Unmanned aircraft with built-in collision warning system

US9037391B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• EADS Deutschland GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Joerg Meyer · Wagenfeld, DE
• Matthis Goettken · Mainburg, DE
• Christoph Vernaleken · Eiterfeld, DE
• Simon Schaerer · Munich, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 6, 2012
• Grant date: May 19, 2015
• Expiry date: Feb 28, 2033

Classification

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

Abstract

An unmanned aircraft, unmanned aviation system and method for collision avoidance during the flight operation of an unmanned aircraft are provided. The unmanned aircraft includes a lift and propulsion system and a flight control system having a flight control unit, a navigation system and an actuator system. The flight control unit has an autopilot unit. The flight control unit calculates control commands using data from the navigation system and/or the autopilot unit, which can be conveyed to the actuator system for actuating the lift and propulsion system. A collision warning system is connected with the flight control system, the collision warning system detects a collision situation and makes collision avoidance data available. A connection between the collision warning system and the autopilot unit is provided, in order to initiate an obstacle avoidance maneuver by the autopilot unit with the help of the collision avoidance data.