Systems and methods for collaborative vehicle mission operations

Abstract

Systems and Methods for Collaborative Vehicle Mission Operations are provided. In one embodiment, a method to facilitate collaborative vehicle mission operations comprises: inputting a deployment position and a selected mission category into a mission crew personal computing device; wirelessly communicating the deployment position and the selected mission category to a support vehicle, the support vehicle comprising a mission sensor and a mission computer; receiving the deployment position at a navigation system onboard the vehicle and navigating the vehicle to the deployment position; configuring the operation of the mission sensor and mission computer as defined by a predefined mission profile stored onboard the vehicle; preprocessing sensor measurements from the sensor to extract a subset of data defined as relevant to the mission category based on the predefined mission profile; and transmitting the subset of data defined as relevant to the selected mission category to the mission crew personal computing device.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system for collaborative vehicle mission operations, the system comprising:
 a first node residing on at least one vehicle, the first node comprising:
 a navigation system; 
 at least one on-board communications transceiver; 
 a vehicle mounted sensor that outputs sensor data; 
 a computer configured to receive sensor measurements from the vehicle mounted sensor and send configuration instructions to the vehicle mounted sensor, the computer comprising predefined mission profile data and a preprocessor configured to receive the sensor data from the vehicle mounted sensor; and 
 an on-board human machine interface in communication with the navigation system and the computer; and 
   at least one second node comprising:
 a mobile personal computing device comprising a processor executing a mobile application, a human machine interface coupled to the processor, and a communications transceiver in communication with the at least one on-board communications transceiver; 
   wherein, in response to a selection by a user, the mobile application communicates to the computer a selected mission category based on a predefined mission profile of the predefined mission profile data and configures the computer to analyze and filter the sensor data from the vehicle mounted sensor as indicated by the predefined mission profile;   wherein, in response to a position entered on the human machine interface by the user, the mobile application communicates to the navigation system a deployment position for the vehicle, wherein the navigation system generates a route to the deployment position; and   wherein the preprocessor extracts a subset of the sensor data from the vehicle mounted sensor defined as relevant to the selected mission category based on the predefined mission profile and the computer transmits the subset of data defined as relevant to the selected mission category to the at least one second node.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the predefined mission profile data comprises a plurality of predefined mission profiles each associated with a defined mission category, wherein each of the plurality of predefined mission profiles define what data is relevant to collect for each of the defined mission categories. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the preprocessor implements automated intelligence in the presence of specified events or timers defined as relevant for the selected mission category in the predefined mission profile data. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the computer further comprises a sensor targeting process;
 wherein, in response to a position entered on the human machine interface of the mobile personal computing device by the user, the mobile application communicates to the sensor targeting process a target position for the computer to direct the vehicle mounted sensor to target.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the preprocessor extracts details of the sensor data from the vehicle mounted sensor pertaining to the target position and the computer transmits just the details of the sensor data pertaining to the target position to the at least one second node. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the sensor targeting process is configured to dynamically update the vehicle mounted sensor and to direct the vehicle mounted sensor to another target position. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the first node further comprises a plurality of vehicle mounted sensors, and
 wherein the sensor targeting process is configured to activate and deactivate a subset of the plurality of vehicle mounted sensors to provide relevant information to the at least one second node.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the on-board human machine interface comprises a personal computing device, wherein at least part of the preprocessor is executed on the personal computing device. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the navigation system comprises an autopilot that autonomously navigates the at least one vehicle to the deployment position. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the navigation system prompts a vehicle operator to confirm the deployment position via the human machine interface. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the mobile application is configured to determine the deployment location based on a location of the mobile personal computing device, and
 wherein the mobile application is further configured to communicate the location of the mobile personal computing device to the navigation system of the vehicle.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one vehicle comprises an aircraft, a ground vehicle, a watercraft, or a spacecraft. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one second node comprises a plurality of mobile personal computing devices. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising at least one of a data service center or a ground command center in communication with at least one of the first node or the at least one second node. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the data service center or the ground command center is configured to coordinate communications between the first node and the at least one second node. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the vehicle mounted sensor includes at least one of: a visual spectrum camera, an infrared camera, a radar sensor, a LIDAR sensor, an acoustic sensor, or a radio frequency (RF) signal monitoring sensor. 
     
     
         37 . A method to facilitate collaborative vehicle mission operations, the method comprising:
 inputting a deployment position and a selected mission category into a mobile personal computing device;   wirelessly communicating the deployment position and the selected mission category to a vehicle, the vehicle comprising at least one vehicle mounted sensor that outputs sensor data and a computer;   receiving the deployment position at a navigation system on-board the vehicle and navigating the vehicle to the deployment position;   configuring the operation of the at least one vehicle mounted sensor and computer as defined by a predefined mission profile stored onboard the vehicle;   preprocessing sensor measurements from the at least one vehicle mounted sensor to extract a subset of the sensor data defined as relevant to the selected mission category based on the predefined mission profile; and   transmitting the subset of data defined as relevant to the selected mission category to the mobile personal computing device.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising:
 reading the predefined mission profile from predefined mission profile data stored in an onboard memory, wherein the predefined mission profile data comprises a plurality of predefined mission profiles each associated with a defined mission category, wherein each of the plurality of predefined mission profiles define what data is relevant to collect for each of the defined mission categories.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the computer further comprises a sensor targeting process;
 wherein, in response to a position entered on a human machine interface of the mobile personal computing device, the sensor targeting process directs the at least one vehicle mounted sensor to a target position.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the preprocessor extracts details of the sensor data from the vehicle mounted sensor pertaining to the target position and the computer transmits just the details of the sensor data pertaining to the target position to the at least one second node.