Maneuver Primitives for 3D Multi-Aircraft Trajectory Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flight control systems and integrated software solutions are limited in their use of the vehicle's performance envelope for relative maneuvering of multiple aircraft, particularly in dynamic and three-dimensional spaces, and lack effective guidance and control functions for complex path geometries.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising controllers communicatively coupled to vehicles, which initiate maneuver primitives selected by a decision engine, receive input parameters, and generate trajectory control signals to guide vehicles using three-dimensional non-linear guidance logic and axial guidance logic, determining planes of motion and turn circles to maneuver vehicles relative to reference trajectories.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If current flight control systems are used for single vehicle path definition and guidance, then the system is well equipped with basic control functions, but the system is very limited in its use of the vehicle's performance envelope
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex control problem into multiple maneuver primitives (e.g., pursuit maneuvers, evasion maneuvers, formation maneuvers). Each primitive is a self-contained module that handles specific aspects of vehicle control, allowing the system to achieve sophisticated performance envelope utilization through composition of simpler, specialized components rather than a monolithic complex system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic maneuver primitives that can adapt and modify their behavior in real-time based on the vehicle's current state and performance envelope. The primitives are designed to dynamically adjust control parameters to maximize performance utilization while maintaining safety margins, enabling the system to operate at the boundaries of the performance envelope adaptively
2Productivity
If advanced maneuver primitives and three-dimensional non-linear guidance logic are implemented, then vehicle maneuvering efficiency is improved, but the computational complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-computes and stores maneuver primitives and their associated control logic before execution. The decision engine has pre-defined maneuver templates and guidance algorithms ready for rapid selection and deployment, eliminating the need for complex real-time optimization calculations and reducing computational burden during actual maneuver execution
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the complex non-linear guidance problem into a parameterized framework where maneuvers are defined by key parameters (e.g., target position, velocity vectors, timing). By changing and adjusting these parameters, the system can execute diverse complex maneuvers using the same underlying computational framework, reducing the need for separate complex algorithms for each maneuver type
3Adaptability or versatility
If relative maneuvering of multiple aircraft in dynamic three-dimensional spaces is enabled, then operational capability is enhanced, but guidance and control functions for complex path geometries become difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces maneuver primitives as intermediary computational layers between the high-level relative maneuvering objectives and the low-level vehicle control systems. These primitives act as mediators that translate complex relative position and velocity requirements into actionable control commands, simplifying the guidance and control implementation by breaking down the complex task into manageable intermediate steps
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends traditional two-dimensional path following concepts into three-dimensional space by incorporating vertical dimension considerations in the maneuver primitives. The system handles complex 3D path geometries by decomposing them into sequential maneuver primitives that each address specific spatial dimensions, making the guidance and control of multi-vehicle formations in 3D space more tractable
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing maneuvering behaviors to a vehicle is disclosed. The system may include one or more controllers communicatively coupled to one or more vehicles. The one or more controllers may include one or more processors configured to execute one or more program instructions causing the one or more processors to: initiate one or more maneuver primitives in response to decision engine selection; receive a plurality of input parameters for the one or more maneuver primitives, the plurality of input parameters including one or more initialization definition input parameters, one or more goal definition input parameters, one or more navigation state input parameters, one or more design input parameters, and one or more vehicle performance envelope input parameters; and generate one or more control signals at one or more predetermined intervals of time to maneuver the one or more vehicles based on the decision engine selection.