Vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging

Abstract

A vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging may include a first line replaceable unit and a second line replaceable unit. The first line replaceable unit may include a vehicle management system computer channel coupleable to a group including at least one mission related system and at least one vehicle system. The first line replaceable unit may also include a mission management system computer channel coupleable to the group including the at least one mission related system and the at least one vehicle system. The second line replaceable unit may include another vehicle management system computer channel coupleable to the group including the at least one mission related system and the at least one vehicle system. The second line replaceable unit may also include another mission management system computer channel coupleable to the group including the at least one mission related system and the at least one vehicle system.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . A vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging, comprising:
 a first line replaceable unit;   a second line replaceable unit;   a pair of vehicle management system computer channels in each line replaceable unit; and   a pair of mission management system computer channels in each line replaceable unit.   
   
   
       19 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of claim  1 , further comprising:
 a common bus coupling together each vehicle management system computer channel and each mission management system computer channel, and wherein the common bus is adapted to couple each of the channels to at least one mission related system; and   a separate bus to couple each of the vehicle management system computer channels to at least one vehicle system.   
   
   
       20 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a common bus coupling together each vehicle management system computer channel and each mission management system computer channel, and wherein the common bus is adapted to couple each of the channels to at least one vehicle system; and   a separate bus to couple each of the mission management system computer channels to at least one mission related system.   
   
   
       21 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of  claim 18 , further comprising a channel restart feature. 
   
   
       22 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of  claim 18 , further comprising a cross channel data link architecture to exchange data between channels and to support redundancy management voting and channel restart capability. 
   
   
       23 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of  claim 22 , wherein the cross channel data link architecture comprises:
 a plurality of cross channel data links to couple each of the vehicle management system computing channels in the first and second line replaceable units; and   another plurality of cross channel data links to couple each of the mission management system computing channels in the first and line replaceable units.   
   
   
       24 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of  claim 18 , further comprising fault protection to prevent all channels in a line replaceable unit from going down. 
   
   
       25 - 32 . (canceled) 
   
   
       33 . A method to provide vehicle management and mission management in a low weight and reliable architecture, comprising:
 providing a first line replaceable unit;   providing a second line replaceable unit;   providing at least one vehicle management system computer channel in each line replaceable unit; and   providing at least one mission management system computer channel in each line replaceable unit.   
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 coupling together each vehicle management system computer channel and each mission management system computer channel with a common bus;   adapting the common bus to couple each of the channels to at least one mission related system; and   coupling each of the vehicle management system computer channels to at least one vehicle system by a separate bus.   
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 coupling together each mission management system computer channel and each vehicle management system computer channel with a common bus;   adapting the common bus to couple each of the channels to at least one vehicle system; and   coupling each of the mission management system computer channels to at least one mission related system by a separate bus.   
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising providing a channel restart feature. 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 coupling a plurality of cross channel data links between each of the vehicle management system computer channels in the first and second line replaceable units; and   coupling another plurality of cross channel data links between each of the mission management system computer channels in the first and second line replaceable units.   
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein each channel is electrically independent. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising separating a quad redundant vehicle management system computing architecture and a mission management system computing architecture into two channels each per line replaceable unit. 
   
   
       40 . A vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging, comprising:
 a plurality of VMSC channels for communications with a plurality of vehicle systems, each vehicle system being related to operation of a vehicle;   a plurality of MMSC channels for communications with a plurality of mission systems, each mission system being related to a mission performable by the vehicle;   a VMSC common bus coupling together each of the plurality of VMSC channels and adapted to couple each of the plurality of VMSC channels to each mission system;   a separate VMSC bus to couple each VMSC channel to each vehicle system;   a MMSC common bus coupling together each of the plurality of MMSC channels and adapted to couple each of the plurality of MMSC channels to each vehicles system; and   a separate MMSC bus to couple each MMSC channel to each mission system.   
   
   
       41 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of  claim 40 , further comprising a cross channel data link architecture to exchange data between channels and to support redundancy management voting and channel restart capability. 
   
   
       42 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of  claim 41 , wherein the cross channel data link architecture comprises:
 a plurality of cross channel data links to couple each of the VMSC channels; and   another plurality of cross channel data links to couple each of the MMSC channels.   
   
   
       43 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of  claim 40 , further comprising a fault protection feature to prevent all VMSC channels and MMSC channels in a single line replaceable unit from becoming inoperative. 
   
   
       44 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of  claim 43 , wherein the fault protection feature comprises a quad redundant VMSC architecture and MMSC architecture separated into two channels per line replaceable unit. 
   
   
       45 . The vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging of  claim 40 , wherein vehicle comprises one of an aerospace vehicle, a watercraft, and a terrestrial vehicle.