Mission modeling planning, and execution module (M2PEM) systems and methods

US11599109B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force · US

Inventors

• Chris Scrapper · San Diego, US
• Greg Droge · Nibley, US
• Alexander L Xydes · San Diego, US
• Jean-Pierre de la Croix · Los Angeles, US
• Amir Reza Rahmani · McLean, US
• Joshua Vander Hook · Los Angeles, US
• Grace Lim · Bukit Mertajam, MY

Key dates

• Filing date: May 6, 2019
• Grant date: Mar 7, 2023
• Expiry date: Jan 12, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/067
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and systems for accomplishing a mission using a plurality of unmanned vehicles can include graphically describing the mission tasks at a graphical user interface (GUI) using Business Process Model Notation (BPMN), and translating the graphical description into extensible machine language (XML) formatted robot operating system (ROS) instructions, which can be understood by each of the plurality of unmanned vehicles with a translator. An execution engine transmits the XML ROS instructions to a respective local controller on the respective unmanned vehicle. The BPMN graphical descriptor symbols can allow for planning of a mission by an end user that does not have expertise in the ROS domain, and that does not have an understanding of the ROS construct. The execution engine can provide feedback back to the GUI regarding mission execution. Based on the feedback, the graphical description can be modified while the mission is being accomplished.