System and method for preventing inadvertent loss of surveillance coverage for an unmanned aerial system (UAS)

• Main Authors: Wolford, Brian R, Fogerty, David, Liberko, Nicholas, McElroy, Kevin, Svatek, Boe A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 31.05.2022
• Subjects: AEROPLANES; AIRCRAFT; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; CONTROLLING; COSMONAUTICS; EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLYING SUITS; HELICOPTERS; PARACHUTES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; REGULATING; SIGNALLING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS; TRANSPORTING

An unmanned aerial system (UAS) is disclosed. In embodiments, the UAS includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a controller communicatively coupled to the UAV. In embodiments, the UAS controller may be configured to: acquire a surveillance quality model for a prescribed flight path; generate one or more control signals configured to cause the UAV to perform a monitored flight along the prescribed flight path; acquire actual surveillance quality data during the monitored flight along the prescribed flight path; compare the actual surveillance quality data to the surveillance quality model; identify a surveillance quality deviation between the actual surveillance quality and the surveillance quality model; and generate one or more control signals configured to cause the UAV to perform one or more corrective actions or maneuvers if the identified surveillance quality deviation exceeds a threshold deviation value.