Patent Application
20100114408
An unmanned, aerial vehicle (UAV), sometimes called an “unmanned, air-reconnaissance vehicle,” is an unpiloted aircraft. UAVs can be remote controlled or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic automation systems. UAVs are currently used in a number of military roles, including reconnaissance operations.
The use of any UAV is beneficial only when information can be transmitted back to the operator in real time. As the skies above the battlefield become increasingly cluttered with UAVs, data links can be filled to capacity or overfilled, which results in congestion and poor performance. The flight characteristics of a hovering capable UAV; helicopter configuration, multi open blade, single ducted, or multi ducted has mission segments that require differing levels of quality in terms of image resolution and frame rates.
The present invention provides methods and systems for adjusting video quality outputted by a hovering capable aerial vehicle. The purpose of each mission segment is defined so as to provide a preferred video quality of service. The quality of service changes from imaging needs for controlled flight above obstacles, to imaging needs for controlled flight through obstacles, and image quality for surveillance resolutions. During high speed cruise the image quality is of less interest than the image rate that supports control actions. During hover the image rate is of less importance than the image quality and resolution needed for surveillance. A quality of service is set based on the monitored mission segment and the available radio frequency bandwidth. The quality of service is selectively altered based on a change of at least one of a mission segment or an environmental condition.
Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings:
The aircraft 202 includes a flight management system (FMS) 204. The FMS 204 generally includes or is in communication with an inertial navigation system (INS) 206 that communicates heading, velocities, and altitude, a global positioning system (GPS) 208 that communicates position information and a flight management computer (FMC) 210, that generates guidance information and coupled with the direction, altitude and current position provides flight commands to the FMS 204 in order to fly the aircraft 202. The FMS 204 is generally programmed for an entire mission prior to the aircraft 202 starting the mission. The FMS 204 contains information such as mission segments, waypoints, direction of travel and altitude. The FMC 210 is also in communication with a QOS manager 212 and sends information including current segment, based on direction of travel, altitude and current position, and conditions. The QOS manager 212 processes the segment information combined with the conditions to determine the frame rate and image size to provide the needed image quality for the mission segment. The QOS manager 212 also receives instructions from a ground controller using a communication device 216. The QOS manager 212 selectively activates a camera 214 on the aircraft 202. The aircraft 202 also includes the communication device 216 for transmission of images from the aircraft 202 to an operator. The communications device 216 may communicate with the ground station using digital, analog or any other communication means. In addition to the mission segment management of quality of service the QOS manager 212 may input environmental conditions such as time of day and imager direction relative to light sources, turbulence, and obscurants to enhance image quality,
In another embodiment, the QOS manager 212 adjust one or more controllable settings of the camera 214. For example, an iris setting is adjusted. The iris setting determines the amount of light entering the camera 214, just like the iris of an eye. Other settings that can be changed on the camera 214 include shutter, aperture, backlight, shutter speed or any other setting that would increase or decrease the size in the recorded information, thereby allowing for more or less resolution.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
