Unmanned aircraft control using ground control station

US12387607B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• JOBY AERO, INC. · US

Inventors

• Travis Paul · Petaluma, US
• Marc Francois Xavier Piette · Orinda, US
• Maxime Marie Christophe Gariel · San Francisco, US
• Anna Dietrich · Petaluma, US
• Evan Michael Wilson · San Francisco, US
• Craig Milliard · San Francisco, US
• Ryan Olson · Dows, US
• Phillip Jones · Oakland, US
• Adam Shelly · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 9, 2021
• Grant date: Aug 12, 2025
• Expiry date: Mar 6, 2043

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G08G5/80
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An aircraft includes a flight plan and contingency data including a plurality of contingency landing sites. An aircraft communication system communicates with a ground control station via a communication link and detects a lost communication scenario in response to degradation in the communication link. An aircraft flight control system controls the aircraft en route according to the flight plan. In response to detecting the lost communication scenario, the flight control system routes the aircraft back to a last known location in which the communication link was not degraded. In response to failure to re-establish the communication link, the flight control system selects a landing site based on a current aircraft location relative to a plurality of potential landing sites including an origin airport, a destination airport, and a first continency landing site. The flight control system controls the aircraft to approach and land at the selected landing site.