US 12,259,725 B2
Modular flight management system incorporating an autopilot
Jonathan B. Downey, San Francisco, CA (US); and Bernard J. Michini, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Skydio, Inc., San Mateo, CA (US)
Filed by Skydio, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/874,459.
Application 17/874,459 is a continuation of application No. 16/035,996, filed on Jul. 16, 2018, granted, now 11,435,741.
Application 16/035,996 is a continuation of application No. 14/990,408, filed on Jan. 7, 2016, granted, now 10,025,307, issued on Jul. 17, 2018.
Application 14/990,408 is a continuation of application No. 13/587,092, filed on Aug. 16, 2012, granted, now 9,250,630, issued on Feb. 2, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/524,319, filed on Aug. 16, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2022/0390945 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G06F 21/44 (2013.01); H05K 3/32 (2006.01); B64U 101/30 (2023.01)
CPC G05D 1/0088 (2013.01) [G05D 1/0055 (2013.01); G05D 1/0077 (2013.01); G05D 1/0094 (2013.01); G05D 1/08 (2013.01); G06F 21/44 (2013.01); H05K 3/32 (2013.01); B64U 2101/30 (2023.01); B64U 2201/10 (2023.01); B64U 2201/104 (2023.01); Y10T 29/4913 (2015.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
authenticating a peripheral component of a vehicle responsive to a determination that the peripheral component is communicatively coupled to a controller component of the vehicle;
determining capabilities of the authenticated peripheral component, wherein the capabilities affect one or more flight navigation operations of the vehicle; and
based on the capabilities of the authenticated peripheral component, configuring the vehicle for the one or more flight navigation operations using one or more signal lines associated with the controller component,
wherein one or more inputs or outputs associated with the one or more signal lines correspond to the one or more flight navigation operations and
at least one of the one or more flight navigation operations corresponds to an autopilot function of the vehicle that operates according to a current state of the vehicle estimated using sensor data.