Aircraft Mission Data Separation for Reliable Mid-Flight Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mission execution frameworks for autonomous vehicles lack effective separation of mission data, leading to issues such as loss of previous mission states during mid-flight mission switches, limited storage capacity, and uncontrolled memory usage.
Innovation Solution
A mission manager acts as central storage for all mission data, allowing for easy modification of stored mission parameters and improving safety and robustness by separating data between active and queued missions using tokens controlled by the mission manager.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If mission data for active and future missions are stored together in the same storage space, then storage capacity is maximized, but the reliability of mission execution deteriorates because previous mission states can be lost during mid-flight mission switches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments mission data storage into separate storage spaces: one for active mission data and another for future mission data. This segmentation prevents interference between different mission states, allowing the system to store multiple missions while maintaining the reliability of each individual mission execution.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system allows mission switching during flight, then the adaptability of the system improves, but the reliability deteriorates because the state of the mission in progress is erased when a new mission is started
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts active mission data from the general storage space and places it in a dedicated storage space that is protected from being overwritten by new missions. This extraction ensures that mission switching can occur adaptively while the original mission state is preserved and can be reverted to if needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the framework provides multiple capabilities including storing multiple mission plans and executing contingencies, then the adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage management and mission execution control functions into an integrated system where a single controller manages both the separation of mission data and the execution logic. This merging reduces overall system complexity while maintaining the ability to store multiple missions and execute contingencies.
Data Source
AI summary
Presented herein is a method and system for managing one or more missions of a vehicle. The apparatus includes one or more processors configured to control and manage flight missions and includes an active storage for executing a current mission, and a separate passive storage for subsequent missions. Subsequent missions are cued on the second storage to be validated and may be modified in view of additional information, prior to execution for maintaining positive control over the aircraft. The one or more processors are further configured to store a plurality of missions, including the current mission and a second mission, in a data store of a mission manager, each of the plurality of missions including a task graph having selected tasks to be completed for the mission, and a route map including a route for the vehicle to travel on the mission.