Management of deployed drones

• US 10,048,684 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dowlatkhah, Sangar, Shaw, Venson, Cui, Zhi
• Primary Examiner(s): Berona, Kimberly S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fei, Jordan S
• Application Number:
  US15/048,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20170242431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to manage deployed drones are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include detecting, by a first drone, whether the first drone is in communication with a command center via a first communication network to determine a configuration parameter of a first message to broadcast discovery information associated with the first drone. Disclosed example methods also include, in response to the first drone being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, broadcasting, from the first drone, the first message configured with a first value for the configuration parameter. Disclosed example methods further include, in response to the first drone not being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, broadcasting, from the first drone, the first message configured with a second value for the configuration parameter different from the first value.

Claims

1. A drone discovery method comprising:

detecting, by executing an instruction with a processor of a first drone, whether the first drone is in communication with a command center via a first communication network;

determining, based on the detecting, a value for a time-to-live parameter of a first message to broadcast first discovery information associated with the first drone, wherein the first message comprises the first discovery information and the time-to-live parameter, and wherein the time-to-live parameter has a configurable value; and

in response to the first drone being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, broadcasting, with a first transceiver of the first drone, the first message configured with a first value for the time-to-live parameter by transmitting the first discovery information and the first value;

or

in response to the first drone not being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, broadcasting, with the first transceiver, the first message configured with a second value for the time-to-live parameter by transmitting the first discovery information and the second value, wherein the second value is different from the first value,

wherein;

the value of the time-to-live parameter of the first message specifies a number of communication hops over which the first message is to be re-broadcast, and

each communication hop over which the first message is to be re-broadcast is associated with an adjusting, by a respective receiving drone, of a respective value of the time-to-live parameter of the first message to determine a respective adjusted value and a re-broadcast, by the respective receiving drone, of the first message configured with the respective adjusted value for the time-to-live parameter via transmission of the first discovery information and the respective adjusted value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first value corresponds to a value of one hop to cause the first message to not be re-broadcast by a receiving drone that receives the first message, and wherein the second value corresponds to a value greater than one hop to cause the first message to be re-broadcast by the receiving drone.

3. The method of claim 1, further including:

receiving a second message including second discovery information associated with a second drone, the second message configured with a third value for the time-to-live parameter of the second message;

storing the second discovery information in association with an identifier for the second drone; and

in response to the third value specifying more than one hop for the time-to-live parameter of the second message;

decrementing the third value to determine a fourth value for the time-to-live parameter of the second message; and

re-broadcasting the second message configured with the fourth value for the time-to-live parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, further including:

after receiving the second message, detecting whether the first drone is in communication with the command center via the first communication network; and

in response to the first drone being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, reporting the second discovery information in association with the identifier for the second drone to the command center via the first communication network;

or

in response to the first drone not being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, retaining, in memory, the second discovery information in association with the identifier for the second drone for later reporting to the command center.

5. The method of claim 3, further including:

after receiving the second message, setting a status for the second drone to indicate the second drone is active;

storing the status for the second drone in association with the identifier for the second drone; and

in response to not detecting the second drone over a time interval, changing the status for the second drone to indicate the second drone is inactive.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first discovery information includes an identifier for the first drone, an origination location for the first drone, a destination location for the first drone and a current location for the first drone, the origination and destination locations defining a corridor along which the first drone is programmed to travel, and

each communication hop over which the first message is to be re-broadcast is associated with a decrementing, by the respective receiving drone, of the respective value of the time-to-live parameter of the first message to determine a respective decremented value and a re-broadcast, by the respective receiving drone, of the first message configured with the respective decremented value for the time-to-live parameter via transmission of the first discovery information and the respective decremented value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transceiver communicatively couples the first drone to the first communication network and a second communication network different from the first communication network, the first drone includes a second transceiver to communicatively couple the first drone to the first communication network, the second communication network corresponds to a wireless local area network, and the first communication network corresponds to at least one of a mobile cellular network and a satellite network.

8. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor of a first drone to perform operations comprising:

detecting whether the first drone is in communication with a command center via a first communication network to determine a value for a time-to-live parameter of a first message to broadcast first discovery information associated with the first drone, wherein the first message comprises the first discovery information and the time-to-live parameter, and wherein the time-to-live parameter has a configurable value;

in response to the first drone being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, broadcasting, with a first transceiver of the first drone, the first message configured with a first value for the time-to-live parameter by transmitting the first discovery information and the first value; and

in response to the first drone not being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, broadcasting, with the first transceiver, the first message configured with a second value for the time-to-live parameter by transmitting the first discovery information and the second value, wherein the second value is different from the first value,

wherein;

the value of the time-to-live parameter of the first message specifies a number of communication hops over which the first message is to be re-broadcast, and

each communication hop over which the first message is to be re-broadcast is associated with an adjusting, by a respective receiving drone, of a respective value of the time-to-live parameter of the first message to determine a respective adjusted value and a re-broadcast, by the respective receiving drone, of the first message configured with the respective adjusted value for the time-to-live parameter via transmission of the first discovery information and the respective adjusted value.

9. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first value corresponds to a value of one hop to cause the first message to not be re-broadcast by a receiving drone that receives the first message, and wherein the second value corresponds to a value greater than one hop to cause the first message to be re-broadcast by the receiving drone.

10. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operations further include:

receiving a second message including second discovery information associated with a second drone, the second message configured with a third value for the time-to-live parameter of the second message;

storing the second discovery information in association with an identifier for the second drone; and

in response to the third value specifying more than one hop for the time-to-live parameter of the second message;

decrementing the third value to determine a fourth value for the time-to-live parameter of the second message; and

re-broadcasting the second message configured with the fourth value for the time-to-live parameter.

11. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further include:

after receiving the second message, detecting whether the first drone is in communication with the command center via the first communication network; and

in response to the first drone being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, reporting the second discovery information in association with the identifier for the second drone to the command center via the first communication network;

or

in response to the first drone not being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, retaining, in memory, the second discovery information in association with the identifier for the second drone for later reporting to the command center.

12. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further include:

after receiving the second message, setting a status for the second drone to indicate the second drone is active;

storing the status for the second drone in association with the identifier for the second drone; and

in response to not detecting the second drone over a time interval, changing the status for the second drone to indicate the second drone is inactive.

13. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first discovery information includes an identifier for the first drone, an origination location for the first drone, a destination location for the first drone and a current location for the first drone, the origination and destination locations defining a corridor along which the first drone is programmed to travel.

14. An apparatus to perform drone discovery, the apparatus comprising:

memory including computer readable instructions; and

a processor to execute the computer readable instructions to perform operations including;

detecting whether a first drone is in communication with a command center via a first communication network to determine a value for a time-to-live parameter of a first message to broadcast first discovery information associated with the first drone, wherein the first message comprises the first discovery information and the time-to-live parameter, and wherein the time-to-live parameter has a configurable value;

in response to the first drone being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, broadcasting, with a first transceiver of the first drone, the first message configured with a first value for the time-to-live parameter by transmitting the first discovery information and the first value; and

in response to the first drone not being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, broadcasting, with the first transceiver, the first message configured with a second value for the time-to-live parameter by transmitting the first discovery information and the second value, wherein the second value is different from the first value,

wherein;

the value of the time-to-live parameter of the first message specifies a number of communication hops over which the first message is to be re-broadcast, and

each communication hop over which the first message is to be re-broadcast is associated with an adjusting, by a respective receiving drone, of a respective value of the time-to-live parameter of the first message to determine a respective adjusted value and a re-broadcast, by the respective receiving drone, of the first message configured with the respective adjusted value for the time-to-live parameter via transmission of the first discovery information and the respective adjusted value.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first value corresponds to a value of one hop to cause the first message to not be re-broadcast by a receiving drone that receives the first message, and wherein the second value corresponds to a value greater than one hop to cause the first message to be re-broadcast by the receiving drone.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the operations further include:

receiving a second message including second discovery information associated with a second drone, the second message configured with a third value for the time-to-live parameter of the second message;

storing the second discovery information in association with an identifier for the second drone; and

in response to the third value specifying more than one hop for the time-to-live parameter of the second message;

decrementing the third value to determine a fourth value for the time-to-live parameter of the second message; and

re-broadcasting the second message configured with the fourth value for the time-to-live parameter.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the operations further include:

after receiving the second message, detecting whether the first drone is in communication with the command center via the first communication network;

in response to the first drone being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, reporting the second discovery information in association with the identifier for the second drone to the command center via the first communication network; and

in response to the first drone not being in communication with the command center via the first communication network, retaining, in the memory, the second discovery information in association with the identifier for the second drone for later reporting to the command center.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the operations further include:

after receiving the second message, setting a status for the second drone to indicate the second drone is active;

storing the status for the second drone in association with the identifier for the second drone; and

in response to not detecting the second drone over a time interval, changing the status for the second drone to indicate the second drone is inactive.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the first discovery information includes an identifier for the first drone, an origination location for the first drone, a destination location for the first drone and a current location for the first drone, the origination and destination locations defining a corridor along which the first drone is programmed to travel, and

the operations further comprise broadcasting a plurality of drone discovery messages with a periodicity based at least on whether the first drone is in communication with the command center.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first transceiver communicatively couples the first drone to the first communication network and a second communication network different from the first communication network.