US 12,084,201 B2
Distributed control of autonomous cargo handling systems
Zamira A. Daw Perez, Albany, CA (US); Alessandro Pinto, Kensington, CA (US); and Richa Varma, Emeryville, CA (US)
Assigned to GOODRICH CORPORATION, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by GOODRICH CORPORATION, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on Apr. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/222,227.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/009,814, filed on Apr. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0316864 A1, Oct. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. B64D 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 9/00 (2013.01) [B64D 2009/006 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cargo handling system configured for autonomous control, comprising:
a plurality of power drive units, the plurality of power drive units configured to convey a plurality of objects over a conveyance surface;
a plurality of sensing agents, the plurality of sensing agents configured to transmit a run-time database, the run-time database including data from which a positioning of the plurality of objects on the cargo handling system is determined; and
a distributed control system in operable communication with the plurality of sensing agents and the plurality of power drive units, the distributed control system including:
a supervisory control processor configured to provide an estimate of a current state of the plurality of objects based on the positioning of the plurality of objects; and
an actuator control processor configured to;
perform an assessment to determine whether a level of autonomous control should be modified based on the estimate of the current state of the plurality of objects; and
reduce the level of autonomous control of the cargo handling system in an event that the assessment indicates an imminent collision between a first object of the plurality of objects and a second object of the plurality of objects, wherein reducing the level of autonomous control includes slowing the movement of at least one of the first object or the second object.