Method for operating an at least temporarily unmanned aircraft and such an aircraft

US12020581B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Airbus Defence and Space GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Winfried Lohmiller · Schweinhub, DE
• Jorg Meyer · Aachen, DE
• Thomas Heuer · Hamburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 30, 2019
• Grant date: Jun 25, 2024
• Expiry date: Aug 19, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G08G5/58
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method for operating an at least temporarily unmanned aircraft, wherein a flight is performed according to a prior flight plan in an airspace controlled by a control instance. A flight direction is determined during the flight via a control device influenced via a data connection by a control instance. The data connection is temporarily unavailable, and a hazardous or emergency situation requiring deviation from the flight plan, is identified by the control device based on first sensor data. An avoidance route is determined by the control device based on a second sensor data, the avoidance route including a avoidance manoeuvre avoiding the hazardous or emergency situation, the avoidance route is used in the meantime to fly towards a destination area with the least possible volume of air traffic; and the necessary avoidance manoeuvre(s) are performed based on the second data by the control device in an autonomous staggering procedure.