US 12,217,615 B2
Assured geo-containment and conformance enforcement system for air, ground, and marine vehicles
Evan T. Dill, Poquoson, VA (US); Kyle M. Smalling, Newport News, VA (US); Steven D. Young, Poquoson, VA (US); Cuong C. Quach, Hampton, VA (US); Kelly J. Hayhurst, Seaford, VA (US); Anthony J. Narkawicz, Yorktown, VA (US); and Russell V. Gilabert, Lewis Center, OH (US)
Assigned to UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA, Washington, DC (US)
Filed on Jul. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/865,980.
Application 17/865,980 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/431,066, filed on Jun. 4, 2019, abandoned.
Application 16/431,066 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/386,041, filed on Dec. 21, 2016, granted, now 10,490,088, issued on Nov. 26, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/680,086, filed on Jun. 4, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/329,234, filed on Apr. 29, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/272,742, filed on Dec. 30, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0366798 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. G08G 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC G08G 5/0069 (2013.01) [G08G 5/006 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A geo-containment system comprising:
an unmanned vehicle having a primary positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) system and an alternative PNT system;
an enforcement system having a boundary violation prediction and detection component in communication with the primary PNT system and the alternative PNT system, the enforcement system located onboard the unmanned vehicle, the enforcement system configured to limit travel of the unmanned vehicle while the unmanned vehicle is in operation based, at least in part, in predefined geospatial operational boundaries including a primary geospatial operational boundary and at least one secondary geospatial operational boundary, wherein the primary geospatial operational boundary is defined by boundary data received by the enforcement system prior to operation of the unmanned vehicle, wherein the at least one secondary geospatial operational boundary is a minimum distance extending from the primary geospatial operational boundary toward the unmanned vehicle, and wherein the minimum distance is determined by the boundary violation prediction and detection component of the enforcement system during operation of the unmanned vehicle based at least in part on dynamics information of the unmanned vehicle including positional data and velocity as determined by the primary PNT system and the alternative PNT system; and
an onboard vehicle control system, in communication with the boundary violation prediction and detection component and responsive to the enforcement system, configured to alter operation of the unmanned vehicle if the unmanned vehicle crosses the at least one secondary geospatial operational boundary, wherein altering operation of the unmanned vehicle comprises causing the unmanned vehicle to move to a position which is at least the minimum distance from the primary geospatial operational boundary.