Probabilistic Quantitative Temporal Constraints:Representing,Reasoning,and Query Answering

In many applications and domains,temporal constraints between actions, and their probabilities play an important role. We propose the first approach in the literature coping with probabilistic quantitative constraints. To achieve such a challenging goal, we extend the widely used simple temporal problem(STP) framework to consider probabilities.Specifically,we propose i) a formal representation of probabilistic quantitative constraints, ii) an algorithm,based on the operations of intersection and composition,for the propagation of such temporal constraints, and iii) facilities to support query answering on a set of such constraints. As a result, we provide users with the first homogeneous method supporting the treatment(representing,reasoning,and querying) of probabilistic quantitative constraints, as required by many applications and domains.

Autonomous planning system based on temporal constraint satisfaction

In order to realize spacecraft autonomy activity duration and complex temporal relations must be taken into consideration. In the space mission planning system, the traditional planners are unable to describe this knowledge, so an object-oriented temporal knowledge representation method is proposed to model every activity as an object to describe the activity's duration, start-time, end-time and the temporal relations with other activities. The layered planning agent architecture is then designed for spacecraft autonomous operation, and the functions of every component are given. A planning algorithm based on the temporal constraint satisfaction is built in detail using this knowledge representation and system architecture. The prototype of Deep Space Mission Autonomous Planning System is implemented. The results show that with the object-oriented temporal knowledge description method, the space mission planning system can be used to describe simultaneous activities, resource and temporal constraints, and produce a complete plan for exploration mission quickly under complex constraints.

Flight parameter calculation method of multi-projectiles using temporal and spatial information constraint

The dynamic parameters of multiple projectiles that are fired using multi-barrel weapons in highfrequency continuous firing modes are important indicators to measure the performance of these weapons.The characteristics of multiple projectiles are high randomness and large numbers launched in a short period of time,making it very difficult to obtain the real dispersion parameters of the projectiles due to the occlusion or coincidence of multiple projectiles.Using six intersecting-screen testing system,in this paper,we propose an association recognition and matching algorithm of multiple projectiles using a temporal and spatial information constraint mechanism.We extract the output signal from each detection screen and then use the wavelet transform to process the output signal.We present a method to identify and extract the time values on which the projectiles pass through the detection screens using the wavelet transform modulus maximum theory.We then use the correlation of the output signals of three parallel detection screens to establish a correlation coefficient recognition constraint function for the multiple projectiles.Based on the premise of linear projectile motion,we establish a temporal and spatial constraint matching model using the projectile’s position coordinates in each detection screen and the projectile’s time constraints within the multiple intersecting-screen geometry.We then determine the time values of the multiple projectiles in each detection screen using an iterative search cycle registration,and finally obtain the flight parameters for the multiple projectiles in the presence of uncertainty.The proposed method and algorithm were verified experimentally and can solve the problem of uncertainty in projectiles flight parameter under different multiple projectile firing states.

Timeline based autonomous mission planning system for deep space exploration

In order to realize the explorer autonomy, the software architecture of autonomous mission management system (AMMS) is given for the deep space explorer, and the autonomous mission planning system, the kernel part of this architecture, is designed in detail. In order to describe the parallel activity, the state timeline is introduced to build the formal model of the planning system and based on this model, the temporal constraint satisfaction planning algorithm is proposed to produce the explorer’s activity sequence. With some key subsystems of the deep space explorer as examples, the autonomous mission planning simulation system is designed. The results show that this system can calculate the executable activity sequence with the given mission goals and initial state of the explorer.