / no-go decision.

[0019] Although the present disclosure describes systems and methods related to aircraft, it should be understood that the systems and methods of the present disclosure are applicable to the management of vehicles, including drones, automobiles, ships, or the management of any other autonomous and / or internet-connected vehicles.

[0020] As Figure 1 shown, Figure 1 An exemplary environment is shown in which the methods, systems, and other aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented. Figure 1The environment may include an airspace 100 and one or more central ports 111-117. A central port (such as any of 111-117) can be a ground facility where an aircraft can take off, land, or remain parked (e.g., an airport, a vertiport, a heliport, a vertistop, a helistop, a temporary landing / takeoff facility, etc.). The airspace 100 can accommodate various types of aircraft 131-133 (collectively referred to as "aircraft 131" unless otherwise specified herein), which fly at various altitudes and via various routes 141. An aircraft (such as any of aircraft 131a-133b) can be any air transportation device or vehicle capable of traveling between two or more central ports 111-117, such as an airplane, a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOL), a drone, a helicopter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a hot air balloon, a military aircraft, etc. Any of aircraft 131a-133b can be connected to each other and / or to one or more of central ports 111-117 through a communication network using a vehicle management computer corresponding to each aircraft or each central port. Each vehicle management computer can include a computing device and / or a communication device, as described in more detail below in Figure 3A and Figure 3B below. As Figure 1 shown, different types of aircraft sharing the airspace 100 are shown, which are exemplified and classified as model 131 (aircraft 131a and 131b), model 132 (aircraft 132a, 132b, and 132c), and model 133 (aircraft 133a and 133b).

[0021] As Figure 1 further shown, the airspace 100 may have one or more weather constraints 121, spatial restrictions 122 (e.g., buildings), and temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) 123. These are exemplary factors that may require the vehicle management computer of an aircraft to consider and / or analyze in order to derive the safest and best flight trajectory of the aircraft. For example, if the vehicle management computer of an aircraft planning to travel from central port 112 to central port 115 predicts that the aircraft may be affected by adverse weather conditions in the airspace (such as weather constraint 121), the vehicle management computer may modify the direct path (e.g., route 141 between central port 112 and central port 115) by a slight bend away from the weather constraint 121 (e.g., a detour to the north) to form a deviated route 142. For example, the deviated route 142 can ensure that the path and time of the aircraft (e.g., the 4-D coordinates of the flight trajectory) do not intersect with any position and time coordinates of the weather constraint 121 (e.g., the 4-D coordinates of the weather constraint 121).

[0022] As another example, the vehicle management computer of aircraft 131b may predict before takeoff that the space limitation 122 caused by a building will impede the direct flight path of aircraft 131b from central port 112 to central port 117, as Figure 1 shown. In response to this prediction, the vehicle management computer of aircraft 131b may generate a 4-D trajectory of a vehicle path that bypasses a three-dimensional area (e.g., an area including position and altitude) associated with those specific buildings. As yet another example, the vehicle management computer of aircraft 133b may predict before takeoff that TFR 123 and some possible 4-D trajectories of another aircraft 132c will impede or conflict with the direct flight path of aircraft 133b, as Figure 1 shown. In response, the vehicle management computer of aircraft 133b may generate a 4-D trajectory with path and time coordinates that do not intersect the 4-D coordinates of TFR 123 or the 4-D trajectories of other aircraft 132c. In this case, TFR 123 and the risk of collision with another aircraft 132c are examples of dynamic factors that may be valid or invalid depending on the planned travel time, the active time of the TFR, and the paths and schedules of other aircraft 132c. As described in these examples, the 4-D trajectory derivation process, including any modifications or renegotiations, may be completed before the takeoff of the aircraft.

[0023] As another example, the vehicle management computer of aircraft 131b may determine to use one of the routes 141 that are reserved for or not dedicated to aircraft 131. Aircraft 131b may generate a 4-D trajectory of a vehicle path that follows one of the routes 141.

[0024] As indicated above, Figure 1 only an exemplary environment of airspace is set to include exemplary types of aircraft, central ports, areas, limitations, and routes. Regarding the specific details of aircraft, central ports, areas, limitations, and routes, other examples are possible and may be different from what is described with respect to Figure 1 the above. For example, in addition to those described above, the types of areas and limitations that may be trajectory derivation factors may include the availability of central ports, reserved paths or sky lanes (e.g., route 141), any ground-based obstacles extending out to a specific altitude level, any known avoidance areas (e.g., noise-sensitive areas), air transportation regulations (e.g., proximity to airports), etc. During the derivation process, any factors that enable the modification of the 4-D trajectory from the direct or shortest path between two central ports may be considered.

[0025] Figure 2 An exemplary system is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments. Figure 2The system 200 shown may include one or more aircraft (such as aircraft 131), one or more intruder aircraft 230, cloud services 205, one or more communication stations 210, and / or one or more ground stations 215. One or more aircraft 131 may travel along a route in route 141 from a first central port (e.g., central port 114) to a second central port (e.g., central port 112). Between, near, and / or on central ports (such as central ports 111 - 117), one or more ground stations 215 may be distributed (e.g., evenly, based on traffic considerations, etc.) along route 141 / near route / on route / under route. Between, near, and / or on central ports (such as central ports 111 - 117), one or more communication stations 210 may be distributed (e.g., evenly, based on traffic considerations, etc.). Some (or all) of the one or more ground stations 215 may be paired with communication stations 210 among the one or more communication stations 210.

[0026] Each ground station among the one or more ground stations 215 may include a transponder system, a radar system, and / or a data link system.

[0027] The radar system of the ground station 215 may include a directional radar system. The directional radar system may point upward (e.g., from the ground towards the sky), and the directional radar system may transmit a beam 220 to provide three - dimensional coverage over a portion of route 141. The beam 220 may be a narrow beam. The three - dimensional coverage of the beam 220 may be directly above the ground station 215 or at various tilt angles (relative to the vertical direction). The directional radar system may detect objects within the three - dimensional coverage of the beam 220, such as aircraft 131. The directional radar system may detect objects through skin detection. In the case where the ground station 215 is located on a central port (such as central port 112), the directional radar system may transmit a beam 225 to provide three - dimensional coverage above the central port 112. The beam 225 may also be tilted at an angle (from the vertical direction) to detect objects arriving at, descending to, and landing on the central port 112. The beam 220 / 225 may be controlled mechanically (by moving the radar system), electronically (e.g., phased array), or by software (e.g., digital phased array “DAPA” radar) or any combination thereof.

[0028] The transponder system of the ground station 215 may include an ADS-B and / or Mode S transponder, and / or other transponder systems (collectively referred to as the interrogator system). The interrogator system may have at least one directional antenna. The directional antenna may be aimed at a portion of the route 141. For example, aiming at a portion of the route 141 may reduce the likelihood of covering an ecosystem (e.g., the aircraft 131) with an interrogation, as would be the case if the interrogator system used an omnidirectional antenna. The directional antenna may aim at a specific portion of the route 141 by transmitting signals in the same or a different beam pattern as the beams 220 / 225 discussed above for the radar system. The interrogator system may transmit interrogation messages within a portion of the route 141 to aircraft such as the aircraft 131. The interrogation message may include an identifier of the interrogator system and / or a request for the aircraft such as the aircraft 131 to transmit an identification message. The interrogator system may receive an identification message from an aircraft such as the aircraft 131. The identification message may include an identifier of the aircraft and / or transponder aircraft data of the aircraft (e.g., speed, position, trajectory, etc.).

[0029] If the radar system detects an object and the transponder system does not receive a corresponding identification message from the object (or does receive an identification message, but the identification message is an improper identification message, e.g., the identifier of an unauthorized aircraft), then the ground station 215 may determine that the object is an intrusive aircraft 230. The ground station 215 may then transmit an intrusion warning message to the cloud service 205. If the radar system detects an object and the transponder system receives a corresponding identification message from the object, then the ground station 215 may determine that the object is a legitimate aircraft. The ground station 215 may then transmit a legitimate aircraft message to the cloud service 205. In addition or alternatively, the ground station 215 may transmit a detection message based on the detection of the object and whether the ground station 215 has received an identification message ("response message"); thus, the ground station 215 may not determine whether the detected object is an intrusive aircraft or a legitimate aircraft, but instead send a detection message to the cloud service 205 for the cloud service 205 to determine whether the detected object is an intrusive aircraft or a legitimate aircraft.

[0030] The data link system of the ground station 215 can communicate with at least one of one or more communication stations 210. Each of the one or more communication stations 210 can communicate with at least one of one or more ground stations 215 within the area surrounding the communication station 210 to receive data from or transmit data to the one or more ground stations. Some communication stations 210 or no communication stations may not communicate directly with the ground station 215, but instead can be a repeater for other communication stations 210 that communicate directly with the ground station 215. For example, each of the ground stations 215 can communicate with the nearest communication station (directly or indirectly) among the communication stations 210. In addition or alternatively, the ground station 215 can communicate with a communication station 210 that has the best signal, best bandwidth, etc. for the ground station 215. The one or more communication stations 210 can include a wireless communication system to communicate with the data link system of the ground station 215. The wireless communication system can implement cellular communication according to, for example, 3G / 4G / 5G standards. The wireless communication system can enable Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, or other short-range wireless communication. In addition or alternatively, the one or more communication stations 210 can communicate with one or more of the one or more ground stations 215 based on wired communication (such as Ethernet, fiber optic, etc.).

[0031] For example, the ground station 215 can transmit an intrusion warning message or a legitimate aircraft message (and / or detection message) to the communication station 210. Then, the communication station 210 can relay (directly or indirectly through another communication station 210) the intrusion warning message or the legitimate aircraft message (and / or detection message) to the cloud service 205.

[0032] The one or more communication stations 210 can also communicate with one or more aircraft such as the aircraft 131 to receive data from and transmit data to the one or more aircraft. For example, the one or more communication stations 210 can relay data between the cloud service 205 and a vehicle such as the aircraft 131.

[0033] The cloud service 205 can communicate with one or more communication stations 210 and / or communicate directly (e.g., via satellite communication) with an aircraft such as aircraft 131. The cloud service 205 can provide instructions, data, and / or warnings to aircraft 131. The cloud service 205 can receive acknowledgments from aircraft 131, aircraft data from aircraft 131, and / or other information from aircraft 131. For example, the cloud service 205 can provide weather data, traffic data, landing area data of central ports (such as central ports 111-117), updated obstacle data, flight plan data, etc. to aircraft 131. The cloud service 205 can also provide software as a service (SaaS) to aircraft 131 to perform various software functions, such as navigation services, flight management system (FMS) services, etc., according to service contracts, API requests from aircraft 131, etc.

[0034] Figure 3A and Figure 3B An exemplary block diagram of a vehicle of a system according to one or more embodiments is shown. Figure 3A and Figure 3B Block diagrams 300A and 300B of a vehicle (such as aircraft 131-133) may be shown respectively. Generally speaking, block diagram 300A may show the systems, information / data of a pilot-driven or semi-autonomous vehicle, and the communication between the systems, while block diagram 300B may show the systems, information / data of a fully autonomous vehicle, and the communication between the systems. Aircraft 131 can be one of a pilot-driven or semi-autonomous vehicle and / or a fully autonomous vehicle.

[0035] The block diagram 300a of aircraft 131 may include a vehicle management computer 302 and electrical, mechanical, and / or software systems (collectively referred to as "vehicle systems"). The vehicle systems may include: one or more displays 304; a communication system 306; one or more transponders 308; a pilot / user interface 324 for receiving and transmitting information from and to the pilot and / or user 310 of aircraft 131; edge sensors 312 on the structure 346 of aircraft 131 (such as doors, seats, tires, etc.); a power system 378 for providing power to an actuation system 360; cameras 316; a GPS system 354; an on-board vehicle navigation system 314; a flight control computer 370; and / or one or more data storage systems. The vehicle management computer 302 and the vehicle systems can be connected through one or a combination of wired or wireless communication interfaces, such as TCP / IP communication via Wi-Fi or Ethernet (with or without a switch), RS-422, ARINC-429, or other communication standards (with or without a protocol switch as needed).

[0036] The vehicle management computer 302 may at least include a network interface, a processor, and a memory, which are each coupled to each other via a bus or indirectly coupled to each other via a wired or wireless connection (such as Wi-Fi, Ethernet, parallel or serial ATA, etc.). The memory may store a vehicle management program, and the processor may execute the vehicle management program. The vehicle management program may include a weather program 322, a detection / sensing and avoidance (D / S&A) program 334, a flight route selection program 344, a vehicle status / health program 352, a communication program 368, a flight control program 370, and / or a vertiport status program 372 (collectively referred to as "sub-programs"). According to the program code of the vehicle management program, the vehicle management program may obtain inputs from the sub-programs and send outputs to the sub-programs to manage the aircraft 131. According to the program code of the vehicle management program, the vehicle management program may also obtain inputs from the vehicle system and output instructions / data to the vehicle system.

[0037] The vehicle management computer 302 may transmit instructions / data / graphic user interfaces to one or more displays 304 and / or a pilot / user interface 324. One or more displays 304 and / or a pilot / user interface 324 may receive user inputs and transmit the user inputs to the vehicle management computer 302.

[0038] The communication system 306 may include various data link systems (such as satellite communication systems), cellular communication systems (such as LTE, 4G, 5G, etc.), radio communication systems (such as HF, VHF, etc.), and / or wireless local area network communication systems (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.). The communication system 306 may enable communication between the aircraft 131 and an external network, services, and cloud services 205 as discussed above according to the communication program 368. Examples of the external network may include a wide area network such as the Internet. Examples of the services may include a weather information service 318, a traffic information service, etc.

[0039] One or more transponders 308 may include an interrogator system. The interrogator system of the aircraft 131 may be an ADS-B, Mode S transponder, and / or other transponder systems. The interrogator system may have an omnidirectional antenna and / or a directional antenna (interrogator system antenna). The interrogator system antenna may transmit / receive signals to transmit / receive interrogation messages and transmit / receive identification messages. For example, in response to receiving an interrogation message, the interrogator system may obtain, for example, the identifier of the aircraft 131 and / or the transponder aircraft data (e.g., speed, position, trajectory, etc.) of the aircraft 131 from the on-board vehicle navigation system 314; and transmit an identification message. Conversely, the interrogator system may transmit an interrogation message to nearby aircraft; and receive an identification message. One or more transponders 308 may send messages to the vehicle management computer 302 to report interrogation messages and / or identification messages received / transmitted from other aircraft and / or the ground station 215. As discussed above, the interrogation message may include the identifier of the interrogator system (in this case, the aircraft 131), request nearby aircraft to transmit an identification message, and / or the transponder aircraft data (e.g., speed, position, trajectory, etc.) of the aircraft 131 (different from the above); the identification message may include the identifier of the aircraft 131 and / or the transponder aircraft data of the aircraft 131.

[0040] The edge sensors 312 on the structure 346 of the aircraft 131 may be sensors for detecting various environmental and / or system status information. For example, some of the edge sensors 312 may monitor discrete signals, such as edge sensors on the seats (e.g., occupied or unoccupied), doors (e.g., closed or open), etc. of the aircraft 131. Some of the edge sensors 312 may monitor continuous signals, such as edge sensors on the tires (e.g., tire pressure), brakes (e.g., engaged or disengaged, amount of wear, etc.), passenger cabin (e.g., cabin air pressure, air composition, temperature, etc.), support structure (e.g., deformation, strain, etc.), etc. of the aircraft 131. The edge sensors 312 may transmit edge sensor data to the vehicle management computer 302 to report discrete signals and / or continuous signals.

[0041] The power system 378 may include one or more battery systems, fuel cell systems, and / or other chemical power systems to power the actuation system 360 and / or the general vehicle system. In one aspect of the present disclosure, the power system 378 may be a battery pack. The power system 378 may have various sensors to detect one or more of temperature, remaining fuel / charge, discharge rate, etc. (collectively referred to as power system data 348). The power system 378 may transmit the power system data 348 to the vehicle management computer 302 such that the power system status 350 (or battery pack status) can be monitored by the vehicle status / health program 352.

[0042] The actuation system 360 may include: a motor, an engine, and / or a thruster for generating thrust, lift, and / or directional force for the aircraft 131; flaps or other surface controls for enhancing the thrust, lift, and / or directional force of the aircraft 131; and / or aircraft mechanical systems (e.g., for deploying landing gear, windshield wipers, signal lights, etc.). According to the flight control program 370, the vehicle management computer 302 may control the actuation system 360 by transmitting instructions, and the actuation system 360 may transmit the feedback / current state of the actuation system 360 (which may be referred to as actuation system data) to the vehicle management computer 302.

[0043] The camera 316 may include an inferential or optical camera, LIDAR, or other vision imaging systems to record the internal or external environment of the aircraft 131. The camera 316 may obtain inferential images; optical images; and / or LIDAR point cloud data, or any combination thereof (collectively referred to as "imaging data"). The LIDAR point cloud data may include the coordinates of each data point received by the LIDAR (which may include, for example, position, intensity, time information, etc.). The camera 316 and / or the vehicle management computer 302 may include machine vision capabilities. The machine vision capabilities may process the acquired imaging data to detect objects, the positions of the detected objects, the speed / rate of the detected objects (relative and / or absolute), the size and / or shape of the detected objects, etc. (collectively referred to as "machine vision outputs"). For example, the machine vision capabilities may be used to image the landing area to confirm that the landing area is clear / unobstructed (landing zone (LZ) state 362). In addition or alternatively, the machine vision capabilities may determine whether the physical environment (e.g., buildings, structures, cranes, etc.) around and / or on / near the route 141 of the aircraft 131 can be or will be within the safe flight envelope of the aircraft 131 (e.g., based on the position, speed, and flight plan of the aircraft 131). The imaging data and / or the machine vision outputs may be referred to as "imaging output data". The camera 316 may transmit the imaging data and / or the machine vision outputs of the machine vision capabilities to the vehicle management computer 302. The camera 316 may determine whether an element detected in the physical environment is known or unknown based on the obstacle data stored in the obstacle database 356, such as by determining the position of the detected object and determining whether there is an obstacle in the obstacle database with the same position (or within a defined distance range). The imaging output data may include any obstacles determined not to be in the obstacle data of the obstacle database 356 (unknown obstacle information).

[0044] The GPS system 354 may include one or more Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. The GNSS receivers may receive signals from the Global Positioning System (GPS) developed by the United States, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) developed by Russia, the Galileo system developed by the European Union, and / or the Beidou system developed by China, or other global or regional satellite navigation systems. The GNSS receivers may determine the positioning information of the aircraft 131. The positioning information may include information about one or more of the following: the position of the vehicle (e.g., latitude and longitude, or Cartesian coordinates), altitude, speed, heading, or orbit, etc. The GPS system 354 may transmit the positioning information to the on-board vehicle navigation system 314 and / or the vehicle management computer 302.

[0045] The on-board vehicle navigation system 314 may include one or more radars, one or more magnetometers, an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), and / or one or more air data modules. One or more radars may be weather radars for scanning weather and / or lightweight digital radars for scanning terrain / ground / objects / obstacles (such as DAPA radars (omnidirectional and / or directional)). One or more radars may obtain radar information. The radar information may include information about local weather and terrain / ground / objects / obstacles (e.g., the aircraft or obstacles and associated positions / movements). One or more magnetometers may measure magnetic forces to obtain the azimuth information of the aircraft 131. The AHRS may include sensors (e.g., three sensors on three axes) to obtain the attitude information of the aircraft 131. The attitude information may include the roll, pitch, and yaw of the aircraft 131. The air data module may sense the external air pressure to obtain the airspeed information of the aircraft 131. The radar information, azimuth information, attitude information, airspeed information, and / or positioning information (collectively referred to as navigation information) may be transmitted to the vehicle management computer 302.

[0046] Weather program 322 may use communication system 306 to transmit and / or receive weather information from one or more of weather information services 318. For example, weather program 322 may obtain local weather information from weather radar and on-board vehicle navigation systems 314, such as an air data module. The weather program may also transmit a request for weather information 320. For example, the request may be for weather information 320 (route weather information) along route 141 of aircraft 131. Route weather information may include information about precipitation, wind, turbulence, storms, cloud cover, visibility, etc. along / near the flight path of aircraft 131, at the destination and / or departure location (e.g., one of hubs 111-117), or for the general area surrounding the flight path, destination location, and / or departure location. One or more of weather information services 318 may transmit a response including route weather information. In addition or alternatively, one or more of weather information services 318 may transmit an update message to aircraft 131, the update message including route weather information and / or an update to route weather information.

[0047] The D / S&A program 334 can use one or more transponders 308 and / or the pilot / user interface 324 to detect and avoid objects that may pose a potential threat to the aircraft 131. For example, the pilot / user interface 324 can receive user input (or radar / imaging detection) from the pilot and / or user of the vehicle 310 to indicate the detection of an object; the pilot / user interface 324 (or radar / imaging detection) can transmit the user input (or radar or imaging information) to the vehicle management computer 302; the vehicle management computer 302 can call the D / S&A program 334 to perform an object detection process 328 to determine whether the detected object is a non-cooperative object 332 (e.g., it is an aircraft that does not participate in transponder communication); optionally, the vehicle management computer 302 can determine the position, speed, trajectory (non-cooperative object information) of the non-cooperative object 332, such as by radar tracking or image tracking; in response to determining that the object is a non-cooperative object 332, the vehicle management computer 302 can determine an action process, such as instructing the flight control program 370 to avoid the non-cooperative object 332. As another example, one or more transponders 308 can detect an intrusive aircraft (such as the intrusive aircraft 230) based on an identification message from the intrusive aircraft; one or more transponders 308 can transmit a message to the vehicle management computer 302, the message including the identification message from the intrusive aircraft; the vehicle management computer 302 can extract an identifier and / or transponder aircraft data from the identification message to obtain the identifier and / or speed, position, trajectory, etc. of the intrusive aircraft; the vehicle management computer 302 can call the D / S&A program 334 to perform a position detection process 326 to determine whether the detected object is a cooperative object 330 and its position, speed, heading, trajectory, etc.; in response to determining that the object is a cooperative object 330, the vehicle management computer 302 can determine an action process, such as instructing the flight control program 370 to avoid the cooperative object 330. For example, according to rules based on regulations and / or scenarios, the action process can be different or the same for non-cooperative and cooperative objects 330 / 332.

[0048] The flight route selection program 344 may use the communication system 306 to generate / receive flight plan information 338 and receive system vehicle information 336 from the cloud service 205. The flight plan information 338 may include a departure location (e.g., one of the central ports 111-117), a destination location (e.g., one of the central ports 111-117), intermediate locations (if any) between the departure and destination locations (e.g., waypoints or one or more of the central ports 111-117), and / or one or more routes 141 to be used (or not used). The system vehicle information 336 may include other vehicle positioning information of other aircraft relative to the aircraft 131 (referred to as the "receiving aircraft 131" for reference). For example, the other vehicle positioning information may include the positioning information of other aircraft. The other aircraft may include: all of the aircraft 131-133 and / or the intrusive aircraft 230; the aircraft 131-133 and / or the intrusive aircraft 230 within a threshold distance of the receiving aircraft 131; the aircraft 131-133 and / or the intrusive aircraft 230 using the same route 141 as the receiving aircraft (or that will use the same route 141 or cross the same route 141); and / or the aircraft 131-133 and / or the intrusive aircraft 230 within the same geographical area (e.g., a city, town, metropolitan area, or its sub-division) as the receiving aircraft.

[0049] The flight route selection program 344 may determine or receive a planned flight path 340. The flight route selection program 344 may receive the planned flight path 340 from another aircraft 131 or the cloud service 205 (or other services, such as the operating service of the aircraft 131). The flight route selection program 344 may use various planning algorithms (e.g., flight planning services on or outside the aircraft 131), the aircraft constraints of the aircraft 131 (e.g., cruise speed, maximum speed, maximum / minimum altitude, maximum range, etc.), and / or external constraints (e.g., restricted airspace, noise reduction zones, etc.) to determine the planned flight path 340. Depending on the flight plan information 338 and / or the system vehicle information 336, the planned / received flight path may include a flight trajectory with 4-D coordinates, a waypoint-based flight path, any suitable flight path of the aircraft 131, or any combination thereof of 4-D trajectories. The 4-D coordinates may include the 3-D coordinates of the space of the flight path (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude) and the time coordinate.

[0050] The flight route selection program 344 can be triggered based on the planned flight path 340 and unplanned events and use various planning algorithms, vehicle constraints of the vehicle 131, and / or external constraints to determine the unplanned flight path 342. The vehicle management computer 302 can determine the unplanned event trigger based on data / information received by the vehicle management computer 302 from other vehicle systems or from the cloud service 205. The unplanned event trigger can include one or a combination of the following: (1) an emergency landing, as indicated by the vehicle state / health program 352 discussed below, or as indicated by user input to one or more displays 304 and / or the pilot / user interface 324; (2) an intrusive vehicle 230, a cooperative object 330, or a non-cooperative object 332 that encroaches on the safe flight envelope of the vehicle 131; (3) a weather change indicated by route weather information (or an update thereof); (4) a machine vision output indicating that a portion of the physical environment is or will be within the safe flight envelope of the vehicle 131; and / or (5) a machine vision output indicating that the landing area is blocked.

[0051] The unplanned flight path 342 / planned flight path 340 and other vehicle positioning information can be collectively referred to as flight plan data.

[0052] The vehicle state / health program 352 can monitor the state / health of the vehicle system and perform actions based on the monitored state / health, such as periodically reporting the state / health, indicating an emergency, etc. The vehicle can obtain edge sensor data and power system data 348. The vehicle state / health program 352 can process the edge sensor data and power system data 348 to determine the state of the power system 378 and various structures and systems monitored by the edge sensors 312, and / or track the health of the power system 378 and the structures and systems monitored by the edge sensors 312. For example, the vehicle state / health program 352 can obtain the power system data 348; determine the battery state 350; and perform actions based thereon, such as reducing the consumption of non-essential systems, reporting the battery state, etc. The vehicle state / health program 352 can determine emergency landing conditions based on one or more of the power system 378 and the structures and systems monitored by the edge sensors 312 having a state indicating that the power system 378 and the structures and systems monitored by the edge sensors 312 have failed or will soon fail. In addition, the vehicle state / health program 352 can transmit the state / health data to the cloud service 205 as a state / health message (or as part of other messages to the cloud service). The state / health data can include actuation system data, all edge sensor data and / or a portion of the power system data, a summary of the edge sensor data and the power system data, and / or a system state indicator based on the edge sensor data and the power system data (e.g., operating normally, reduced wear, inoperable, etc.).

[0053] The flight control program 370 can control the actuation system 360 based on the unplanned flight path 342 / planned flight path 340, other aircraft positioning information, control laws 358, navigation rules 374, and / or user input (e.g., if aircraft 131 is a pilot-operated or semi-autonomous vehicle, the pilot's). The flight control program 370 can receive the planned flight path 340 / unplanned flight path 342 and / or user input (collectively referred to as "routes"), and determine the input to the actuation system 360 based on the control laws 358 and navigation rules 374 to change the speed, heading, and attitude of aircraft 131 to match the route. The control laws 358 can specify the possible range of actions of the actuation system 360, and map the input to the range of actions to achieve the route through, for example, the physics of the flight of aircraft 131. The navigation rules 374 can indicate acceptable actions based on position, waypoints, parts of the flight path, environment, etc. (collectively referred to as "situations"). For example, the navigation rules 374 can indicate the minimum / maximum altitude, minimum / maximum speed, minimum separation distance, heading, or range of acceptable headings, etc. for a given situation.

[0054] The vertical takeoff and landing airport status program 372 can control aircraft 131 during takeoff (by performing the takeoff process 364) and landing (by performing the landing process 366). The takeoff process 364 can determine whether the landing area from which aircraft 131 will depart and the flight environment during ascent are clear (e.g., based on the control laws 358, navigation rules 374, imaging data, obstacle data, unplanned flight path 342 / planned flight path 340, other aircraft positioning information, user input, etc.), and control the aircraft or guide the pilot to complete the ascent (e.g., based on the control laws 358, navigation rules 374, imaging data, obstacle data, flight plan data, user input, etc.). The landing process 366 can determine whether the landing area where aircraft 131 will land and the flight environment during descent are clear (e.g., based on the control laws 358, navigation rules 374, imaging data, obstacle data, flight plan data, user input, landing area status, etc.), and control the aircraft or guide the pilot to complete the descent (e.g., based on the control laws 358, navigation rules 374, imaging data, obstacle data, flight plan data, user input, landing area status, etc.).

[0055] One or more data storage systems can store the data / information received, generated, or obtained on the aircraft. One or more data storage systems can also store the software of one or more computers on the aircraft.

[0056] Block diagram 300B may be the same as block diagram 300A, but block diagram 300B may omit the pilot / user interface 324 and / or one or more displays 304, and include a vehicle position / velocity / altitude system 376. The vehicle position / velocity / altitude system 376 may or may not include the airborne vehicle navigation system 314 and / or the GPS system 354 discussed above. In the case where the vehicle position / velocity / altitude system 376 does not include the airborne vehicle navigation system 314 and / or the GPS system 354, the vehicle position / velocity / altitude system 376 may obtain navigation information from the cloud service 205.

[0057] In one aspect of the present disclosure, one or more (e.g., two, three, multiple) aircraft 131 (of block diagram 300A and / or block diagram 300B) may transmit vehicle data to the cloud service 205 (each transmitting aircraft 131 that transmits vehicle data may be referred to as a "transmitting aircraft 131"). The vehicle data may include one or a combination of the following: (1) transponder vehicle data of one or more other aircraft in the vicinity of the aircraft 131 (from one or more transponders 308); (2) non-cooperative object information of aircraft objects detected by one or more transponders 308; (3) navigation information (or one of its components: radar information, azimuth information, attitude information, airspeed information, and / or positioning information); (4) imaging output data (imaging data, machine vision output, and / or unknown obstacle information); and / or (5) status / health data (edge sensor data and / or power system data).

[0058] The aircraft 131 may transmit the vehicle data (in a vehicle data message) by one or more of various methods (or a combination thereof). For example, the aircraft 131 may transmit the vehicle data by: transmitting it through the communication system 306 to a receiving station operated by or on behalf of the cloud service 205 (for communication types such as one or more communication stations 210, satellites, 3G / 4G / 5G base stations, etc.); transmitting it through the communication system 306 to a receiving station of a third party that forwards it to the cloud service 205 (e.g., through the Internet); transmitting it through the communication system 306 to another aircraft 131 (referred to as a data aggregator) that forwards it to the cloud service 205.

[0059] The cloud service 205 can receive vehicle data from one or more (or multiple) of the aircraft 131. Receiving vehicle data from one or more (or multiple) of the aircraft 131 can be a trigger event that causes the cloud service 205 to perform an analysis process. Generally speaking, the aircraft 131 can continuously transmit vehicle data messages during flight, at a predetermined interval during flight (time, distance, altitude, or a combination thereof, etc.), and / or in response to on-board triggers (such as waypoints, detected objects / obstacles, traffic above expected or limits, etc.). For example, the aircraft 131 can transmit vehicle data messages every few seconds (such as required by the regulations of the certification authority and / or the fleet service to maintain the fleet schedule and availability rate). Since each aircraft 131 can generate and transmit a large amount of data (such as heading, speed, concurrency with the flight plan, vehicle and battery health, altitude, separation from the leading vehicle, etc.), and the number of aircraft 131 operating in a given urban environment may be high (such as 500+ aircraft per urban environment), the cloud service 205 can perform data aggregation, analysis, and alert / notify one or more fleet services that directly operate and manage the aircraft 131.

[0060] In response to receiving vehicle data from the aircraft 131 (or from a threshold number of aircraft 131, after a threshold time period after receiving vehicle data from the aircraft 131, or periodically), the cloud service 205 can perform a vehicle data analysis process. The vehicle data analysis process can include: obtaining aggregated vehicle data and vehicle parameters; performing an analysis on the vehicle data (received for one or more aircraft 131), the aggregated vehicle data, and the vehicle parameters to obtain an analysis result, thereby detecting a vehicle parameter event or detecting an environmental change; determining whether a vehicle parameter event or an environmental change has occurred based on the analysis result (for example, the analysis result indicates an environmental change or a vehicle parameter event); and in response to determining that a vehicle parameter event or an environmental change has occurred, generating a status message and transmitting it to a service associated with the vehicle.

[0061] The set of vehicle data may include one or a combination of the following: previously received vehicle data; and obstacle information of obstacles. The previously received vehicle data may include previously received vehicle data from the transmitting vehicle 131 and / or previously received vehicle data from other vehicles 131. Another vehicle 131 may include all other vehicles 131, vehicles 131 on / within a threshold of the same route 141 of the flight path of the transmitting vehicle 131, and vehicles 131 in the same geographical area (such as a city, metropolitan area, or its sub-division) as the transmitting vehicle 131. The previously received vehicle data may be the most recently received vehicle data, all vehicle data of the flight of the vehicle 131 transmitting the vehicle data, or all vehicle data for a set predetermined time period before the current time. The obstacle information may include object information (such as shape, type, etc.) and location information of all obstacles known to the cloud service 205 or a portion of all obstacles in / on / near the route 141 / flight path of the transmitting vehicle 131 (e.g., obstacles within a threshold distance from a point on the route 141 / flight path).

[0062] The vehicle parameters may include one or a combination of the following: power system requirement information, structural requirement information, actuation system requirement information, certification requirement information, and new obstacle standard information. The power system requirement information may include minimum values, maximum values, trends, average values, reserve requirements, etc., to ensure that the components of the power system of the vehicle 131 are available and safe. The structural requirement information may include minimum values, maximum values, trends, average values, etc., to ensure that the components of the structure 346 of the vehicle 131 are available and safe. The actuation system requirement information may include minimum values, maximum values, trends, average values, etc., to ensure that the components of the actuation system 360 of the vehicle 131 are available and safe. The certification requirement information may include an acceptable minimum value for the spacing between vehicles 131 and / or a maximum value for the traffic on the route 141 / flight path of the transmitting vehicle 131 (e.g., the number of vehicles per route 141 (or the area of the flight path) or per minute (for the area of the route 141 or flight path)). The certification requirement information may also include a vehicle deviation threshold for the distance by which a vehicle may deviate from the route 141 / flight path (or within it). The new obstacle standard information may include information about dimensions, shapes, relative distances from the route 131 or flight path, etc., that are considered to be available and safe.

[0063] To obtain the collective vehicle data and vehicle parameters, cloud service 205 may access a storage device / memory (physical or logical) and retrieve therefrom the collective vehicle data and vehicle parameters or portions thereof. For example, cloud service 205 may retrieve only other vehicle 131 data associated with vehicle data received from a transmitting vehicle 131 (e.g., on the same route 141 or within the same area); cloud service 205 may retrieve historical vehicle data for transmitted data associated with the received vehicle data (e.g., if the received vehicle data includes navigation information, retrieve historical navigation information, etc.).

[0064] Performing an analysis on the vehicle data (received for one or more vehicles 131), the collective vehicle data, and the vehicle parameters to obtain an analysis result for detecting a vehicle parameter event or detecting an environmental change may include: obtaining a trigger rule and applying the trigger rule to the vehicle data to determine one or more analyses to perform. In response to determining one or more analyses to perform / after determining one or more analyses to perform, cloud service 205 may perform the one or more analyses serially or in parallel.

[0065] Cloud service 205 may obtain a trigger rule by initiating an analysis program (which includes the trigger rule) and inputting the vehicle data (or an indicator of the content included in the vehicle data) into the analysis program to obtain calls to one or more programs corresponding to one or more analyses. The trigger rule may include a first trigger rule (structural rule), a second trigger rule (battery rule), a third trigger rule (actuation system rule), a fourth trigger rule (flight path confirmation rule), a fifth rule (flight spacing rule), and / or a sixth rule (obstacle rule). Each of the trigger rules may determine whether the received vehicle data includes a particular type of information and, if so, initiate a particular process. For example, the first trigger rule may be a structural rule that initiates a structural analysis when the vehicle data includes edge sensor data; the second trigger rule may be a battery rule that initiates a battery analysis when the vehicle data includes power system data; the third trigger rule may be an actuation system rule that initiates an actuation system analysis when the vehicle data includes actuation system data; the fourth trigger rule may be a flight path confirmation rule that initiates a flight path confirmation analysis when the vehicle data includes navigation information; the fifth rule may be a flight spacing rule that initiates a flight spacing analysis when the vehicle data includes navigation information, transponder vehicle data, or non-cooperative object information; the sixth rule may be an obstacle rule that initiates an obstacle analysis when the vehicle data includes imaging output data.

[0066] Generally speaking, the analysis process can extract data from vehicle data, aggregated vehicle data, and vehicle parameters, and determine whether one or more conditions are met. The conditions can have one or more values and one or more logical operators to determine whether the absolute value, average value, or trend value of a given parameter is within an acceptable minimum value, maximum value, range, etc. (as may be the case for the analysis process).

[0067] To initiate a structural analysis in response to a structural rule being triggered, the analysis program can call a structural program to perform the structural analysis. The structural program can extract edge sensor data from the vehicle data, previous edge sensor data from the aggregated vehicle data, and structural requirement information from the vehicle parameters. Then, the structural program can update the tracking information of the components of the structure 346 of the aircraft 131 and determine whether one or more structural conditions are met. For example, the first structural condition can be whether the stress on the structural components of the structure 346 (as measured by the strain gauges of the edge sensors 312) is higher than a threshold level (as an average value, instantaneous reading, trend value, etc.); the second structural condition can be whether a hard landing has occurred, for example, by determining whether the edge sensors (such as accelerometers) measure a descent rate higher than a threshold descent rate, for example, during a descent period (e.g., the last meter of flight); the third structural condition can be whether the center of gravity (CG) position has remained within a defined three-dimensional CG region of the aircraft 131, for example, by determining the attitude and loading of the aircraft to calculate the CG position and comparing the CG position with the three-dimensional CG region to determine whether the CG position has remained within the three-dimensional CG region. If one or more structural conditions fail (e.g., exceed the threshold), the structural program can determine a structural vehicle parameter event.

[0068] To initiate a battery analysis in response to a battery rule being triggered, the analysis program can call a battery program to perform the battery analysis. The battery program can extract power system data from the vehicle data, historical power system data from the aggregated vehicle data, and power system requirement information from the vehicle parameters. Then, the battery program can update the tracking information of the components of the power system 378 of the aircraft 131 and determine whether one or more battery conditions are met. For example, the first battery condition can determine whether the battery temperature is higher than a threshold level (as an average value, instantaneous reading, trend value, etc.) for the overall battery or on a cell-by-cell basis; the second battery condition can determine whether the battery charge state is lower than a threshold level (as an average value, instantaneous reading, trend value, etc.) for the overall battery or on a cell-by-cell basis; the third battery condition can determine whether the battery discharge rate is higher than a threshold level (as an average value, instantaneous reading, trend value, etc.) for the overall battery or on a cell-by-cell basis. If one or more battery conditions fail (e.g., exceed the threshold), the battery program can determine a battery vehicle parameter event.

[0069] To initiate an actuation system analysis in response to an actuation system rule being triggered, an analysis program may call an actuation system program to perform the actuation system analysis. The actuation system program may extract actuation system data from vehicle data, historical actuation system data from aggregated vehicle data, and actuation system requirement information from vehicle parameters. Then, the actuation system program may update the tracking information of the components of the actuation system 360 of the aircraft 131 and determine whether one or more actuation system conditions are met. For example, a first actuation system condition may determine whether the motor RPM (or motor RPM curve) is above a threshold level (as an average, instantaneous reading, trend value, etc.); a second actuation system condition may determine whether the temperature (or temperature curve) is above a threshold level (as an average, instantaneous reading, trend value, etc.). If one or more actuation system conditions fail (e.g., exceed the threshold), the actuation system program may determine an actuation system vehicle parameter event.

[0070] To initiate a flight path confirmation analysis in response to a flight path confirmation rule being triggered, an analysis program may call a flight path confirmation program to perform the flight path confirmation analysis. The flight path confirmation program may extract navigation information from the vehicle data of the aircraft 131, historical navigation information from the aggregated vehicle data of the aircraft 131, and authentication requirement information from vehicle parameters. Then, the flight path confirmation program may update the flight tracking information of the aircraft 131 (e.g., one or more of the flight time, speed, route 141 / GPS heading / tracking curve on the flight path, GPS altitude (takeoff, transition, climb, cruise, descent, landing) on the flight curve, and GPS latitude / longitude of the aircraft 131), and determine whether one or more flight path confirmation conditions are met. For example, the flight path confirmation condition may determine whether the flight curve has remained within the threshold of the planned flight path 340 (according to flight time threshold, speed threshold, heading threshold, GPS altitude / latitude / longitude threshold). If one or more flight path confirmation conditions fail (e.g., exceed the threshold), the flight path confirmation program may determine a flight path confirmation vehicle parameter event.

[0071] To initiate a separation analysis in response to a separation rule being triggered, an analysis program may call a separation program to perform a separation analysis. The separation program may extract navigation information (as well as transponder vehicle data and non-cooperative object information, if included) from the vehicle data of vehicle 131, extract historical navigation information from the collective vehicle data of vehicle 131 and other vehicles 131, and extract authentication requirement information from vehicle parameters. The separation program may then update the tracking information of the distance between vehicle 131 and each other vehicle 131 (or only those vehicles within a threshold distance), and determine whether one or more separation conditions are met. For example, a first separation condition may determine whether the distance between vehicle 131 and one of the other vehicles 131 is below a threshold level (as an average, instantaneous reading, trend value, etc.); a second separation condition may determine whether the number of vehicles 131 (including the transmitting vehicle 131 and other vehicles 131) is above a threshold number of vehicles. If one or more separation conditions fail (e.g., exceed a threshold), the separation program may determine a separation vehicle parameter event.

[0072] To initiate an obstacle analysis in response to an obstacle rule being triggered, an analysis program may call an obstacle program to perform an obstacle analysis. The obstacle program may extract imaging output data from vehicle data, and extract obstacle information from the collective vehicle data, as well as extract new obstacle criterion information from vehicle parameters. The obstacle program may then analyze the imaging output data to identify obstacles (or unknown obstacles that confirm unknown obstacle information based on imaging data and / or machine vision output), and determine whether an obstacle condition is met. The obstacle condition may determine whether the obstacle is included in the obstacle information, such as by cross-referencing the position, size, and shape of the obstacle to all (or all local) known obstacles to check the position, size, and shape. If the obstacle is determined not to match one of the known obstacles, the object program may determine whether the obstacle meets the new obstacle criterion information (e.g., within a threshold distance of route 141, etc.). If the obstacle meets the new obstacle criterion information, the obstacle may be confirmed as a new obstacle, and the obstacle program may determine an environmental change.

[0073] The cloud service 205 can determine one or both of the following: (1) whether the analysis result indicates an environmental change and / or (2) whether the analysis result indicates a vehicle parameter event. The cloud service 205 can determine an environmental change when / responsive to the obstacle program determining an environmental change. The cloud service 205 can determine a vehicle parameter event when / responsive to one or a combination of the following: (1) the structure program determines a structural vehicle parameter event; (2) the battery program determines a battery vehicle parameter event; (3) the actuation system program determines an actuation system vehicle parameter event; (4) the flight path confirmation program determines a flight path confirmation vehicle parameter event; and (5) the flight spacing program determines a flight spacing vehicle parameter event.

[0074] In the case where the analysis result indicates (one or both) an environmental change and / or a vehicle parameter event (or in response thereto), the cloud service 205 can transmit a status message to a service associated with the vehicle. For example, the status message can include an identifier of the transport aircraft 131, one or more indicators depending on the above analysis result, and / or a recommendation based on the analysis result.

[0075] For example, the analysis result can indicate one or a combination of the following: (1) the structure program determines a structural vehicle parameter event; (2) the battery program determines a battery vehicle parameter event; (3) the actuation system program determines an actuation system vehicle parameter event; (4) the flight path confirmation program determines a flight path confirmation vehicle parameter event; (5) the flight spacing program determines a flight spacing vehicle parameter event; and (6) the obstacle program determines an environmental change. For example, when a structural vehicle parameter event occurs, the status message can include a structure indicator; when a battery vehicle parameter event occurs, the status message can include a battery indicator; when an actuation system vehicle parameter event occurs, the status message can include an actuation system indicator; when a flight path confirmation vehicle parameter event occurs, the status message can include a flight path confirmation indicator; when a flight spacing vehicle parameter event occurs, the status message can include a flight spacing indicator; when an environmental change occurs, the status message can include an environmental change indicator.

[0076] A recommendation may correspond to one or more indicators (and / or correspond to a determination of an environmental change and / or a vehicle parameter event). For example, a recommendation may include: (1) a structural recommendation that may indicate that the aircraft 131 may need maintenance and / or immediate grounding when the status message includes a structural indicator; (2) a battery recommendation that may indicate that the battery may need maintenance, cannot complete the next scheduled flight, and thus the aircraft should be grounded, etc., when the status message includes a battery indicator; (3) an actuation system recommendation that may indicate that the actuation system 360 may need maintenance or the aircraft should be immediately grounded when the status message includes an actuation system indicator; (4) a flight path confirmation recommendation that may indicate that the aircraft 131 is significantly deviating from the planned flight path 340 (e.g., due to weather, traffic, new obstacles, etc.) when the status message includes a flight path confirmation indicator; (5) a flight spacing recommendation that may indicate that the distance between aircraft 131 should be increased or the number of aircraft should be reduced for a given area / route 141 when the status message includes a flight spacing indicator; and (6) an environmental change recommendation that may indicate that obstacle information for updating the set of vehicle data will be updated and the obstacle data in the obstacle database 356 on one or more aircraft 131 will be updated when the status message includes an environmental change indicator.

[0077] In the case where the analysis result does not indicate an environmental change and the analysis result does not indicate a vehicle parameter event (or in response), the cloud service 205 may wait to receive more vehicle data from the aircraft 131 or other aircraft 131.

[0078] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a sample use case may be: (1) the aircraft 131 may perform seven out of ten normally scheduled passenger-carrying flights within a specified daily duration via route 141; (2) the aircraft 131 may periodically or at the end of the seventh flight on route 141 transmit vehicle data (including power system data) to the cloud service 205; (3) the cloud service may use a battery program to analyze the power system data to determine that a particular battery cell is operating at a temperature and current load above normal; (4) the cloud service 205 may record the above-normal temperature and current load as a trend in the tracking information of the components of the power system 378 (e.g., the temperature and current load have remained above normal over a period of time, e.g., determined by any statistical analysis of a moving average or trend); (5) when the trend of the above-normal temperature and current load indicates a probability that the remaining schedule has decreased to below a safety standard (such as on the next flight or the next flight lasting more than a predetermined number of minutes), the cloud service may transmit a status message; and (6) the status message may include a battery indicator and a battery recommendation to ground the aircraft 131 with or without a recommendation for a replacement vehicle (a particular aircraft 131 or aircraft type) for the remaining flights along route 141 (which may not interrupt passenger revenue flights).

[0079] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a sample use case can be as follows: (1) The aircraft 131 can detect an obstacle (using the radar or camera 316 of the on-board vehicle navigation system 314), such as a construction crane installed on a building near the route 141 used by the aircraft 131; (2) The aircraft 131 can (using the radar or camera 316) determine the size / shape / location of the obstacle (e.g., geolocate the obstacle location via GPS, and estimate the size and shape through machine vision or radar analysis); (3) Compare the detected obstacle with the obstacles included in the obstacle data of the obstacle database 356; (4) If the obstacle is related to the obstacles in the obstacle data of the obstacle database 356, the aircraft 131 can record the obstacle as still existing and report to the cloud service 205 that the obstacle still exists; (5) If the obstacle is not related to the objects in the obstacle data of the obstacle database 356, the aircraft can note the obstacle as a potential new obstacle (with location / shape / size information) and transmit vehicle data to the cloud service (including imaging output data); (6) The cloud service can proceed to execute an obstacle program to determine whether the obstacle is a new obstacle; (7) In response to determining that the obstacle is a new obstacle, the cloud service 205 can transmit a status message to the service, which indicates that the obstacle data on the aircraft 131 (and any other aircraft 131 using the route 141 or other aircraft in the same area) should update its obstacle data in the obstacle database 356; and (8) The cloud service 205 or the service can transmit a broadcast message to the aircraft 131 and / or other aircraft 131 (or can transmit a specific update message to each aircraft 131, or an update that can be downloaded indicating the aircraft 131) to update the obstacle data in the obstacle database 356 for each aircraft 131.

[0080] Therefore, it can be clearly seen from the above description that the trigger rules, conditions, parameter events, and environmental changes can vary in many ways. In addition, advanced analysis (such as machine learning) can be used to analyze vehicle data, aggregated vehicle data, and vehicle parameters to convert the raw data (or vehicle data and aggregated vehicle data) into usable system knowledge. For example, instead of specific trigger rules and conditions, vehicle data and aggregated vehicle data can be formatted as feature vectors; the feature vectors can be input into a machine learning program; and the machine learning program can output one or more targets. The targets can indicate vehicle parameter events and / or environmental changes. The machine learning program can be a reinforcement learning model, an analytical model, a neural network, etc., and the machine learning model can be one or more specific machine learning models (e.g., a battery machine learning model, a structure machine learning model, etc. for each of the above programs).

[0081] This enhanced knowledge can then be passed to the service responsible for vehicle 131 as an information service / subscription. The advantage of the service responsible for vehicle 131 is that it enables the large-scale raw data to be preprocessed by cloud service 205 into usable information, thus providing better overall performance of the cloud for the service responsible for vehicle 131 without being overwhelmed by a large amount of vehicle data (or storing the collective vehicle data). In addition, authentication compliance can well depend on tracking these types of requirements / standards, and the service responsible for vehicle 131 can obtain additional benefits in terms of scheduling, availability, and repair management.

[0082] As another aspect of the present disclosure, cloud service 205 can periodically (or in response to a trigger or request from a service) provide reports to the service. For example, cloud service 205 can transmit a report message to the service. The report message can include battery trend information (charging, discharging rate, health, etc.) of vehicle 131, vehicle health information (structural or actuation systems of the vehicle, location history, and / or flight plan tracking of vehicle 131, etc.).

[0083] As another aspect of the present disclosure, cloud service 205 can provide a go / no-go decision to the operators of the respective vehicles 131. For example, when preparing or considering vehicle 131 for a flight, the service can request a go / no-go confirmation from cloud service 205. The request can include an identifier of the vehicle and information about the proposed flight. Cloud service 205 can retrieve historical information from the collective vehicle data of vehicle 131 based on the identifier and determine whether the vehicle is suitable for the proposed flight. For example, cloud service 205 can determine whether the battery capacity of vehicle 131 is sufficient for the proposed flight; whether vehicle 131 is rated for the maneuvers or operations included in the proposed flight, or whether it will exceed an allowable environmental threshold (e.g., vehicle 131 is too heavily loaded for a portion of the proposed flight); whether the structural components of vehicle 131 should be maintained and whether the proposed flight is likely to interfere with the maintenance or deteriorate the structural health of the structural components. Based on the above determinations and their variations, cloud service 205 can transmit a go / no-go message to the service of vehicle 131 for the proposed flight.

[0084] Figure 4 Flowchart 400 for managing data from a vehicle according to one or more embodiments is shown. Flowchart 400 can illustrate a process of performing an analysis of vehicle data to determine environmental changes and / or vehicle parameter events. Flowchart 400 can be executed by cloud service 205.

[0085] Cloud service 205 may initiate the process of flowchart 400 to receive vehicle data from a vehicle among multiple vehicles (block 405). For example, cloud service 205 may receive vehicle data from one or more vehicles in vehicle 131 every set number of seconds during the respective flights of the aircraft, as discussed above.

[0086] Cloud service 205 may continue the process to obtain aggregated vehicle data and vehicle parameters (block 410). For example, cloud service 205 may retrieve the aggregated vehicle data and vehicle parameters related to the received vehicle data of the transmitting vehicle 131, as discussed above.

[0087] Cloud service 205 may continue the process to perform an analysis of the vehicle data, aggregated vehicle data, and / or vehicle parameters to obtain an analysis result (block 415). For example, the analysis may obtain and apply trigger rules, and call one or a combination of a structural program, a battery program, an actuation system program, a flight path confirmation program, a flight spacing program, and / or an obstacle program or not call them, as discussed above.

[0088] Cloud service 205 may continue the process to determine one or both of the following: (1) whether the analysis result indicates an environmental change and / or (2) whether the analysis result indicates a vehicle parameter event (blocks 420 and 425, respectively). For example, cloud service 205 may determine one or more of a vehicle parameter event or an environmental change, as discussed above.

[0089] In the case where it is determined that the analysis result indicates an environmental change and / or the analysis result indicates a vehicle parameter event (either or both of blocks 420 and 425, respectively: yes), cloud service 205 may continue the process to transmit a status message to a service associated with the vehicle (block 430). For example, the status message may include an identifier, one or more indicators, and a recommendation, as discussed above. Although not shown, the cloud service may continue the process to wait to receive vehicle data from the vehicle or another vehicle (block 405).

[0090] In the case where it is determined that the analysis result does not indicate an environmental change and the analysis result does not indicate a vehicle parameter event (blocks 420 and 425, respectively: no), cloud service 205 may continue the process to wait to receive vehicle data from the vehicle or another vehicle (block 405).

[0091] Figure 5 An exemplary system that may execute the techniques presented herein is shown. Figure 5FIG. 0 is a simplified functional block diagram of a computer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, which can be configured to execute the techniques described herein. Specifically, the computer (or “platform” as it may not be a single physical computer infrastructure) can include a data communication interface 560 for packet data communication. The platform can also include a central processing unit (“CPU”) 520 in the form of one or more processors for executing program instructions. The platform can include an internal communication bus 510, and the platform can also include program storage means and / or data storage means for various data files to be processed and / or transmitted by the platform, such as ROM 530 and RAM 540, although system 500 can receive programming and data via network communication. System 500 can also include input and output ports 550 to connect to input and output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, touch screen, monitor, display, etc. Of course, various system functions can be implemented in a distributed manner on multiple similar platforms to distribute the processing load. Alternatively, the system can be implemented by appropriate programming of a single computer hardware platform.

[0092] The general discussion of the present disclosure provides a brief general description of a suitable computing environment in which the present disclosure can be implemented. In one embodiment, any of the disclosed systems, methods, and / or graphical user interfaces can be executed or implemented by a computing system consistent with or similar to the computing systems shown and / or explained in the present disclosure. Although not required, aspects of the present disclosure are described in the context of computer-executable instructions, such as routines executed by a data processing device, e.g., a server computer, a wireless device, and / or a personal computer. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that aspects of the present disclosure can be practiced using other communication, data processing, or computer system configurations, including Internet devices, handheld devices (including personal digital assistants (“PDAs”)), wearable computers, various cellular phones or mobile phones (including Internet Protocol voice (“VoIP”) phones), dumb terminals, media players, gaming devices, virtual reality devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, set-top boxes, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, etc. In fact, the terms “computer,” “server,” etc. are generally used interchangeably herein and refer to any of the above devices and systems and any data processor.

[0093] Aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in a special-purpose computer and / or data processor that is specifically programmed, configured, and / or constructed to execute one or more computer-executable instructions detailed herein. Although aspects of the present disclosure, such as certain functions, are described as being executed only on a single device, the present disclosure may also be practiced in a distributed environment where functions or modules are shared among different processing devices linked by a communication network, such as a local area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), and / or the Internet. Similarly, techniques presented herein as involving multiple devices may be implemented in a single device. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in local and / or remote memory storage devices.

[0094] Aspects of the present disclosure may be stored and / or distributed on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, including magnetic or optically readable computer discs, hard-wired or pre-programmed chips (e.g., EEPROM semiconductor chips), nanotechnology memories, biological memories, or other data storage media. Alternatively, computer-implemented instructions, data structures, screen displays, and other data under aspects of the present disclosure may be distributed over a propagation signal on a propagation medium (e.g., one or more electromagnetic waves, sound waves, etc.) via the Internet and / or via other networks, including wireless networks, over a period of time, and / or they may be provided on any analog or digital network (packet-switched, circuit-switched, or other schemes).

[0095] The program aspects of the technology may be regarded as a “product” or “article of manufacture” typically in the form of executable code and / or associated data that is carried or embodied in one type of machine-readable medium. “Storage” type media includes any and all tangible memories of a computer, processor, or the like, or associated modules, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives, etc., which may provide non-transitory storage for software programming at any time. All or part of the software may sometimes be communicated via the Internet or various other telecommunication networks. For example, such communication may cause the software to be loaded from one computer or processor to another, such as from a management server or host of a mobile communication network to a server computer platform and / or from a server to a mobile device. Accordingly, another type of media that may carry software elements includes light waves, radio waves, and electromagnetic waves, such as those used across physical interfaces between local devices, via wired and optical ground networks, and via various air links. Physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical links, etc., may also be regarded as media that carry software. As used herein, unless restricted to non-transitory, tangible “storage” media, the term computer or machine “readable medium” refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution.

[0096] The terms used above can be interpreted in their broadest reasonable manner, even when used in conjunction with the specific embodiments of certain specific examples of the present disclosure. In fact, certain terms may even be emphasized above; however, any term intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be explicitly and specifically defined in the detailed description section. The foregoing general and specific embodiments are merely exemplary and illustrative and are not limiting to the features protected by the claims.

[0097] As used herein, the terms "comprising," "including," "having," "containing," or other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0098] In the present disclosure, relative terms such as, for example, "about," "substantially," "generally," and "approximately" are used to represent a possible variation of ±10% in a specified value.

[0099] The term "exemplary" is used in the sense of "example" rather than "ideal." As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context indicates otherwise.

[0100] From the description of the invention and the practice thereof disclosed herein, other embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The description and examples are intended to be considered only as exemplary, with the true scope and essence of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for managing data from vehicles, the method comprises: Receiving vehicle data from one or more vehicles at a predetermined time interval, wherein the vehicle data includes at least one of the following: transponder aircraft data received from one or more vehicles, non-cooperative object information related to an object not participating in transponder communication, and imaging output data related to the one or more vehicles; Obtaining aggregated vehicle data and vehicle parameters related to the one or more vehicles, wherein the aggregated vehicle data is related to historical information related to one or more vehicles, and the vehicle parameters include authentication requirement information, and the authentication requirement information includes the maximum number of vehicles per route or flight path area, or per minute for each route or flight path area; Performing an analysis on the vehicle data, the aggregated vehicle data, and the vehicle parameters to: Detect a vehicle parameter event when determining the following situations: The spacing between a vehicle and other vehicles among the one or more vehicles is below a threshold level; and The number of the one or more vehicles exceeds a threshold number of vehicles; and In response to detecting the vehicle parameter event, transmitting a status message to a communication interface of a service associated with the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle data further comprises: Navigation information and / or status / health data of the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aggregated vehicle data includes one or a combination of the following: vehicle data previously received from the vehicle, vehicle data previously received from other vehicles among the plurality of vehicles, and / or obstacle information of obstacles.

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