UNMANNED VEHICLE, SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE BETWEEN UNMANNED VEHICLE

1 . A method of controlling an unmanned vehicle having a satellite navigation unit and an inertial navigation unit, the unmanned vehicle operatively coupled to a controller, the method comprising:

controlling, by the controller, a movement of the unmanned vehicle such that the unmanned vehicle moves along a planned path;

detecting, by the controller, a loss of a satellite signal at the satellite navigation unit;

determining, by the controller, a planned position of the unmanned vehicle based on the planned path;

determining, by the inertial navigation unit, a current position of the unmanned vehicle;

comparing, by the controller, the current position determined by the inertial navigation unit with the planned position based on the planned path; and

controlling, by the controller, a movement of the unmanned vehicle based on at least the comparison between the current position and the planned position.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the planned path comprises a speed profile of the path, an altitude profile of the path and a horizontal profile of the path.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the controller, a difference between the planned position based on the planned path and the current position determined by the inertial navigation unit;

determining, by the controller, a current trajectory of the unmanned vehicle based on the current position; and

controlling, by the controller, the movement of the unmanned vehicle to at least reduce a difference between the trajectory of the unmanned vehicle and the planned path.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the satellite navigation unit, a satellite signal indicative of the current positon of the unmanned vehicle; and

controlling the movement of the unmanned vehicle based on at least the planned path and the satellite signal received by the satellite navigation unit.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the unmanned vehicle, a current position of a companion unmanned vehicle;

estimating, by the controller, a potential collision between the unmanned vehicle and the companion unmanned vehicle based on the current position of each of the unmanned vehicle and the companion unmanned vehicle; and

controlling, by the controller, the movement of the unmanned vehicle to impede the potential collision between the unmanned vehicle and the companion unmanned vehicle.

6 . An unmanned vehicle, comprising:

a satellite navigation unit configured for receiving a satellite signal indicative of a current position of the unmanned vehicle;

an inertial navigation unit configured for determining the current position of the unmanned vehicle relative to an initial position;

a memory unit configured for storing a planned path of the unmanned vehicle;

a control unit disposed in communication with the satellite navigation unit, the inertial navigation unit and the memory unit, the control unit including a position unit and configured to:

detect a loss of satellite signal at the satellite navigation unit,

receive the current position of the unmanned vehicle from the inertial navigation unit,

determine a planned position of the unmanned vehicle based on the planned path,

compare the current position determined by the inertial navigation unit with the planned position based on the planned path, and

control the movement of the unmanned vehicle based on at least the comparison between the current position and the planned position;

a communication unit configured for receiving a second current position of a companion unmanned vehicle sent by the companion unmanned vehicle through at least one of satellite link and a base control station, wherein:

the control unit is further configured to control the movement of the unmanned vehicle further based on the second current position of the companion unmanned vehicle, the control unit is further configured to estimate a potential collision between the unmanned vehicle and the companion unmanned vehicle based on the current position of the unmanned vehicle and the second current position of the companion unmanned vehicle, the control unit is configured to control the movement of the unmanned vehicle to impede the potential collision between the unmanned vehicle and the companion unmanned vehicle, and

the unmanned vehicle is configured to transmit its said current position and the planned path to the companion unmanned vehicle so that the companion unmanned vehicle is configured through a second control unit to determine a need to modify its own second path as well.

7 . The unmanned vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the inertial navigation unit comprises at least one of a ring laser gyroscope, a vibrating gyroscope, a hemispherical resonator gyroscope, a fiber optic gyroscope and an accelerometer.

8 . The unmanned vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the satellite navigation unit is a Global Position System (GPS) unit.

9 . The unmanned vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising a detection unit that is configured to detect an obstacle in a path of the unmanned vehicle, wherein the detection unit includes at least one of a sensor and an imaging unit.

10 . The unmanned vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the planned path includes a speed profile of the path, an altitude profile of the path and a horizontal profile of the path.

11 . (canceled)

12 . (canceled)

13 . The unmanned vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:

determine a difference between the planned position based on the planned path and the current position determined by the inertial navigation unit;

determine a current trajectory of the unmanned vehicle based on the current position; and

control the movement of the unmanned vehicle to at least reduce a difference between the trajectory of the unmanned vehicle and the planned path.

14 . The unmanned vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:

detect a satellite signal received by the satellite navigation unit; and

control the movement of the unmanned vehicle based on at least the planned path and the satellite signal received by the satellite navigation unit.

15 . A system comprising a plurality of unmanned vehicles, each of the plurality of unmanned vehicles including:

a satellite navigation unit that is configured to receive a satellite signal indicative of a current position of the unmanned vehicle;

an inertial navigation unit that is configured to determine the current position of the unmanned vehicle relative to an initial position;

a memory unit that is configured to store a planned path of the unmanned vehicle;

a communication unit disposed in communication with other unmanned vehicles, the communication unit configured to receive a current position of each of the other unmanned vehicles; and

a control unit disposed in communication with the satellite navigation unit, the inertial navigation unit, the memory unit and the communication unit, the control unit configured to:

detect a loss of satellite signal at the satellite navigation unit;

receive the current position of the unmanned vehicle from the inertial navigation unit;

determine a planned position of the unmanned vehicle based on the planned path;

receive the current position of each of the other unmanned vehicles from the communication unit; and

control the movement of the unmanned vehicle based on at least the current position determined by the inertial navigation unit, the planned position based on the planned path, and the current position of each of the other unmanned vehicles.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a base station disposed in communication with the plurality of unmanned vehicles, the base station configured to generate the planned path for each of the plurality of unmanned vehicles and transmit the planned paths to corresponding unmanned vehicles.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the inertial navigation unit comprises at least one of a ring laser gyroscope, a vibrating gyroscope, a hemispherical resonator gyroscope, a fiber optic gyroscope and an accelerometer.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the satellite navigation unit is a Global Position System (GPS) unit.

19 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a detection unit that is configured to detect an obstacle in a path of the unmanned vehicle.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:

estimate one or more potential collisions between the unmanned vehicle and the other unmanned vehicles based on the current position of each of the plurality of unmanned vehicles; and

control the movement of the unmanned vehicle to impede the one or more potential collisions between the unmanned vehicle and the other unmanned vehicles.

21 . The unmanned vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to control, remotely, movements of the companion unmanned vehicle based on its position relative to the unmanned vehicle, itself.

22 . The unmanned vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the movement of both the unmanned vehicle itself and the companion unmanned vehicle based on a real-time dynamic path.