UAV Control Board Architecture With Heterogeneous Backup Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional control systems for unmanned vehicles, such as backplane architectures, are cumbersome, limited in processing capability, and prone to mechanical and electrical failures due to environmental stress, while also requiring significant space and weight, which is unsuitable for high-stress applications like UAVs.
Innovation Solution
A control system with a housing containing first and second circuit boards, each with heterogeneous field programmable architectures, providing integrated vehicle and mission management control, and featuring a carrier module for I/O interfaces between vehicle devices and processing systems, enabling robust and reliable operation with backup functions and reduced hardware requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional backplane architectures are used for control systems, then processing capability is limited and mechanical/electrical failures occur, but the system requires significant space and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple processing systems (first and second processing systems with different architectures) onto a single circuit board, merging what would traditionally be separate hardware components. This integration reduces the overall weight and space requirements while maintaining the reliability benefits of heterogeneous processing architectures through unified mounting and power distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit board is designed with universal interface circuits that can accommodate multiple types of processing systems and vehicle devices through standardized connectors and communication protocols. This multi-functionality allows the same hardware platform to support diverse processing architectures (e.g., FPGA, ASIC, microcontroller) without requiring additional weight-bearing structural components.
2Reliability
If traditional control systems are used, then the system is cumbersome and prone to failures, but providing robust control requires redundant hardware components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges redundant processing capabilities into a shared circuit board infrastructure, where the first and second processing systems can serve each other as backups. This consolidation reduces hardware complexity by eliminating duplicate power supplies, mounting structures, and interconnection mechanisms while preserving fault tolerance through architectural redundancy at the logic level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements virtual copying of processing functions across heterogeneous architectures rather than physical duplication of hardware components. The first and second processing systems can execute identical or complementary control algorithms, providing functional redundancy without requiring duplicate physical subsystems, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
3Volume of moving object
If heterogeneous processing systems are integrated on a single circuit board, then space and weight are reduced, but the interface and communication requirements become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs universal interface circuits with standardized protocols that can communicate with multiple types of processing systems and vehicle devices through a common architecture. This multi-functional interface layer simplifies the complexity by providing a unified communication standard rather than requiring custom interface circuits for each processing system type, thereby managing complexity while maintaining compact integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary interface circuit layer that mediates between the heterogeneous first and second processing systems and the various vehicle devices. This intermediary layer handles protocol conversion and signal conditioning, isolating the complexity of heterogeneous interfaces from the core processing systems and allowing compact integration without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If modular carrier modules are used for different vehicle functions, then adaptability is improved, but the authentication and connection verification processes add complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universal authentication protocols and standardized connection interfaces that work across all carrier modules and processing systems. This multi-functional authentication framework provides adaptability for different vehicle devices while managing complexity through a unified verification process rather than requiring separate authentication mechanisms for each module type.
Data Source
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AI summary
A control system for an unmanned vehicle (UV) comprises a housing 110 defining an interior, a first circuit board 120, 200 disposed within the interior, and a second circuit board 122 disposed within the interior. The first circuit board includes one or more processing circuits including a first processing system and a second processing system having heterogeneous field programmable architectures. The second circuit board 122 includes a plurality of interface circuits associated with a plurality of vehicle devices of the UV. The second circuit board 122 is in operative communication with the first circuit board 120, 200 and includes an input/output (I/O) interface between the plurality of interface circuits and the first and second processing systems.