Vehicle controller
A controller for an unmanned vehicle is described. The controller comprises: a receiver for receiving a deconflicted route from a deconfliction engine, the deconflicted route comprising at least one waypoint; a first communications interface for enabling electrical communication between the controller and a corresponding communications interface on an unmanned vehicle; and a processor. The processor is configured to: receive the current position of the unmanned vehicle; generate a vehicle control signal for instructing the unmanned vehicle to perform a manoeuvre which moves the unmanned vehicle from its current position to the at least one waypoint; and transmit the vehicle control signal to the unmanned vehicle through the first communications interface. An unmanned vehicle, a system and method of controlling an unmanned vehicle are also described.
1 . A controller for an unmanned vehicle, the controller being removably attached to an outside of a housing of the unmanned vehicle and configured to move with the unmanned vehicle to each waypoint in a set of waypoints in a deconflicted route, the controller comprising:
a receiver external to the unmanned vehicle, for receiving a target route for the unmanned vehicle from a terminal device, the terminal device being a different device from the unmanned vehicle and the controller;
a first communications interface for enabling electrical communication between the controller and a corresponding communications interface on the unmanned vehicle; and
a processor configured to:
obtain a current position of the unmanned vehicle;
obtain position information related to at least one obstacle;
perform route deconfliction on the target route by determining if a conflict exists whereby the at least one obstacle intercepts the target route and obtain from the terminal device another target route or automatically generate the deconflicted route not intercepted by the at least one obstacle, where the deconflicted route comprises arrival times corresponding to each waypoint in the set of waypoints, wherein the processor is configured to determine if the at least one obstacle intercepts the target route based on the current position of the unmanned vehicle and a time-dependent virtual three-dimensional region which surrounds the unmanned vehicle and virtually travels with the unmanned vehicle as the unmanned vehicle travels along the target route and the position information, where the at least one obstacle intercepts the target route if the at least one obstacle is predicted to overlap in both space and time the time-dependent virtual three-dimensional region;
generate a vehicle control signal comprising an instruction for the unmanned vehicle to perform a manoeuvre which moves the unmanned vehicle from its current position to each of the waypoints in the set of waypoints at the arrival times corresponding to each waypoint; and
transmit the vehicle control signal to the unmanned vehicle through the first communications interface.
2 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the first communications interface comprises a wired interface.
3 . The controller according to claim 1 , comprising attachment means for detachably coupling the controller to the outside of the housing of the unmanned vehicle.
4 . The controller according to claim 1 , comprising a navigation system configured to determine the current position of the unmanned vehicle.
5 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to predict a movement of the at least one obstacle based on the position information, where the position information comprises speed and direction of travel.
6 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle control signal comprises at least one of a bearing, seed, and altitude.
7 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein obtaining the position information relating to at least one obstacle comprises at least one of: retrieving from storage a prestored map having topography data or architectural data, receiving data from an air traffic control system, or receiving data from another vehicle.
8 . An unmanned vehicle comprising:
a controller according to claim 3 for generating and transmitting the vehicle control signal for the unmanned vehicle;
a second communications interface for cooperating with the first communications interface to receive the vehicle control signal from the controller;
at least one propulsion unit for generating thrust to move the unmanned vehicle; and
a processor for controlling the power and/or direction of the thrust in accordance with the received vehicle control signal.
9 . The unmanned vehicle according to claim 8 , comprising an on-board navigation system for determining the current position of the unmanned vehicle, wherein the on-board navigation system is configured to transmit the current position of the unmanned vehicle to the controller through the second communications interface.
10 . The unmanned vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the unmanned vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle and wherein the deconflicted route is a deconflicted flight plan.
11 . A system comprising:
the controller according to claim 1 , and further configured to generate a user interface to be displayed on the terminal device; and
the terminal device configured to receive from the controller the user interface and to display the user interface, in response to displaying the user interface, the terminal device is configured to receive an input to create the target route for the unmanned vehicle and transmit the target route to the controller.
12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the terminal device is a mobile phone.
13 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein prior to transmitting the vehicle control signal to the unmanned vehicle, the controller is configured to transmit the deconflicted route to the terminal device and the terminal device is configured to display the deconflicted route for confirmation.
14 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the position information relating to at least one obstacle comprises a route for a vehicle.
15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the terminal device is configured to:
receive an updated target route via the user interface and transmit the updated target route to the controller; or
generate via the user interface the new target route.
16 . The controller according to claim 6 , wherein the vehicle control signal further comprises special instructions for at least one waypoint.
17 . The controller according to claim 5 , wherein the determining further comprises predicting a movement of the at least one obstacle based on the position information.
18 . The controller according to claim 17 , wherein the position information related to at least one obstacle also comprises a time-dependent virtual region, which moves along a route of the at least one obstacle.
19 . The controller according to claim 18 , wherein the time-dependent virtual region associated with the at least one obstacle is a three-dimensional area.
20 . The controller according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to obtain the position information related to at least one obstacle.
21 . The controller according to claim 20 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of laser range finder, an optical camera, a radar, a sonar, a hyperspectral imaging device, or an infrared camera.
22 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to obtain the current position of the unmanned vehicle by receiving the current position from the unmanned vehicle via the first communications interface.
23 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the first communications interface is configured to both enable electrical communication between the controller and a corresponding communications interface on the unmanned vehicle and to provide a mechanical interface to removably attach the controller to the unmanned vehicle without an additional attachment means.
24 . The controller according to claim 4 , wherein the navigation system comprises a satellite navigation system receiver.
25 . The controller according to claim 1 , further comprising an additional communications interface configured to communicate with the terminal device or another external system.
26 . A method of controlling an unmanned vehicle using a controller removably attached to an outside of a housing of the unmanned vehicle subject to the controlling and where the controller moves with the unmanned vehicle to each waypoint in a set of waypoints in a deconflicted route, the method comprising:
obtaining position information relating to at least one obstacle;
receiving at the controller which is removably attached to the outside of the housing, a target route for the unmanned vehicle from a terminal device, the terminal device being a different device from the unmanned vehicle and the controller;
performing route deconfliction on the route by determining if a conflict exists whereby the at least one obstacle intercepts the target route and obtaining a new target route or automatically generating the deconflicted route not intercepted by the at least one obstacle, where the deconflicted route comprises arrival times corresponding to each waypoint in the set of waypoints, the determining comprising using the current position of the unmanned vehicle, a time-dependent virtual three-dimensional region which surrounds the unmanned vehicle and virtually travels with the unmanned vehicle as the unmanned vehicle travels along the target route and the position information, where it is determined that the at least one obstacle intercepts the target route if the at least one obstacle is predicted to overlap in both space and time the time-dependent virtual three-dimensional region;
generating a vehicle control signal comprising an instruction for the unmanned vehicle to perform a manoeuvre which moves the unmanned vehicle from its current position to each of the waypoints in the set of waypoints at the arrival times corresponding to each waypoint; and
transmitting the vehicle control signal to the unmanned vehicle through a communications interface.
27 . The method of controlling an unmanned vehicle according to claim 26 , further comprising:
attaching the controller to the outside of the housing of the unmanned vehicle subject the controlling and controlling the unmanned vehicle according to claim 26 .
28 . The method of controlling an unmanned vehicle according to claim 27 , further comprising removing the controller from the unmanned vehicle and reattaching the controller to another unmanned vehicle.
29 . The method of controlling an unmanned vehicle according to claim 28 , wherein the unmanned vehicle and the another unmanned vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle and wherein the deconflicted route is a deconflicted flight plan.
30 . The method of controlling an unmanned vehicle according to claim 26 , wherein the controller is attached to the outside of the housing of the unmanned vehicle by at least one of: straps, an adhesive substance, a magnet, hook-and-loop material, a clasp, a bracket, or an elastic band.