UV Control System Autonomous Mission Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current unmanned vehicle (UV) control systems lack the capability to ensure safety and accuracy in mission execution, particularly in ambiguous environments, as they rely heavily on human operators and do not effectively integrate with workflows in industries like oil and gas, agriculture, and emergency services.

Innovation Solution

A UV control system that utilizes a hardware-implemented mission manager and event detector to assign and manage missions, analyze real-time data, and adjust movement plans autonomously or with remote guidance, ensuring compliance with regulations and optimizing operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If UV control systems rely heavily on human operators for mission execution, then ease of operation is improved, but safety and accuracy deteriorate in ambiguous environments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidsafety and accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements real-time monitoring and automated anomaly detection systems that actively identify and respond to mission deviations, effectively 'oxidizing' or eliminating safety risks before they can compromise the mission. The system uses automated decision-making algorithms that operate faster and more reliably than human operators in ambiguous environments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #38Strong oxidants (Accelerated oxidation)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces human operator decision-making with automated control systems that use sensor data, pre-programmed rules, and real-time analysis to execute missions. This substitution eliminates human error and reaction delays, improving both safety and accuracy while maintaining ease of operation through centralized control interfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Device complexity

If UV control systems do not effectively integrate with industry workflows, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates in applications like oil and gas, agriculture, and emergency services

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidproductivity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal UV control system architecture that can interface with multiple industry-specific workflows through standardized protocols and adapters. The system provides core mission management functions that work across oil and gas, agriculture, and emergency services applications while allowing customization for specific industry requirements, thereby improving productivity without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates pre-configured mission templates, pre-programmed safety protocols, and pre-established communication interfaces for various industry workflows. This preliminary preparation allows the UV control system to quickly integrate into different industry environments without requiring complex customizations, thus improving productivity while maintaining manageable system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If UV control systems lack autonomous data analysis capability, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of information increases in real-time mission execution

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidloss of information
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a hierarchical data processing architecture where real-time data analysis occurs at multiple levels: onboard UV sensors process immediate environmental data, mid-level ground stations perform intermediate analysis, and central control systems conduct comprehensive data processing. This multi-dimensional approach ensures no information is lost while distributing computational complexity across different system layers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces intermediary data processing layers including onboard processors that pre-analyze sensor data before transmission, and ground-based analysis systems that prepare data for central decision-making. These intermediaries reduce information loss by ensuring data quality and completeness while managing system complexity through distributed processing rather than centralized complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2908202B1Unmanned vehicle (UV) control system
Publication Date: 2019.03.27 ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LTD
  • EP2908202B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2908202B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2908202B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

Unmanned vehicle (UV) control may include receiving a UV work order and generating a mission request based on the UV work order. The mission request may identify an objective of a mission, assign a UV and a sensor to the mission from a fleet of UVs and sensors, and assign a first movement plan to the mission based on the identified objective of the mission. The assigned UV may be controlled according to the assigned first movement plan, and communication data may be received from the assigned sensor. The communication data may be analyzed to identify an event related to the mission. The identified event and the first movement plan may be analyzed to assign a second movement plan to the mission based on the analysis of the identified event and the first movement plan to meet the identified objective of the mission.