Probabilistic mission design

1 . A method for evaluating a mission of a mobile entity, comprising the steps of:

obtaining information on a planned trajectory, the mobile entity, mission requirements, environment and public body rules;

transforming the information into a symbolic, probabilistic representation to generate a probabilistic logic program, wherein facts are extracted from the information and systematically designated with names within the probabilistic logic program;

obtaining at least one probabilistic logic query on the mission; and

generating an answer to the at least one probabilistic logic query based on the probabilistic logic program.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the information on the planned trajectory and/or the mobile entity is obtained from an agent unit;

the information on the planned trajectory includes a spatio-temporal representation of the planned trajectory and/or information on an uncertainty along the planned trajectory; and

the information on the mobile entity includes hardware specification, sensor data and/or information on measurements made by the mobile entity.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein

the at least one probabilistic logic query is obtained from the agent unit and the answer is send to the agent unit.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the information on the environment is obtained from a source for public information and includes weather conditions, geographic and/or topological information.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the information on the public body rules is obtained from a source of information on rules set by a public body and includes legislative rules and/or regulations to be complied with.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the information on the mission requirements is obtained from an operator unit and includes operator rules and mission requirements.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein

the at least one probabilistic logic query is obtained from the operator unit and the answer is send to the operator unit.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

a first logic program is generated based on the information on the planned trajectory and the mobile entity;

a second logic program is generated on the information on the environment;

a third logic program is generated on the information on the mission requirements; and

the probabilistic logic program is generated by combining the first logic program, the second logic program and the third logic program.

9 . A non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording a program that, when running on a computer or loaded onto a computer, causes the computer to execute the steps of the method according to claim 1 .

10 . A system for evaluating a mission of a mobile entity, comprising means for obtaining information on a planned trajectory, the mobile entity, mission requirements, environment and public body rules;

means for transforming the information into a symbolic, probabilistic representation to generate a probabilistic logic program, wherein facts are extracted from the information and systematically designated with names within the probabilistic logic program, and the obtaining means is configured to obtain at least one probabilistic logic query on the mission; and

means for generating an answer to the at least one probabilistic logic query based on the probabilistic logic program.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein

the obtaining means comprises an agent unit configured to provide the information on the planned trajectory and the mobile entity, to generate the at least one probabilistic logic query and to control the mobile entity based on the answer, and/or the obtaining means comprises an interface configured to receive the provided information and the at least one probabilistic logic query from the agent unit and to send the answer to the agent unit;

the information on the planned trajectory includes a spatio-temporal representation of the planned trajectory and/or information on an uncertainty along the planned trajectory; and

the information on the mobile entity includes hardware specification, sensor data and/or information on measurements made by the mobile entity.

12 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein

the obtaining means comprises a storage means for storing the information on the environment and/or comprises an interface for receiving the information on the environment from the storage means; and

the information on the environment includes weather conditions, geographic and/or topological information.

13 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein

the obtaining means comprises a storage means for storing the information on the public body rules and/or comprises an interface for receiving the information on the public body rules; and

the information on the public body rules includes legislative rules and/or regulations to be complied with.

14 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein

the obtaining means comprises an operator unit configured to generate the information on the mission requirements and the at least one probabilistic logic query based on an operation of a user and to output the answer to the user, and/or comprises an interface to receive the generated information and the at least one probabilistic logic query from the operator unit and to send the answer to the operator unit; and

the information on the mission requirements includes operator rules and mission requirements.

15 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein

the transformation means is configured to generate a logic program based on the information on the planned trajectory and the mobile entity and to attach the information on the environment and the information on the mission requirements to the logic program to generate the probabilistic logic program.