Patent ID: 7844396

Claim:
A processor-implemented method of controlling a vehicle via a vehicle control unit for monitoring and controlling the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: characterizing a vehicle operation as a series of missions; breaking each mission into one or more mission element sets that are necessary to accomplish the mission; breaking each mission element set into one or more mission elements, each mission element consisting of a mission element entity and a mission element behavior, wherein the mission element entity represents how the mission element functions over time, and wherein the mission element behavior performs calculations for the mission element; defining the mission elements in each mission element set and the mission element sets in each mission in the operation, wherein the mission elements in the mission element set comprise a mission driver for providing direction to the vehicle control unit for commanding the vehicle to perform a mobility act and at least one mission action for providing input to the mission driver about possible actions; executing the mission, via a mission executor, to perform each mission, its defined mission element sets, and the defined mission elements to provide input to the vehicle control unit; determining whether any existing mission elements are already executing prior to the series of missions and not present in the series of missions; responsive to a determination that existing mission elements are already executing prior to the series of missions and not present in the series of missions, deactivating existing mission elements; and directing the vehicle, via the vehicle control unit, to perform the vehicle operation.