415 results about "Flight system" patented technology

Inter-system interference cross-produce P12 is reduced in a phase-based TOF system by randomizing instantaneous phase and / or frequency within a capture interval (or detection integration period). In one aspect, the TOF clock system frequency preserves long-term clock frequency stability but intentionally includes random or pseudo-random clock noise. The noise ensures the generated clock signals are temporally imperfect and lack substantial perfect periodicity. A second aspect causes the TOF clock system to hop frequency, preferably pseudo-randomly. TOF system homodyning favors detection of optical energy whose frequency correlates to the time-varying frequency of the emitted optical energy. Thus, the varying spectral spacing of the emitted optical energy reduces likelihood that an adjacent TOF system at any given time will emit optical energy of an interfering frequency. At least one aspect is employed, both aspects being mutually complementary to reduce the cross-correlation product P12 without substantially affecting TOF system performance.

A manned / unmanned aerial vehicle adapted for vertical takeoff and landing using the same set of engines for takeoff and landing as well as for forward flight. An aerial vehicle which is adapted to takeoff with the wings in a vertical as opposed to horizontal flight attitude which takes off in this vertical attitude and then transitions to a horizontal flight path. An aerial vehicle which controls the attitude of the vehicle during takeoff and landing by alternating the thrust of engines, which are separated in least two dimensions relative to the horizontal during takeoff. An aerial vehicle which uses a rotating platform of engines in fixed relationship to each other and which rotates relative to the wings of the vehicle for takeoff and landing.

A tethered airborne electrical power generation system which may utilize a strutted frame structure with airfoils built into the frame to keep wind turbine driven generators which are within the structure airborne. The primary rotors utilize the prevailing wind to generate rotational velocity. Electrical power generated is returned to ground using a tether that is also adapted to fasten the flying system to the ground. The flying system is adapted to be able to use electrical energy to provide power to the primary turbines which are used as motors to raise the system from the ground, or mounting support, into the air. The system may use an attachment mechanism for the tether adapted to move the tether attachment point relative to the flying craft.

An autonomous unmanned space flight system and planetary lander executes a discrete landing sequence including performing an initial velocity braking maneuver to remove velocity at altitude, coasting during which the planet surface is imaged and correlated to reference maps to estimate cross-track and along-track navigation errors and one or more lateral braking maneuvers are performed to reduce cross-track navigation error, and performing a terminal velocity braking maneuver(s) to reduce the along-track braking maneuver and remove the remainder of the velocity just prior to landing. A bi-propellant propulsion system provides a very high T / M ratio, at least 15:1 per nozzle. Short, high T / M divert maneuvers provide the capability to remove cross-track navigation error efficiently up to the maximum resolution of the reference maps. Short, high T / M terminal velocity braking maneuver(s) provide the capability to remove along-track navigation error to a similar resolution and remove the remaining velocity in a very short time window, approximately 3-15 seconds prior to touchdown. The propulsive efficiency frees up mass which can be allocated to a fuel to remove the unknown navigation errors, perform hazard avoidance and / or relocate the lander by flying it to another site or be allocated to additional payload.

In an anti-hijacking system for autopilot equipped aircraft, a transceiver communicates with at least one remote guidance facility. A panic button is activated by flight crew in case of hijacking. A manager is coupled to the transceiver and the panic button, as well as existing avionics including the aircraft's master computer and autopilot. Optionally, a relay is coupled between the pilot controls and selected aircraft flight systems. The manager recognizes predetermined override inputs, such as activation of the panic button or receipt of override signals from the remote guidance facility. Responsive to the override input, the manager deactivates on-board control of selected aircraft flight systems and the autopilot system, and directs the autopilot to fly the aircraft to a safe landing. Flight routing and landing instructions are obtained from the remote guidance facility, or by self-evaluating nearby airports in view of the aircraft's position and various preestablished criteria.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for the use of a wireless portable avionics device in conjunction with on-board flight systems and / or off-board service providers. The device may be used by aircraft personnel such as pilots and may act as a command / data entry and / or display tool to augment cockpit display systems. The device can receive flight data (e.g., a flight plan) from an off-board provider and automatically transfer it, as well as any previously prepared commands or data, to a flight management system and / or cockpit display systems. Commands and / or data (including pre-existing ones and ones entered in real-time) can be wirelessly transferred to the on-board flight systems which are not in direct physical contact with the device. Thus, the device can be easily manipulated during turbulence or under poor readability conditions. The device can be used to manipulate items shown on cockpit display systems in a timely and accurate manner.

A system for autonomously keeping an aircraft's station in a formation flight of a plurality of aircraft includes a navigation system configured to determine a position of an aircraft. A data link is configured to allow the aircraft to communicate data with at least one other aircraft in the formation flight of the plurality of aircraft. A sensor is configured to detect a presence of another aircraft within a predetermined distance of the aircraft. A processor is configured to provide control signals to the aircraft's autoflight system to keep the aircraft at a predetermined station relative to the other of the plurality of aircraft in the formation flight.

A tethered airborne electrical power generation system which may utilize a strutted frame structure with airfoils built into the frame to keep wind turbine driven generators which are within the structure airborne. The primary rotors utilize the prevailing wind to generate rotational velocity. Electrical power generated is returned to ground using a tether that is also adapted to fasten the flying system to the ground. The flying system is adapted to be able to use electrical energy to provide power to the primary turbines which are used as motors to raise the system from the ground, or mounting support, into the air. The system may then be raised into a prevailing wind and use airfoils in the system to provide lift while the system is tethered to the ground. The motors may then resume operation as turbines for electrical power generation. The system may be somewhat planar in that many turbines may have their rotors substantially in one or more planes or planar regions. The system may also be adapted to be assembled of modular components such that a variety of different numbers of turbines may be flown, yet the system may be substantially constructed from multiple similar members.

The invention provides unmanned helicopter pesticide applying operation automatic control system and method based on GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation, belonging to the field of agricultural technology. The main communication end of a flight control host machine is communicated with a GPS, and the main control output end is connected with the controlled end of a rotor flight system to be used for sending a navigation control signal to the flight system according to a preset air line and real-time position information transmitted by the GPS; an unmanned helicopter is also provided with a pesticide applying device and a pesticide applying control system, wherein the pesticide applying device comprises a pesticide box, a liquid pump, a spray rod and a spray head; the pesticide applying control system comprises a main control circuit, a communication module, a feedback module, a signal processing module and a power transformation module; the main control circuit is used for feeding back the state information of the pesticide applying system to the flight control host machine by the communication module; and the signal processing module is used for amplifying a pesticide applying control signal transmitted by the main control circuit into an electric signal and controlling the liquid pump to carry out pesticide applying operation. The system and the method can control the unmanned helicopter to flight according to the preset air line by the GPS and perform a spray task according to a preset GPS air line.

A phase-based TOF system preferably generates an optical waveform with fast rise and fall times, to enhance modulation contrast, notwithstanding there will be many high order harmonics. The system is preferably operated with an odd number of phases, to reduce system bias error due to the higher order harmonics, while maintaining good modulation contrast, without unduly increasing system memory requirements. Preferably the system can dynamically calibrate (and compensate for) higher order harmonics in the TOF generated optical energy waveform, over time and temperature. Within the optical energy transmission channel, or within the optical energy detection channel, detection amplifier gain may be modified, and / or detector signal integration time may be varied, and / or digital values may be employed to implement calibration and error reduction The resultant TOF system can operate with improved phase-vs-distance characteristics, with reduced calibration requirements.

The invention discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle automatic obstacle avoidance flight system based on a panoramic stereo imaging device. The unmanned aerial vehicle automatic obstacle avoidance flight system comprises an image acquisition module, a navigation module, a central processing unit module and a flight controller module, wherein the image acquisition module is used for collecting omni-directional stereoscopic scenes through the refraction and reflection type panoramic stereo imaging device; the navigation module is used for providing geographical coordinate information; the central processing unit module is used for conducting obstacle point detection and judgment and extraction of effective flight path obstacle points on the omni-directional stereoscopic scenes obtained by the image acquisition module according to the geographical coordinate information provided by the navigation module and designing an optimal fight path; the flight controller module is used for controlling an execution mechanism module on an unmanned aerial vehicle to conduct corresponding flight actions in real time according to the optimal fight path designed by the central processing unit module. The unmanned aerial vehicle automatic obstacle avoidance flight system based on the panoramic stereo imaging device can effectively plan the optimal fight path for the unmanned aerial vehicle in a three-dimensional environment.

The invention discloses a multi-rotary-wing intelligent inspection robot for an overhead line. The multi-rotary-wing intelligent inspection robot for the overhead line comprises an on-line walking module, a multi-rotary-wing flight system module, an autonomous line falling module, an on-line platform and a ground station receiving and processing platform. The on-line walking module comprises a walking frame, walking supporting wheels, walking driving wheels and a walking motor, and the inner end faces and the outer end faces of the walking supporting wheels are provided with inner guide rings and outer guide rings respectively. The multi-rotary-wing flight system module comprises a flight control equipment bin, rotary-wing arms, rotary wings, a flight motor, a cradle head, an inspection camera and a rise and fall support, and the upper portion of the flight control equipment bin is connected with the walking frame through a connecting supporting rod. The autonomous line falling module comprises left line falling camera, a right line falling camera and a multi-sensor module in the flight control equipment bin. The on-line platform is wirelessly connected with the ground station receiving and processing platform. The robot not only can inspect the electric transmission line above the line, but also can achieve on-line walking inspection of the electric transmission line by autonomously falling on or leaving the line, labor intensity and labor cost are greatly reduced, and inspection efficiency is improved.

A system for autonomously keeping an aircraft's station in a formation flight of a plurality of aircraft includes a navigation system configured to determine a position of an aircraft. A data link is configured to allow the aircraft to communicate data with at least one other aircraft in the formation flight of the plurality of aircraft. A sensor is configured to detect a presence of another aircraft within a predetermined distance of the aircraft. A processor is configured to provide control signals to the aircraft's autoflight system to keep the aircraft at a predetermined station relative to the other of the plurality of aircraft in the formation flight.

A method for flying in a degraded visual environment comprising the steps of collecting environmental data, processing the data and fusing the data together into a combined input output. The output is fed into a head down display, head mounted or heads up display and, preferably to a fly-by-wire vertical take-off and landing capable vehicle wherein the fly-by-wire system makes automatic adjustments to the helicopter.

The invention provides a method for planning the routes of multi-unmanned aerial vehicles based on a particle swarm optimization algorithm. The method comprises the following steps: establishing a three-dimensional map for planning space of the routes of the multi-unmanned aerial vehicles at first; then constructing multi-unmanned aerial vehicle route planning models under the three-dimensional map, wherein the models mainly comprise a barrier model, a route model, an unmanned aerial vehicle state model, a constraint model and a multi-unmanned aerial vehicle route planning mathematic model; and solving the problem of multi-unmanned aerial vehicle route planning under the three-dimensional map by using the particle swarm optimization algorithm. The method provided by the invention improves multi-unmanned aerial vehicle route planning capacity in a complex environment and provides technical support for air traffic management platforms for unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous flight systems for multi-unmanned aerial vehicles, etc.

Provided herein are systems, methods and machine-readable media for interfacing with computer flight systems. For example, one embodiment is described wherein an unknown and / or changing inventory of aircraft, potentially including aircraft owned or operated by third parties, is managed to provide flight schedules, fare structures, and reservation inventories to computer flight systems. Another embodiment is described wherein aircraft inventory is allocated dynamically and / or adjusted in real-time in response to bookings of seats on aircraft flights in the flight schedule. Another embodiment is described wherein aircraft inventory may be changed by suppliers of aircraft, including changes to costs for using a portion of the inventory (e.g., using an aircraft for a day), and a management system may modify booking class inventories on one or more flights in the flight schedule in response.

The invention provides a device and a method for quickly scanning underground mine goaf based on an unmanned aerial vehicle, and belong to the technical filed of mine measurement and safety. The method relates to an intelligent unmanned flight system, an airborne three-dimension laser scanning system, an LED (light-emitting diode) illuminating system, a bundled software, a terminal wireless transmission module and the like. According to the invention, an improved SLAM and a space coverage algorithm are adopted, the autonomous obstacle avoidance flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the autonomous planning of a scanning path can be realized through combining the sensor data and three-dimension laser screening data arranged in the unmanned aerial vehicle; the real-time generation and visualization of three-dimensional point-cloud model for the goaf is realized through connection of a wireless communication and a terminal. The method has the advantages that the scanning speed is quick, the accuracy is high, the automatic and intelligent scanning for the underground goaf can be realized by mutually matching sensors, laser screeners and the bundled software and is an ideal scanningmethod and direction for future development.

The invention provides an intelligent pesticide delivery unmanned helicopter, and belongs to the technical field of agriculture plant protection. The unmanned helicopter comprises a helicopter body frame, a rotor wing flight system and an undercarriage assembly, wherein the helicopter body frame is provided with an onboard electric system which comprises a flight control unit, a GPS (Global Position System), a course meter, a miniature inertia measurement assembly, a measurement and control link, a steering engine controller and a power supply system, wherein the communication end of the flight control unit is connected with the magnetic course meter, the miniature inertia measurement assembly, the steering engine controller and the GPS in a communication way; the communication end of the flight control unit communicates with a measurement and control ground station by an onboard radio station; the control output end of the flight control unit is connected with the steering engine controller which controls the rotor wing flight system; a pesticide delivery device composed of a pesticide box, a liquid pump, a spray boom and a sprayer is mounted in the middle of the helicopter body frame. The unmanned helicopter is capable of realizing automatic navigation flight and automatic control on pesticide delivery operation.

An in-flight system provides a user with an entertainment environment including movies, music, games, internet, map, etc. The in-flight system provides stored media content on one or more servers located throughout an aircraft cabin and each server is associated with a plurality of seats. In a preferred embodiment, the in-flight system provides for a communication port (e.g., USB or mini-USB connector or micro-USB connector) for connection to personal electronic device providing access to the server containing the stored media, access to an internet connection, and power. In one embodiment, the in-flight system provides for a seat display unit (typically located in the seat back of the next forward seat) and associated media module hardware to process the stored media content and drive the display. In one embodiment, the in-flight system comprises an isolation module or equivalent circuitry or logic that can isolate the media module and / or the personal electronic device from the remainder of the in-flight system, allowing for updates to the in-flight system without recertification from the FAA.

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for translating an alert signal into an auto flight system (AFS) maneuver. The system comprises a first module. The first module is configured to receive an alert signal and to construct one or more AFS mode commands associated with the alert signal. The system also comprises a second module. The second module is configured to read and to execute the one or more AFS mode commands that when executed manipulate two or more standard AFS modes that implement the AFS maneuver. The system further comprises a state machine, which couples the first module to the second module and is configured to coordinate the construction of the one or more AFS mode commands by the first module with an execution of the one or more AFS mode commands by the second module.

An aircraft system comprising a display system, a graphical user interface, a first grouping of the controls in the graphical user interface, and a second grouping of the controls in the graphical user interface. The graphical user interface is configured to display controls on the display system. The controls are for commands sent to an auto-flight system in an aircraft that control flight of the aircraft. The first grouping of the controls is configured to control sending of the commands to the auto-flight system from a flight management system in the aircraft. The second grouping of the controls is configured to control sending of the commands to the auto-flight system from a user input to the graphical user interface.

The invention provides an intelligent pesticide application unmanned helicopter and belongs to the technical field of agriculture. The unmanned helicopter comprises a helicopter body frame, wherein the helicopter body frame is provided with a rotary wing flight system and a undercarriage component which are controlled by a flight control main engine; the communication end of the flight control main engine is communicated with a global position system (GPS), the master control output end of the flight control main engine is connected with the controlled end of the rotary wing flight system and is used for sending a navigation control signal to the flight system according to a contemplated route and real-time position information transmitted from the GPS; the central part below the helicopter body frame is also provided with a pesticide application device consisting of a pesticide chest, a liquid pump, a spray beam and a spray nozzle; the liquid outlet of the pesticide chest is communicated with the spray beam with the spray nozzle through a liquid infusion pipeline and the liquid pump; the flight control main engine also comprises an auxiliary control output end; and the auxiliary control output end is connected with the controlled end of the liquid pump and is used for sending a pesticide application control signal to the liquid pump according to the preset pesticide application sites and the real-time position information transmitted from the GPS. The unmanned helicopter can realize automatic navigation flight and can automatically control the pesticide application operation.

The invention mainly provides an electronic boundary apparatus for setting a flight region of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The electronic boundary apparatus comprises a communication unit for receiving information and feeding information back and a positioning unit for localizing location of the electronic boundary apparatus. The electronic boundary apparatus is arranged by being independent to the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a flight region of the unmanned aerial vehicle is generated based on the location information of the electronic boundary apparatus. In addition, the invention also provides an electronic boundary system containing the electronic boundary apparatus and a monitoring method of an unmanned aerial vehicle. According to the technical scheme, a flight region boundary can be set rapidly; and a flight path of an unmanned aerial vehicle can be monitored in real time even when signal transmission between the unmanned aerial vehicle and a ground control system can not be carried out normally, so that flight beyond the safety flight range can be avoided and thus a phenomenon of loss of communication of an unmanned aerial vehicle can be prevented.

The invention discloses a water, land, air and wall type quadruple robot. The water, land, air and wall type quadruple robot comprises a flight system, a wall climbing walking system, an absorbing system, a support system, a floating system and a control system, wherein the flight system is a main body of the robot; the absorbing system and the support system are arranged at the top part of the flight system; the wall climbing walking system is connected with the lower part of the flight system; the floating system is arranged at the bottom part of the wall climbing walking system; the control system is used for controlling the working of the flight system, the wall climbing walking system, the absorbing system, the support system and the floating system to wholly control the robot. The water, land, air and wall type quadruple robot has the beneficial effects that the functions of flight, wall climbing, walking on ground, walking on water, and resting on wall are realized by the cooperation of the flight system, the wall climbing walking system, the absorbing system, the support system and the floating system through the robot, and can be freely switched; the device structure is greatly simplified, the total weight of the robot is reduced, the whole device is more compact, and the climbing capability is stronger.

The invention discloses an unmanned plane formation flight method and system based on binocular visual sense, and relates to the computer vision and flight control field; the method and system processimages so as to obtain unmanned plane navigation positioning attitude parameters, thus accurately positioning and navigating the unmanned plane formation; the flight system comprises a ground station, a lead aircraft and a wing plane; the flight method comprises the following steps: the lead aircraft leads the wing plane to fly and takes images of the wind plane; an airborne computer extracts aninfrared LED lamp contour from the image, and marks the center coordinates of the infrared LED lamp contour as the two dimension coordinates of the wing plane in the image; a binocular camera resolvesthe corresponding wing plane depth distance, and the image plane two dimension coordinates are combined to obtain the three dimensional coordinates of the unmanned plane under the camera coordinate system; the airborne computer calculates the ideal coordinates according to the route plan, sends the real coordinates and the ideal coordinates to the flight control of the wing plane, thus allowing the flight control to correct the wing plane positions.

A system for remotely displaying video captured by an unmanned aerial system (UAS), the system comprising an unmanned aerial system (UAS) including an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), one or more image capture devices coupled to the UAV for capturing video of an environment surrounding the UAV, and an onboard transmitter for transmitting a short-range or medium-range wireless signal carrying the video of the environment surrounding the UAV; a portable communications system including a receiver for receiving the short-range or medium-range wireless signal transmitted from the UAS and a transmitter for transmitting a long-range wireless signal carrying the video of the environment surrounding the UAV to a wide area network (WAN); and a server in communication with the WAN, the server being configured to share the video of the environment surrounding the UAV with one or more remote devices for display on the one or more remote devices.

The invention relates to an aircraft (1), preferably an unmanned aircraft (UAV), drone, or unmanned aerial system (UAS), comprising a rigid wing (2), which enables aerodynamic horizontal flight, and at least four rotors (4, 4'), which are driven by means of controllable electric motors (5) and which can be pivoted between a vertical starting position and a horizontal flight position by means of a pivoting mechanism (7), wherein all electric motors (5) and rotors (4) are arranged on the wing (2).

The invention relates to a robust constraint flight control method of an UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), comprising the following steps of: firstly establishing a fast-slow loop subsystem mathematical model of the UAV; establishing an indetermined nonlinear multiple input multiple output nonlinear flight system mathematical model with asymmetric input constraint of the UAV, wherein the indetermined nonlinear multiple input multiple output nonlinear flight system mathematical model with asymmetric input constraint is obtained by the following steps of establishing an asymmetric input constraintmodel according to the practical situation of an actuator of the UAV, and substituting the asymmetric input constraint model into the fast-slow loop subsystem mathematical model obtained in the firststep so as to obtain the indetermined nonlinear multiple input multiple output nonlinear flight system mathematical model with asymmetric input constraint; and designing an auxiliary analysis system to analyze influence caused by the asymmetric input constraint, evaluating the influence caused by the asymmetric input constraint by utilizing the auxiliary analysis system, and processing the indeterminancy of the nonlinear flight system by utilizing a parameter adaptive method to obtain a stable closed-loop system. Through the robust constraint flight control method of the UAV, disclosed by theinvention, the failure of the UAV actuator can be effectively avoided, and the survivability of the UAV is favorably improved.

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods to produce a high performance, feature rich TOF system, phase-based or otherwise using small TOF pixels, single-ended or preferably differential, as well as TOF systems so designed. IC chip area required for pixels is reduced by intelligently off-loading or removing from within the pixel certain components and / or functionality. In some embodiments during a single TOF system capture period, analog values from each pixel are repeatedly sampled and converted to digital values, which are combined and manipulated on the sensor chip. Combining this plurality of values enables appropriately compact data from the sensor chip. Embodiments of the present invention implement a TOF system with high ambient light resilience, high dynamic range, low motion blur and dealiasing support, while advantageously reducing pixel area size relative to prior art TOF pixels.