US 12,079,014 B2
Control system of an unfinned lighter than air platform and method for same
Mark Stanley Ketcham, Sioux Falls, SD (US); and Michael Scott Smith, Sulphur Springs, TX (US)
Assigned to Aerostar International, LLC, Columbia, MD (US)
Filed by Aerostar International, LLC, Columbia, MD (US)
Filed on Nov. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/058,062.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/282,579, filed on Nov. 23, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0185315 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. G05D 1/49 (2024.01); G05D 1/606 (2024.01); G05D 109/20 (2024.01)
CPC G05D 1/606 (2024.01) [G05D 1/49 (2024.01); G05D 2109/26 (2024.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lighter than air platform comprising:
an unfinned envelope configured for lighter than air operation;
two or more propulsion elements coupled with the unfinned envelope, each of the two or more propulsion elements are configured to provide independent propulsion to the unfinned envelope;
at least one navigation sensor configured to monitor an actual flight path of the unfinned envelope;
at least one perturbation sensor configured to monitor one or more perturbations of the unfinned envelope; and
a navigation controller configured to guide the unfinned envelope with coordinated propulsion of the two or more propulsion elements, the navigation controller includes:
a navigation comparator configured to compare the actual flight path with a specified flight path of the unfinned envelope in a navigation comparison and determine a navigation instruction for the unfinned envelope based on the navigation comparison; a perturbation comparator configured to compare the navigation instruction with the monitored one or more perturbations in a perturbation comparison and determine a perturbation compensation based on the perturbation comparison; and
a propulsion coordinator in communication with the two or more propulsion elements, the propulsion coordinator configured to control propulsion values of each of the propulsion elements based on the navigation instruction and the perturbation compensation.