US 11,966,223 B2
Autopilot control system for unmanned vehicles
Stefano Angelo Mario Lassini, Lowell, MI (US); Ryan Daniel Gorby, Howard City, MI (US); and John Andrew Ingersoll, Byron Center, MI (US)
Assigned to GE Aviation Systems LLC, Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Filed by GE Aviation Systems LLC, Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Filed on Sep. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/468,847.
Application 17/468,847 is a division of application No. 15/875,454, filed on Jan. 19, 2018, granted, now 11,131,991.
Prior Publication US 2022/0107638 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2006.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); G08G 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0088 (2013.01) [B64C 39/024 (2013.01); G05D 1/0011 (2013.01); G05D 1/0061 (2013.01); G05D 1/0077 (2013.01); G08G 5/0069 (2013.01); B64U 2201/104 (2023.01); B64U 2201/20 (2023.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system-on-module for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a first processing system including a first processing unit and a first programmable logic array, the first processing unit configured to execute a primary autopilot process for controlling the UAV, the first processing unit further configured to provide an output based on the primary autopilot process; and
a second processing system including a second processing unit and a second programmable logic array, the second programmable logic array configured to enable control of the UAV based on the primary autopilot process in response to a valid output of the first processing system, the second programmable logic array further configured to enable control of the UAV based on a backup autopilot process in response to an invalid output of the first processing system;
wherein the primary autopilot process includes a first set of processor readable instructions associated with controlling one or more vehicle devices of the unmanned vehicle; and wherein the backup autopilot process includes a second set of processor readable instructions that is different than the first set of processor readable instructions and is associated with controlling the one or more vehicle devices of the unmanned vehicle; and
wherein the second processing unit is configured to execute the backup autopilot process.