Patent ID: 8924069
Filing Date: 2014-12-30
Classification: F41G,G05D,G06N

Abstract:
1. A method for control of an aircraft relative to one or more other aircraft, the method comprising: providing a first airborne aircraft, having a first aircraft processor and associated processor memory unit that autonomously observes and evaluates present location and on present velocity of a second airborne aircraft relative to the first aircraft at a first time value t1, where the processor infers that the second aircraft appears to follow a flight configuration that is non-cooperative with, or evasive relative to, the first aircraft; causing the first aircraft processor to estimate a first desired location and a first desired orientation of the first aircraft relative to the second aircraft at a second time value t2 that is greater than the first time value t1, where the processor is configured to assume that the second aircraft will continue the present orientation and present velocity of the second aircraft for a first time interval, that extends from the time value t1 to the time value t2; providing a group of action-commands for the first aircraft processor, drawn from a group of action variable commands comprising: a roll angle change within a first specified time interval, a pitch angle change within a second specified time interval, an altitude change within a third specified time interval, a bank angle command within a fourth specified time interval, a heading command within a fifth specified time interval, a thrust command within a sixth specified time interval, and a flight path angle command within a seventh specified time interval, for the first aircraft; providing a wait command for the first aircraft processor that commands that the first aircraft make no change in any action variable for an eighth specified time interval, which may have zero time interval length; providing an action command sequence (ACS) for the first aircraft processor that comprises a first action variable command, followed by a first wait command, followed by a second action variable command, followed by a second wait command where the first and second action variable commands are drawn from a group of action commands and the action command sequence is constructed so that the first aircraft will arrive at the first desired location and the first desired orientation relative to the second aircraft at the second time value t2; and causing the first aircraft to implement the action command sequence for a first time interval which extends from the time value t1 to the time value t2, so that the first aircraft arrives at the first desired location and the first desired orientation relative to the second aircraft at the second time value t2.