Adaptive detect and avoid system with integrity monitoring

1 . An apparatus for avoidance, the apparatus comprising:

a first sensor configured to collect environmental data, wherein the environmental data includes data associated with one or more conditions in or around a vehicle associated with the apparatus;

a second sensor configured to collect external data corresponding to an external object detected within a detection range from the apparatus; and

a processor coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, the processor configured to, in real-time:

calculate a minimum distance to avoid the external object, based at least in part on the environmental data, the external data, and a volume of space,

wherein the volume of space is determined, where a collision between the vehicle and the external object is calculated to occur, in a direction of the vehicle;

monitor the environmental data and the external data;

compare a designed sensor performance of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor to the calculated minimum distance,

wherein the designed sensor performance is information associated with performance of the one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor, based on speed of the vehicle, and

wherein the designed sensor performance is stored in a memory of the apparatus;

determine that one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor cannot meet a safety condition, based on the speed of the vehicle, to provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic in response to the comparison of the designed sensor performance of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor to the calculated minimum distance;

control the apparatus to reestablish meeting of the safety condition to provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic based on the determination that one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor cannot provide sufficient alerting to maintain the separation against all traffic; and

control the apparatus to avoid the external object based on the calculated minimum distance and the monitored environmental data and the external data, wherein the environmental data from the first sensor includes at least one of: communication latency, latency of the processor, decision time of the apparatus, or response time of the apparatus that corresponds to a time period between an input to commence a maneuver and when the vehicle commences the maneuver.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor the environmental data and the external data, evaluate, in real-time, an output of the first sensor and an output of the second sensor using a dynamic model,

determine if at least one of the output of the first sensor or the output of the second sensor is below a performance threshold, and

adjust the at least one of the output of the first sensor or the output of the second sensor in response to the determination that the output of the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is below the performance threshold.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

after adjusting the at least one of the output of the first sensor or the output of the second sensor, determine that the at least one of the output of the first sensor or the output of the second sensor remains below the performance threshold, and

based on the output remaining below the performance threshold, output, to an interface, an alert.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to update the calculated minimum distance to avoid the external object in response to the adjusted output of the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: execute a Harris corner detector algorithm using the external data collected by the second sensor;

output a figure of merit based on the execution of the Harris corner detector algorithm; and

update the calculated minimum distance to avoid the external object in response to the output figure of merit.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the apparatus is located on an aircraft, and

the processor is further configured to calculate the minimum distance to avoid the external object based at least in part on a turning radius of the aircraft.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:

the detection range is a spherical range surrounding the apparatus, and

the processor is further configured to calculate the minimum distance to avoid the external object and monitor the environmental data and external data in-flight.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein, to calculate the minimum distance, the processor is configured to utilize at least one of a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) alerting logic, an Apollonius theorem, or a traffic collision avoidance algorithm.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the environmental data further includes at least one of: turn rate limitations of the apparatus, weather surrounding the apparatus, or protection volume requirements.

10 . A method for avoidance, the method comprising:

collecting, via a first sensor, environmental data, wherein the environmental data includes data associated with one or more conditions in or around a vehicle;

collecting, via a second sensor, external data corresponding to an external object detected within a detection range;

calculating, via a processor coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor of an apparatus, in real-time, a minimum distance to avoid the external object, based at least in part on the environmental data, the external data, and a volume of space,

wherein the volume of space is determined, where a collision between the vehicle and the external object is calculated to occur, in a direction of the vehicle;

monitoring, in real-time, the environmental data and the external data;

comparing a designed sensor performance of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor to the calculated minimum distance,

wherein the designed sensor performance is information associated with performance of the one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor, based on speed of the vehicle, and

wherein the designed sensor performance is stored in a memory of the apparatus;

determining that one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor cannot meet a safety condition, based on the speed of the vehicle, to provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic in response to the comparison of the designed sensor performance of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor to the calculated minimum distance;

controlling the apparatus to reestablish meeting of the safety condition to provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic based on the determination that one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor cannot provide sufficient alerting to maintain the separation against all traffic; and

avoiding the external object based on the calculated minimum distance and the monitored environmental data and external data, wherein the environmental data from the first sensor includes at least one of:

communication latency,

latency of the processor,

decision time of the apparatus, or

response time of the apparatus that corresponds to a time period between an input to commence a maneuver and when the vehicle commences the maneuver.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

monitoring the environmental data and the external data,

evaluating, in real-time, an output of the first sensor and an output of the second sensor using a dynamic model,

determining at least one of the output of the first sensor or the output of the second sensor is below a performance threshold, and

adjusting an output of the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor in response to the determination that the output of the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is below the performance threshold.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

after adjusting the output of the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor, determining the output remains below the performance threshold, and

based on the output remaining below the performance threshold, outputting, to an interface, an alert.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising updating the calculated minimum distance to avoid the external object in response to the adjusted output of the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

executing a Harris corner detector algorithm using the external data collected by the second sensor;

outputting a figure of merit based on the execution of the Harris corner detector algorithm; and

updating the calculated minimum distance to avoid the external object in response to the output figure of merit.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:

the method is performed by an aircraft, and

the method further comprises calculating the minimum distance to avoid the external object based at least in part on a turning radius of the aircraft.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the detection range is a spherical range surrounding the aircraft, and

wherein the method further comprises:

calculating the minimum distance to avoid the external object and monitoring the environmental data and external data in-flight.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein, calculating the minimum distance further comprises:

utilizing at least one of a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) alerting logic, an Apollonius theorem, or a traffic collision avoidance algorithm.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the environmental data includes at least one of: turn rate limitations of the apparatus, weather surrounding the apparatus, or protection volume requirements.

19 . A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed, for avoidance, to:

control a first sensor to collect environmental data, wherein the environmental data includes data associated with one or more conditions in or around a vehicle;

control a second sensor to collect external data corresponding to an external object detected within a detection range;

calculate, via a processor coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor of an apparatus, in real-time, a minimum distance to avoid the external object, based at least in part on the environmental data, the external data, and a volume of space,

wherein the volume of space is determined, where a collision between the vehicle and the external object is calculated to occur, in a-direction of the vehicle;

monitor, in real-time, the environmental data and the external data;

compare a designed sensor performance of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor to the calculated minimum distance,

wherein the designed sensor performance is information associated with performance of the one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor, based on speed of the vehicle, and

wherein the designed sensor performance is stored in a memory of the apparatus;

determine that one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor cannot meet a safety condition, based on the speed of the vehicle, to provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic in response to the comparison of the designed sensor performance of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor to the calculated minimum distance;

control the apparatus to reestablish meeting of the safety condition to provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic based on the determination that one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor cannot provide sufficient alerting to maintain separation against all traffic; and

control to avoid the external object based on the calculated minimum distance and the monitored environmental data and external data, wherein the environmental data from the first sensor includes at least one of: communication latency, latency of the processor, decision time of the apparatus, or response time of the apparatus that corresponds to a time period between an input to commence a maneuver and when the vehicle commences the maneuver.

20 . The non-transitory computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the computer readable program code is further adapted, to:

to monitor the environmental data and the external data;

evaluate, in real-time, an output of the first sensor and an output of the second sensor using a dynamic model;

determine that the output of at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is below a performance threshold; and

adjust an output of the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor in response to the determination that the output of the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor is below the performance threshold.