Method for operating an at least temporarily unmanned aircraft or spacecraft and an aircraft or spacecraft of this type

US10607495B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Airbus Defence and Space GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Winfried Lohmiller · Schweinhub, DE
• Joerg Meyer · Wagenfeld, DE
• Thomas Heuer · Hamburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 30, 2017
• Grant date: Mar 31, 2020
• Expiry date: May 15, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04B7/18506
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method for operating an, at least temporarily, unmanned aircraft or spacecraft wherein a flight procedure of the aircraft or spacecraft is carried out in controlled airspace using a previously cleared flight plan, wherein a C2 link is at least temporarily unavailable, and wherein at least one sensor device of the aircraft or spacecraft identifies a dangerous and/or emergency situation which makes it necessary to deviate from the cleared flight plan. To have available a method which makes it possible for an at least temporarily unmanned aircraft or spacecraft to react independently to particular dangerous and/or emergency situations and to avoid damaging events, a control device of the aircraft or spacecraft independently uses a wireless data link to a supervisory authority in order to agree to a changed flight plan containing at least one change.